Team-by-team story lines from around the WAC.
Boise State Broncos
The Broncos return only three players from the nation's top-ranked offense, but with Dinwiddie and versatile back David Mikell still there, the only concern is rebuilding the line. On defense, BSU might be improved. Seven starters return, including the leading tackler and a cornerback who had eight interceptions in 2002. One thing's for sure: it will not be as easy as it was last year in the WAC, when Boise won its eight conference games by an average margin of 37 points. Defending the title will be tough because of road games at Fresno and Hawaii.
Fresno State Bulldogs
Fresno entered last November with a 4-5 record and seemed to be struggling with increased expectations, but the Bulldogs won their final five games and looked like their old selves again in the bowl win over Georgia Tech. With a solid nucleus returning, they are ready to make another run at the WAC title. In its 11-year history in the conference, Fresno has never lost fewer than two games in league play, and this could be the year to change that. But first, they will try to add to their impressive total of five wins over BCS conference teams since the start of 2000.
Hawaii Warriors
Not only do the Warriors have a friendly WAC schedule, but they also have plenty of returning talent to go with it. Outside of a few replacements on the offensive line and at linebacker, June Jones is very certain about what his team is capable of doing. For all the raw offensive production, though, there is plenty of room for improvement. Hawaii turned the ball over more than any team in the nation last year, and Chang threw the most interceptions. Aside from the obvious goal of winning the WAC, Hawaii also wants to earn more national respect this season by beating USC or Alabama.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Although nobody is giving them a chance to win, the Bulldogs are still excited about opening the season with arguably the biggest home game in school history -- vs. Miami at Independence Stadium in Shreveport. Tech is just one year removed from a WAC title, but that wasn't evident from its six losses of 17 points or more last season. Just being competitive with Miami and in-state powerhouse LSU would be a big step in the right direction. Home games against Boise State and Hawaii give the Bulldogs a fair chance to make some noise in the WAC.
Nevada Wolfpack
Most people have no idea how close the Wolfpack came to having a winning record last season. Three of their seven losses were by four points or less, and another defeat was by eight points. Nevada has always been known for its offense, but it will have to make some adjustments this year after losing its starting QB and the nation's most prolific pass catcher. Fortunately, it will get back the nation's leading rusher from 2001, Chance Kretschmer, who missed last season with an injury. The defense returns 10 starters and must have a big impact.
Rice Owls
Rice is always ground-oriented with its spread option offense, but it was also quite flexible with its personnel last season, as eight different players had more than 100 yards rushing. This means that new starters at a few positions should have very minimal impact on the offensive efficiency. Defense, however, is another story. Eight new starters will have their work cut out for them. Because three of the four non-conference games can legitimately be won by the Owls, those results will likely set the tone for the season.
San Jose State Spartans
Dr. Fitz Hill's Spartans broke through with a huge win at Illinois last year, but they couldn't quite close the deal on a winning season. A three-point loss to Fresno State in the season finale is all that stood between SJSU and a bowl appearance on its home field. Most of the starters return from that team, and their challenge is simple: run the ball more effectively and don't let opponents move it so easily. The first chance to apply this on the field comes Aug. 23, when the Spartans kick off the 2003 college football season vs. Grambling on ESPN2.
SMU Mustangs
The good news for SMU football last year was a 3-0 record in games decided by a TD or less. The bad news was that all nine losses were by 10 points or more. All in all, that's not very competitive, but the team does return 18 starters with a chance to make major improvement. The first order of business is scoring points -- only four teams in the country scored fewer in 2002. The second is creating turnovers -- only seven teams forced fewer. The first three games of the season are against Big 12 teams, so an early win would be a big confidence boost.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
New coach Steve Kragthorpe takes over a squad that has won just a single conference game over the last two seasons. Tulsa simply could not stop the run last year, allowing a mind-boggling 256 yards per game on the ground. That number should improve significantly, thanks to the return of 11 defensive players who started at least once a year ago. The offense will throw the ball often and should be more fun to watch. Kragthorpe's first two opponents are Minnesota and Arkansas, so he's probably seen the 2002 Music City Bowl a few times already.
UTEP Miners
After a 2-10 record last year, UTEP is also looking at many areas where improvements need to be made. Even though they "held" Hawaii to 31 points, eight other opponents scored at least 35. The other extremely disturbing stat was turning the ball over more than three times per game. Fortunately, the Miners return a host of players with starting experience on both sides of the ball, and they will be able to play seven home games -- the most for the program since 1983. One of the biggest games for coach Gary Nord is Sept. 20 at Louisville, his alma mater.
Brad Edwards is a researcher for ESPN.
