There's nothing like losing to put the grump and growl into a group.

Take the Oregon Ducks. They started fast in 2006, winning seven of their first nine contests and had a big bowl game in sight. Then the nosedive: four consecutive losses to end the season, all horrendous on a scale of bad to worse. The skid included a 37-10 loss to an Arizona team that struggled to gain first downs all season and a 38-8 defeat to BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.

So perturbed was coach Mike Bellotti after the BYU loss that he said the Cougars would be fortunate to even compete in the Pacific-10 Conference. An Oregon offense that averaged 36 points through the 7-2 start managed more than 10 just once in the final four contests.

This summer, Bellotti -- the dean of Pac-10 coaches with 12 years at Oregon -- sounded as if he were still troubled that his quarterback chose baseball over team workouts. Dennis Dixon was a fifth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves, and he promptly struggled to hit the ball. Dixon is back, a senior ready to reclaim his form from the good parts of 2006.

"It certainly was an inopportune time for him (to play baseball) in terms of our team," Bellotti said. "But he's a fifth-year senior, and he's back in Eugene and he'll make up for lost time. He was throwing a football all summer in Florida, in addition to playing baseball. That might be why he hit only .188."

Oregon hasn't fared much better as a team since the 2002 season. The Ducks have gone winless in bowl games in that span, and none was a Bowl Championship Series game -- the Seattle Bowl, Sun Bowl, Holiday Bowl and Las Vegas Bowl.

"We have to earn that respect again, win games, and get into better bowl games," Bellotti said.

Still, Bellotti has crafted a good enough reputation over the years to make the Pac-10 fear him. He has had tough seasons before and bounced back strong, including winning five games in 2004 and doubling it in 2005.

"At times last year, we played like a national title contender, and at times we played like we'd be sixth in this room," Bellotti said on Pac-10 Media Day last month. "It's just a question of who's going to show up."

Jonathan Stewart has to for the Ducks to succeed. The speedy junior has exhibited spectacular skills but has been slowed by a rash of injuries.

Jonathan Stewart is about as heralded a prep recruit as Bellotti has had. The tailback's 7,757 career yards and 95 touchdowns represented a prep record in Washington. He rushed for 981 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, despite the injuries. He is also one of the nation's most dangerous return specialists.

"Coach has a lot of confidence in me," Jonathan Stewart said. "We're a hungry team this year. We all want to prove ourselves again, me included. I need to have a big year. We all do."

But Jonathan Stewart especially.

"Jonathan Stewart's as good of a back as we've ever had," Bellotti said. "He can be unbelievable. What I need out of Jonathan Stewart is more consistency. He had 144 yards against Oklahoma. I need that from him every single game."

Oregon's offensive woes late prompted Bellotti to bring in a new offensive coordinator. He went clear to the East Coast for his man -- Chip Kelly from New Hampshire, a Division I-AA program.

"We expect a big year," Jonathan Stewart said. "The way last year finished, that was just terrible."