With 19 starters returning in 2007, including 10 from the Pac-10's No. 3 scoring defense, the general feeling around the Arizona program was if the offense became merely adequate then the Wildcats would earn their first bowl berth since 1998.

The general feeling was wrong.

The offense was more than adequate after adopting a pass-happy spread scheme courtesy of new offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes. The Wildcats averaged 28 points per game, 12 more than the previous season, and set more than a dozen passing records.

That veteran defense? Despite across-the-board experience and solid talent, it was "terribly inconsistent," according to coordinator Mark Stoops. It gave up 26.8 points per game -- a touchdown more than in 2006 -- and allowed opponents to convert 43.2 percent of their third downs, which ranked ninth in the conference.

"We weren't putting people in bad situations," said Stoops, younger brother of head coach Mike Stoops. "We were letting people manage the game, manage their drives. We had trouble getting off the field."

The Wildcats will get a fresh start this spring whether they like it or not. Only four starters are back, with a particularly worrisome void at cornerback left by the departures of Antoine Cason, the Thorpe Award winner, and Wilrey Fontenot.

Oh, and that list of returning starters includes defensive end Jonathan Turner, who lost his job last year and will have to fight like crazy to win it back this spring.

Mark Stoops, however, didn't seem too worried. All the players on hand were recruited by the brothers, and the cupboard is hardly bare.

For one, the defense figures to be solid up the middle, with veteran middle linebacker Ronnie Palmer and safeties Cam Nelson and Nate Ness. What the defensive line will lack in experience, it will make up for in athleticism. Stoops said he's prepared to rotate four or five ends, a list led by sophomores D'Aundre Reed, Ricky Elmore and Brooks Reed.

Lolomana Mikaele and Donald Horton top the depth chart at tackle, but the coaches are intrigued by Earl Mitchell's position change from H-back. Word is Mitchell passes the sight test.

"He looks awfully good," Mark Stoops said. "It's hard for us to go out and recruit anybody who looks better than that, I know that much. I'd be shocked if he didn't come out of spring looking pretty good inside."

In another position change, Mike Turner moves back to corner after playing receiver last year. He'll challenge Marquis Hundley for the starting spot opposite Devin Ross, with incoming hotshot frosh Manuel Golden expected to make a push.

Stoops sounded optimistic that his defense will carry its fair share after underachieving a year ago. It needs to because there's considerable win-now-or-else pressure on his brother heading into 2008.

"We're not going to make any bold, crazy statements saying we're going to do this or do that," Mark Stoops said, "but I know what these guys are capable of."
While Washington coach Tyrone Willingham's ditching his longtime defensive coordinator Kent Baer in favor of Ed Donatell garnered more headlines, his decision to dip into the high school ranks for his new running backs coach might be more intriguing. And inspired.

For one, too few Division I-A coaches have the guts to hire a prep coach, which means a lot of talent gets marginalized. And Steve Gervais, 54, who split six state championships between two different schools while running up a 244-83 career record, is a true talent. Gervais adopted a high-powered spread offense at Skyline High School in Sammamish, Wash., and last year the Spartans averaged 37.4 points per game while rolling up a 14-0 record. His input will be valuable in Year 2 of the Jake Locker Era.

Willingham didn't blindly hire Gervais, either. His son, Nathaniel, played center for Skyline and he is good friends with Gervais' son Riley, who will be a walk-on linebacker for the Huskies this fall.

Beyond hiring a good coach, Willingham also scored a few PR points that could pay off in recruiting. Gervais, obviously, will be well-connected with in-state high school coaches, many of whom will take pride in one of their own getting the opportunity to play at Washington. It also doesn't hurt that Skyline churns out a pretty good cast of prospects, including quarterback Jake Heaps, who should be one of the state's top prospects in 2010.