Pac-10 Football | So far, all teams talking the talk

Arizona

The Wildcats return 10 starters off what was statistically the third-best defense in the conference a year ago. Arizona finished a mere 6-6 because of an overly stagnant offense. But coach Mike Stoops, who faces somewhat of a make-or-break season with a 12-22 record in his first three years, said he hopes the team's switch to a quick-hitting, pass-oriented attack, similar to what's at Texas Tech, will revive the offense. Stoops also hopes it will lessen considerably the number of hits taken by junior quarterback Willie Tuitama, who was in and out of the lineup last season with a succession of concussions.

"This system gives us a very unique way of protecting the quarterback," Stoops said.

Arizona State

The obvious focus when Arizona State's contingent hit the podium was new Sun Devils coach Dennis Erickson, who wasted little time before talking about his much-traveled career.

"I was looking at the press guide reading my biography and it started to look like an obituary," Erickson joked.

Later, talking about league-favorite USC, Erickson said wryly that, "They should be in that league I was really successful in," acknowledging his lackluster tenures with the Seahawks and 49ers.

California

Bears coach Jeff Tedford compared his team to the 2004 squad that went 10-2 overall and 7-1 in the Pac-10, where its only loss was to eventual national titlist USC.

The offense figures to be especially good, though Tedford said he's concerned about the depth at tailback where Cal has to replace Marshawn Lynch, now with the Bills. Senior Justin Forsett, who rushed for 626 yards last season, will be the starter. There is, however, no experience behind him, with redshirt freshman James Montgomery listed as the backup heading into camp. UW fans might remember Montgomery, a product of Rancho Cordova, Calif., as he committed to Washington in the summer of 2005 before changing his mind shortly before signing day. "It's not that we don't have depth there, we just don't have experienced depth," Tedford said.

Oregon

Ducks coach Mike Bellotti reiterated his faith in Dennis Dixon as the team's starting quarterback. Dixon, though, spent the summer playing minor-league baseball with the Gulf Coast Braves after having been a fifth-round choice by Atlanta in the June draft. Bellotti previously has expressed some minor irritation that Dixon wasn't around to work out with the Ducks all summer, but he said Dixon is due back in Eugene today and downplayed the impact of Dixon's absence.

"It was an inopportune time for him [to play baseball] in terms of spending time with our team, but I do think he's a fifth-year senior and he's back [today] and I think he will make up for some lost time," Bellotti said. "He'll have all of fall camp." Senior Brady Leaf is also in the mix, but Bellotti said, "Dennis is our starting quarterback even though he's been reading pitches rather than reading defenses."

Oregon also recently lost to poor grades prized defensive tackle recruits Myles Wade and Simi Fili, who had been expected to contribute immediately.

Oregon State

OSU coach Mike Riley missed media day — the only coach not present — to attend the funeral of Jim Gilstrap, who was the coordinator of support services for the OSU football team. Gilstrap, 65, died last week of complications from intestinal cancer. He had been at OSU since 2003 and was a longtime assistant for Riley.

Stanford

New Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh spent most of his time talking about his efforts to turn around the Cardinal's attitude — Stanford went 1-10 last season, the lone victory coming in Seattle against UW. Starting quarterback T.C. Ostrander said that victory could help the team this season.

"One of the factors that led to our terrible year last year was we had a ton of injuries," Ostrander said. "We played a lot of young guys and that was the first game where we had everyone on the offense feeling like we were on the same page, and the defense had a similar feeling. I think that game gave everybody a little insight into what it takes to win and what's really important."

UCLA

Bruins coach Karl Dorrell said he is "very optimistic" there will be a positive outcome to the legal troubles of receivers coach Eric Scott, who was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of burglary. Scott, who was hired in March, was put on paid administrative leave until the situation is resolved. Dorrell, who was the offensive coordinator and receivers coach at UW in 1999, said he will take over Scott's receivers-coach duties for now.

"It's something I've done before, and I think I can do that," he said.

USC

The Trojans received all 39 first-place votes in the annual media poll and were tabbed as favorites for the fifth consecutive year. One of USC's few unsettled positions is running back, where the Trojans list five players as potential starters on their depth chart, with another five listed as backups.

Coach Pete Carroll said he wasn't worried about keeping the 10 players — each a much-heralded recruit — happy, and added that he was in "no rush" to name a starter. "Maybe it's going to be really difficult to get this done, but we'll find a way."

Washington

Coach Tyrone Willingham said he'd agree with those who say the Huskies are facing one of the most difficult — if not the most difficult — schedules in the country.

"We don't think there is anyone who has a tougher start," Willingham said. The key, he said, could be how UW fares in the opener on the road against a Syracuse team that, as the Huskies, is rebuilding.

"We consider them a team very much like ourselves that is growing and developing," Willingham said. "That's an important football game for us to get off to a great start against a difficult opponent in their home."

Washington State

The Cougars will open their season on the road against a likely top-10 team for the second consecutive year. Last year, WSU lost at Auburn and this year the Cougars will play at Wisconsin. But WSU coach Bill Doba relishes the opportunity. "If you're going to play somebody tough, the best chance to beat them is the first game," Doba said. "It's a great venue, and it'll be a great experience for our alums."

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com. Read his blog on Washington football at www.seattletimes.com/huskies.