QB experience paying off in Pac-10

After a season when the Pac-10 was unseasonably young at quarterback, the conference is again loaded with veterans. Every team except Oregon State returns a quarterback who has started at least five games.

Arizona: The Wildcats are hoping for a breakout year from junior Willie Tuitama, who has started 13 games since winning the job midway through his true freshman season in 2005. Tuitama battled concussions last season and started just nine games, but the Arizona coaches think he will thrive in the team's new quick-passing offense similar to that run by Texas Tech.

Arizona State: New coach Dennis Erickson is hoping for a return to form by junior Rudy Carpenter, who led the nation in passing efficiency in 2005 as a redshirt freshman. Carpenter has 18 career starts and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 40-to-16.

California: Junior Nate Longshore returns for his second season as Cal's starter. He earned the job as a redshirt freshman in 2005, but was hurt in the first game and missed the rest of the season. He returned last season to become just the second Cal player ever to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season (3,021). He has 14 career starts.

Oregon: After a summer playing minor-league baseball, senior Dennis Dixon is expected to be Oregon's quarterback this season after having made 15 starts the past two years. Coach Mike Bellotti has indicated he won't rotate as much as he did a year ago when Brady Leaf (a senior with two career starts) received substantial playing time.

Oregon State: The Beavers are the only team in the conference without a QB on the roster who has started a game. Sophomore Sean Canfield is battling JC transfer Lyle Moevao for the job. Canfield threw 45 passes off the bench last season, while Moevao has yet to play in a Division I game. The situation was still unsettled entering the final week of camp.

Stanford: The Cardinal is going with redshirt senior T.C. Ostrander, who started the last five games of 2006 and has seven career starts. He is known for his strong arm but doesn't have much mobility, a real problem given the state of Stanford's offensive line.

UCLA: Junior Ben Olson returns as the starter after a rough first season. Olson, a much-heralded transfer from Brigham Young, started the first five games of the season before suffering a knee injury. Junior Patrick Cowan started the final eight games, including the win over USC, but Olson regained the job in the spring.

USC: Senior John David Booty returns after finally getting his chance a year ago, following the graduation of Matt Leinart. Booty threw for 29 TDs, tied for the ninth-highest total in Pac-10 history, and 3,347 yards (15th) and is a legitimate Heisman candidate.

Washington: Senior Carl Bonnell has seven career starts, including the last five of 2006. But UW will go with redshirt freshman Jake Locker, who'll take his first career snap Friday at Syracuse.

Washington State: Senior Alex Brink returns for his third season as the team's unquestioned starter, with 28 starts under his belt overall. He's on track to break most of WSU's career passing records and is 28th in Pac-10 career passing yards, the highest of any active QB.

Bob Condotta