Preview: Beavers start 2-0 for the first time since the 1985 season
■ Continued from Page 13E
Gone is quarterback Ryan Leaf, four of
the "Fab Five" receivers, tailback Michael
Black and defensive line stars Leon Bender
and Dorian Boose from 1997 Rose Bowl
team. In their wake are a host of unproven
players who struggled to a 20-13 season
opening home victory over Illinois, which
went 0-11 in 1997.
Junior quarterback Steve Bimbaum
won’t make Cougar fans soon forget Leaf or
Drew Bledsoe. That’s why Mike Price
plans to shift to a run-oriented offense this
season. Sophomore tailback Kevin Brown,
who rushed for 2,112 yards at the City Col
lege of San Francisco last season, will be
the ammunition in the running attack. Se
nior wide receiver Nian Taylor figures to
be the big-play man.
Defensively, Washington State should
be tough again. Despite losing seven
starters, the coaching staff is impressed
with all the young talent. Senior defensive
tackle Gary Holmes, junior linebacker
Steve Gleason and sophomore free safety
Lamont Thompson should be all-confer
ence performers.
With an easy opening schedule, the
Cougars could be 4-0 heading into UCLA
on Oct. 3. From there on, however, Wash
ington State may win just one game the
rest of the season unless many of the
young players come up big.
■ Head Coach: Tom Holmoe, second year
■ Returning Starters: Offense 7, Defense 9,
Punter, Kicker
Hi1997 Record: 3-8 over
all, 1-7 Pac-10
California
Golden Bears
■ Player to watch: WR Dameane Douglas
■ Outlook: California has most of its players
back from 1997, but that doesn’t mean
much. After opening with two non-confer
ence wins, the Golden Bears won just one
game — against Oregon State, of course —
the rest of the season.
Still, California figures to be improved
this season, if for no other reason, then ex
perience.
Senior quarterback Justin Vedder,
sophomore tailback Marcus Fields, senior
tackle John Welbourn and senior wide re
ceiver Dameane Douglas will lead the of
fense. But the talent of Vedder, Fields and
Douglas, who caught 23 of his 53 passes
last season in the final two games, will not
show unless Welbourn is able to find some
help on the offensive line.
Sophomore defensive end Andre Carter
and junior linebacker Matt Beck will make
their share of quality plays for the Bear de
fense. However, California needs im
proved performances everywhere else on
defense to stop permitting the big plays
that caused it to give up 30.8 points per
game last season, last in the Pac-10.
Nebraska and Oklahoma will find out in
September if these Bears have improved
drastically. Otherwise, Cal fans will be
praying for basketball season, as their team
flounders at the bottom of the Pac-10 again.
<1
•Jr m
Oregon State
Beavers
■ 1997 Record: 3-8
overall, 0-8 Pac-10
■ Head Coach: Mike Riley, second year
■ Returning Starters: Offense 7, Defense 8,
Punter, Kicker
■ Player to watch: QB Terrance Bryant
■ Outlook: There was talk of roses after new
quarterback Terrance Bryant engineered a
48-6 shellacking of Nevada in Oregon
State’s season opener.
A blowout victory — make that any
victory — is always cause for unre
strained celebration in Corvallis. But
roses?
Their first winning season since 1970
should be priority No. 1 on the Beavers’
agenda. Bryant, a junior-college transfer,
looks like he may be able to launch Ore
gon State’s first real passing attack since
Erik Wilhelm’s playing days a decade
ago. He has a steady group of receivers to
throw to, led by former starting quarter
back Tim Alexander and senior Greg
Ainsworth.
The running game, worst in the Pac-10
by more than 33 yards in 1997, also needs
a lift. Riley and staff think freshman Ken
Simonton may have what it takes at tail
back.
The defense should keep the Beavers
close in most of their games. The lineback
ers, led by senior Brian Rogers, and sec
ondary look good. Senior defensive end
Inoke Breckterfield may be Oregon State’s
best player, but the rest of the undersized
defensive line probably won’t produce
much.
This team should win at least one con
ference game, unlike last season.
Perhaps the Beavers will even be shoot
ing for a winning season — but not roses
— when they open a season-ending, three
game home stand against California,
UCLA and Oregon.
However, this is not the season Ore
gon State will break its infamous string.
Hey, everybody gets a new start in 2000,
right?
10.
Stanford Cardinals
■ 1997 Record: 5-6 overall, 3-5
Pac-10
■ Head Coach: Tyrone Willingham, fourth
year (19-15-1)
■ Returning Starters: Offense 5, Defense 3,
Punter, Kicker
■ Player to watch: WR/KR Troy Walters
■ Outlook: Stanford doesn’t have much re
turning from its 1997 squad, which lost
five of its last six games. That is not good
news for the Cardinal. Starting quarterback
Chad Hutchinson opted for baseball rich
es instead of another season in Palo Alto,
Calif. His replacement will be junior Todd
Husak. Husak will look to get the ball to
Stanford’s best player, senior wide receiv
er and kick returner Troy Walters, as much
as possible because he has no other proven
weapons.
Not much returns from a defense that
ranked ninth in the Pac-10 last season.
That would be good news, but the new
players gave up 182 rushing yards in San
Jose State’s 35-23 upset of the Cardinal on
Sept. 5.
Junior defensive lineman Wilie Howard
could prove to be Stanford’s best defensive
player.
Barring a drastic turnaround, the Car
dinal is bound to struggle mightily this
season. Non-conference games against
North Carolina and Notre Dame won’t
help pad the record. It looks like it’s go
ing to be Cardinal, Beavers and Bears —
oh my! — at the bottom of the Pac-10,
unless a lot of the new starters make big,
immediate impacts.
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SOCCER
Home Schedule
Oct. 2 San Francisco 3:00(>...
3 Portland St. l:00Pm
9 Oregon St. 3:00Pm
16 Washington 3:00pm
18 WSU l:00(.m
30 Arizona 3:00Pm
Nov. 1 Arizona St. l:00(>m
% .
FOOTBALL
Home Schedule
Sept. 26 Stanford
Oct. 24 USC (Homecoming)
Nov. 7 Washington
14
Arizona St.
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VOLLEYBALL
Home Schedule
Oct. 2 Arizona St. 7:3%,,.
4 Arizona 1:00P„,
16 California 7:00pm
18 Stanford 1:00pm
22 USC 7:00pm
25 UCLA 1:00pm
Nov. 6 WSU 7:00pm
8 Washington 1:00pm