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Arizona Wildcats
8-5 (4-5 in PAC-12)
Head Coach: Rich Rodriguez; 2nd Season (8-5-0, 128-89-2 overall)
Returning Starters: Offense- 5; Defense- 11
2013 Schedule
vs. Northern Arizona (Aug. 30)
@ UNLV (Sept. 7)
vs. UT-San Antonio (Sept. 14)
@ Washington (Sept. 28)
@ USC (Oct. 10)
vs. Utah (Oct. 19)
@ Colorado (Oct. 26)
@ California (Nov. 2)
vs. UCLA (Nov. 9)
vs. Washington State (Nov. 16)
vs. Oregon (Nov. 23)
@ Arizona State (Nov. 30)
Offensive Preview
Rich Rodriguez’s offense did not disappoint in his debut at Arizona. During his first season, the Wildcats finished 7th among FBS teams in total offense. However, the 2013 Wildcats will look much different. Quarterback Matt Scott (currently with Jacksonville Jaguars) and Wide Receiver Dan Buckner (Arizona Cardinals) have moved on to the NFL, and Wide Receiver Austin Hill tore his ACL during the offseason, and likely will not see the field this upcoming season. Luckily, Arizona returns the FBS’s leading rusher, Ka-Deem Carey. Carey finished 2012 with 1,929 yards and 23 touchdowns. They will lean on Carey heavily, as they head into 2013 with a new QB and new receivers.
Defensive Preview
Is it a good or a bad thing that last season’s entire starting defensive unit, the one that allowed over 500 yards per game, is returning for this season? Hopefully, for Arizona’s sake, it is a good thing. They will have one full season of experience under their belt, but more importantly, one full season of running the 3-3-5 scheme. Returning stat leaders are: Linebacker Jake Fischer (119 total tackles), Linebacker Marquis Flowers (5.5 sacks and 3 Interceptions), and Cornerback Jonathan McKnight (3 INT’s).
Key Games
1. Arizona State- Rivalry games are always the most important
2. Northern Arizona- While the Wildcats will be playing an FCS opponent, this will give Rodriguez an early look at how the offense operates without Scott, Buckner and Hill. It will also give an early look into how the defense has improved from last season.
3. Washington- The start of the Pac-12 season. This will be Arizona’s first real test on their schedule. This will be the first time the defense sees players of the caliber of Bishop Sankey (running back), Kasen Williams (Wide Receiver) and Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Tight End).
Top Newcomer: Jarrett Solomon, Quarterback
- Arizona brought in two new QB’s in their recruiting class. The bigger name is former USC transfer, Jesse Scroggins. However, Scroggins is a more prototypical passer, where Soloman is a Dual Threat QB, who will likely be a better fit into Rich Rod’s offense. Look for both to compete for the starting spot, left by Scott.
Season Prediction: 7-5, bowl eligible
Arizona State Sun Devils
Record: 8-5 (5-4 in Pac-12)
Head Coach: Todd Graham 2nd season (8-5-0, 57-34 overall)
Returning Starters: Offense- 6; Defense- 8
2013 Schedule
vs. Sacramento State (Sept. 5)
vs. Wisconsin (Sept. 14)
@ Stanford (Sept. 21)
vs. USC (Sept. 28)
vs. Notre Dame (Oct. 5)*
vs. Colorado (Oct. 12)
vs. Washington (Oct. 19)
@ Washington State (Oct. 31)
@ Utah (Nov. 9)
vs. Oregon State (Nov. 16)
@ UCLA (Nov. 23)
vs. Arizona (Nov. 30)
Offensive Preview
Going into 2013, the key player on offense will be Running Back, Marion Grice. Grice finished last season as ASU’s top playmaker, ending 2012 with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage (679 rushing/425 receiving) and 19 touchdowns. The Sun Devils will also rely on Quarterback, Taylor Kelly and and last season’s leading receiver, Tight End Chris Coyle, to continue to lead the passing game. Look for newcomer Jaelen Strong to make an immediate impact on the outside as well.
Defensive Preview
The Sun Devils’ defense will be led by the big man upfront, Defensive Tackle and Preseason All-American, Will Sutton. Sutton is a little undersized for a Nose Tackle (6-1, 288), but he dominates Pac-12 Offensive Linemen, finishing 2012 with 12 sacks. Besides Sutton, 7 other starters return from last season’s team, including Rush Linebacker Carl Bradford, who broke out last season, getting to opposing backfields on a consistent basis (21.5 Tackles for Loss and 11.5 Sacks).
Key Games
1. Arizona- Rivalry games are usually the most important games on a team’s schedule.
2. Wisconsin- Early in the season, the Sun Devils will get a test by the some of the best in the B1G.
3. Notre Dame- Any game played at Jerry World is a primetime game. On top of that, ASU will face the 2012 National Runners-up in the Fighting Irish.
Top Newcomer: Jaelen Strong, Wide Receiver: Strong was ranked as the 17th best JUCO prospect in the 2013 class. He has great size for an outside Receiver (6-3, 205), and has solid speed. He should become an impact player during his first year in Tempe.
Season Prediction: 7-5 , Bowl Eligible
Colorado Buffaloes
Record: 1-11 (1-8 in Pac-12)
Head Coach: Mike MacIntyre, 1st season (16-21 overall)
Returning Starters: Offense- 8; Defense- 7
Schedule
vs. Colorado State (Aug. 31)
vs. Central Arkansas (Sept. 7)
vs. Fresno State (Sept. 14)
@ Oregon State (Sept. 28)
vs. Oregon (Oct. 5)
@ Arizona State (Oct. 12)
vs. Arizona (Oct. 26)
@ UCLA (Nov. 2)
@ Washington (Nov. 9)
vs. California (Nov. 16)
vs. USC (Nov. 23)
@ Utah (Nov. 30)
Offensive Preview
In Mike MacIntyre’s first season, he will be looking to add stability to the Quarterback position. MacIntyre helped develop David Fales this past season, so he will try to do the same with Connor Wood. Also, receivers Paul Richardson and Jeff Thomas are finally able to be on the field this season, after injuries and personal issues respectively.
Defensive Preview
To say the Colorado defense did not play well last season is an understatement. They allowed the most points per game in the country, allowing 46.0 points on average. Also, the Buffs’ only picked off three passes all season. They will need to improve their pass defense and ability to force turnovers this upcoming season. On a brighter note, last season’s stats leaders return: Derrick Webb (66 total tackles) and Chidera Uzo-Diribe (7.0 sacks).
Key Games
1. Colorado State- Rivalry game
2. Utah- This game will likely decide the worst team in the Pac-12, so there will be a lot of pride on the line.
Top Newcomer: Jeff Thomas, Wide Receiver: Originally signed with Colorado’s 2012 class, but greyshirted due to family problems. Thomas was supposed to be a big part of the Buffs’ offense last season, but that unfortunately did not happen. However, he is back for 2013 and will be looking to make a big impact. Great measurables (6-3, 190) and solid speed to stretch the field.
Season Prediction: 3-9, not bowl eligible
UCLA Bruins
Record: 9-5 (6-3 in Pac-12)
Head Coach: Jim Mora, Jr., 2nd season (9-5 at UCLA and overall)
Returning Starters: Offense- 6; Defense- 5
Schedule
vs. Nevada (Aug. 31)
@ Nebraska (Sept. 14)
vs. New Mexico State (Sept. 21)
@ Utah (Oct. 3)
vs. California (Oct. 12)
@ Stanford (Oct. 19)
@ Oregon (Oct. 26)
vs. Colorado (Nov. 2)
@ Arizona (Nov. 9)
vs. Washington (Nov. 15)
vs. Arizona State (Nov. 23)
@ USC (Nov. 30)
Offensive Preview
The UCLA offense looks to take the next step behind Brett Hundley this season. After a phenomenal redshirt Freshman season (3,740 yards, 29 touchdowns), Hundley looks to develop into the future 1st Round draft pick everyone is expecting him to be. With Jonathan Franklin now in Green Bay, look for Offensive Coordinator, Noel Mazzone, to open up the offense more and let Hundley take over the game. Shaq Evans will be the go-to receiver, with young guns Jordan Payton and Devin Fuller projected to fill in the other receiver positions. Replacing safety-net Tight End, Joseph Fauria, will also prove to be a tough task, but expect Hundley to make the new Tight End a go-to target over the middle.
Defensive Preview
Although Datone Jones is gone, the UCLA defense still has Anthony Barr and Cassius Marsh. These two will continue to put pressure in opposing backfields and dominate the line of scrimmage. While the Bruins will be replacing a lot of their secondary, their strong recruiting class will fill the voids. Names to look out for are: Tahaan Goodman, Priest Willis, Johnny Johnson, Tyler Foreman, and Ishmael Adams.
Key Games
1. Stanford- In Palo Alto. Will be first real test of the season. Will Hundley rise to the occasion?
2. Oregon- The week after playing in Palo Alto, UCLA travels to the Autzen Zoo in Eugene. If Hundley can beat Stanford, can he lead his team over two top-notch opponents in consecutive weeks?
3. USC- Biggest rivalry in California. Depending on how each team’s respective seasons unfold, this game could decide the South division.
Top Newcomer: Tahaan Goodman, Safety: Part of a deep secondary class brought in by UCLA, Goodman is already slated to start at safety this upcoming season.
Season Prediction 9-3, bowl eligible
USC Trojans
Record: 7-6 (5-4 in Pac-12)
Head Coach: Lane Kiffin, 4th season (25-13, 32-19 overall)
Returning Starters: Offense- 6; Defense- 7
Schedule
@ Hawaii (Aug. 29)
vs. Washington State (Sept. 7)
vs. Boston College (Sept. 14)
vs. Utah State (Sept. 21)
@ Arizona State (Sept. 28)
vs. Arizona (Oct. 10)
@ Notre Dame (Oct. 19)
vs. Utah (Oct. 26)
@ Oregon State (Nov. 1)
@ California (Nov. 9)
vs. Stanford (Nov. 16)
@ Colorado (Nov. 23)
vs. UCLA (Nov. 30)
Offensive Preview
The Trojans lost some key players in their offense from last season, namely Matt Barkley and Robert Woods. Lucky for them , Marqise Lee and Silas Redd are still there. Redd will be looking to regain the momentum he had while playing at Penn State this season, while Lee will be looking to gel with the new Quarterback, whether it is Sophomores, Max Wittek or Cody Kessler, or Freshman, Max Browne. The key to this season will be how the Offensive Line develops. Last season, after the loss of Matt Kalil, the O-Line seemingly fell apart and ultimately hurt Barkley’s confidence and timing. In order for USC to have a bounce-back season, they will need the Offensive Line to stay consistent.
Defensive Preview
The Trojans added a lot of top recruits this offseason to the defense, namely Safety, Su’a Cravens, and Defensive Tackle, Kenny Bigelow. The Trojans also return top players Morgan Breslin, Hayes Pullard and Dion Bailey. Look for this Trojan unit to be more consistent and aggressive than last season.
Key Games
1. Notre Dame- The game is in South Bend. If Wittek is the QB, how will he respond after last season’s poor showing against the Irish?
2. UCLA- Depending on how season plays out, this could either be the deciding factor in who wins the Pac-12 South, or it could be the game that gets Lane Kiffin the boot from SC.
Top Newcomer: Max Browne, Quarterback: Max Wittek did not play very well in his opportunities last season. Look for Browne to take over the starting QB spot for the Trojans at some point in 2013.
Season Prediction: 8-4, bowl eligible
Utah Utes
Record: 5-7 (3-6 in Pac-12)
Head Coach: Kyle Whittingham, 9th season (71-32 at Utah and overall)
Returning Starters: Offense- 6; Defense- 6
Schedule
vs. Utah State (Aug. 29)
vs. Weber State (Sept. 7)
vs. Oregon State (Sept. 14)
@ BYU (Sept. 21)
vs. UCLA (Oct. 3)
vs. Stanford (Oct. 12)
@ Arizona (Oct. 19)
@ USC (Oct. 26)
vs. Arizona State (Nov. 9)
@ Oregon (Nov. 16)
@ Washington State (Nov. 23)
vs. Colorado (Nov. 30)
Offensive Preview
Dennis Erickson has been brought in as Co-Offensive Coordinator to help open up Utah’s spread offense. The Utes return most of the same unit as last year, including Quarterback, Travis Wilson. The Utes also return their top 3 receiving targets from last season: Drees Anderson, Jake Murphy and Kenneth Scott. Kelvin York is projected to take over the starting Running Back role, replacing John White IV.
Defensive Preview
Replacing Star Lotulelei, Joe Kruger, and the rest of the holes left by last year’s team will be Utah’s biggest dilemma this season. The best way to describe this defense is that Utah is “rebuilding.” The Utes need to replace both Cornerback and Defensive Tackle positions, as well as various other holes. This season will truly test the depth and recruiting of Utah’s defense.
Key Games
1. Utah State- “Battle for the Beehive Boot”
2. BYU- “The Holy War”
3. Colorado- This game could decide who the worst team in the Pac-12 ends up being (record-wise, at least)
Top Newcomer: X’avier Shepard, Wide Receiver: Utah brought in Dennis Erickson to help open up the offense, on top of the spread offense Utah already runs. Look for younger receivers to get some looks in a more spread-out game.
Season Prediction: 4-8, not bowl eligible