After three years as an ESPN analyst, John Mackovic returned to college coaching last season and vowed that Arizona’s "goal is to get to the Rose Bowl and win it." Unfortunately for Mackovic, it turns out he stood a better chance of reaching Pasadena via the network gig. The Wildcats suffered through their third consecutive non-winning season, and despite showing more offensive firepower, they remain the only Pac-10 or Big Ten school never to have appeared in the Rose Bowl.

A 3-0 start against San Diego State, Idaho and UNLV provided nothing more than false hope -- once the Pac-10 schedule arrived, Arizona was dead in the desert. First, the Wildcats were jolted by a 48-21 loss to Washington State, and then came a soul-sucking 63-28 embarrassment at the hands of eventual league champion Oregon.

After a 38-3 loss at Oregon State -- in which Arizona managed just 159 yards of total offense and only 1.5 yards per rushing attempt -- Mackovic’s club seemed on the verge of folding. But Arizona rebounded with respectable efforts, falling 31-28 at Washington and 41-34 against Southern Cal. The USC loss included interception returns for scores of 70 and 58 yards by the Trojans. Arizona’s five-game skid ended with a 38-24 win at Cal, but then Stanford stormed through Tucson for a 51-37 win. That left Arizona winless in home conference games for the first time since 1966.

The Wildcats, eliminated from bowl contention, salvaged some esteem with a season-ending 34-21 win at Arizona State.

The 32.8 points per game Arizona allowed were the most in school history. So in hopes of tightening up the defense, Mackovic brought back Larry Mac Duff, who was defensive coordinator for Arizona’s double-eagle flex defense in the early 1990s. The 53-year-old Mac Duff, who spent the last four seasons as special teams coordinator for the New York Giants, orchestrated a Wildcats unit that led the nation in scoring defense in 1992, allowing 8.9 points per game. Arizona subsequently led the country in rushing defense a year later at 30.1 yards per game. That total remains a Pac-10 record.

Mac Duff joined Mackovic’s staff midway through spring practice and quickly ratcheted up the intensity. He plans to work closely as a position coach with the ends and whip linebackers.

Mackovic was happy with his team’s progress in the spring.

" I am very pleased with the spring practice," he said. "I had a good time coaching and watching what was happening with our team. I was excited by all of the improvements that we made defensively. Our No. 1 priority for the spring was personal improvement, and the key was for each player to make some improvements. The coaches will sit down with the players and identify what improvements were made and still need to be made."

Jason Johnson (6-2, 210) showed promise during his junior season, completing more than 56 percent of his passes for 2,347 yards -- the fourth-best single-season total in school history. His 19 touchdowns were one short of the Arizona record, while his 99-yard scoring strike to Brandon Marshall was the longest in Pac-10 history.

However, Johnson needs to cut down on his 13 interceptions -- part of the Wildcats’ demoralizing 32 turnovers. His pass-efficiency rating of 135.18 was fifth best in the conference.

Nic Costa (5-11, 195), a red-shirt freshman, looks to be the top backup. His only live action as a collegian came during the spring game, when he completed 7-of-17 passes for 65 yards and an interception.

Freshman Ryan O’Hara (6-6, 200), a signee from Pasadena, Calif., could be in the equation, although a red-shirt season seems more likely.

"He has a dynamite arm, a quick release and he runs like a deer," Mackovic said.

In junior Clarence Farmer (6-0, 225), Mackovic has perhaps the best breakaway tailback in the conference. Of Farmer’s 15 career scores, four have come from 65 yards or longer. Farmer also has proven himself to be durable, as last season he made 65 percent of Arizona’s carries. In cracking the 100-yard mark six times as a sophomore, Farmer’s 111.7 yards per game ranked second in the Pac-10 and 21st in the nation.

Overall, Farmer ran for 1,229 yards (a 5.9-yard average per carry) and 10 touchdowns. He also made a 43-yard scoring catch against Stanford.

Clearly, Mackovic is hopeful of centering his offense around Farmer.

Red-shirt freshman Mike Bell (6-0, 195) played well enough on the scout team last season nearly to warrant playing time on Saturdays. Bell appears primed to become the second-string tailback, considering that junior Anthony Fulcher (5-11, 200), who had 18 carries for 83 yards, 10 catches for 115 yards, is likely to move to safety. Another red-shirt freshman, Gainus Scott (5-10, 185), also showed during the spring that he has a chance to contribute.

At fullback, red-shirt freshmen Sean Jones (5-11, 220) and Antoine Singfield (6-2, 225) are the top contenders to replace the graduated Mike Detwiler, who was used almost exclusively as a blocker. Mackovic wants to develop the position into an H-back, whereby pass-catching skills also will be at a premium.

Freshman recruit Gilbert Harris (6-2, 205) of San Antonio could play his way into the lineup after a prep career in which he rushed for 2,289 yards and 22 touchdowns.

The receiving corps lost a solid performer in Malosi Leonard, the team’s second-leading receiver with 43 catches for 582 yards. Another senior, Marshall, was Arizona’s top deep threat, averaging a team-high 20.5 yards per catch, bolstered by a 99-yard touchdown.

Mackovic has one of the conference’s top returning pass-catchers in senior Bobby Wade (5-11, 190). He made 62 receptions last season for 832 yards and eight touchdowns and appears ready to cap a productive career with his biggest season yet. Wade is third on Arizona’s all-time receptions list with 137 and fourth in yardage with 1,962. He closed the 2001 season with three consecutive 100-yard days, including an 11-catch, 157-yard outing against Arizona State. That followed a monster game against Cal, in which Wade hauled in three touchdown passes, including a 50-yarder.

Andrae Thurman (6-0, 180) is the front man for a trio of junior letterman who could step into starting roles. He played in every game last season, making 30 catches for 470 yards and two touchdowns. Lance Relford (6-0, 195), who had five catches for 48 yards, and Gary Love (5-9, 280), who had two catches for 26 yards, complete what looks to be a solid rotation.

Junior-college signee Juan Valentine (6-1, 190) is the wildcard -- potentially a big contributor, provided he can absorb Mackovic’s system. Valentine spent two seasons at Tyler (Texas) Junior College after signing with Arizona in 2000.

At tight end, the three-man rotation of sophomore Steve Fleming (6-6, 250), senior James Hugo (6-6, 260) and junior Justin Levasseur (6-5, 240) were non-targets last season, combining for a mere 15 catches. Mackovic’s tight ends typically are larger contributors, so expect them to play a more useful role this fall. Levasseur is the fastest of the three, while Hugo is the best blocker.

Junior-college transfer Javier Martinez (6-4, 250), who joined the team for the final month of last season, could press for playing time as well. And if he doesn’t play at tight end, don’t be surprised to see him on the other side of the football.

Senior tackles Makoa Freitas (6-4, 296) and Darren Safranek (6-7, 295) provide the bookends on an experienced offensive front. Freitas, a fifth-year player who was granted a medical hardship after missing eight games with a foot injury in 2000, returned to form last season.

Safranek was limited during spring drills after knee and shoulder surgery that forced him to miss the final four games of 2001. That afforded more playing time to Brandon Phillips (6-7, 278), who should be a reliable backup as a third-year sophomore.

Matt Lamatsch (6-7, 310) was signed from the junior-college ranks to provide some size at tackle, but he spent the spring hobbling with a stress fracture in his foot.

The Wildcats lost two senior guards in Steven Grace and Kevin Barry, but sophomores Reggie Sampay (6-3, 273) and Keoki Fraser (6-2, 293) return after combining for nine starts. Fraser was moved to center in spring, allowing sophomore Chris Johnson (6-3, 301) and senior Aaron Higginbotham (6-5, 295) to fight it out for the final guard spot.

Senior John Vorscheck (6-4, 295) can play guard or tackle, while red-shirt freshmen Matt Page and Thomas Stevens are virtual clones at 6-1, 301.

Senior Sean Keel (6-0, 200) was on the verge of losing his job last season after missing four of his first six field-goal tries. But a 7-of-8 finish -- including a 52-yarder against Stanford -- proved his slump was over. For his career, Keel is 27-of-39 and ranks 10th on Arizona’s career scoring list with 154 points.

"No one at the beginning of last fall demonstrated the ability to kick better than Sean Keel," Mackovic said. "Even during the season, no one demonstrated during the practices that he was better than Sean Keel. Bobby Gill made improvements during the spring, and hopefully, he will have the opportunity to kick this season."

Gill (5-11, 195), a sophomore, played high school football at Brophy Prep in Phoenix.

Sophomore Ryan Slack (6-1, 193) expects to handle the kickoffs again, while freshman recruit Nicholas Folk (6-2, 190) of Sherman Oaks, Calif., attracted attention from several Pac-10 schools.

The Wildcats must replace three defensive line starters, but the inconsistent performance by last year’s group makes the losses easier to swallow. In fact, Mackovic believes a bumper crop of recruits -- including two junior-college signees -- and a healthier sophomore Fata Avegalio (6-3, 245) will upgrade the front.

The 6-4, 250-pound Torrey made 60 tackles and 12 sacks last season at Laney (Calif.) Community College, and Arizona’s defensive coaches envision him as a pressure specialist off the edge.

Injuries limited Avegalio to eight games as a freshman, but he was back at full-speed in the spring.

Isaac Watts (6-2, 255), Copeland Bryan (6-3, 210) and Nicholas Kredit (6-5, 210) -- all red-shirt freshmen -- are the top backups at end, at least until the freshmen become settled.

Senior defensive tackle Young Thompson (6-2, 293) is the lone returning starter up front. He registered 30 tackles last season, including three sacks.

Red-shirt freshmen Brad Brittain (6-5, 255) and Matt Lam (6-4, 250) finished spring as the frontrunners at the other tackle slot. But junior college signee Carl Tuitavuki (6-4, 320) is a more physical presence, who posted eye-popping numbers last season at Ricks Community College in San Leandro, Calif., with 70 tackles and seven sacks. A native of American Samoa, Tuitavuki played only one season of high school football and was overlooked by major college programs back in 2000. That didn’t happen this time around, as he spurned Pac-10, Big Ten and SEC schools to sign with Arizona.

Arizona’s top tackler with 93 stops last season, Briggs (6-2, 235) also led the Wildcats in tackles for loss (14) and sacks (6.5). All that despite a hand injury that forced him to play with a soft cast. With 206 career tackles, Briggs represents the soul of the defense, and the Wildcat coaches have no qualms about granting him loads of responsibility.

Briggs will have several veterans surrounding him. Injuries forced senior Ray Wells (6-1, 225) to move outside for a spell during 2001, but he is back inside now, where he is more of a run-clogging presence.

Junior Joe Siofele (6-2, 252) was sidelined for parts of five games, finishing with 21 stops and four tackles behind the line. He ended spring as the No. 1 whip linebacker. Kirk Johnson (6-0, 203), playing as a freshman when Siofele was out, made 33 tackles. This spring he was pushing Wells at the inside position, prompting Mackovic to praise the entire unit.

Junior cornerback Michael Jolivette (5-11, 180) has a chance to be mentioned alongside Arizona’s best ever defensive backs -- 1990 Jim Thorpe Award winner Darryll Lewis and 1987 Pac-10 defensive player of the year Chuck Cecil.

Jolivette made five interceptions in each of his first two seasons, but his sophomore campaign was especially noteworthy, featuring a single-season school record 20 broken-up passes. He already has 34 career deflections, leaving him just four behind Cecil’s school mark.

Arizona’s other returnee in the secondary is senior free safety Jarvie Worchester (6-0, 205), whose 70 tackles were second on the team last season. He also made two interceptions, three breakups and two fumble recoveries.

Competition should be intense at the other positions, considering that Arizona ranked 99th nationally in pass defense (258 yards per game) -- a total that was the worst in the program’s history.

Sophomore Tony Wingate (6-1, 205) and junior Clay Hardt (6-1, 195) are the leaders at strong safety, with junior converted runnning back Fulcher and red-shirt freshman Landon Kafentzis (6-0, 195) providing depth.

At the corner opposite Jolivette, Luis Nunez (5-11, 185) appears to own the inside track after making 10 interceptions during his two seasons in junior college.

Junior Ramey Peru (6-1, 190) averaged 37.2 yards per punt last season, pinning 10 inside the 20 against only one touchback -- that coming on a 53-yarder in the season finale. His longest punt of the year was a 62-yarder. Arizona’s 34.7-yard net average ranked fifth in the conference.

Wade proved to be a dangerous deep man, with punt returns of 58 yards against San Diego State and 44 yards against California. His 10.4 yards per punt return matched the team’s average, which was fourth in the Pac-10 but more than double what the Wildcats allowed.

Love averaged a stellar 25.7 yards per kick return and Thurman 17.9. Love’s longest was a 58-yarder. As a team, the Wildcats averaged 21.0 per return (sixth in the league), while allowing 22.4.

One of Mackovic’s wisest moves before last season was retaining Rob Ianello, the Wildcats’ recruiting coordinator since 1994. Ianello has made notable strides in Texas, perhaps the most fertile football state in the nation.

Ianello’s previous stint at the University of Wisconsin (1989-93) helped transform the Badgers from Big Ten little sisters to Rose Bowl champs.

Desperate for big bodies on the offensive line, Arizona found several to accompany junior-college signee Lamatsch. John Parada (6-8, 305) of Alto Loma, Calif., had 80 pancake blocks as a senior. Keith Jackson (6-6, 305) of Inglewood, Calif., is among the country’s top tackles, while Tanner Bell (6-7, 291) had the grades to turn down an academic scholarship from Cornell.

The Wildcats also loaded up on defensive ends. Marlon Brisco (6-4, 225) of Inglewood, Calif., was rated the No. 13 defensive end prospect in the nation by Rivals100.com. He made 80 tackles and 20 sacks as a senior, forcing six fumbles and batting down four passes. Paul Philpp (6-3, 275) of San Bernadino, Calif., overcame leg injuries as a high school senior to average more than 12 tackles per game. San Diego’s Marcus Smith (6-5, 220) emerged by making 90 tackles, 10 sacks and two interceptions last season. He also returned a fumble 96 yards for a score. All three could contribute quickly, along with Andre Torrey (6-4, 250).

O’Hara was among the top-rated drop-back quarterbacks in the nation by USA Today, PrepStar and Max Emfinger. He completed 110-of-189 passes for 1,560 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions in his final prep season. He also ran for three scores and possesses 4.65 speed.

Mackovic’s coaching history is one of second-year turnarounds. At Wake Forest, his team improved to 8-4 from 1-10 the previous season. With the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, he went 8-8 after a 6-10 year. And at Illinois, his Illini went 10-2 on the heels of a 6-5-1 season.

Arizona fans would love to see that pattern continue, and there is reason to believe it might.

"We played some really good football the last five weeks of the season," Mackovic said. "We are all disappointed that we did not win enough games to get invited to a bowl game. But the important thing is that we continued to improve as a team in the second half of the season."

Mackovic hopes that late-season mini-surge can be a springboard to better results this fall. Four of the first five games are at home, beginning with Northern Arizona and Utah. After a perilous road trip to Wisconsin, the Wildcats return to Tucson to face defending Sun Belt champion North Texas State, a team that went to the New Orleans Bowl despite a losing record in 2001. Then the real fun starts as Arizona attempts to break a seven-game home losing streak in the Pac-10 against Oregon, the league’s new powerhouse.

Arizona is the only Pac-10 team to return a 2,000-yard passer (Johnson) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Farmer). And with standout Wade also back, Mackovic’s expansive play calling should reach its full potential.

But in the wide-open Pac-10, the Wildcats’ defense will determine whether a winning record and a bowl game are feasible. The unit must display some of the ruggedness that was the program’s trademark during the early '90s, and Mac Duff should produce exactly that. Don’t expect roses, but a bowl trip to Las Vegas or El Paso sounds like a legitimate goal.