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"We brought in some new coaches and some new ideas," he said. "But it's not going to be a whole lot different. Offensively, we have been leading or close to the top in the Pac-10 so I don't think we want to change too much." Doba handed off the defensive coordinator duties to Robb Akey, who formerly coached the defensive line at WSU. "He's a pretty excitable guy so we might do a little more blitzing than we have in the last couple of years," Doba said. But other than a tweak here or a twist there, things should remain the same for the Cougars. What may not be the same is the talent level. The Cougars have to shape a new quarterback, find some wide receivers and replace one of the top cover cornerbacks in the country, Marcus Trufant. OFFENSIVE KEYS: The Cougars will empty the backfield on occasion. The offense still will be primarily one-back, although Doba has said he'll use some two-back sets. Whether the Cougars have the personnel for these schemes is another matter. Gone is all-everything quarterback Jason Gesser. Senior Matt Kegel, who at times shined and at others struggled, is the new signal-caller. Kegel has the athletic ability, but his leadership and on-field play have been questioned. If Kegel falters, WSU has capable backups in freshman Josh Swogger and sophomore Chris Hurd.Whoever winds up with the job will have a safety blanket in running back Jermaine Green. The senior struggled with injuries last season but remained injury-free throughout the spring. At wide receiver, Devard Darling will be the No. 1 target. Sammy Moore, who has shown flashes of talent, also could be a solid wideout. Look for WSU to involve the tight end more, as offensive coordinator Mike Levenseller favors the short passing game. The Cougars lost three starting offensive linemen to graduation, but actually should be better across the offensive line. DEFENSIVE KEYS: The Cougars' main issue on defense is finding a cornerback to replace Trufant. Karl Paymah, an unproven junior, will get the first shot. WSU is set at the other corner, where 5-foot-8 Jason David returns. He had seven interceptions in 10 games last season. Erik Coleman and Virgil Williams return as starters at the safety spots.Across the front, WSU should be as good as last season despite losing Outland Trophy winner Rien Long. Tai Tupai, Long's replacement, started as a sophomore and has slimmed down and increased his speed. Defensive ends D.D. Acholonu and Isaac Brown run sub-4.5 40s and have been playing together for three seasons. Acholonu led the Pac-10 in sacks as a sophomore. At linebacker, playmaker Will Derting will run the show. Derting has a knack for getting to the ball, can cover the tight end and has good closing speed. SPECIAL TEAMS: Drew Dunning and Kyle Basler return at the kicker and punter spots, respectively. Dunning, a senior, will be looking to get back to his sophomore level, when he was a Lou Groza semifinalist. Basler is one of the better athletes on the team and a threat to tuck and run on fake punts.FINAL ANALYSIS: Another 10-win season might be out of reach for this Cougar team. Offensively, there is bound to be some drop-off with Kegel replacing Gesser and two of the top three receivers moving on. Defensively, WSU could be as good as it was last season. But Oklahoma showed how to exploit the Cougars' run defense in the Rose Bowl, and other teams might figure that out, as well.The early-season schedule could be a key factor in the Cougars' fortunes. WSU must travel to Notre Dame and Colorado in September. A couple of bad losses and confidence may be lost. But if WSU wins both or earns a split, it could be a boost to a team that will be in search of leadership and an identity. • Click here for complete index of 2003 team previews
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