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The Lowdown 2006 Schedule Coach: Mike Stoops (3rd season, 6-16) 2005 record: 3-8 Pac-10 finish: 2-6 (8th) 2005 I-A offensive rankings: Rushing: 88th (122.0 ypg) Passing: 48th (229.3 ypg) 2005 I-A defensive rankings: Rushing: 93rd (183.7 ypg) Passing: 72nd (225.1 ypg) Date Opponent Sept. 2 BYU Sept. 9 at LSU Sept. 16 Stephen F. Austin Sept. 23 USC Sept. 30 Washington Oct. 7 at UCLA Oct. 14 at Stanford Oct. 21 Oregon State Nov. 4 at Washington State Nov. 11 California Nov. 18 at Oregon Nov. 25 Arizona State Depth Chart: Offense 6 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. WR 10 Mike Thomas So. 9 Anthony Johnson Jr. WR 1 Syndric Steptoe Sr. 4 B.J. Dennard Jr. LT 76 Peter Graniello Jr. 66 James Tretheway Jr. LG 74 Adam Hawes Sr. 62 Bill Wacholz So. C 71 Erick Levitre Sr. 50 Blake Kerley Fr. RG 75 Joe Longacre So. 68 Daniel Borg Fr. RT 72 Tanner Bell Sr. 77 Eben Britton Fr. TE 17 Brad Wood Sr. 86 Travis Bell So. QB 7 Willie Tuitama So. 14 Adam Austin Sr. FB 45 Brandon Lopez So. 41 Eric Schlegel So. RB 19 Chris Henry Jr. 38 Xavier Smith Fr. Depth Chart: Defense 7 returning starters in red Ps. No. Player Yr. No. Player Yr. DE 97 Johnathan Turner So. 53 Jason Parker Jr. DT 96 Yaniv Barnett Jr. 56 Paul Philipp Sr. DT 99 Louis Holmes Jr. 54 Lionel Dotson Jr. DE 55 Marcus Smith Sr. 90 Gabe Long Jr. OLB 39 Dane Krogstad Jr. 24 Marcus Hollingsworth Sr. ILB 33 Ronnie Palmer So. 25 Adrian McCovy So. OLB 51 Spencer Larsen Jr. 15 Xavier Kelley Fr. CB 5 Antoine Cason Jr. 22 Devin Ross Fr. CB 3 Wilrey Fontenot Jr. 26 Gerold Rodriguez So. SS 23 Michael Johnson Sr. 31 Mike Klyce So. FS 34 Brandon Tatum So. 8 Dominic Patrick Jr. Special Teams Ps. No. Player Yr. Ps. No. Player Yr. K 12 Nick Folk Sr. P 27 Kyle McQuown Jr. KR 1 Syndric Steptoe Sr. PR 1 Syndric Steptoe Sr.

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In his first two seasons at Arizona, Mike Stoops has twice earned $60,000 contract bonuses based on average home attendance. Wildcat fans have become so impatient that they no longer wait for a winning season -- they come anyway. A home average of 53,613 paid to see Stoops' second UA team, or roughly 85 percent of capacity.

Arizona hasn't had a winning season since 1998, yet Stoops has created such a positive atmosphere that it's likely the Wildcats will sell out home games against USC, BYU, Arizona State and Cal.

"The expectations are high and I like that," says Stoops, who has gone 3-8 and 3-8 in his two head coaching seasons. "I said when I came here that this is a place you can win championships. I really believe that. We're moving in that direction."

The Wildcats have improved in every possible facet of their football operation, from fan appeal and facility upgrades to personnel and coaching salaries.

"There isn't a soul on this team that doesn't think we're a bowl-quality program now," says offensive coordinator Mike Canales. "The first two years have been hard work -- more difficult than any of us could have imagined -- but we're ready to roll now."

On paper, Arizona has rarely recruited more high-quality players than in Stoops' first three classes. So far, those young players have helped close the competitive gap with mid-level Pac-10 teams. The next step is reaching or going beyond .500.

The Wildcats remain a young team, but the painful transition from the John Mackovic days (2001-03) is nearing an end.

OFFENSE

After 28 years of searching for a program-changing quarterback, Arizona may have found one in sophomore Willie Tuitama. Taken out of his redshirt season in Game 7 last year, Tuitama produced upset victories over UCLA and Oregon State in successive weeks. The tenor of Stoops' program changed dramatically.

Tuitama will have the luxury of working with a solid set of receivers and what should be Arizona's top offensive line in years.

But the Wildcats are unsure about the game-day abilities of their new tailbacks. Junior Chris Henry, who is a physical specimen of note, carried only 34 times as a sophomore and developed a reputation as a fumbler. Freshman Xavier Smith, a Tucson prospect with inside running strength, did little in spring ball to take the job away from Henry.

Tuitama's receiving group, while undersized, was promising last season. Mike Thomas, one of the league's top freshman, caught 52 passes for 771 yards. He'll be paired again with another explosive, sub-6-foot playmaker, Syndric Steptoe, a senior who caught 37 passes and became the team's top punt and kickoff return man.

DEFENSE

Perhaps the evolution of Arizona's defensive line from team weakness to team strength best typifies the change in Stoops' program. Two years ago, Arizona's line was undersized, slow, and lacked depth. Now, 12 players are pushing for time at four spots, most of them with experience, size and speed.

Two potential impact playmakers on the line are junior college transfers Louis Holmes and Gabe Long. Holmes initially signed with Ohio State, and Long with USC. Both have to receive junior college credits in the summer to be eligible.

At linebacker, sophomore Ronnie Palmer and juniors Dane Krogstad and Spencer Larsen are the soul of Arizona's defense. All are returning starters, hopeful they can remain healthy and for the first time spend the entire season as a unit.

Junior cornerbacks Antoine Cason and Wilrey Fontenot begin their third seasons as starters. Cason is all-conference-caliber. Strong safety Michael Johnson moved into the starting lineup in the middle of the '05 season and was an immediate hit. He is the type of physical, run-to-the-ball player Stoops coached at Oklahoma.

SPECIALISTS

Senior placekicker Nick Folk emerged as a reliable field-goal kicker, hitting 7-of-11, including one beyond 50 yards. He also averaged 44 yards as an emergency punter the last five games. The Wildcat coaches hope that Folk won't have to do both jobs again. Idaho State transfer Kyle McQuown, who grew up in Tucson, is the probable punter.

Steptoe was one of the nation's leading kickoff and punt returners last season. He'll get help from speedy and elusive junior B.J. Dennard in both roles this season.

FINAL ANALYSIS

Arizona hasn't finished .500 or better in the Pac-10 since '98, and its won-loss records under Stoops don't indicate progress in that direction. Worse, the September schedule, with BYU, LSU and USC, is brutal, possibly the most difficult in the nation.

But for the first time in years, Arizona has a capable quarterback, and Canales can finally use his entire playbook. On defense, Stoops is building a potentially dynamic group. Arizona's breakout year figures to be '07, but Stoops' club might be good enough to qualify for a bowl game a year ahead of schedule.