Spring football practice has ended (did you notice?), which means Western Athletic Conference teams have finished their homework for next season. With that in mind, here is the first early-bird, clip-and-save preview of this fall's WAC football season, based on months and months of careful research this week.
BRIGHAM YOUNG - Can anybody stop the Cougars? Can the Cougars stop anybody? BYU will have an offense that rolls up yards like the Steve Young Edition of '83. Heisman candidate Ty Detmer is the nation's best quarterback. His top three receivers are back, including star tight end Chris Smith, as are four returning starters in the line. Any one of five running backs could start and star.The Cougs will score a lot of points. Maybe they'll have to. BYU's defense faded badly last season. Just two starters return in the front seven - Stars-In-Waiting Rocky Biegel and Rich Kaufusi.
There's no time to dawdle. The Cougs open against Miami. They finish against Hawaii in the year's Great WAC Showdown. In the end, the Cougars are a top 10 team.
HAWAII - Somehow quarterback Garrett Gabriel managed to rank among the nation's top passers last season, which is rather amazing for a guy who throws the ball end over end. He's one of six starters returning from the nation's fifth highest scoring team. Six other starters return from the WAC's best defense, including the league's top linebacker, Mark Odom. The problem is the 'Bows must replace the three starters on the defensive line.
The nonconference schedule is the usual Hawaiian cakewalk, but someone did manage to pry them off the Islands to play four league road games. If they can win those, they'll meet BYU for the championship.
COLORADO STATE - In his first season as coach, Earle Bruce took the Rams - 2-21 the previous two seasons - to a 5-5-1 season, converting their pass attack into a running attack overnight. It was the second biggest turnaround in the country, and the Rams did it with the nation's third most difficult schedule and with just 10 seniors on their roster.
Already the Rams are talking about a bowl. It won't happen, but with 18 returning starters they could be a big surprise.
Quarterback Kevin Verdugo was in fine form early last year until injuries put him on the sideline for most of the season. His replacement, Mike Gimenez, is a weak passer. Tony Alford is thriving under Bruce (1,034 yards in '89). The Rams' big problem: road games against Arizona State, Arkansas, BYU and Hawaii.
SAN DIEGO STATE - The Aztecs are considering leaving the WAC because they're going bankrupt. No wonder. They ranked last in the WAC in attendance in '89 despite having the league's biggest enrollment and biggest hometown.
Speaking of big, Dan McGwire is the world's biggest quarterback (6-foot-8). He's also football's biggest statue. But, as his coach says, the man throws downhill. As usual, the Aztecs, who return 14 starters, have great talent at the skill positions, but they are something else in the trenches and on defense.
Players to watch: running back Tommy Booker and wideout Patrick Rowe, two former Parade All-Americas who sat out last season; Larry Maxey, a starting strong safety who has been moved to running back; wideout Jimmy Raye (45 catches).
The Aztecs will be improved, but not enough to handle Oregon, UCLA, Miami and BYU.
WYOMING - After back-to-back championship seasons, the Cowboys returned to mediocrity last year (5-6). Everyone blames Tom Corontzos, the team's erratic quarterback, but his line was full of holes (48 sacks) and the running game nonexistent. Not many changes will be made this year. Fourteen starters return. Tight end Gordy Wood and wideout Shawn Wiggins are fine receivers. Tackle Mitch Donahue, the WAC's Defensive Player of the Year, made the league's all-decade team for the '80s.
The Cowboys have run out of talent left over from the Dennis Erickson days. Now they find out if they can make it on their own.
NEW MEXICO - Sporting News named the Lobos the nation's most improved team last year. With 15 starters returning, they'll be improved again this year, but will it show in the standings? UNM also has a difficult schedule.
Andre Wooten, UNM's top rusher in '88, is back after missing last season with academic problems. Now '89's top rusher, Dion Morrow, may be gone. He sat out winter semester with grade problems, but might be allowed to return in the fall. That would help the Lobos' poor ground game, and take the heat off quarterback Jeremy Leach (3,573 yards last year). All-WAC end John Bell and all four linebackers will improve the defense.
UTAH - The mystery team. The Utes have a new coach (Ron McBride), a new quarterback (take your pick: Jason Woods, Mike Richmond, Frank Dolce), a new offense (more run, less pass), and 24 players they haven't seen yet. That's how many recruits will report to Utah for the first time next fall, four months too late for spring practice. The Utes need them, particularly on defense. Oops, there's the D word again. Need we remind you that the Utes gave up a record 500-plus yards a game? Clifton Smith, a big, fast running back, may finally thrive in McBride's offense. The Utes have good skill players, but the interior lines need work. With 14 returning starters, the Utes might surprise some teams, but a .500 season is about the best that can be hoped for.
AIR FORCE - The Falcons have had only one losing season in the last eight years, but with just seven returning starters even they will have difficulty breaking .500. The offense doesn't go without a gifted option quarterback, and Dee Dowis is gone. The new QB is junior Ron Gray, who converted to running back/kick returner last year to get playing time (he was a third-team All-America kick returner). He's fast like Dowis, but can he run the option? He can turn to fullback Rodney Lewis (1,063 yards) for help.
As for defense, with seven players weighing less than 210 pounds the Falcons could get pushed around.
UTEP - Let's put it this way, when Coach David Lee announced his spring practice goals he listed the following: "Teach a new defensive system; find players who want to play defense; find the 11 best players on defense; improve the running game; improve offensive line play; teach basic fundamentals (blocking/tackling); improve the kicking game."
Did he forget anything?
The Miners are returning to the bad old days - the WAC basement. But they are raising ticket prices this fall.
The Miners have a solid quarterback in Howard Gasser (still in one piece despite 61 sacks) and a good group of receivers, led by Reggie Barrett. That's about it. Tailback Scooter Menifee is now a fullback - at 5-foot-9, 175 pounds. Seven veterans were moved either from offense to defense or visa versa.