Conference: Big Sky
2001 record: 3-8 — Conference finish: 2-5
OFFENSIVE STAR: Senior center Ben Olson anchors a solid offensive line that Weber State coach Jerry Graybeal calls the strength of his team.
Olson started all 11 games last year and is the strongest player on the team. Weber State will rely on Olson's experience, as he's one of only eight seniors on the team.
OFFENSIVE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT — New starting quarterback Tate Bennett didn't know he would be leading the Wildcats offense until Tyler Gladwell was ruled ineligible by the NCAA in mid-June. Bennett will be on the spot but Graybeal feels very comfortable with him under center.
Bennett played in six games last season and threw for 473 yards. He threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns in a 43-30 four-overtime win over Cal Poly.
Wide receiver Justin DeFour had 52 catches last season but won't have the departed Damon Greenberry on the other side. Greenberry caught 56 passes and 11 touchdowns as a senior last season. The offense will rely greatly on DeFour to replace Greenberry's numbers as the rest of Weber State's receivers are pretty inexperienced.
DEFENSIVE ANCHOR — Middle linebacker Matt McFadden was one of the few bright spots for a horrendous defense last season that was ranked next to last in Division 1-AA.
McFadden was named to the All-Big Sky team last season after recording 62 unassisted tackles. He had 15 tackles in a 42-17 home win over Idaho State.
DEFENSIVE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT — Cornerback Charles Boughton struggled as a junior college transfer last season. Graybeal said he didn't compete throughout the year. He'll be counted on this season to limit big plays from the opposition.
Free safety Sylvester Daniels is going to play a lot of man coverage this season when the defense blitzes. He was a wide receiver when he first attended Weber State.
SPECIAL TEAMS STAR — Kicker Joe Johnson played briefly in 2001 and wasn't planning on kicking in 2002 until the Wildcats unexpectedly lost two kickers. He joined the team midway through spring practice.
SCHEDULING QUIRK — The Wildcats have two byes in the first five weeks of the season. Graybeal thinks that could work to their advantage if they have a lot of injuries or if they struggle.
KEY STRETCH — Weber State's first three conference games are against teams that are ranked in the Sports Network top 25. The Wildcats travel to No. 21 Northern Arizona on Oct. 5 and to No. 20 Montana State on Oct. 19. Weber State's first conference home game will be against the No. 1 ranked and defending national champion Montana Grizzlies on Oct. 12.
Good showings against those three could propel the Wildcats into a successful season. But the Wildcats would be deflated and looking at a long season if they are blown out in those three contests.
BEST CASE SCENARIO — After opening the season at New Mexico, the Wildcats should win their home non-conference games against Western State and Eastern Oregon. Weber State could go 4-4 in the rest of its games to finish above .500.
WORST CASE SCENARIO — Weber State could get swept at home in conference games and finish 3-8 like last season. Or the Wildcats could take last place in the Big Sky, which is where the coaches and media picked them to finish.
Graybeal doesn't think his team will be worse than it was last season. His biggest fear is that it will play like it did last year.
'MUST WIN' TO KEEP ALUMNI HAPPY — For a team that struggled last season and has low expectations for this season, Weber needs an early win to give the players some confidence and to get fans interested.
A win over New Mexico is improbable. But the Wildcats should and must win their first home game over Western State to get fans to Stewart Stadium for the rest of the season. The Wildcats drew over 12,000 fans for their opener against Montana State last season but never reached 7,000 the rest of the way.
CRYSTAL BALL SAYS — The Wildcats should rebound from last season's poor performance on defense. Graybeal had his defenders in the weight room after they were outmuscled in many of their games last season. If the Wildcats can stay healthy and get some breaks they could win three road games and upset Eastern Washington at home on Nov. 2. Prediction: 6-5.
WSU BY THE NUMBERS
(10 high — 1 low)
Home schedule strength: 8
Road schedule strength: 4
Coaching: 8
Offensive talent: 7
Defensive talent: 5
Special teams talent: 5
Prospect of winning conf. title: 2
Chances of going to playoffs: 3
Aug. 31 at New Mexico
Sept. 14 WESTERN STATE (Colo.)
Sept. 21 EASTERN OREGON
Oct. 5 at Northern Arizona
Oct. 12 MONTANA
Oct. 19 at Montana State
Oct. 26 at Idaho State
Nov. 2 EASTERN WASHINGTON
Nov. 9 PORTLAND STATE
Nov. 16 at Sacramento State
Nov. 23 at Cal Poly noon