Editor's note: this is the second in a series of nine articles previewing Pac-10 football teams.
It's easy to look at the Washington State University football team and assume the worst for 2003.
With the loss of head coach Mike Price and quarterback Jason Gesser, writers all across America are calling this season a "rebuilding" year.
After a brilliant 2002 season in which the Cougars made their fourth Rose Bowl appearance, new WSU head coach Bill Doba says his team is feeling confident that they will compete again for the conference title.
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"It's tough to replace a legend like Jason Gesser," Doba said of the school's all-time passing leader and current Tennessee Titan backup.
Gesser's replacement, senior Matt Kegel, must have the confidence of the rest of his team in order to keep the Cougars from falling out of the Pac-10 race.
"We're very confident in Matt," Doba said. "He knows our offense and has taken over the reins of the leadership."
Kegel should ease into the transition as starter if senior running back Jermaine Green can add to his 829 yards he rushed for in 2002. Green, who averaged 5.5 yards per carry, reached the end zone nine times and could be a huge lift for the Cougar offense.
"I'm fortunate the coaches believed in me enough and now it's my show," Kegel told reports at the Pac-10 media day. "If I can help my team score as many points as possible and put us in a position to win, then I'm doing my job."
Along with the vacancy that Gesser left in the offense, there is a huge hole in the Cougar secondary after the loss of cornerback Marcus Trufant, who led WSU in solo tackles (59) and broken passes (13) last year.
"We went into spring concerned about replacing (Trufant)," Doba said.
Trufant's replacement, junior Karl Paymah, will join three returning starters in the secondary, a situation that makes Doba's conflict much less irritating, saying that his staff is "very confident with Paymah."
In all, the Cougars are returning five starters on offense and seven on defense. Their special teams should remain strong, as the entire kicking game is still intact.
After a competitive non-conference schedule, WSU will open Pac-10 play on Sept. 27 at Autzen Stadium against Oregon. The victor of that game may be considered a serious contender for a top spot in the conference.
With the return of a good defense and a system that has consistently worked, the Cougar faithful will probably be satisfied, as the team should find its way into another respectable bowl game.
Reach the reporter at damien.tippett@asu.edu.
