Washington State, picked to finish no better than eighth in the Pac-10 at the same time last year, is now regarded as one of the favorites to capture the 2002 league championship.

	Mike Bush was a big-play performer in 2001, averaging 20.8 yards a catch and scoring nine touchdowns.

What a difference a year makes! After proving all the doubters wrong and finishing tied for second in the Pac-10, the surprising Cougars went on to defeat Purdue in the Sun Bowl to finish with an impressive record of 10-2 last season.

Now, though, Mike Price's squad won't sneak up on anybody and will have to deal with lofty expectations. On the plus side, the Cougars have a schedule that has become much more favorable now that a trip to Hawaii on Nov. 30 was removed. They benefit from an open date not only before the Apple Cup against Washington but also before their regular-season finale against UCLA at the Rose Bowl.

Early on, Washington State has nice tune-ups in Pullman against Nevada and Idaho, before heading to Columbus on Sept. 14 to face Ohio State in what should be one of the most intriguing games of the non-conference slate. You'll have the firepower of the Cougar offense working against a Buckeye defense that figures to be outstanding.

Within the Pac-10, USC, Oregon and Washington all have to deal with the Cougars in Pullman, which can be a nightmare for the opposition.

OFFENSE
Price and offensive coordinator Mike Levenseller benefit from the return of charismatic senior quarterback Jason Gesser, who is justifiably being promoted as a Heisman Trophy candidate. Gesser is a real energizer, finally garnering the type of national publicity he deserves.

A key for the Cougar offense will be the overland attack. During the latter portion of last season, the offense began to tail off, the downturn beginning after RB Dave Minnich was sidelined with a knee injury. The numbers tell the story: Over the first seven weeks, the Cougars averaged a remarkable 44 points per game. But over the last four weeks of the regular season, their scoring output fell off the charts, to just 19.7 points per game.

With Minnich's graduation loss, Price and Levenseller are counting on a triumvirate of junior-college running backs to provide the necessary juice. The most highly touted of the group is physically gifted 6-foot-1, 212-pounder Jermaine Green from Butler County Community College in Kansas. Green participated in spring drills, giving him a critical head start at understanding the complexities of the offense. He's regarded as the fastest RB Price has ever coached, and his natural pass-receiving skills allow for Green to become a multi-dimensional threat.

Although the Cougars lost leading receiver Nakoa McElrath (72 catches, 1,163 yards, nine TDs) to graduation, Gesser benefits from the return of a stellar receiving corps led by 6-6, 213-pound basketball player Mike Bush. Not only does his size and athleticism create a matchup nightmare for defensive coordinators, but he also has the best hands of any WR on the Cougar squad.

Fellow senior Jerome Riley appears primed for a huge year after making the transition last season from junior college. Riley is dangerous after the catch, able to do a great deal of damage in the open field. As for the third option, keep an eye on Florida State transfer Devard Darling. The talented 6-3, 205-pounder sat out last year and has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Tight end is viewed as a question mark going in, but true freshman Troy Bienemann showed promise during spring practice. The Cougars also expect juco transfer Eddie Robinson to compete for the starting job. Heavily in the mix will also be former starter (12 receptions in 2000) Russell Mizin, who returns after sitting out 2001.

If it can remain injury-free, the Cougar offensive line should be quite good, led by senior OG Derrick Roche, one of the Pac-10's elite trench men. However, depth is viewed as a problem, so the offensive line will be an area to watch closely as the season progresses.

DEFENSE
The Cougars will potentially field one of the nation's most impressive front fours. A trio of juniors -- Rien Long, Tai Tupai and Jeremey Williams -- sets the tone along the interior from the tackle spots. Williams is actually regarded as a third starter in the Cougars' rotation system.

On the outside, yet another junior, D.D. Acholonu, is coming off an excellent campaign that saw him record 9½ sacks. I'm told that Acholonu was unblockable off the edge during the spring. In passing situations, the Cougars also turn loose junior Isaac Brown. Last season he tied Acholonu for the most sacks of the defensive linemen.

While there is a great deal of talent and proven production up front, the linebacking corps took a major hit with the graduation loss of Raonall Smith and James Price. Junior Al Genatone and senior Pat Bennett should be the headliners, but looking to make significant contributions will be junior-college transfer Donny Jackson and redshirt freshman Will Derting.

While Smith's loss was big at linebacker, the Cougars suffered a critical graduation loss in the deep patrol with FS Lamont Thompson closing out his stay in Pullman with an amazing 24 career interceptions. Last season, Thompson led the Cougars with 93 tackles while picking off 10 passes and breaking up 13 others. He had two interceptions against Purdue in the Sun Bowl, four against UCLA to set a Pac-10 single-game record. He also recorded 17 tackles against Oregon. Not only has Thompson moved on to the NFL as a second-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals, but the Cougars also have to deal with the graduation loss of quality collegiate strong safety Billy Newman.

While junior Erik Coleman appears to be a capable free safety, the SS spot is viewed as a key area of concern entering fall practice. Fortunately, the Cougars return one of the Pac-10's top cover men in senior Marcus Trufant. He'll need to remain at full strength the entire way and provide shut-down coverage ability. Last year Trufant missed five games with a broken thumb.

Junior kicker Drew Dunning proved to be an excellent shorter-range kicker, connecting on 16 of 16 field-goal attempts from inside of 40 yards last year. Over 40 yards, he was successful on only two of six tries.

OVERVIEW
Instead of being the hunter, the Cougars are in the unaccustomed role of being the hunted. What a dramatic change from last season when most observers (except for ESPN College GameDay's Kirk Herbstreit, who tabbed the Cougars during preseason as one of the surprise teams to watch) thought the Cougars would finish near the bottom of the Pac-10.

While Gesser is a superior college signal-caller and the wideouts are extremely talented, the success of the offense hinges on the ability of former junior-college standout Green to make the immediate and successful transition to major-college football. Based on his performance in the spring, Green could be the real deal. Tight end is also an area that needs to be solidified quickly. And while the Cougar starting five up front is very solid, a lack of depth is a concern.

Defensively, Long, Tupai, Williams, Acholonu and Brown combine to form the Pac-10's top front four and one of the more impressive lines in the country. However, the linebackers have to answer some questions, and losing Thompson and Newman to graduation hurts the Cougars at both safety spots.

There is no question the Cougars deserve the preseason respect they are receiving. The components are in place, and the schedule is favorable. Scratching the trip to Hawaii was critical. Now, the Cougars have a week off after the Apple Cup as well as extra preparation time for the regular-season finale against UCLA on Dec. 7. They also don't play Oregon State this season.

The Cougars have the necessary star power, but they are fragile in certain areas, meaning they'll need a great deal of good fortune on the injury front. They also have to make up for the senior leadership that was lost to graduation. Remember, in addition to Minnich, Smith, Price, Thompson and Newman, the Cougars also have to deal with the loss of special teams captain Jeremy Thielbahr, an unheralded yet valuable player.