A team-by-team look at the story lines from around Conference USA.
Army Black Knights
The problem last season was simple: Army scored the fewest points in Conference USA and allowed the most. And whatever confidence it gained from the road upset of Tulane was quickly extinguished by a 58-12 thrashing at the hands of rival Navy in the season finale. Five different players saw action at QB in 2002, and all return, but having just one starter back on the offensive line is not going to help matters. The defense, on the other hand, has a lot of experience and should be better. Army has four home games to open the season and needs to pull out a win or two.
Cincinnati Bearcats
The Bearcats have reached a bowl in three straight seasons, but it might be a challenge to make it four in a row. Only five starters return on each side of the ball, although that might not be as important on defense, where many reserves saw significant playing time last year. Offensively, the running back and top three receivers must be replaced, along with both starting tackles. That puts a lot more pressure on QB Gino Guidugli, who already throws too many interceptions. There's also little time to get warmed up, since the opener is a conference game against East Carolina.
East Carolina Pirates
ECU hasn't had many poor seasons in recent memory, but last year's 4-8 record brought about a coaching change. Enter John Thompson. The longtime defensive coordinator takes over the Pirates' ship and has plenty to address on the defensive side of the ball. ECU allowed almost 450 yards per game last year and lost over half of its starters. On offense, Thompson will have the luxury of being able to give the ball to 1,000-yard rusher Art Brown. He'll learn something about his new team early on, since the first four opponents all played in a bowl last season.
Houston Cougars
Art Briles returns to his alma mater with the goal of putting Cougar football back on the map. He had legendary success as a high school coach, due mainly to an imaginative offensive scheme. But even the best laid plans will have difficulty compensating for the loss of Joffrey Reynolds, who set a C-USA record last year with 1,545 rushing yards. On defense, eight starters return to a unit that struggled for most of 2002. There might not be a lot of wins for Briles in his rookie season, but he can start off in style by beating crosstown rival Rice in the opener.
Louisville Cardinals
In his previous coaching stint at Louisville, Bobby Petrino's offense led the nation in yardage and scoring. The group he now inherits led the nation only in sacks allowed. Although that O-line should be improved, the Cardinals' offense is scattered with talented, but largely unknown players. In addition to finding a replacement for Dave Ragone at QB, Petrino must also make up for the loss of another all-time U of L great, Dewayne White, on defense. Unlike last year, Louisville will not face the pressure of expectations and could sneak up on some people.
Memphis Tigers
In addition to the nine losses, the number that was most surprising about last season at Memphis was 197. That's the number of rushing yards per game the defense allowed, and it caused head coach Tommy West to get Joe Lee Dunn as his new defensive coordinator. On the other side of the ball, Danny Wimprine is a promising QB, but he needs protection from a line that lost eight of its top 10 players from last year. He and his teammates must also protect the ball better. Only six teams in the country had more turnovers than Memphis in 2002.
South Florida Bulls
Moving from independent status into Conference USA, the Bulls can now compete for a title for the first time in school history. Even though a four-year starter must be replaced at QB, South Florida will continue to employ a no-huddle spread offense that is sure to shake things up in C-USA. Defense, however, was the strength of last year's team, but many key players are gone, including the entire D-line. Those players helped force 3.3 turnovers per game, which contributed to USF having the best turnover margin in the nation. That success will be almost impossible to maintain.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles
It's amazing how USM continues to string together winning seasons with a consistently mediocre offense. The reason, of course, is a consistently strong defense, and it will be that way again this year. Stud LB Rod Davis, Etric Pruitt and six other returning starters should keep opponents in check. On offense, the big question is if either QB -- Micky D'Angelo or Dustin Almond -- will light a spark under the offense. Having a legitimate chance to beat Nebraska, Alabama and win Conference USA all in the same year has everyone ready to kick things off.
TCU Horned Frogs
Offense is the only concern, so if QB Tye Gunn and RB Lonta Hobbs can both pick up where they left off last year, this team will be extremely tough to beat. A few starters were lost off the nation's top-ranked defense, but when you hold opponents to fewer than two yards per rush, there must be talent at just about every position. If this team can handle the pressure of being a target, then another 10-win season is very possible. And if the Frogs make another run to a conference title, head coach Gary Patterson just might become a hot commodity.
Tulane Green Wave
Rebuilding projects are never fun, but that's what Chris Scelfo faces with his defense this year. The Green Wave caused more turnovers (43) than any team in the nation and recorded 48 sacks last season, but they now must replace the entire defensive line and secondary. Fortunately, the offense should be good with Mewelde Moore at RB, J.P. Losman at QB and Roydell Williams at WR. That group will get a major test by opening the season against TCU, and attendance will be intriguing on the heels of the Board's recent vote to preserve the program.
UAB Blazers
The future looks bright for Watson Brown's Blazers, who have only five seniors on scholarship this season. Brown, however, doesn't want to catch anyone looking ahead to next year. With promising QB Darrell Hackney under center and four linemen returning, the offensive unit should no longer be a liability. But there were heavy losses on the defensive line for the second year in a row, and you have to wonder how much talent is still there. The schedule will provide a huge measuring stick, including non-conference games versus Georgia and South Carolina.
Brad Edwards is a researcher for ESPN.
