What are they saying? Last year the GWFC roundtable helped out on a weekly basis by contributing some thoughts on each game of the week. Mike Mirer ended the season with a near perfect 10-1 record picking winners. The rest of the table has their eyes set on Mirer's mark of last season, inspiring a friendly competition among the bunch. First off they'll start with some overall thoughts on this season's Great West race.

What to follow: Linebacker Play. Every Great West team, with the exception of UC Davis, lost two to three starting linebackers from last season. Two of the top three defenses, Cal Poly, and Southern Utah, actually lost three starters. While so much focus will be centered on some great returning offensive talent in 2005, the team that successfully replaces the losses at linebacker may put their team in a great position to win the conference.

GWFC Projections

(Listed in projected order of finish)

1. North Dakota State ? The Bison ended their first season of transition to I-AA very successfully finishing ranked No. 23 in the nation. Fresh off a very solid 8-3 campaign, the Bison return the most complete team in the conference with their eyes on a bigger prize. A potent and physical offense paired with a strong core of returning starters on defense make the Bison the team to beat in the Great West.

Offense:  As was mentioned previously the Bison had their ups and downs at the quarterback position last season. The great news for the Bison is the ups were all around returning starter Steve Walker. The to be sophomore's play last season was so impressive down the stretch that had he played a full season he might have edged Jon Grant out for all-conference honors at the position. Take a look at the numbers ? 47-60, 705 yards, 10 TDs, 0 INTs. Walker's calm demeanor and poise in the pocket was uncanny for such an inexperienced quarterback, and more of the same is expected in '05 if the Bison are to continue their winning ways. Two of the main reasons Walker didn't have nearly the pressure of someone in a similar position was a tremendous running game, and a big physical offensive line. After all, the Bison did finish last in the league in pass offense, (186 ypg) purely because they didn't need to throw it. The bad news is that three members of the line are gone from a group that paved the way for the top rushing team (192 ypg) in the conference. Those three composed the left side of the line, including Indianapolis Colt Rob Hunt. Tim Popowski and Justin Buckwalter return to anchor the right side, but a task remains in shoring up the left side. That task falls upon the shoulders of Nate Safe (LT), Adam Tadish (LG) and Huge Medal (C). The good news is that the Bison have one of the deepest backfields in all of I-AA. NDSU returns just about everyone from last year's group including one-two punch Kyle Steffes and Cinque Chapman. Steffes, the all-conference performer, is the power back that went for over 1,000 yards with 13 touchdowns last season. Chapman, only a freshman a year ago, is the burner who spelled Steffes for 737 yards. Both of these guys could star as the feature back in any offense, but in Coach Craig Bohl's two-back system both guys split the carries. This explains why both Steffes and Chapman's legs are always fresh and able to grind down defenses in the second half. Oh, and let's not forget about Shamen Washington and Mark Moore. Washington, a 5'5 sophomore, dazzled fans with his speed averaging 12 yards per carry in two games, and returning a kickoff for a score before an injury ended his season. He'll be a guy the Bison rely on to jolt the special team as well try and get in space this season to use his shiftiness to make plays. And Moore exploded for 112 yards on just 11 carries in the spring game. There's just not enough carries to go around for this talented foursome. In terms of wide receivers, the Bison return their top four from last season, highlighted by Travis White, who was good for 776 yards and nine scores. A.J. Cooper, speedster Marques Johnson and tight end Andy DelaBarre combined for 74 catches and for over 600 yards which should compliment White nicely. There is no doubt the Bison are loaded at the skill positions, and with some maturity at the line this offense could be explosive.

Defense: The side of the ball where the Bison must work a little more to replace some talent is defense, which lost seven starters. The group last season was terrific holding opponents to just under 14 points a game. The secondary returns half its starters, including the defensive leader Craig Dahl. Dahl, an all-GWFC selection at strong safety, finished second on the team in tackles, along with three interceptions. Joining Dahl is cornerback Bobby Babich, who has started 21 games over the last two seasons. He's the staple at corner and will draw the majority of tough assignments throughout the year. The two battling to join Dahl at safety are Tony Bizal and Barry Quickstad. Bizal was a leader on special teams last season, while Quickstad is a juco transfer. Both will see time regardless of who starts. Scott Walter, back from a late season injury, rounds out the secondary at the other corner. Probably the most complete area is at linebacker. Kole Zimmerman, fourth on the team in tackles last year, is back to hold down the one of the outside linebacker spots. Maybe the most exciting player could be sophomore middle linebacker Joe Mays. In 2005, Mays showed tremendous potential (45 tackles, 3 sacks) shining in a backup role. Expect Mays to have a big season and push for all-conference honors by year's end. The defensive line, a dominant group in 2005, was hit the hardest losing three starters. Alvin Robinson (47 tackles, 2.5 sacks) is the only returnee from a group that has pressure to gel quickly. Justin Frick, Rodney Thompson and Joe Lardinois will fill the three positions vacated by familiar names such as Ware, Summerville and Snell. The good news is that Frick and Thompson have more experience than some of their GWFC counterparts trying to replace significant losses along the line. The two saw action in almost every game, combining for 41 tackles, with five going for loss. The Bison are loaded with talent, and even depth, but ultimately how well they replace key losses along the both lines will determine the fate of their season. If they don't see much drop-off in the trenches, we won't be talking only about a conference championship, but perhaps a top 10 finish.

Schedule: The Bison definitely received the “we're not shying away from anyone” memo that the Great West must have sent out this off-season, as their schedule is loaded. After a cupcake opener, the Bison sandwich Northwestern State, Montana State (both road games) and Nicholls State around a home bout with Big Sky foe Weber State. All three teams will spend some time in the top 25 this season. NDSU has a favorable schedule in that it hosts three of the five conference games, including UC Davis. However, they must travel to Cal Poly. They end on a tough note visiting powerhouse Southern Illinois.

Key Game: Nov 12 South Dakota State ? Sure there's tougher teams that will visit that Fargodome, and challenging road trips all over the schedule, but this game has some significant meaning to it. Although it may never be the rivalry that ?you know who' was, this is the Bison's semi-rivalry for now. And despite a very strong season in '04, if you ask the Bison which loss irked them most, it's this game. The Bison have this game marked, and they would like nothing more than to lay a whoopin' down on the Jackrabbits and make a permanent home for the Dakota Marker in Fargo.

2. UC Davis ? The magazines all picked Cal Poly to win the Great West this season. Both Kent Schmidt and I (the two guys who cover the conference) went with North Dakota State. The forgotten team is the UC Davis Aggies, more than capable of winning this division. UC Davis rattled off five wins last season, and for its efforts worked its way to its first ever I-AA national ranking. Down the stretch, however, Davis stumbled badly losing four of their last five. In 2006, the formula is the same as any other year. The years the Aggies have been able to fill offensive holes successfully there are not many teams that can match their firepower. But, if they can't, prepare for what could turn ugly with brutal schedule.

Offense: The offense starts and stops with returning junior quarterback, Jon Grant. Grant appears to be the next in a long line of talented quarterbacks who have come through the Aggies system. In his first season as a starter Grant looked brilliant at times, but also made some mistakes that could be attributed to inexperience. Now, with a year under his belt as Coach Bob Biggs starter, Grant is primed to put up some big numbers. The success of Grant will depend, however, on the Aggies ability to run the ball, something that struggled with last season. Gone is O.J. Swanigan, who chose not to return to the team. But back is the leading rusher, Nelson Doris (495, 4.9 ypc), which is good news for the Aggies. Doris seemed to hit a comfort level towards the end of the season that fans can only hope will continue into this fall. He'll also have help from a couple newer faces in two transfers, Marcus Nolan and Alex Garfio. Nolan, a transfer from Citrus College, is a bigger back that should provide some toughness and size at the spot. Garfio, a 1,000 yard rusher for Ventura College, is only 5'8 but has breakaway speed and terrific vision. He may well be a big surprise for the Aggies next season. Redshirt freshman Demario Warren could also be in the mix. The biggest offensive question resides around the offensive line. The Aggies O-line had a tough season in 2005, and what's more concerning is the loss of two studs from that line, center Marc Manfredda, and tackle Cory Lekkerkerkker. Despite the loss of Lekkerkerkker, the two bookend spots should be in good hands. Elliot Vallejo, returns, and is free of a major hand injury he battled all last season. His play will most certainly be improved as his surgery is completely healed. The other tackle spot will be held down by Nevada-Reno transfer Greg Bellasis, who is expected to jump in and be big factor along the line immediately. Kyle Skierki returns at left guard. The other two spots will be new faces lacking much experience with Tim Keane at center, and either Mario Gonzales or John Compas (both redshirt freshman) at guard.  The final piece of the offense, the wide receivers, is another strength of the team. Junior Tony Kays was third on the team in receiving last season, (513 yards, 5 TDs) and is ready to be the next great Aggie receiver. Tight End Daniel Fells has garnered first-team All-American honors from just about everyone this preseason. Fells, a 6'3 236-pound senior, is a nightmare matchup for any opposing linebacker, and should easily surpass the 520 yards of last season. Expect seniors Jason Yaklich, Aaron Hines, converted tight end Nolan de Graaff and top recruit Brandon Rice to all chip in significant contributions.

Defense: The Aggies recently received some excellent news on the defensive side of the ball. They learned that cornerback Andy Sullivan was awarded a medical redshirt year having missed the full 2003 season with a torn ACL. With Sullivan back, the number of defensive starters returning climbs to six, spread equally along the three areas of the defense. Sullivan, ineligible for the first game, joins Derick Daniels as the two starting corners. Nevan Bergan provides some quality depth. While the experience is strong at corner, some work has to be done at the safety spots. Both starters from a season ago are graduated and set to step in are Jonathan Barsi and Brandon Quinn.  Barsi saw prominent time last season in nickel packages and impressed in his limited time with three picks. The linebackers return in great shape with Dan Elbanna and Ben Reece both back for another season. UCD is in great shape at linebacker spot, especially considering the inexperience at this position for the other conference members. Elbanna and Reece were the top two tacklers a season ago combining for 137 stops, and 16.5 for loss and part of a unit that helped hold opposing runners to 3.2 yards per carry. The third starting linebacker spot likely goes to Josh Edwards, a redshirt freshman. Edwards is one of three redshirts, from the heralded recruiting class of '04, who will likely start this season. Along the line the UCD is in pretty good shape from a starting perspective. The oft injured Pila Fatukala is back at end. Fatukala, when healthy, is a menace to his line counterparts. He finished tied for seventh in conference sacks, despite playing almost four less games than the competition. Ryan Sharp is the other key player along the line at tackle. Sharp finished 3^rd in tackles, (49) including six for loss and three sacks. James Amos will start at the other end position, while redshirt freshman John Faletoese is battling with Matthew Ngwun for the tackle spot. The Aggies are in pretty good shape on defense having filled the few holes with guys who coaches believe can make an instant impact. The big question for the UC Davis heading into the season is the performance of the offensive line. If the Aggies can run, and give Jon Grant some time, this team will be tough to beat.

Schedule: It's widely known that the Aggies have one of the toughest schedules in the nation this season. That notion was validated by national I-AA columnist Matt Dougherty in the off-season when he ranked the Aggies schedule the second-toughest in all of the land. There's not much to say, just look at the talent on this season's slate: Eastern Washington, New Hampshire, Stephen F. Austin, Portland State and I-A Stanford. And, of course, that's just the non-conference schedule.

Key Game: 9/17 @ Stanford. With no playoffs hopes, there is one game this season that stands out more than others. The game against I-A Stanford on “the farm” means so much more than local bragging rights, or (gasp!) the Causeway rivalry against Sacramento State. It's great for the Aggies, who are trying to recruit the top local talent, construct a new stadium and build a fan base to support the growth of this program. This game is the playoffs.

3. Cal Poly. I doubted Cal Poly last year, and they proved me wrong. This year I'm back in a similar position, knowing full well that Rich Ellerson's Mustangs are absolutely capable of making me eat crow once again. Unlike like last season, though, it will be challenging not only from a parity standpoint but also the obstacle of replacing some big losses on the roster. Cal Poly will at worst be competitive in every game based on their returning core of talent. But if the Mustangs can come together quickly, they'll be thinking playoffs once again.

Defense: It's going to be tough to repeat the dominating season this group has in 2005. The defense put up some terrific numbers, especially when it came to the opposition trying to run the ball. They finished third in the nation in rushing defense allowing just over 84 yards a game and allowed just one player to surpass 100 yards last season. If they are to repeat the successes of last season, some new faces will need to step up this year, especially with all-everything Jordan Beck moving on to the NFL. I've already spoken about Kyle Shotwell, who should fit into the middle linebacker spot just nicely, but will have three new starters out there with him. Those names are Justin Peek, Thomas Curiel and Joe Whiten. The trio combined for just 30 tackles last season, and that specific stat is a reason to expect a bit of a learning curve this fall. Even though each player saw time on the field, the experience is limited so the same dominance against the run might be an aggressive expectation. The defensive secondary is in good shape, especially with Kenny Chicoine and Aaron Williams returning. The leader of the group, Chicoine, picked off seven passes and finished third on the team in tackles a year ago. Williams chipped in 44 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions. While UNC's Reed Doughty is the most talented safety in the league, this is undoubtedly the best duo. Both starters at corner are gone, but Randy Samuel who saw significant time last season, should help ease the loss on the left side. The right cornerback spot is up in the air as a battle between two sophomores Michael Maye and Andres Thomas may not be decided for a couple weeks.  The defensive line looks strong having only to replace once starter and the benefit of Chris Gocong returning. The senior should draw double teams all season long, which should only benefit Chris White and Matt Chachere. White is back at nose tackle along with his 4.5 sacks. Chachere, a senior, anchors down the other end position. Expect Cachere to have a breakout season for the Mustangs and be the beneficiary of extra special attention paid to Gocong by opposing offenses.

Offense: At times last season it felt like Cal Poly could score at will putting up points at an alarming rate. Those numbers, though, were skewed by the dominance of the defense. The Mustangs 31 points a game has to, in some part, be attributed to fine defensive play. The Mustangs had eight touchdowns scored by some other means than the offense, and that doesn't take into account the tremendous field position the defense handed off to the offense. This is further explained by head coach Rich Ellerson's musical quarterbacks last season. First it was Jon Mende (now No. 2 QB), then Cordell Webb (now a CB) and finally Anthony Garnett, who all had opportunities to run the team. Garnett eventually settled into the starting role just about midway through the season, and the results were mixed. Certainly Garnett was the best of the three quarterbacks, but he was up and down in terms of overall performance, highlighted by a monster game against UC Davis. This season, Garnett is back, a full year under his belt and the hope is improved play can help the offense compensate for a defense that needs some time to mature in certain areas. The Mustangs should feel good about their play at wide receiver, despite the loss of Darrell Jones. That's because Anthony Randolph, Jonah Russell and Jason Holmes return. These three players are all veterans who make up a very capable receiving core. The three combined for 66 catches and 11 scores a year ago. Russell is arguably the most dangerous of the three, having averaged over 20 yards per catch in both of the last two seasons. As I mentioned earlier, the loss of Geno Randle will be subtle if Nevada transfer Drew Robinson can step in and take off immediately.  Robinson or his competition Jeremy Konaris should feel great about their lead blocker, Adam Martinez. Martinez, once a member of the defense, put up over 300 yards, and four scores last season. The final piece of this side of the ball is the offensive line, which lost two starters including their most talented Ben Cobain. Back in the mix, however, is guard Beau Finato, who will be the biggest strength along the line. Brett Guald, and Dylan Roddick return as the starters at tackle. The final two spots are still up for grabs. No doubt the Mustangs cupboard is not bare in terms of talent, but how the young linebackers perform in the early part of the season, as well as Anthony Garnett, will set the tone for the year.

Schedule:  The Mustangs are always willing to take all comers, and that is once again apparent in 2005 slate of games. Coach Rich Ellerson lined up Sacramento State, Troy (I-A), Montana, Montana State and Eastern Washington. The latter three will probably spend quite a bit of time in the top 15 to go along with the conference games. All this schedule did was earn a No. 4 ranking among the most difficult schedules, according to Dougherty. Honestly, there's not a lot of difference between the No. 2-ranked Aggies, and No. 4-ranked Mustangs. Both schedules are stacked.

Key Game: 10/22 @ Montana. Montana is what football programs aspire to be at the I-AA level. Montana is that team that everyone “gets up for” on their schedule. They are consistent year in and year out in terms of competing for a national championship. Cal Poly has made some great strides with their program and now gets a chance to see how they stack up against one of the best teams in the nation in their backyard.

4. South Dakota State. Last season the Jacks 2-3 conference record earned them a tie for last, but also a tie for third. The 6-5 finish by SDSU was maybe the most surprising because I don't know if anyone outside of South Dakota thought that SDSU would do that well. Everyone noticed the Jacks after they traveled to Southern and made an impressive statement to the world of I-AA with a season defining win. That was followed by a strong showing against champion Cal Poly and finally a big win against NDSU. This year I've ranked them fourth in the Great West and believe they are the X-factor in the conference. A boatful of returning talent on defense, strength in key skill areas of the offense and a favorable schedule lines up nicely for the Jacks to entertain thoughts of a conference championship.

Defense: Typically losing two players of the caliber of Joey Abell and Chris Coauette can be very problematic to a defense. And while they'll have to be replaced the blow is softened because the South Dakota State defensive unit returns eight starters. The experience that returns gives this group, despite the losses, a chance to improve on their fourth-place finish in total defense in the GWFC. The strength of the defense is the secondary which returns virtually intact. Strong safety John Perry is back along with Mitch Klien and John Epps, who will battle for the free safety spot. All three have starting experience with Perry leading the way last season with 58 tackles, including four for loss. The corner duo should be among the best in the league with both Jeff Hegge and defensive star Hank McCall back. While Hegge's numbers (43 tackles, 2 fl, 4 pd) are solid, McCall's stats are impressive. He's arguably the best corner in the conference, having finished third on the team in tackles, including seven for loss and two picks. Even though Abell was lost, the rest of the line is in good shape. D.J. Fischer, Travis Ahrens, and Gabe Koenigsfeld all return from last season, with Fischer bringing back the biggest statistics. Last season the defensive tackle had 51 stops, which included 10 for loss and 3.5 sacks. Mitch Pontrelli, who also has some starting experience, provides solid depth. This season the group's biggest concern is replacing Abell, as the other three spots are in good hands. The final piece of the defense is linebacker, where Coauette and Mike Blackbourn are both graduated. With the departures, South Dakota State loses it two big time performers who combined for 205 tackles in '04. The two Jackrabbits projected to replace the departed backers, Marty Kranz and Billy Ray Kirch, had just 24 combined tackles last season. Mike James (35 tackles, 6 fl, 2 sacks), the only returning starter, will be relied upon heavily to lead the way for this young group. Clearly, this will be the most watched area early in the season.

Offense: The Jackrabbits offense is also in pretty good shape with six starters back. No one area was completely depleted so it's all about filling holes, including the loss of quarterback Brad Nelson. Nelson had been the staple as the leader of the offense and now graduated the reigns are turned over to Andy Kardoes. The 6'3 junior did see some action last season and not just in mop up duty. Coach John Stiegelmeier made sure to get the young signal caller in the game at key times. Those snaps now appear enormous in terms of some experience heading into his new role as a starter. Kardoes, a much more mobile quarterback than Nelson, appeared in eight games last season. He threw 33 passes and had 22 attempts running the ball. Now Kardoes has the task of making sure the offense doesn't lose a beat as the one of the school's best passers moves on. Maybe that's possible considering some think that Kardoes could end up as good if not better than his predecessor. How quickly can that happen? There are some whispers around Brookings that Kardoes is not only more talented than the departed Nelson but may be even more of a team leader. Now the question is how quickly he can translate those skills to help the Jacks climb the conference ladder. The frightening part for fellow GWFC opponents is that SDSU now likely possesses the best running QB/RB combo in Kardoes and Anthony Watson. Watson, also a junior, rushed for nearly 1,100 yards (4.9 ypc) and five touchdowns. His talent in the backfield should really help the maturity of Kardoes. The ability to consistently gain yards and put his team in short down situations will take quite a bit of pressure off of the young quarterback. When Kardoes isn't tucking the rock, or handing off to Watson, he has a big time target in Josh Davis. Davis went for over 1,000 yards two seasons ago, but saw his numbers fall off last season (619 yards, 5 TDs) with the ball spread around more. This season he should be the go to guy when the Jacks need a big play. Chris Molitor, who went for 16 yards per catch last season and Paul Kiezer, the returning tight end, provide two solid options after Davis. Along the offensive line, what was a young inexperience group last season enters 2005 a strength of the team. Guard Taylor Murray, a preseason first-team GWFC selection, is the leader of the group. But Murray also has fellow guard Kasey Deaver and tackle Mitch Erickson returning.  SDSU has a solid nucleus of talent, but needs a few key pieces to come together to contend for the conference title. Andy Kardoes' impact and the linebacker play will tell fans early on just how competitive SDSU will be in the chase for the conference title.

Schedule: The Jackrabbits schedule is quite a bit weaker than the previous three schedules to which we've already spoken. Weak is a relative term here though because SDSU still has tough dates with Montana, and Georgia Southern, both top-10 caliber teams. But SDSU does have three D-II games on the schedule, which is too many for a team trying to make its name at the next level. Eight home games are the benefit of having to play seven road games last season.

Key Game: 10/8 UC Davis. The Jackrabbits have some unfinished business with the Aggies. Last season, SDSU opened the year by getting trampled by UC Davis, 52-0, in a rout that was over after the first quarter. The Jacks play after that game proved the final score of that game to be more of a fluke than anything else. But don't think for one minute the Jackrabbits have forgotten that sour taste in their mouth as they left Toomey field last season. This game is about one thing: revenge.

5. Northern Colorado. It's a tale of two preseasons for the soon to be Big Sky Bears. Just a year ago the Northern Colorado was fresh off a 9-2 season, having finished ranked in the top 20. Along with a meaty schedule featuring some of the best in the land came some lofty expectations in 2004. After a sub-par 2-9 record last season the Bears pummeled to the bottom of the pack in the GWFC. This season the schedule is bearable, and the expectations are limited. The losses are damaging, which is exactly why Coach O. Kay Dalton hopes the handful of off-season transfers (expected to start) translates into UNC finding its way back to the elite of I-AA.

Offense:  Let's start with the positive ? UNC returns nine starters on the offensive side of the ball, which the Bears hope will help them turn around their first losing season since 1987. However, one of those starters is not current San Diego Charger wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who was all-everything last season. Also the Bears are still trying to determine their starting quarterback, as was mentioned above. Whoever wins the job (Christensen or Hager) will start against Colorado Mines, while the loser will drop to No. 3 behind either redshirt freshman Cody Stone or transfer T.J. Swanson. So the best wide receiver in the nation is graduated, and the quarterback spot is up for grabs, but beyond that the Bears offense is actually in terrific shape starting with the offensive line. Last season, the Bears offense struggled to consistently move the ball by any means, which went hand in hand with a young group of offensive lineman. This season the group that matured into a solid bunch by year's end is almost entirely back. The Bears were the only team to place two members of their line on the preseason all-conference team in guard Shaun Farner and tackle Bret Garegnani. UNC also welcomes the return of center Matt Sens, and have added transfer guard John Pryor. The final spot will go to one of the transfers Mitch Walker or Robert Baker. This makes the line as deep as any in the Great West. Running behind that line is talented junior tailback, Andre Wilson. Wilson fell just short of 1,000 yards last season leading the league in yards per game. (99 ypg) Wilson didn't make the preseason all-conference team, but you can bet he clears 1,000 yards this season, and ends up there by the end of the season. He, along with backup Jahir Waterman, will see plenty of carries as the quarterbacks situation works itself out in the first couple weeks. Leading the way for the two backs will be Wyoming transfer redshirt freshman Garrett Bliss. At receiver, the losses of Jackson and Jamar Farbes loom large. However, two individuals slated to step up are Cory Sleeth and Zac Carlson, who combined for 26 catches last season. Throw in Nebraska transfer Andy Birkel and tight end Paul Sweitzer (18 catches, 193 yards) and the group is promising. The offense has the foundation laid, but will need some improvements at quarterback to make this group really go.

Defense: The defense only returns five starters from a season ago, although one of them is All-American Reed Doughty. Doughty, who has a shot to be the second Bear drafted in as many seasons, returns in what could be a showcase year. Last season his 116 tackles left him one short of leading the team for the team for three straight seasons. Expect the free safety to put up some huge numbers and be a finalist for the Buck Buchanan award. Doughty also returns to the one area with the most experience. Along with SDSU, and Cal Poly, UNC has a very strong defensive backfield returning. The strong safety spot will go to either junior Jason Hildenbrand or D.J. Craft, who will battle in fall camp for the spot.  Joining the safeties are two very talented corners in Greg Gebhardt and Aaron Henderson. The duo combined for 69 tackles, 7 pass break ups and six interceptions. As sturdy as the DB's are, the linebackers are a major area of concern for the Bears. If the loss of Ryan Palmer, Jason McMillan and Wade Sumpter (combined 227 tackles, 17 tfl, 6.5 sacks, 5 picks) didn't hurt enough, then the indefinite suspension of Thomas Smith is agonizing. Already working hard to replace big losses, Smith (95 tackles, 11.5 tfl, 4 sacks) was suspended in the last month to deal with off the field issues. Anyone can do the math, and the losses mentioned add up to some huge holes. Smith is expected at some point to return, (speculation is that he could miss up to three games) and fans can only hope it's much sooner than later. The other starting spots will be taken over by Sam Lewis and Joe Kenney, who combined for 11 tackles last season. Jeff Vaden, Dylan Moss and Boise State transfer Casey Herron may at some point push for a starting spot as well. Along the line, the story is similar with just one returning starter in Jacob Carlson, who notched 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks a season ago. Expected to join the Carlson are Joe Douglas and Kurt Hout at the end spots. The nose guard will go to Vinny Pallone or Ben Silbert, who moves over from offense. The final member of the line is Shawn Sopoaga, who (you guessed it) is another transfer, who will be in the mix for playing time and possibly even a starting role. The Bears questions are plenty ? quarterback, linebacker, and defensive line. But UNC did not sit on its laurels after a poor '04 campaign ? they went out and addressed needs with transfers who will see a lot of time this season. Now they must deliver.

Schedule: While the Bears schedule was one of the toughest in all of I-AA last season, the opposite can be said this season. Two D-II cupcakes, Colorado Mines and Fort Lewis, will be easy wins. The non-conference games I-AA games aren't nearly the caliber of the other conference foes. That's not necessarily a knock on the Bears either ? in any other year Sam Houston State and Southeastern Louisiana are powers - but UNC catches them in a down year, especially after SLU lost potential All-American QB Martin Hankins. And Portland State could be very tough if things come together but the jury is still out. If the Bears come together quickly, it's not that inconceivable that UNC could start 4-0.

Key Game: 9/24 @ Portland State. Northern Colorado would love nothing more than to win the Great West Football conference before it leaves for the Big Sky. In its brief two year stay in the young conference, it would allow the Bears to leave their permanent mark. But while each conference game is important toward achieving that goal, there's one date with Big Sky member, Portland State, which stands out a tad more. The Bears know a 2-9 finish isn't exactly the ideal record to post as you make the decision to move from one of the strongest conferences in I-AA to another. A win over Portland State would be significant if only to let the other members quietly know, “we belong”.

6. Southern Utah. The Thunderbirds had a solid 2004 season, finishing 6-5 on the year. Two of those wins came against teams that were ranked at that time. Not a bad debut for first-year head coach Wes Meier, considering that was the first winning record Southern Utah had posted since the 2000 season. The challenge this season may just be to maintain the level of play from last season. The Thunderbirds were hit as hard, if not harder, than any other Great West team in terms of graduated talent. With all the losses Coach Meier's has a big challenge to keep this season from being one of rebuilding.

Offense: Last season the Thunderbirds had one of their best seasons in terms of offensive production, thus a big reason why the loss of quarterback Casey Rehrer hurts so much. The T-Birds set record for passes completed, passing yards and passing touchdown. Now, a big reason was the move from a spread attack to a more balanced offense. What can't be lost is the leadership and production Casey Rehrer provided. Now it's up to the winner of the quarterback battle between Zac Connors and Wes Marshall to make sure that the play at the position doesn't fall off. Based on what Rehrer did last season, that will be a challenge. What makes the challenge even greater is some work that must be done to patch up some losses along the offensive line. Southern Utah loses three starters, including both tackles ? second- team all-conference Iosefa Robins and honorable mention Lee Chart. Left guard Quinn Campbell returns as well as center Zach Hascall. Hascall should be feeling much better about the 2005 season compared to the way last year started. The junior broke his arm on the first day of fall practice, but still started every game playing with a protective cast. The three open spots will be filled with some youngsters with serious size, in Mike Knight (6'5, Jr., 300), Tim Husselbee (6'4, So., 315) and San Jose State transfer David Lord (6'6, R-Fr., 340). Now these three monsters will need to help shore up the losses along the line and provide some needed protection to their inexperienced quarterback. Perhaps the biggest bright spot returning to the offense is dynamic weapon Ryan Filipe. Filipe, who stars as a running back as well as a return man, is a durable back who hands make him a threat as a receiver. Filipe rushed for nearly 600 yards at five yards per clip. He also tallied over 300 through the air, at 11 yards per catch. As a returner, his most impressive stat is his 17-yard per punt return average, including one touchdown. At wide receiver, once again some new faces will see plenty of time. Back as a leader of the group is the steady playmaker Jerome Eason, who went for over 800 yards and seven scores. Eason is one of the top returning wide receivers in the conference, and big numbers are needed with the inexperience surrounding him. The other two spots will be filled by a numbers of transfers looking to win a starting job. They are: Dane Westmoreland (Utah State), Kevin Tallman (Snow JC), Joey Hew Len (Hawaii), Bobby Pond (Pima CC), Travonte Darby (Eastern Arizona JC), Hosh Thomas (Bakersfield College), Matt Jacobsen (Phoenix CC) and Larue Burley (Mesa CC). Early reads out of spring figure to have the D-I transfers (Hew Len, Westmoreland) in the two starting roles. Next in line for a significant role may be Jake Downard, who returns from his LDS mission.  

Defense: Even though the defense returns one more starter, this side of the ball was hit even harder than the offense because of the talent that was lost. The losses are significant because Southern Utah loses all three starting linebackers from a year ago. That's a group that was one of the best trio's not only in the Great West, but the nation. Nick DiPadova, Marques Harris and Mike Overly combined for 265 tackles and 48 tackles for loss. I could go on and on about how good this group was, but the focus has to turn to how to replace these guys. SUU has tried answering this question by moving their best remaining defender, Steve Smith, from strong safety to middle linebacker. Bad news for the secondary especially considering that Smith earned all-conference accolades from that spot. But the T-Birds need help at the linebacker spot, thus the move to try to account for the losses. Smith has impressed so much in his new role that there is some belief the he could be even better than DiPadova, which is a huge statement.  Expected to step in at the other spots are sophomores Lavar Porter, and converted tight end Brian Brooks. This is Brooks first year at linebacker, and Porter appeared in seven games notching 12 tackles. The defensive line also took some hits last season with the loss of three very quality players. This season just Levi Erickson returns along with his 38 tackles, and 10 for loss. Derek Hood and Seteki Nau are expected to step into two of the vacated positions along the line. Hood, a linebacker last season, tallied an impressive 4.5 sacks in limited playing time. Nau had 11 tackles while appearing in seven games. The one area that returns in good shape, even despite losing Steve Smith, is the defensive backfield. Brandon Perkins, whose 61 tackles was fifth on the team last season, will move into Smith's strong safety spot. Taking over at free will be Jonathan King, who is also limited in game time experience. Those two will be joined by a group of quality corners who all contributed last season. Brian Majors, (33 tackles, 6 passes defended, 1 int) and former walk-on Brian Kofoed (29 tackles, 2 passes defended) will hold down the starting roles, while Dave Zelasko (31 tackles, 3 pd, 1 int) and Mike Palefau (18 tackles, 1 sack) both saw significant time. There's no question that Southern Utah has some glaring losses on both sides of the ball, which could make for a challenging season. They'll be dependant upon new starters making big contributions in a numbers of key spots. Most important however, is the familiar conference theme ? quarterback and linebacker play. These two areas suffered the biggest losses and will need the new starters to make immediate impacts to keep Southern Utah in the hunt.

Schedule: Ah, the plight of getting teams to travel to Southern Utah. Once again, the Thunderbirds will take to the road more than 50 percent of time with seven away games, compared to just four games in Cedar City. The Thunderbirds have their share of tough games, including McNeese State and Texas State ? both road games. Add to that Stephen F. Austin and Northern Arizona, and SUU has compiled a darn respectable schedule in 2005.

Key Game: 10/1 @ McNeese State. The Thunderbirds opened some eyes when they knocked off the Cowboys last season early in the year. It doesn't matter if the Cowboys were a little down, a win over power McNeese State is always big. This year the stakes are the same, except the game is even bigger for SUU. The T-Birds start their conference schedule later than anyone else, a nice advantage. McNeese State is the final game to have all the kinks worked out before a five week run of conference games start. No other GWFC team plays all the other conference opponents in consecutive weeks.

Next: Weekly GWFC Columns begin the week of Sept 4^th.

Questions. Comments. Email Chris at gwfcfootball@hotmail.com