There's no question that Boise State is the cream of the WAC crop, but some teams, such as Louisiana Tech, Nevada and Hawaii, are trying to close the gap. To do so, they'll need to buckle down on defense this spring and shore up consistent passing games, which are sorely lacking in the WAC.
Spring practice starts: March 9 Spring game: April 17
What to watch
Boise State loses its three starting receivers, including junior Jeremy Childs, who left early for the NFL. Childs was quarterback Kellen Moore's favorite target, but players such as Austin Pettis, who finished the season with 49 catches for 567 yards and nine touchdowns, could fill that role.
There weren't a lot of areas in which Boise State was deficient. The team's rushing offense dipped about 30 yards per game, but that was mostly because of the prevalence of the passing offense. The team will need to make up for the 58.92 yards per game Ian Johnson provided.
Cornerback Kyle Wilson returns for his senior season after flirting with the NFL draft. This is good for the Broncos because he not only led the team in interceptions, but also punt returns.
Spring practice starts: March 23 Spring game: April 26
What to watch
The 2008 season was a huge disappointment, especially since many, including coach Pat Hill, thought the '08 Bulldogs might have been one of his better teams. As a result, Hill is on the hot seat, assistant coaches are jumping ship and the team needs to recover from injuries and break in some key new starters this spring.
Injuries were a big problem in 2008. The Bulldogs didn't have the same starting lineup for consecutive games all year, and several key players missed the bowl game. Some of the players return this spring and Hill will have to put the pieces of this team back together. Sophomore Ryan Colburn is the projected starter this spring and he returns a wealth of talent, including receiver Seyi Ajirotutu, and running backs Lonyae Miller, Anthony Harding and Ryan Mathews.
The defense returns all but two starters and the focus will be on a rushing defense that allowed 210 yards per game. The Bulldogs also were one of the worst teams in tackles for loss and turnover margin.
Spring practice starts: March 30 Spring game: April 25
What to watch
For the second consecutive season, the Warriors enter the spring licking their wounds from a humiliating bowl defeat. The biggest concern for this team is getting it mentally prepared for 2009. The Warriors had some bright spots in 2008, but inconsistency kept them out of the the hunt for another conference title.
The biggest project will be replacing almost the entire Hawaii defense. Only right end John Fonoti and linebacker Brashton Satele return. The defense carried the Warriors last season and will need to use the spring to find that same chemistry.
Three of the five members of the offensive line are gone, which isn't a good sign considering the Warriors were last in sacks allowed anyway. Quarterback was the most inconsistent position, especially when it came to turnovers, and that's likely because of the lack of protection.
Spring practice starts: March 26 Spring game: April 24
What to watch
Idaho has not had a winning season since 1999 and the Vandals have a lot of issues to address before they can start reversing that trend. The Vandals were handicapped last season with the loss of eight scholarships because of an APR penalty, but coach Rob Akey thinks he has the right pieces in place to start pointing the program in the right direction.
The Vandals' defense was one of the worst in the country in nearly every category, and it didn't help that safety Shiloh Keo suffered a season-ending shoulder injury early in the season. Keo and nine other Vandals return to a defense that was made up of junior college and players with limited experience. The experience is there now and so is the depth.
The offense wasn't great last year, but quarterback Nathan Enderle and tailback Deonte' Jackson did some good things. The goal this spring will be getting the offensive line to give more protection and open some holes. The Vandals allowed three sacks per game last year, but only two players return from last season's starting offensive line.
Spring practice starts: March 12 Spring game: April 11
What to watch
The Bulldogs return 17 players from a team that finished the season 8-5, won its first bowl game since 1977 and had a better overall season than most expected. Now it's time to take the next step and challenge for the WAC title.
Sophomore quarterback Ross Jenkins started the final seven games of the season and went 5-2 after the Bulldogs started the year 3-3. He returns his entire offensive line, starting running back Daniel Porter and star receiver Phillip Livas. Despite the success, the Bulldogs' passing game was one of the worst in the country.
The Bulldogs lose both cornerbacks off a defense that struggled against the pass in 2008. Teams threw for 272.69 on La. Tech, and Weldon Brown, who led the team in interceptions, is gone. The problem was pressure up front. Brown and safety Antonio Baker were the team's leading tacklers.
Spring practice starts: March 20 Spring game: April 14
What to watch
The Wolf Pack is still waiting for word about the medical redshirt status of running back Luke Lippincott. Lippincott suffered a torn ACL early in the season and is trying to get a sixth year. Lippincott, quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running back Vai Taua would make Nevada one of the most feared running games in the country.
Kaepernick improved his passing skills this season -- and it showed in the stats, especially late in the year -- but he needs to become more of a consistent passing threat to make Nevada a challenger in the WAC. If Lippincott returns, it will take some of the rushing pressure off Kaepernick.
The Wolf Pack returns three players from a pass defense that was the worst in the country. Teams torched Nevada for 311.62 passing yards per game. The Wolf Pack does return Mo Harvey, who led the team in interceptions and replaces the lone senior in the secondary, but this defense has a lot of work to do if it wants to compete against several pass-happy offenses.
Spring practice starts: March 30 Spring game: April 25
What to watch
New head coach DeWayne Walker got a late jump on recruiting after being hired at the end of December, so Walker had to fill some holes with junior college players and a lot of players from California, which is out of the Aggies' traditional recruiting area. The Aggies have not had a winning season since 2002.
Almost immediately, Walker found himself in a big bind with the transfer of quarterback J.J. McDermott to SMU. McDermott was supposed to be the starting quarterback, now Walker is left with three freshman quarterbacks on the roster, who will duke it out this spring before junior college quarterback Jeff Fleming and freshman-to-be Tanner Rust enroll in the fall.
A goal this spring will be to shore up the offensive line. The Aggies ranked 11th nationally in sacks allowed and 118th in rushing. Walker plans to do away with the "air raid" system that former coach Hal Mumme employed and become a more balanced attack. That means less pressure on the quarterback and more on running back Marquell Colston, who managed just 38.40 yards per game last season.
San Jose State started the conference season strong, winning four of its first five, but lost its final three games to end the season and miss out on a bowl berth. While some of the struggles were because of injuries to key players, there also was a lack of offense, which will need to get rectified this spring. During that three-game losing streak, the Spartans were outscored 86-27, despite needing just one win to secure a bowl.
The hiring of Terry Malley as the quarterbacks coach should be a great addition to this team, which was one of the worst in the country on offense. Malley, who will call the plays, looks to revive an offense that scored just 23 offensive touchdowns.
The Spartans lose key defensive players in corner Coye Francies and defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert, but the Ihenacho brothers (Duke and Carl) are back and should be totally healthy. The defense was the strong suit of the team and ranked second in the conference in almost every defensive category.
Spring practice starts: March 17 Spring game: April 18
What to watch
New head coach Gary Andersen inherited a ton of talent that seemed to find its groove late in the year. Although Utah State won just three games in 2008, it did have some near misses and as the season progressed, showing that it had the promise of being a good team.
Utah State finished the season allowing about 10 points more than it was scoring. The Aggies were second-to-last in the conference in scoring defense, but with seven starters returning, several young players with experience and a defensive coach who just helped Utah to an undefeated season, a better effort is expected for 2009.
Quarterback Diondre Borel, who became the full-time starter midway through the season, was a versatile weapon for the Aggies, especially late in the year. He accounted for 194.75 yards of the Aggies' 334.25 per game and is a great jumping off point for new offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin.
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Graham Watson
Watson joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the Missouri Tigers and the Big 12 Conference for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She also covered college football recruiting for the Dallas Morning News.
Watson joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the Missouri Tigers and the Big 12 Conference for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She also covered college football recruiting for the Dallas Morning News.
