Bears might even live up to expectations
Rusty Simmons, Chronicle Staff Writer
Consider:
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-- The offense returns players that accounted for 24 of its 27 rushing touchdowns and 20 of its 22 receiving scores.
-- The defense returns 13 of its top 16 tacklers and players who recorded 27 of its 32 sacks.
-- Seven Bears have been tabbed by preseason publications as All-Americans.
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-- Who plays quarterback? Starter Nate Longshore hasn't played a full collegiate game, and Joe Ayoob completed only 49.2 percent of his passes in nine games. Veteran Steve Levy and young hotshot Kyle Reed add to the intrigue, and coaches say all four have made marked improvement.
-- Who protects the quarterback? The Bears have to replace three linemen who were lost to the NFL Draft, but the return of Andrew Cameron and transfer Tyler Krieg will add experience to a deep group led by Erik Robertson.
-- Who defends in the pass-happy Pac-10? The front seven match up with any team in the country, and corners Daymeion Hughes and Tim Mixon are on preseason All-America lists. Still, the Bears have to replace safeties Donnie McCleskey and Harrison Smith.
-- Who punts?
Senior linebacker Desmond Bishop thinks the team's strengths outweigh the questions, but he also knows that no games will be decided in newspaper print. "It's good and everything that we're getting publicity, but it doesn't mean anything yet," Bishop said. The most intriguing games on the schedule are the opener at recovering
Training camp schedule
Monday-Aug. 26 at Memorial Stadium.
This week's practices: Monday 3:30-5 p.m.; Tuesday 3:45-6:15 p.m.; Wednesday 4-6:30 p.m.; Thursday 4-6:30 p.m.; Friday 4-6:30 p.m.; Saturday 9:15-11:30 a.m., 4:30-6:45 p.m.; Sunday 3:45-6:30 p.m.
Up for grabs
Quarterback: Joe Ayoob, Steve Levy, Nate Longshore and Kyle Reed. A four-man race currently led by Longshore.
Fourth Receiver: Sam DeSa and David Gray. DeSean Jackson, Robert Jordan and Lavelle Hawkins probably have the top three spots, but the fourth receiver could become important with the implementation of some spread sets.
Offensive tackle: Andrew Cameron, Scott Smith and Mike Tepper. The return of Cameron makes for a three-man battle for two spots.
Right guard: Bryan Deemer, Tyler Krieg and Noris Malele. Krieg, a Duke transfer, adds to an interesting competition for the starting spot and back-up duties.
Defensive tackle: Tyson Alualu, Mika Kane and Matt Malele. Kane is probably the leader, and whoever wins this job could make a huge impact playing beside Brandon Mebane, who is consistently double-teamed.
Outside linebacker: Anthony Felder, Zack Follett, Justin Moye, Mickey Pimentel and Worrell Williams. Linebackers coach Bob Foster doesn't talk about starters, choosing rather to talk about "players." Five good ones fight for playing time at two spots here.
Free safety and rover: Thomas DeCoud, Brandon Hampton, Bernard Hicks and Robert Peele. These position battles have been overshadowed by the quarterback competition, but replacing Donnie McCleskey and Harrison Smith in the defensive backfield could be just as important.
Punter: Andrew Larson. The junior-college transfer is the only punter on the depth chart, but he hasn't practiced with
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