CONFERENCE USA PREVIEW

updated 10:03 p.m. ET Aug. 6, 2008

TULSA, Okla. - Tulsa coach Todd Graham is keeping no secrets when it comes to his lofty goals for this season. Anything less than perfection will be a disappointment.

And after watching former WAC rivals Boise State and Hawaii reach the BCS the past two seasons, why shouldn’t the Golden Hurricane dream of becoming the next team to crash the Bowl Championship Series party?

“Why wouldn’t we have that goal? You look at what Boise State and Hawaii has done, that is definitely our goal,” Graham said. “We haven’t done anything to boast or brag or to be talked about in that manner. But on the same hand, if you ask me what our goals are, that’s what they are.”

Don’t believe him? Well, neither did some of his players when the former defensive coordinator took over as head coach last season and set a goal of making Tulsa the nation’s top offense.

Gus Malzahn unleashed the no-huddle scheme that he never got to use at Arkansas, and the Golden Hurricane averaged 544 yards as three relatively unknown receivers eclipsed 1,000 yards. The trigger man, Paul Smith, has moved on after a record-setting career but longtime understudy David Johnson and junior college transfer Jacob Bower are competing to replace him with every skill player back around them.

“I don’t know how many people outside our locker room believe that we’ll be in a BCS game but as long as the people inside the locker room do, we’ll be fine,” said Tarrion Adams, who ran for 1,225 yards last season.

A four-game midseason stretch will present the biggest hurdle for Tulsa. UTEP and defending Conference USA champion Central Florida come to town before a road game at Arkansas on Nov. 1. Two weeks later is a visit to 2006 C-USA champ Houston, where former Oklahoma receivers coach Kevin Sumlin has taken over for Art Briles.

And don’t forget SMU, which could have life for the first time since its 1989 NCAA death penalty with the arrival of June Jones after he led Hawaii to the Sugar Bowl last season.

“It ain’t easy. It don’t make it any easier. You’ve got to be able to win them all,” Graham said. “It’s not easy for Oklahoma to win them all. It’s pretty hard in college football to go undefeated.”

The Golden Hurricane matched a school record with 10 wins last season, finishing in impressive fashion with a 63-7 GMAC Bowl victory against Bowling Green that went down as the biggest bowl blowout ever.

“We don’t really feel like the underdogs this year. We feel like we have enough talent to match up with any team in the country,” said receiver Brennan Marion, who caught 39 passes for 1,244 yards last season for an NCAA record 31.9 yards per reception. “We’re just excited to play and get out there and shock the world.”

A capsule look at the teams in predicted order of finish:

EAST DIVISION
SOUTHERN MISS
Key players: RB Damion Fletcher, Jr.; LB Gerald McRath, Jr. Returning starters: 6 offense, 4 defense.

Notes: Fletcher is the nation’s third-leading returning rusher, behind only Kent State’s Eugene Jarvis and Ohio State’s Chris Wells. He averaged 122 yards and ran for 15 touchdowns last season. ... Larry Fedora, a former offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State and Florida, takes over a squad that’s played in six straight bowl games.

UCF
Key players: LT Pat Brown, Sr.; CB/PR Joe Burnett, Sr. Returning starters: 5 offense, 9 defense.

Notes: The Golden Knights will try to replace NCAA leading rusher Kevin Smith with another Smith: junior Phillip Smith. ... Led C-USA with 39 sacks and set school record with 24 interceptions last season.

EAST CAROLINA
Key players: FS Van Eskridge, Jr.; DE C.J. Wilson, Jr. Returning starters: 6 offense, 9 defense.

Notes: Ranked fourth in country in turnover margin. Led Conference USA with 31 takeaways, while committing only 14 turnovers. ... Lost RB/KR Chris Johnson, who led nation in all-purpose yardage last season.

MEMPHIS
Key players: WR Duke Calhoun, Jr.; WR Carlos Singleton, Jr. Returning starters: 7 offense, 9 defense.

Notes: Calhoun, a junior, has caught a pass in each of his 24 career games. ... Former Miami assistant Tim Walton takes over as defensive coordinator after the Tigers ranked 100th in total defense last season.

MARSHALL
Key players: DE Albert McClellan, Jr.; TE Cody Slate, Jr. Returning starters: 8 offense, 8 defense.

Notes: McClellan, the 2006 C-USA defensive player of the year, returns after missing all of last season following knee surgery. He had a league-high 11 sacks in 2006. ... Coach Mark Snyder is responsible for only three losing seasons since Thundering Herd moved to FBS in 1997.

UAB
Key players: FS Will Dunbar, Sr.; QB Joe Webb, Jr. Returning starters: 8 offense, 9 defense.

Notes: Rushing defense allowed NCAA-worst 256.8 ypg last season ... Webb becomes a full-time QB after also playing WR last year.

MORE FROM COLLEGE FOOTBALL

College football Section Front

Florida’s Meyer says Notre Dame not an option CFT: End-of-season award finalists announced Bowl Projections: Penn State in BCS picture   Vote: Who should be ranked No. 1? Heisman Hopefuls: Race is tight down stretch Bama's defense rolling, Auburn's struggling   CFT: Colorado coach regrets having son as QB QB Robinson resumes throwing for No. 11 Cowboys CFT: Pike returns to Cincinnati starting lineup CFT: Leach blasts Mangino ‘witch hunt’ College football Section Front   Add College football headlines to your news reader: