BIG EAST: Tyler Lorenzen, Sr., Connecticut

On the sideline, in the huddle and at the line, Tyler Lorenzen, a junior college transfer, spent parts of last preseason lost in the UConn offense. He needed a guide, yielding at times to receiver and former QB D.J. Hernandez for in-the-moment assistance.

The confusion helped lead to a mess on offense in the fall. Opponents stacked the line every Saturday, and the Huskies averaged 185.8 passing yards per game, good for 97th in the nation. But teammates and coach Randy Edsall insist things have changed.

"Last summer, going into seven-on-seven, D.J. pretty much helped him out, calling the plays," cornerback Darius Butler says. "Now, Tyler calls the plays. He does everything."

A spring strengthening his arm and studying film with offensive coordinator Rob Ambrose has left Lorenzen much more confident.

"I just feel like I have a better grasp of the offense," he says. "I think I can offer something to it this year."

Edsall says the Huskies will remain a run-first outfit, a nod to his team's lack of flashy playmakers and the cold weather they play in late in the year. Still, UConn's hopes for a second straight bowl appearance, something the young program has never accomplished, rest on Lorenzen's ability to balance the offense.

"We'll be fine," Edsall says. "When we need to throw it, we can throw it."

PAC-10: Nate Longshore, Sr., California

When Nate Longshore's ankle buckled at Oregon last September, Cal's hopes for a national championship crumbled with it. Longshore returned two games later, but the Bears, once ranked No. 2 in the nation, bumbled through the rest of the regular season, finishing 1-6 and fading to the Armed Forces Bowl. The low point came in the game after Longshore was hurt, when the Bears melted down late against Oregon State with Longshore watching from the sideline.

Longshore is healthy again, but there's a different Cal team around him. Playmakers DeSean Jackson and Lavelle Hawkins are gone, and Kevin Riley, who led the Bears to a bowl victory over Air Force, will challenge for Longshore's job in training camp. Coach Jeff Tedford is expected to name a starter on the eve of the opener against Michigan State.

"Nate has played in a lot of games and won a lot of games for us," Tedford told reporters at Pac-10 media days. "Kevin Riley had a couple opportunities last season. It's going to be very competitive."

But for Cal to contend in the conference, it must be Longshore who elevates his play. Three starters return on the offensive line, but a slew of young skill players makes the fifth-year senior vital to the Bears.

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