CONFERENCE CALL.(brief notes)(Brief Article)

Kenyon Coleman, UCLA He has been around Westwood for so long, Kenyon Coleman sometimes wonders why he hasn't moved on already. He has an NFL body; he has NFL skills. His heart, however, hasn't left UCLA.

Maybe that's why it was so easy to say no to the NFL after an injury-plagued 2000 season. The money can wait, but his redemption can't.

"People always ask me if I've graduated yet" Coleman says. "I've got things I still want to do"

The first thing on that list is to reach his potential. Coleman could be the most dominating defensive end in the Pac-10, but he has yet to put together a string of dominating games to establish himself dearly.

Coleman missed nine games last season because of a knee injury, ending what could have been a breakout season. He had eight sacks in 1998 and '99 combined, and he says his goal for 2001 is much higher than that. That's good news for the Bruins because the better Coleman plays, the better UCLA's beleaguered defense plays--and the better chance both Coleman and the Bruins, who finished last season with a 6-6 record, have of putting a disappointing 2000 behind them.

Eddie Strong, Mississippi

After Don Lindsey was hired as Ole Miss' defensive coordinator, he said little of his intentions for one of the SEC's worst defenses. After one quarter last week against Murray State, it was clear: The Rebels would be aggressive, and the defense would run through LB Eddie Strong, who missed last season because of a stress fracture in his foot.