FIVE THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. Illinois at California. Ready for your close-up, Mr. Borges? This game at Strawberry Canyon marks the debut of former UCLA offensive coordinator Al Borges, lured away for $175,000 a season to save the careers of Cal Coach Tom Holmoe and quarterback Kyle Boller. California needs an infusion after finishing last in Pacific 10 Conference scoring the last three seasons, averaging 16, 16 and 22 points. Borges led a potent UCLA offense that, on several occasions, scored more points than the Bruin defense allowed.

Hate to say it, but Borges is going to have to produce enough points to save Holmoe’s job. The key is tapping into the talented but inconsistent Boller, the former Newhall Hart High star, touted as the best quarterback recruit to come out of the Valley area since John Elway. In two injury-plagued years, Boller has completed only 43.3% of his passes and thrown more interceptions (28) than touchdown passes (24).

2. Blowout city. The bowl championship series commissioners’ desire to dilute the margin of victory factor will get a stern test when Troy State ventures to Nebraska this weekend. Troy State, a perennial I-AA power, is making the jump to Division I this year, although this is not the game in which to cut your major college teeth. Troy State was initially listed as a 54-point underdog, although Nebraska failed to cover last week’s 30-point spread against Texas Christian.

Troy State will get $500,000 for the trip and will pick up similar checks for road kill games against Miami, Mississippi State and Maryland.

3. The post-Vick era at Virginia Tech. Now, now, this won’t hurt a bit. Michael Vick is gone, but the Hokies have the talent and the schedule to make a Rose Bowl run, especially when you consider their nonconference campaign, which starts Saturday in Blacksburg with a home appetizer against Connecticut, beginning its second year at the Division I level.

Grant Noel, Vick’s replacement, will do just fine so long has he hands off early and often to tailback Lee Suggs, a brilliant running back whose 1,207 yards and 28 touchdowns last season were overshadowed by the media infatuation with Vick.

4 A rare site. First-year San Jose State Coach Fritz Hill brings his team to the Coliseum this weekend to take on USC with the distinction of being only one of five African American head coaches in Division I football. Of the 25 openings last year, Hill was the only African American hired. Only 4.3% of Division I coaches are black, compared to 10% of NFL coaches, 20% of major league managers and 34% of NBA coaches.

Hill, for the record, won the U.S. Army Bronze Star while fighting in Desert Storm.

5. Texas two-step. The first step was last year’s 9-3 finish. This year, nothing less than a Rose Bowl appearance is expected of Mack Brown’s Longhorns, who enter Saturday’s opener against New Mexico State at Memorial Stadium with a No. 5 preseason ranking.

How high are expectations? The school had sold a record 53,357 season tickets through last weekend and sold out all 66 stadium suites. Texas returns 17 starters, nine on offense.