Week 1: UC Davis @ Idaho Not exactly true - you had James Amos and John Faletoese (as good of DE/DT as we've ever had) and playmakers like Bakari Grant, Chris Carter in the end of the Biggs era.
Something definitely happened to our recruiting in the late 2000s.
To me, the starkest contrasts were:
(1) O Line through 2006 (monsters like the Lekkerkerkers, Elliott Vallejo, Marc Manfredda) that consistently outsized opponents and forced their will, vs. the last Biggs years/Gould era where we were undersized at every position across the line and had no swagger
(2) Clutch play & leadership at QB with guys like JT and Jon Grant (moderate talent but smart, gutsy field generals that stepped up under pressure) vs. talented guys that either got thrown into the fire too early, lacked leadership skills, and/or folded under pressure.