What a difference a year makes for the MSU football team.

Last August, the team had enormous expectations, alumni and fan anticipation, a Heisman Trophy candidate, an experienced quarterback and a favorable schedule.

The 2002 Spartans earned a preseason ranking of 15th, talk of a Big Ten Championship and a New Year's Day bowl game and senior leadership on both sides of the ball.

Then, the train wreck.

Then-junior quarterback Jeff Smoker was suspended mid-season and placed in substance abuse treatment. Senior tailback Dawan Moss was convicted of drunken driving, fleeing and alluding police and resisting arrest. Then-junior center Brian Ottney was benched. Moss and Ottney are not returning to the team.

And those were the captains.

Here's a look at what is in and what's out as the new-look Spartans try to hose off the filth of last season and get into a cleaner state-of-mind.

In: Head coach John L. Smith

Out: Bobby Williams

Amid the tumultuous 2002 season, Williams was fired after posting a 3-6 record, losing control of his team and inspiring the Web site "www.firebobbywilliams.com."

A self-described cowboy, John L. Smith was hired in late December to mop up the Spartan program - called "the Enron of college football" by ESPN college football analyst Beano Cook - implement new offense and defensive packages and try to get Smoker on the straight and narrow.

Along with Smith came a re-energized coaching staff, mostly imported from Louisville where Smith had been head coach last season.

"They're all hopped up on ephedra pills or something," captain and senior guard Paul Harker said jokingly. "They've got so much energy when they come into meetings."

In: The faceless and nameless posters hanging from the facade of Spartan Stadium.

Out: "Where there's Smoke, there's Fire"

Then-junior wide receiver Charles Rogers - now of the Detroit Lions - and Smoker were on posters, the cover of MSU's 2002 Football Media Guide and billboards outside of Spartan Stadium. The two were dubbed the most dangerous quarterback to wide receiver combo in the nation.

The hype was through the ozone layer, and players knew all the pieces were in place for a season of success.

Now, MSU returns no Heisman-watch caliber players, offensively or defensively. Padding individual stats and increasing draft status imploded team chemistry toward the end of the season.

"We wanted to be better," junior safety Jason Harmon said. "But last year we just had too many 'me and I' attitudes on the team."

In: Uncertainty at quarterback

Out: A locked-up quarterback race

In light of Smoker's suspension from the team last season and current cloudiness on his status with the team, redshirt freshman Drew Stanton and junior quarterback Damon Dowdell are looking to earn the top spot under center.

Throughout spring and summer practices, Smith refused comment on Smoker's place with the team, though a decision about his reinstatement is expected before the 2003 campaign begins. While Smith was refusing comment, Stanton emerged as the favorite on his strong arm, accuracy and speedy adaptation to the new spread offense.

Dowdell started in place of Smoker on the tail end of last season and retains the advantage in experience. As of mid-August, though, a starting quarterback had not been named.

In 2003, the blue collar is in style on the Spartan practice field. The superstars from a season ago are gone - or earning playing time back - and all positions are subject to revaluation.

With that, a new team outlook.

"We have a different attitude," Harker said. "We know that we're going to have to work a lot harder this year to get anything."

Gone are player-selected captains from 2002, and in their place are Smith's hand-picked crop to lead MSU out of the 2002 funk - Harker, senior offensive guard Joe Tate, junior linebacker Ronald Stanley and junior defensive tackle Brandon McKinney.

"The offensive line is our strength," first-year offensive coordinator Dave Baldwin said. "They have come out from day one and said we will hold everything together."

But most importantly, this is the season that John L. Smith is looking to give life to a Spartan football program that put one foot in the grave a season ago.

"We're in a can't lose situation," Harker said. "We can only do better."