How quickly roles change. A season ago, Cory Bailey was part of a secondary that was loaded with seniors: Guss Scott, Daryl Dixon, Keiwan Ratliff and Johnny Lamar. Now, Bailey is one of only three senior defensive backs, and the others are a walk-on (Zephrin Augustine) and a juco transfer (Reynaldo Hill).

Bailey takes over the first-string strong safety role after backing up Scott a year ago. He started five games as the nickelback and once in place of Scott, who was benched for the first quarter of the Outback Bowl after missing curfew. Bailey played in all 13 games in 2003, registering 40 tackles and two interceptions. Now, he must make the transition to full-time starter.

"I'm feeling real good. I got a chance to go through a lot of it (the base scheme) in the spring. I knew most of it when Guss was in front of me. I've been learning. I'm trying to get better at it. I'm pretty comfortable with it right now."

"Even when I didn't start, I got a chance to play in a lot of big games. I've played in two Tennessee games, two Florida State games. It's been a good thing.”

“I need to teach the young DBs everything they need to know. We're going to need a couple of them to play."

"You'd like for them to be experienced, but sometimes it doesn't work that way. But Dee Webb and Reynaldo Hill work with the first team. Dee Webb started in the Outback Bowl. They've got experience. Jarvis played dime last year and the year before. We're not inexperienced."

"I hope and pray that we can. We've been practicing and working hard. We're just going to go on the field and do what we have to do."