Sonny Dykes' Air Raid offense begins life in the Pac-12

• California begins spring football with a new coach%2C Sonny Dykes%2C and a brand-new offensive system
• Dykes replaced Jeff Tedford%2C who went 3-9 in 2012 to finish with an 11-year record of 82-57
• The Golden Bears have holes to fill and new schemes and terminology to learn

California returns only nine starters, tied with SMU, Iowa State, Massachusetts and West Virginia for the fourth-fewest in the country heading into the 2013 season.

The Golden Bears lose their two leading rushers, C.J. Anderson and Isi Sofele; their starting quarterback, Zach Maynard; their leading receiver and return man, Keenan Allen; two starters along the offensive line, including an all-conference center; two contributors on the defensive line; and a pair of starters in the secondary.

The program also replaces its longtime coach, Jeff Tedford, who was fired on Nov. 20 after finishing 3-9, giving him an 11-year record of 82-57. Tedford's successor, Sonny Dykes, went 22-15 at Louisiana Tech from 2010-12.

For the Golden Bears, spring drills mark the beginning of some fairly wholesale personnel and culture changes. At least 12 new players will enter the starting lineup – if not more. Dykes will bring with him the same Air Raid offense that took the Western Athletic Conference by storm over the last two seasons.

Good news, bad news. While one should expect growing pains, keep this in mind: The players and staff set to be replaced in 2013 won only three games a season ago.

Spring dates: California kicks off spring ball on Feb. 25 and holds its spring game on Mar. 23.

2012 record: 3-9 (2-7).

Returning starters: 9 (4 offense, 5 defense).

Five players to watch: QB Jared Goff, WR Chris Harper, RB Brendan Bigelow, LB Khairi Fortt, LB Brennan Scarlett.

Spring questions:

1. Is Bridgford the guy? Junior Allan Bridgford might have only started the final two games of last season – both lopsided losses – but that experience gives him a slight leg up on his competition during the spring. Or does it? Perhaps if Tedford had returned, true, but with a new staff and offense in place, every quarterback on the roster is on equal footing. The winner of the competition gets to play in one of the most quarterback-friendly systems in college football. One thing you will never see from a Sonny Dykes-coached team is a two-quarterback rotation, so don't look for much shuffling once he's made his decision.

2. How long will it take the offense? Louisiana Tech didn't explode from the start in Dykes' Air Raid system, instead scuffling upon takeoff in 2010 before hitting its stride over the last two seasons. While California will play a higher level of competition, Dykes will now have a higher talent level at his disposal. Is one year of growing pains in the cards for the Bears?

Position battles:

1. Defensive line. The move from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 under coordinator Andy Buh will test this team's depth and options inside in 2013. That Dykes and the staff inked two defensive tackles off the JUCO ranks speaks to the program's need for immediate help along the interior. As a whole, look for last year's ends to move inside to tackle and last season's outside linebackers to move down to end. The spring will be key for Buh and Dykes to find a serviceable depth chart.

2. Center. What's the most important position in Dykes' offense? Quarterbacks get the publicity, but his offense runs through the center, believe it or not – the center is responsible for making the same sort of pre-snap calls the quarterback makes in most offenses. The Golden Bears need to replace Brian Schwenke, last year's starter, and could turn to his former backup, Chris Adcock.