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Midweek. Only the rest of this one and the next left in Washington State’s 2009 football season. As Cal and Stanford prepare for the Big Game, WSU prepares for a visit by Oregon State. And about 15,000 tickets have been sold. But then again, in recent history, the home game before Thanksgiving week is always sparsely attended. We have more, so read on.
••••••••••
• Washington State: Let’s be honest. It hasn’t been a good week for football. The loss to UCLA. Jason Stripling’s arrest. Defensive tackle Toby Turpin’s suspension (second item). So the news center Kenny Alfred was invited to the East-West Shrine Game was a welcome relief to the Cougars. Coach Paul Wulff calls him WSU’s best player – Wullf’s prejudiced, of course, having been a center – and it’s hard to argue. He’s also WSU’s most articulate. … We have our Pac-10 story today. … Freelancer Howie Stalwick dragged his hurting body – get well, Howie – to Pullman and has a notebook in the Kitsap Sun and other papers. … As we noted in this post, basketball coach Ken Bone announced last night Faisal Aden’s signing to a letter of intent.
• Around the Pac-10: ESPN.com’s Ted Miller has a hot seat list for conference coaches. Sitting atop it is Wulff. Hard to see a firing happening, though. … Buster Sports Nick Daschel looks at the Rose Bowl odds. … Bud Withers of the Times looks at the new bully on the block. … Washington: With the bye, nothing. … Oregon State: The players and coaches may not be, but everyon else is looking past WSU. … Even though an Oregon win would make the Civil War a Rose Bowl showdown, some Beavers can’t root for the Ducks. … Oregon: Duck quarterbacks haven’t fared well in Tucson recently. … California: Nothing today. … Stanford: Toby Gerhart, Heisman candidate, remains just plain Toby Gerhart. … USC: No starter question. But the backup quarterback spot is being contested again. …UCLA: The Bruins are playing as well as their rival down the freeway right now. … Arizona State: There’s a two-game season left for the Sun Devils. … Arizona: Nick Foles has amnesia about last week.
•••
• That’s all for the morning. We’ll be back later today as always. Until then …
Jim Allen covers EWU football and men's basketball, Whitworth basketball and college and high school soccer.
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Jess Brown covers Spokane Chiefs hockey, college women's basketball, Spokane Shock football and high school sports.
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Christian Caple covers Washington State University athletics.
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Greg Lee covers high school sports throughout the Inland Northwest.
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Jim Meehan covers Gonzaga basketball, Whitworth football, Spokane Shock football, college volleyball and high school softball.
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Josh Wright covers the University of Idaho football team and men's basketball team.
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Vince Grippi is the online producer for SportsLink, a product of The Spokesman-Review.
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rufus on November 18 at 8:40 a.m.
ref: ted miller’s column : I believe that dennis e (asu ) is on a much hotter seat than paul w .
coug79 on November 18 at 12:47 p.m.
To get an upset, a team must at least have the capability of winning the game if odd breaks go their way. Having seen the Cougs in person five times this season (two more times on TV), I’m convinced they are simply not capable of beating OSU…even if snow falls, the OSU QB slips and breaks his leg in the shower and the Rodgers brothers call in sick. Heck, right now I’m not sure we even have the best team in Pullman (Pullman HS is tough).
Shaun on November 18 at 1:28 p.m.
Isn’t it weird to think that the one team WSU beat (SMU) leads the west division of Conference USA?
Granted, it’s not exactly the best football conference in the world, but they’ve got a couple pretty decent wins and will be in a bowl game.
Prepgrad on November 18 at 1:32 p.m.
If the Cougs keep it close (under 10). I will start to think PW is the right man for the job. I fully expect another blow-out. While it takes time to turn a program around, it does not take time to see progress. Haven’t seen any yet, don’t expect to see any this weekend. Keeping the Apple Cup close is expected. IMO this is CPW last chance to show this was not a complete regression of a season.
Prepgrad on November 18 at 1:35 p.m.
Congrats, to Kenny Alfred he has given this program everything he has and shows what the Cougar Spirit is all about.
TommyCoug on November 18 at 1:59 p.m.
“If the Cougs keep it close (under 10)”…Prepgrad (you are?)…where have you been all year? Have you watched or been in attendance at any Cougar football games this year or last?
You must mean “if the Cougs keep it under 10” for the first 5 minutes of the first quarter against Oregon State!? OSU is one of the best teams in the conference…Wazzu has little to nothing left…certainly I don’t need to elaborate?
It won’t be pretty this Saturday…but, True Cougs will be there!
GO COUGS!!
TommyCoug on November 18 at 2:05 p.m.
Vince…who or what made the decisions on the “team violations” and the “suspensions” for Stripling and Turpin? And were they separate incidents or related? The “coaching staff” (particularly Wulff) or the “team leadership council” (or whatever it is officially called)?
rufus on November 18 at 2:17 p.m.
not that it matters and who care s… but ken schram (komo- tv ) just gave paul w -the “schammie award” for the way he has handled jason stripling’s punishment. ( or lack of ) >> Schram most likely is a “dawg”
Prepgrad on November 18 at 2:18 p.m.
Yeah, I was momentarilly in dream land, I should have said if the game was within ten after both teams’ first series.
Prepgrad on November 18 at 2:25 p.m.
I am obviously assuming OSU gets a defensive or “special teams” (not) score to open the game!
mbb on November 18 at 3:24 p.m.
Vince, any way to link Paul Sorensen’s article from Cougfan for tomorrow. I think it would give people some good perspective. Thanks for hanging in there with us Vince; it’s been a rough year!
oregoncoug on November 18 at 3:26 p.m.
Paul Sorenson has a great article on Cougfan. I’ve known Paul for a long time and he knows what he is talking about. I suggest y’all read it. Especially those of you that have given up.
Go Cougs
Prepgrad on November 18 at 3:52 p.m.
The Sorenson article does a good job of putting things in perspective. I still think the game plans need work and the coaching staff needs to be held accountable for some of the on-field decisions. While the players settle the game on the field; it just doesn’t seem like the team is prepared; too many of the same mistakes week in and week out; the Cougs will be better next season, but I think with some coacing changes they would be even better.
GO COUGS!!
AZCoug on November 18 at 6:38 p.m.
I was down and out…..until reading Paul Sorensen’s article. Once again I have hope but boy-oh-boy is it tough to be a Coug right now. We do need to be patient and we do need to get that Stadium done. It would at least be nicer to watch a loss while sitting in a warm box than on cold aluminum bleachers.
One question: Where was the AD during the three year demise of football recruiting. Isn’t that his job to have oversight on the health and pulse of the sports programs?
I think a good rebuilding example is the Coug Women’s basketball team. June has done a great job recruiting and building that program back from the very bottom. I think this year will be a breakout season for them. Hopefully same thing for football in due time.
Hang in there. Go Cougs!