Not too long now until season begins
COUGARS
It's less than a dozen days until the season-opening football game next Saturday at home vs. Idaho State, which means it's probably time to get moving on our season previews before the boss kicks my behind. But before we get those stories done, we have to finish our daily commitment here. So read on.
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• Washington State: This morning is chock full of free Cougar pieces to link, including my story in today's S-R about two WSU players whose fathers have a deep link to college football in the Northwest. ... Sports Illustrated had this story on Travis Long that I was finally able to find. I will say this. I find Long a great interview. ... I'm not sure I should even pass this link along because if something happens, I don't want to be considered guilty by association. And I am superstitious. Just about everybody who played baseball seriously is. ... I'm not passing this link along because of the nice words at the beginning – but, really, does kissing up ever hurt? It's one person's thoughts on the schedule. What are yours? ... And that's it from the free category, though we should pass along a link to our thoughts from yesterday's practice.
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• Around the Pac-12: ESPN.com's Ted Miller examines the true freshmen that should have a big impact this season. There are two listed for WSU and I concur on both names. As Miller points out, it must be taken as a positive that the Cougars are only counting on two. ... A college budget piece in the Sports Business Journal may have inflated the Pac-12 numbers a bit (as far as I can tell), but the rankings seem correct. Which school has the smallest budget between Utah and WSU can be debated. ... Washington: There must be something about the water in this state. The Huskies are happy with their receiving corps too. ... And with a reserve running back. ... Oregon State: A freshman receiver shows what he has in Beavers scrimmage. ... One more Mike Riley feature. ... Oregon: With a need on offense, a defensive back answers the call. ... One way to slow down the Ducks? Make them tired and sweaty in the Texas heat. ... The defense is in a state of flux. ... California: Nothing here. ... Stanford: A storybook story for a couple of Cardinal brothers. ... Colorado: Another story about a freshman receiver. ... Utah: Stories about offensive linemen are invariably interesting. ... USC: It looks as if Lane Kiffin will dodge a bullet. ... UCLA: Another injury – albeit a minor one – up front. ... Arizona State: The Sun Devils' special teams are a work in progress. ... An injured player stays involved. ... Arizona: There is nothing like playing college football in your hometown. And the smaller the town, the bigger the deal.
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• That's it for this morning. As usual, we'll be back after practice today. Until then ...
