Andrew Furney, and game-week links on a Monday
COUGARS
FROM PULLMAN -- Washington State will practice twice more here before departing for Provo on Wednesday. That means only three more morning posts for you to read before we hop on an airplane ourselves and matriculate down to Utah. Read on.
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Mike Leach said something during his press conference the other day that got us thinking. It was about kicker Andrew Furney, and how much respect he's earned from his coaches and teammates. So much so, as it turned out, that he was voted one of WSU's five team captains this week. It was pointed out to Leach that it's a bit odd the players would elect a kicker to represent them. The coach agreed, but said that "you've kind of got to meet this guy" to understand why. We can't speak to players this week, but did chat a bit with special teams coordinator Eric Russell yesterday and wrote this story about Furney for today's newspaper (the link is fixed -- thanks Samsinite). As usual, there are some more details from practice on the blog. And we added a projected depth chart late last night. ... Bud Withers writes about Jeff Tuel, WSU's good soldier the past few years. ... The Deseret News runs down some Mike Leach memories from his time in Provo. ... Jim Moore writes in the Kitsap Sun that he's happy the Cougars are finally relevant again. ... Howie Stalwick has a feature on Logan Mayes.
Around the Pac-12 (and BYU) ... Arizona is hoping one of its cornerbacks can return at full strength. ... Arizona State's new quarterback is preparing for his first start. ... Could Oregon's new quarterback make the Ducks' offense even better? ... Oregon State should rely on its defense to set the tone this season. ... A former Oregon State quarterback returns to Seattle this week as a San Diego State Aztec. ... USC released a depth chart Sunday, but its backup quarterback is still a mystery. ... UCLA has set its sights on the top 25 this season. ... A Utah linebacker has earned his way onto the field. ... Colorado's head coach is staying patient in sticking to his grand plan. ... BYU's offensive coordinator is feeling more comfortable this season.
All for now.
Christian Caple can be reached at christianc@spokesman.com. Twitter: @ChristianCaple