Pac-10 notebook: Stroughter could play for OSU

PULLMAN – The off-again, on-again saga of Sammie Stroughter seems to be on, again.

Stroughter, a second-team All-Pac-10 receiver and punt returner last season, took a 17-day leave of absence from Oregon State’s football team in early August, citing grief issues after two family members and OSU assistant coach Jim Gilstrap died. But there are indications he may suit up and play Thursday night in the Beavers’ nationally televised game at Cincinnati.

“I don’t know if he’ll just be watching or if he plays,” Oregon State head coach Mike Riley told the Oregonian newspaper. “We can’t make that decision right now, but it’s conceivable he gets some sort of playing time.”

Stroughter returned to the Beavers on Aug. 25 and has been working with the scout team ever since. It looked as if the senior would redshirt after he watched OSU’s season-opening 24-7 win over Utah in street clothes.

But Sunday he was running with the Beavers’ regular offense.

“He is a lot further along,” Riley told the Oregonian on Monday, “and really, for the first time since the first couple days of camp, yesterday he practiced with the offensive team and he will do that again today.”

Tale of two Arizonas

The biggest bust last weekend might just have been the revamped Arizona offense.

The Wildcats brought in former Texas Tech offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes to install a spread offense that would strike fear in the hearts of defensive coordinators throughout the West.

After one game no one seems to be shaking. Arizona was the only Pac-10 school to score less than 17 points, losing at BYU 20-7.

The Wildcats were anything but wild on offense, running mostly up the middle and throwing short passes in the opening half. The conservative play calling resulted in five consecutive three-and-outs.

“You can’t sit back and be conservative on the road,” star cornerback Antoine Cason told the Tucson Citizen. “We have to come out and do things nobody is expecting us to do. You can’t be predictable.”

“Dennis Erickson’s Arizona State tenure opened with a resounding 45-3 win over San Jose State. The Sun Devils outgained the Spartans by more than 400 yards, 520 to 115. They also had a more than 14-minute edge in time of possession.

Victory is sweet

The biggest win for the conference came out of Berkeley, where Cal ran over Tennessee, 45-31.

“It was a big win; there’s no question about it,” Cal coach Jeff Tedford told the San Francisco Chronicle. “We’ve been carrying this with us for a year, and I thought our guys were ready emotionally, physically and mentally.”

As opposed to last season when the Bears were hammered by the Vols, 35-18 in Knoxville.

DeSean Jackson had his sixth career punt return for a score, a 77-yard run that was shown over and over on ESPN.

Cougar notes

Washington State cornerback Chima Nwachukwu was in shorts and a T-shirt Tuesday, still suffering from a left quad strain. His status for Saturday is up in the air. … Safety Terry Mixon was in uniform and practiced for the second time in the past three weeks. He had a diving interception running with the backup secondary in scout drills against San Diego State’s offense. … Defensive end Lance Broadus, who suffered a shoulder injury in the spring, was in full pads for the first time this fall, though he didn’t hit. Broadus had 7.5 sacks last year as a starting defensive end. … As expected, Ropati Pitoitua spent the entire practice at defensive tackle, with Mike Graise running with the starters at defensive end. A’i Ahmu, who started at tackle against Wisconsin, was with the second group.