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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

3 Names to know

Ekom Udofia Stanford defensive tackle

There was some question last year about Udofia’s fitness, a nice way of saying some were questioning his effort. They shouldn’t have. Seems the senior, who had nine tackles against WSU last year, played most of the season with a small break in his ankle. X-rays missed it, according to coach Jim Harbaugh, because it was obscured by a metal plate put in to fix an earlier injury. Healed, Udofia wants to play with a “nasty” attitude this season.

Kenny Alfred WSU center

Alfred just might be the Cougars’ most valuable player. Sure, he’s an excellent blocker who played all of last season in pain, waiting until December to have a hip injury fixed. He’s also WSU’s leader on and off the field. But with expected backup Andrew Roxas sidelined for the season after a debilitating illness, the Cougars would have to turn to walk-on Chris Prummer or backup guard Brian Danaher if Alfred needs a break.

Andrew Luck Stanford quarterback

If the Cardinal have their way, the 6-4, 235-pound redshirt freshman would probably throw less than a dozen passes today. More than likely, the idea is to give WSU a steady diet of Toby Gerhart runs. But the Cougars want to see if Luck can handle the pressure of moving the offense by himself, so they’ll do whatever it takes to limit the Stanford rushing attack. Expect Luck to show the poise befitting the son of an NFL veteran.