Sports in brief: Tuel gets nod at QB for WSU

College football: Washington State true freshman Jeff Tuel will start at quarterback against Oregon on Saturday, Cougars coach Paul Wulff said Monday.

Tuel becomes only the second true freshman to start at the position for WSU, joining Drew Bledsoe, who made his starting debut against Oregon State in the seventh game of 1990.

Tuel, from Clovis, Calif., appeared for the first time as a collegian last Saturday against Southern Cal.

Playing almost all the final 39 minutes of the game, Tuel completed 14 of 22 passes for 130 yards and one interception. He also ran nine times for 51 yards while being sacked four times. WSU lost 27-6, dropping its record to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in Pac-10 play.

Oregon (3-1, 1-0) is ranked 16th in the nation.

First Look at Saturday’s game, B4

EWU players earn honors

College football: Eastern Washington’s Taiwan Jones and J.C. Sherritt hauled in individual honors on Monday for their performances in Saturday night’s 56-30 road win over Big Sky Conference rival Sacramento State.

Jones, a sophomore running back who accounted for 279 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns in the lopsided win, was honored nationally as the Sports Network co-offensive player of the week and regionally as the BSC’s co-offensive player of the week.

Sherritt, a junior linebacker, was named the Big Sky defensive player of the week for the second week in a row after stinging Sac State with 15 tackles, including 2½ for losses, while also recovering a fumble and forcing two others.

Jones, who rushed for 190 yards on 15 carries against the Hornets, shared the national award with Alcorn State quarterback Tim Buckley and his Big Sky honor with Montana quarterback Andrew Selle and Weber State quarterback Cameron Higgins.

Poinsettia Bowl includes WAC

College football: The Poinsettia Bowl has agreed to deals that will put teams from the Mountain West Conference and the Western Athletic Conference, along with Army and Navy, in the December game from 2010-2013.

The four-year deal with the MWC extends the conference’s tie-in with the Poinsettia Bowl. The game will have the second pick of teams from the Mountain West Conference after the Las Vegas Bowl has selected.

The WAC will send a team to the Poinsettia bowl in 2011 and 2012, and will provide a replacement team if Navy and Army are not eligible in 2010 and ’13.

Associated Press