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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Another WSU Friday


COUGARS

Another Friday morning, another day before a football game. There is something really Groundhog Day-like to the football season. So we hit the alarm, get out of bed, look out the window and put together our morning post. Read on.
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• Washington State: We took a look at the inexperienced members of the Cougar defense today, the six or seven players who have earned the most minutes in their first year. Some – Deone Bucannon – have been a revelation. Others – Brandon Rankin – haven't lived up to the hype (much of it supplied by me I must admit). But all have played a role this year, paving the way for a bigger impact next season. ... We summarized Paul Wulff's press conference comments on the blog as well as passing along the new Pac-12 basketball schedule. On the schedule the conference sent to the media, the post-season tournament was labeled "Pac-10 Tournament." I wonder if that was a hint of how many teams will be playing? Not really. I realize it was just another in a long line of little mistakes coming from Walnut Creek. ... CougCenter has its weekly guide to Saturday's game.

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• Around the Pac-10: ESPN.com's Ted Miller carries the load today with his weekly mailbag and things you may not have known. ... Bud Withers covers the national scene and the conference scene as well. ... Washington: With the bye, nothing here. ... Oregon State: Keith Pankey has emerged as a true gamebreaker at linebacker. ... Oregon: So has safety John Boyett for the Ducks. ... Cal: Jeff Tedford once coached at Oregon. That was about six generations of offense ago. ... Stanford: The Cardinal running game is set for a few years. ... USC: Freshman receiver Robert Woods has fallen off the map a bit. ... UCLA: Richard Brehaut is learning how to improvise. ... Arizona State: Even the best kickers go through slumps. ... The Sun Devils are honoring their best team. ... Arizona: One Wildcat honors his grandmother with his hair.

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• That's all for this morning. We'll be back after we get to Corvallis and will post our basketball and football previews. Until then ...



Vince Grippi
Vince Grippi is a freelance local sports blogger for spokesman.com. He also contributes to the SportsLink Blog.

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