Jim Meehan

Allen is happy to be back at BSU's helm. Photo by Associated Press

In his words, Greg Wiltjer came to North Idaho College in 1979 as a skinny freshman from Canada trying to get a taste of "American basketball." Seventeen years later, Wiltjer, no longer skinny, has tasted basketball in America, the Olympic Games and many countries around the world.

Hanson has tried nine field goals in 10 games. Photo by Associated Press

PLAYER MATCHUPS Passing PC-PA Yds. TD Int. John Friesz, Seattle 112-193 1,481 8 3 Scott Mitchell, Detroit 158-275 1,873 14 11 Don Majkowski, Detroit 37-79 397 2 2

No need to hit up the University of Idaho alumni women's basketball players for donations to the current Vandals team. The grads were overwhelmingly charitable on Saturday night as 43 turnovers led to numerous UI points and a 100-73 exhibition runaway at Memorial Gym.

The one sure way to win a basketball game: never trail. Idaho's men led from wire to wire and rode senior center Jason Jackman's 26 points and 16 rebounds to a 87-76 exhibition win over Global Sports All-Stars, a team comprised of former college players, Saturday night at Memorial Gym.

North Idaho's Cameron Banks, attempting a steal from the floor, is whistled for a foul instead. Photo by Craig Buck/The Spokesman-Review

Idaho's scouting report has needed little rewriting the last three weeks. The opponent has a fine running game, but an unproven quarterback. The opponent is capable of quality defense.

Towelgate has become Towelguilt. University of Idaho last week expressed disbelief when a Logan, Utah, motel manager claimed Vandals football players swiped towels and other assorted linens during an October stay. Now, UI is admitting an unspecified number of the items have been recovered. Idaho has told Baugh Motel management it will make good on the $800 bill, business manager Matt Kleffner said. Idaho stayed at the motel before playing Utah State on Oct. 26. "We're going to settle up on the Monday (Nov. 25) following the Boise State game," Kleffner said. "We want to do the right thing. The coaches are talking to the individual players" who stayed in rooms where items were missing. Kleffner said some of the property has been returned to his office. It will be boxed up and sent back to Utah. Idaho will cut a check to cover what isn't returned, he said. "I'm still kind of surprised. I don't know how they did it," Kleffner said. "It's embarrassing for the kids and it just doesn't look very good." An attempt to contact coach Chris Tormey on Thursday night was unsuccessful. North Texas, which was accused of stealing $1,400 from the same motel during its stay earlier this month, suspended one player over the incident. Additionally, the team is planning to do some community service. Idaho plays at North Texas on Saturday. (Insert your own punchlines here.) Pokey's return Boise is abuzz with the return of cancer-stricken coach Pokey Allen. He was on medical leave before reassuming his duties at Boise State on Monday. Still, many are wondering why Allen would want to return to a 1-9 team so late in the season. BSU has two games left and only a handful of practices. "I want everyone to know that I'm not here for two games," Allen said. "I'm here for the duration. . . . The next time I leave, I'm gone for good." Allen's doctors encouraged him to return. Allen said he was "going berserk" in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he had been receiving alternative treatments. He's the subject of a Sports Illustrated article next week. Interim coach Tom Mason moved back to defensive coordinator. Because I-A rules limit numbers of coaches, assistant Dan Brown was reassigned within the athletic department. Allen is confident he can help right BSU. "Everybody says, 'Oh, we're 1-9, it's going to be a bad recruiting year.' I walk out there and touch the blue turf and look at the stadium (expansion) and see the campus and city," Allen said Thursday night on a Boise radio program. "We're going to recruit the heck out of these people. We can beat almost anybody." And, he fired a jab at Idaho, which visits Boise in eight days. "I don't know what they are, 4-5?" said Allen. Told 5-4, Allen said, ". . . And they're really excited. Last year what'd they end up? Six and five. . . . They were really excited. Man, I have trouble getting excited about things like that. Now, I'm not too excited about being 1-9 either, but . . ." Notes The Idaho-Boise State game will be televised live in North Idaho by cable channel 12. . . . In case you missed it, Nevada won the Big West's berth to the Las Vegas Bowl by drilling Utah State 54-27 last week. Actually, Nevada didn't so much as win the berth as it outsmarted everyone else in scheduling. Nevada and Utah State tied at 4-1. Idaho still can earn a title share. Nevada scheduled three I-A creampuffs in Arkansas State, UNLV and Kent, giving the Wolf Pack an advantage in a tiebreaker based on wins over I-As.

On one of the happiest days of his young life, Todd Myles took time out to remember one of the saddest. Myles, a freshman guard at North Idaho College, signed a letter-of-intent to play basketball at Mississippi State, a Final Four team last year.

Hair today, gone tomorrow? With a 4-6 record, Lions eighth-year coach Wayne Fontes has plenty to fret over. But what else is new in Detroit? Photo by Associated Press

At 5-foot-9, cruiserweight Kenny Keene makes a living in the ring by being the aggressor. Photo by Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review

Ex-Husky Warren Moon returns to Seattle today. Photo by Associated Press

New Mexico State's Denvis Manns, who ran for two first-half touchdowns, breaks into the open against the sleepy Idaho defense. Photo by Associated Press

Had the Kibbie Dome been an air-supported structure, it might have collapsed late in Idaho's football practice Wednesday. That was when quarterback Ryan Fien's leg did a pretzel imitation - interrupting the breathing patterns of coaches and teammates.

Chris Harrison called it "UNLV style," the uptempo pace that helped the Runnin' Rebels win a national championship earlier this decade. Todd Myles preferred to label it Arkansas' "40 minutes of hell," endless, suffocating baseline-to-baseline pressure.

NIC's Jason Moaney (top) and Justin Pluid. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

Management at a Logan, Utah, motel has accused the University of Idaho football travel party of swiping about $800 of property during its stay prior to the Utah State game. However, Idaho officials say they've found no evidence a theft occurred.

The North Idaho College basketball team expects point guard Todd Myles to give them a lift this season. Photo by Jesse Tinsley/The Spokesman-Review

John Friesz has been successful as No. 1 QB. Photo by Associated Press

Washington football coach Jim Lambright knows there is some risk to playing a frothing, penetration-style defense. He did, after all, endure the 54-20 thrashing administered by Notre Dame a month ago. But he loves the rewards. UW revisited the "Purple Reign" era of dominance in shackling USC 21-10 Saturday, holding the Trojans to a USC record-low of minus-14 rushing yards. USC finished with 124 yards, but its second-half production was negative-6. The Huskies had seven sacks. Lambright feels he knows why his defense has done an about-face since being humbled by Notre Dame. "As I've always known about defense, if you're willing to attack once you start being successful it starts being contagious," he said. "The players actually start playing better because they believe in what you're doing, and you become a lot better as a total defense because they blossom when given opportunities to make big plays." Outside linebacker/rush end Jerry Jensen was named Pacific-10 Conference defensive player of the week for his three-sack performance. Jensen plays on the opposite side of Jason Chorak, who has 12 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss. "Jason's having a great year and when you start worrying about him, it opens up the other side for Jerry Jensen and (tackle) Chris Campbell," Lambright said. The big rebound Most coaches talk about learning from losses. The Huskies apparently took good notes from the Notre Dame debacle and have wins over UCLA 41-21, Oregon 33-14 and USC 21-10. "There's been a real steady level of improvement," Lambright said. "What we've created from the Notre Dame game has been a tremendous plus for us. I think we've taken a learning situation and gotten better." Ripening apple Quarterback Brock Huard stressed he's not looking past 1-7 Oregon State, which visits on Saturday, but who could blame him for sneaking a peek at the Apple Cup against Washington State on Nov. 23 in Pullman. UW also plays host to San Jose State before taking on WSU. The Cougars have appointments with UCLA and Stanford. "We've got enough to worry about, but it is kind of fun to look at the box scores in the paper and see how people are doing," Huard said. "I'd definitely rather have them be 7-3 and us 8-2 so it would be a big showdown. That'd be a lot fun." First things first Oregon State gave UW fits last year as quarterback Tim Alexander rushed for 182 yards and passed for 140 more. OSU is mixing in power running plays out of the I-formation in addition to the option coach Jerry Pettibone installed six years ago. "It's an entirely different look than the past," Lambright said. Lambright wants to close the home season convincingly against OSU and San Jose State.

'Uh, Houston, we have another problem. It's our field-goal. . . protection mechanism. . . thingy. It's not good. The red light's blinking like a stoplight and this Michael McCrary has taken the controls. Over and out."

Seahawks tailback Chris Warren attempts to keep Oilers safety Rafael Robinson at arm's length during a short first-quarter run. Warren sprained an ankle later in the game. Photo by Associated Press

HAWKS VS. OILERS The game 1 p.m. at Kingdome, Seattle Coaches Seattle - Dennis Erickson, 11-13, second season. Houston - Jeff Fisher, 13-17, third season. The records Seattle is 3-5. Houston is 5-3.