Jackson Decides It’s Wiser To Avoid A Play On Words

It was worth a try, but Washington State receiver Chris Jackson wasn’t about to be lured into saying anything that might warrant another twilight phone call from coach Mike Price.

“What are we going to do to Michigan?” Jackson said Saturday, repeating the question with caution. “We’re not doing anything in particular. We’re just going to go out and play Cougar football.”

In other words, Jackson isn’t “looking forward to studying them pretty well and going out to put 40, 50 points on them,” as was the case heading into the Cougars’ 41-35 victory over Washington in the Apple Cup.

That comment, and several other verbal missiles, earned Jackson a high-decibel reprimand from Price, who summoned the receiver to his office upon reading the diatribe over his morning coffee.

“I’ve retired from that stuff,” Jackson said. “Now I’ve got to go back to being calm Chris.”

Jackson and the Cougars practiced Saturday for the first time since the Apple Cup. They’ll practice each of the next three days before taking five days off.

Quarterback Ryan Leaf practiced in spite of his injured right thumb and should be close to 100 percent by the time the Cougars and Wolverines meet Jan. 1 in Pasadena.

Leaf suffered the injury in the Apple Cup and has worn a splint ever since.

“A couple of times the ball floated high, but he didn’t seem to be too much out of sync,” Jackson said. “Leaf’s a warrior and he’ll be fine.”

, DataTimes