Cougars Get No Help Ncaa Doesn’T Decide On Eligibility Of Needed Lineman

Mike Price never even hit the brakes as he passed Coeur d’Alene Casino on Thursday evening.

No need. The Washington State coach was already riding a bad-luck streak and didn’t want to make it worse.

After all, it was just hours earlier that he had failed in his bid to change the eligibility status of freshman defensive tackle Ing Aleaga in time for the season opener against Illinois on Saturday.

“They (the NCAA) haven’t made a final decision,” said Price, who was heading to Coeur d’Alene for a Cougar Club kickoff meeting. “They are going to meet next week and give us a decision then.”

This after the NCAA told the coach he would know the status of Aleaga, a partial qualifier who can practice but not play, by Sept. 3.

“This hurts us depthwise,” said Price.

Without the 6-2, 297-pound lineman, the Cougars might have to use freshmen Eric Boose, the 6-3, 258-pound brother of former Cougars and current New York Jets defensive lineman Dorian Boose, and 6-4, 280-pound Joey Hollenbeck.

Adding to the problems on the line is the condition of senior Gary Holmes. The 6-7, 320-pounder missed several practices with the Cougars due to an ailment and personal business. As a result, he will not start and will only play sparingly against the Fighting Illini.

“There are other guys who have been here for every practice and they deserve to play in front of Gary,” said Price. “He’s not in the kind of shape we’d like him to be in. He’s just been sick.”

Starting in place of Holmes, who was the only returning starter on the defensive line, will be Jesse Ratcliff. The junior played in two games last year before suffering a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament injury in his left knee.

Rodopoulos suspended

Junior wide receiver Alexis Rodopoulos has been suspended from the team for two weeks after missing a practice.

Rodopoulos, who transferred to Cougars from Iowa, came into the preseason as a projected starter but had been slipping down the depth chart before the suspension.

“I think he’s been disappointed in his performance and then he got a foot injury and then he kind of had some struggles I guess finding out what he wants to do,” Price said.

“If it happens again he won’t be on the team.”

Rodopoulos is suspended from games and practices until Sept. 15. ROAD CONSTRUCTION SUSPENDED FOR GAME Road construction on 195 in Colfax be suspended today and Saturday to ease the expected heavy traffic from Washington State’s first home game against Illinois, at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Whitman County sheriff Steve Thompson said suspension of road work should allow traffic to flow freely in both directions through the construction site on the two lanes. “None of the stop lights are in operation and with the construction suspended it should allow people to move through Colfax without a problem,” he said. “Also in recent years, since there have been more events before the games, it has allowed traffic to spread out over the entire day.” Thompson said the only problem area could be for local residents attempting to make a turn onto 195 off a side street. -Carter Strickland