Neuheisel makes point with ad aimed at USC

PULLMAN – There he was, pointing off the page for the entire L.A. basin to see.

An advertisement appeared in Monday’s L.A. Times with the words “The football monopoly in Los Angeles is officially over.”

Under the statement is a picture of new UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel pointing into the distance.

Was Neuheisel pointing at a recruit? An NCAA investigator? The scoreboard from Stanford’s 24-23 win over USC last year?

Whatever, the gauntlet is down. The Bruins, who have yet to play a game under former Washington coach Neuheisel, have thrown it.

But before you start talking about how dumb it is to pull on Superman’s cape, remember Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh’s comments last year about Pete Carroll’s future and USC maybe being the “best team in the history of college football.”

Remember how he took his 41-point underdogs into the Coliseum and came away with an upset.

And remember he was a first-year coach.

Carroll was asked about the ad Tuesday and he shrugged it off. “I don’t know much about that,” he said.

“It look like we’ve got our marketing program convinced,” Neuheisel said, adding he had seen the ad for the first time Tuesday morning. “In my experience, that game is the kind of game where everybody is going to bring their ‘A’ game anyway. There is no way we can get their guys to play any harder than they already would have.”

A quick recovery

If you follow college football even casually, you know USC quarterback Mark Sanchez dislocated his left kneecap Aug. 8. You couldn’t turn on SportsCenter and not see another story on how this would affect the Trojans, whether he would be back in time for the Sept. 13 game against Ohio State, would Mitch Mustain be ready for Virginia, etc.

The only problem is, Sanchez is back at practice already. He’ll probably start for the Trojans on Saturday at Virginia.

“We’re expecting him to play,” said Carroll, who added Sanchez must still be cleared by doctors.

Mustain, the transfer from Arkansas, is listed third on the depth chart, at best splitting time with redshirt freshman Aaron Corp.

Not-so-quick recovery

The news wasn’t nearly as good in Eugene. Nate Costa, expected to replace Dennis Dixon at the controls of Oregon’s spread offense, is going to miss more than half the season – under the best scenario.

Costa, who redshirted last season with a previous knee injury, went down last week with cartilage damage in his left knee and will have surgery on his meniscus today. If there is also ligament damage, that will be fixed and the sophomore would miss another season.

Justin Roper, who led the Ducks to a 56-21 Sun Bowl victory last season, will start Saturday’s home opener against the Huskies.

Around the conference

UCLA will entertain No. 18 Tennessee on Monday night with junior college transfer Kevin Craft at quarterback. The Bruins lost Patrick Cowan before the season and starter Ben Olson early in fall practice, so they have to turn to Craft, who passed for 4,231 yards at Mt. San Antonio College last season. … The Huskies also had a quarterback scare early in camp, when Jake Locker came up with a hamstring problem. But the sophomore, who was the Pac-10’s Freshman of the Year, has been practicing and will go against the Ducks. “Every person on our defense will have to be aware of Jake Locker,” Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said. … Another sophomore, Arizona tight end Rob Gronkowski, isn’t as lucky. He’ll miss the Wildcats’ opener against Idaho with strep throat. Doctors are checking to make sure he isn’t suffering from mononucleosis. … Stanford will start Tavita Pritchard at quarterback. Pritchard, from Tacoma, led the Cardinal to the upset of USC. Oregon State, opening with a conference game for the first time since 1994, will start Lyle Moevao at quarterback. … Cal, under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Bob Gregory, a WSU alum, will play a 3-4 this year, taking advantage of a strong linebacker corps led by Zack Follett. Bears sophomore Kevin Riley beat out Nate Longshore and will start against Michigan State at quarterback. … Sammie Stroughter missed all of Oregon State’s 2007 season, taking a medical redshirt. The senior was an All-America punt returner in 2006.

Cougar notes

Dan Rowlands, who started all 12 games last year at right guard and 21 games in his career, has left the team. Rowlands, a fifth-year senior who started fall camp at right tackle, said he injured his right shoulder in the spring, tried to rehabilitate it over the summer, but re-injured it again last week. After talking with Washington State’s trainers and his parents, Rowland said he felt he was risking permanent damage and decided to end his football career. “I know I’m going to miss it, and I’ll always be a Cougar, but I felt this was the best decision,” Rowlands said. Cougars head coach Paul Wulff said the offensive line would adjust, with redshirt sophomore Brian Danaher earning the starting spot at right guard and Micah Hannam moving to tackle, where he started 12 games last season. … The first-team offense looked ragged against the scout team at times during Tuesday’s practice, but Wulff said that was a normal occurrence for that time of the week. “The first day, there always is a little confusion in understanding the tempo. A lot of times the scouts don’t always know where they are going because they are working off a card.” …Washington State has sold 42,000 tickets for Saturday’s season opener in Seattle. Senior basketball players Taylor Rochestie and Aaron Baynes will be signing autographs from 10 a.m. to noon in the Qwest Exhibition Center. Posters will be provided free to fans for the players to sign.