Monday morning links from WSU
COUGARS
Mondays are usually the light day when it comes to links around Washington State and the rest of the Pac-12. Today doesn’t change that, but there are a few more things to pass along than there will be in a few months as the season wears on. Trust me on that and read on.
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• Washington State: We delved into the receivers for this morning’s S-R and there are no surprises there. The group is deep, there are a lot of different types of talent and, with Jeff Tuel throwing them the ball, big things are expected. The one thing that threw me a bit was Mike Levenseller’s praise of Marquess Wilson among others. Last year that wasn’t the case. Not that Levenseller didn’t think Wilson was talented, he did. But when talking about the then-freshman who was bursting on the scene and earning copious amounts of praise, Levenseller would always temper his praise with constructive criticism of Wilson’s technique. But this year Levenseller is quick to praise Wilson’s work ethic, especially on the little things that separate the good receiver from the great ones. And that’s showing in practice. Not on the spectacular plays, the ones I write about here after practice. But the plays where Wilson makes it look as if the defense has broken down. Most of the time it didn’t. He just ran such a precise route he looks to be uncovered. He makes it look simple but it isn’t. But it’s happening more and more. … One more WSU story to pass along. The Times’ Bud Withers has this feature on Rickey Galvin.
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• Around the Pac-12: The big news on the college football scene yesterday was the expected invitation from the SEC to Texas A&M. Didn’t happen and some reports have A&M blindsided by the lack of action. But is the expansion talk over? No way. … Should freshmen be allowed to play college sports? … Washington: Receiver James Johnson seems to have a hold on the Huskies imagination despite an injury-saddled sophomore season. … Oregon State: The Beavers had a day off. … Oregon: With Darron Thomas firmly the No. 1 quarterback, the Ducks need a backup . They have him. … They also have a new policy about practice. … Colorado: A freshman cornerback earns high praise. … Utah: Moving from receiver to cornerback isn’t easy but it seems to be working for this Ute. … California: A quiet day. … Stanford: The AP has a preview of the Cardinal. … USC: The Trojans’ depth at running back is taking a hit. … UCLA: The best running back in Los Angeles is playing in Westwood. … Arizona State: Here’s a guy WSU could probably use. They just waited too long in hiring his dad. … Arizona: The H-back is a key part of the spread offense.
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• That’s it for this morning. There is no practice today, so we’ll be catching up on personal chores, like paying bills, watching the DVR of the PGA finish and taking a nap. Until later …
* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "SportsLink." Read all stories from this blog