Halliday’s leadership on full display

One of the best things to come out of Thursday night’s loss was the image of quarterback Connor Halliday rallying the Cougars on the sideline. In the past Halliday has lost his cool, not without reason, but the result is almost never positive.

This offseason there was a change in Halliday that I’ve noticed in conversations and interviews with the quarterback, and it’s a change that reporters who I have a lot of respect for have remarked on as well. Call it poise, maturity, or whatever, Halliday just seems in control. In control of the offense, in control of his answers and in control of his temper.

It’s a change his coaches and teammates have noticed as well, and it’s the subject of today’s Washington State notebook . We also have our Pac-12 power rankings for week two . Oregon held firm at the top, beyond that the conference had more movements than a Wagner opera.

We’ve also rustled up some links from around the conference and placed them after the jump.

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— Yesterday’s WSU practice saw the return of linebacker Cyrus Coen .

— Sports Illustrated talks to some of the first ladies of college football, including one Sharon Leach .

— Will 2014 see the return of the run ?

— Washington will be starting a different quarterback this week.

— Grading Arizona’s win over UNLV.

— Arizona State’s young defense will have to be disciplined against a triple-option attack .

— California had some help from its backup quarterback in its win over Northwestern.

— Oregon opens as 11-point favorites over No. 8 Michigan State.

— Oregon State needs its receivers to grow up in a hurry .

— Ishmael Adams is “always dancing.”

— The Stanford-USC matchup could be one for the ages.

— Utah needs to clean things up before taking on Fresno State.