COUGARS

Let's see. Over the weekend we had the discussion concerning the Oregon game. That seemed to draw a lot of interest. Yesterday there was the ESPN ad. That seemed to draw a lot of interest. So what can we do today? So far, got nothing other than a loaded plate of our usual items. Hope that will do. Read on.
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• Washington State: We kept you up-to-date yesterday with our length practice report, though I may have buried the biggest news, that of middle linebacker Alex Hoffman-Ellis missing practice, and probably Saturday's game, with a staph infection on his arm. Though Louis Bland is a talented replacement, it does cut into the Cougars' depth. ... We also had our Pac-10 report. ... Freelancer Howie Stalwick has this notebook which includes some statistics, thoughts on coach Paul Wulff and a report on former WSU cornerback Romeo Pellum's status. ... Here's an Associated Press report out of Wulff press conference. ... The WSU football blog summarizes Wulff's radio show. ... Finally, check out the second item here. Pretty funny.

• Around the Pac-10: This will start with some bad news for WSU fans. Ted Miller of ESPN.com notes there are quite a few big-name pass rushers in the conference not getting to the quarterback. Two of them, Dexter Davis and Lawrence Guy, play for Arizona State. Don't think they'll be a little more motivated this week after being called out nationally? ... Nick Daschel of Buster Sports has a couple items, including the Pac-10 by the numbers and a podcast looking at the race. ... The Times' Bud Withers has his Pac-10 notebook. So does Chris Dufresne of the Los Angeles Times ... Washington: The big news yesterday from Seattle was the Huskies announcement they will be playing Eastern Washington in two years. It will be the school's first game against a lower-division opponent. ... Some coaches believe the best offensive linemen have a defensive lineman's attitude. Here's an example. ... Chris Polk has been running well for UW. ... Oregon State: The Beavers are having trouble moving the ball on the ground. ... Oregon: It looks like Jeremiah Masoli will not play this weekend. C.E. Kaiser is still on crutches. And now another Duck defensive back is lost. Bad week for injuries in Eugene. ... Cal: With a bye this week, news of the Bears is hard to come by. ... Stanford: Ray Ratto says Jim Harbaugh's success is only going to re-ignite the Raider rumors. Money's a big deal, sure, but why would anyone in their right mind want to work for Al Davis? ... USC: When the Trojans and Notre Dame meet next week, the two quarterbacks will be familiar with each other. ...UCLA: Speaking of quarterbacks, the Bruins' Kevin Prince returned from his broken jaw and was running the offense Tuesday. ... Arizona State: The Arizona Republic is on the lack-of-sacks bandwagon. The Sun Devils enter Saturday's game with three. Watch out. ... Arizona: A backup running back has been having a great time.

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• That's all for this morning. We'll be back after practice this afternoon. Until then …

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