WSU builds depth at running back
COUGARS
We're back in the Northwest and ready to get back into the swing of Washington State football practice. We kept the links up through the magic of modern technology – aren't these internet machines groovy? – but now we get to use our eyeballs again. Before we get to that point, we have a chance to catch up with yesterday's two practices, which includes our coverage from WSU beat writer emeritus Steve Bergum. Read on.
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• Washington State: Leave for a couple days and the offense gets, well, all offensive. That seems to be the thrust from the last few days. ... Bergum examined the depth at running back, which is a change from the past few years. ... Freelancer Howie Stalwick has this piece on Alex Hoffman-Ellis in the News Tribune. It finishes with some notes. ... The one thing that did change while I was gone was the number of players who have been sitting out with injuries. It's that time of camp. Though Jordan Pu'u Robinson's knee injury is the only one that is considered major, the number of walking wounded is growing. The newest are corner Aire Jordan, who sat out Thursday with a hamstring pull, receiver Isiah Barton, who has a hip problem, and defensive tackle Kalifitoni (or Toni as he's known) Pole, who has a leg contusion. ... The Cougars added a player, 6-foot-8, 314-pound freshman offensive tackle Joe Kaleta from Utica, N.Y. It will be a couple days before Kaleta is in pads. ... Still no word on whether defensive tackle Al Lapuaho will get eligible and be able to play this year. ... From Stillwater, the Cowboys use a Stairmaster for more than just the conditioning. Though I guess it is a sort of psychological conditioning. ... The Cowboys are still looking for wideouts. ... They will scrimmage Saturday.
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• Around the Pac-10: The conference has always had it's fair share of playmakers and this year is no different. ESPN.com's Ted Miller points out each team's. ... The Times' Bud Withers continues his trip around the conference with this Stanford preview. ... Washington: It's that time of the year. It's getting chippy in Montlake (and just about everywhere else). ... Bob Condotta takes a look at coach Steve Sarkisian's highly valued recruiting class. ... Oregon State: The Beavers' first scrimmage went well, by all accounts, though the stars didn't participate ... Oregon: We talked about chippy above. Former Duck LeGarrete Blount takes it to a new level, and did while he was still in Eugene. ... Running back Kenjon Barner has shaken off his hand injury and returned to practice. ... The Ducks are searching for cornerbacks. ... Cal: There was a good reason why cornerback Darian Hagen didn't have a good year in 2009. ... It's like the '60s and '70s all over again in Strawberry Canyon. Not really. ... Stanford: The Cardinal opened practice for a day. ... USC: Kristofer O'Dowd just wants to stay healthy this season. ... UCLA: There's a fight for the Bruins' middle linebacker spot. ... Arizona State: Consistency is prized by coaches. So is athletic ability. Put them together and you're a starter. ... Arizona: And as we said in the beginning, it's that time of the year for nagging injuries to crop up.
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• That's all we have this morning. We're headed back to practice this afternoon and will have our usual report afterward. Until then ...
