Roundup: Air Raid Cougs getting it done on defense
We all know about how lethal the Air Raid is, but Lindsay Schnell of USA TODAY Sports points out that Washington State is 6-0 because of its defense. The Cougs are second in the conference in total defense, surrendering just 275.5 yards per game, and my guess is that defensive coordinator Alex Grinch is going to be a head coach sooner rather than later.
Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Media Day is here, and with that, it was announced that UCLA was picked to win the Pac-12, with Oregon and Stanford tied for second in the 2017-18 Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll. With Jordin Canada and Monique Billings leading the way, the Bruins look primed for a third consecutive trip to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
John Canzano released texts from Gary Andersen that show the former Oregon State football coach’s mindset on his job, from frustration with his assistants to wanting to right the ship to everything else. Very interesting read.
Zach Helfand reports that USC defensive lineman Marlon Tuipulotu is out for the season after undergoing back surgery. He is eligible for a medical redshirt since he has only played in three games.
Adam Jude has broken down the film from the 38-7 win over Cal and noticed that Washington is able to get to the quarterback without needing to blitz. The Huskies registered eight sacks without blitzing once against Cal.
Former Stanford quarterback Kevin Hogan will start for the Cleveland Browns this week, replacing rookie DeShone Kizer at QB (Yahoo Sports). Hogan looked effective coming off the bench in the Browns’ loss to the New York Jets last weekend.
The folks at Sports Illustrated believe that Arizona’s DeAndre Ayton will be one of the top 10 freshmen scorers in college basketball for 2017-18, slotting him at the No. 7 spot (Dan Hanner and Chris Johnson of SI believe that Missouri’s Michael Porter Jr. will lead all freshmen in scoring).
Oregon football coach Willie Taggart is “frustrated” by the Ducks’ issues in the run game, Sean Meagher of The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (Q&A from Taggart’s press conference is included).
Lynn Worthy writes about the strides Utah football has made in recruiting since the Utes missed out on current USC quarterback Sam Darnold (the Utes were the first to offer Darnold a scholarship). Fitting article for the week, considering the Utes play USC Saturday.
Cal football coach Justin Wilcox wants to see how his team responds to three straight losses, notes Rusty Simmons. The Golden Bears host Washington State in a Friday nighter this week.
Phillip Lindsay certainly has been the headliner in the Buff backfield, but Colorado likes the progress Beau Bisharat is making at running back, writes Brian Howell. Bisharat ran for 32 yards on eight carries in subbing in for Lindsay, who rushed for a career-high 281 yards in the 45-42 loss to Arizona.
Here’s the latest Arizona State football practice report, courtesy of Jeff Metcalfe. The Sun Devils are getting ready for a big one against Washington.