Runnin' with the Pac
By: Lotti Bull, 9 August 2002

Hi Mal. A lot has happened during the past week. According to press reports around the league, the following took place in the Pac-10 last week: 

• Rick Neuheisel faces the NCAA today, along with AD Barbara Hedges and Compliance Director Dana Richardson. Coach Neuheisel will answer questions about the alleged 51 secondary rules violations that occurred under his tenure at Colorado from 1995-1998.




• “Colorado, in attempting to refute an NCAA allegation that there was a lack of institutional control, has portrayed Neuheisel as acting on his own in many of the instances. However, Neuheisel says he will try to ‘allay the fears I was acting as this lone rebel. ... ‘" [Bud Withers, Seattle Times, August 8, 2002).




• Washington’s Kim Taylor has upped his SAT score to reach partial-qualifier status. He can practice with the team but not play until next season.





• Coach Neuheisel has opened the door to the Dawg house, pun intended, so that mercurial WR Charles Frederick can practice with the team. Frederick, who has abundant skills, missed two days of practice in the spring, and was suspended from the team.





• Down south, sportswriter Joe Curley (Ventura County Star) notes that ASU (45.2%) and Oregon (56.1%) have more Californians on their team than USC (45.1%). Cal (87.1%) has the most.





• As to who will win the league championship this season, Curley quotes Dennis Erickson as saying, “This is the first time I have ever been in a league that you have no idea who’s going to win it. If I had to bet on who would win the conference this year, I couldn’t do it.”





• According to Curley, Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen is upset by so much parity in the league and its effect on the pollsters. “I think it’s no question that each conference needs one of its traditional teams strong. We really need USC or UCLA to be among our great teams,” Curley quotes Hansen as saying. 



Hey, what about Washington?



• According to the Los Angeles Times, UCLA linebacker Audie Attar, a projected starter at WILL, was dismissed from the team because of an off-campus fight. Due to knee injuries, the Bruins lose two offensive linemen, John Ream and Collin Barker. Their loss will impact UCLA’s depth on the offensive line; the offensive line  was widely viewed as the strength of the team.





• Darryl Richards, Fox Sports Net, calls Rick Neuheisel the heir apparent to Steve Spurrier as college football's "lightning rod." Neuheisel told Richards, "I am honored by the thought that there may be some similarities between Steve and I (sic) because he is one of the great coaches in the game. If I can be mentioned in the same sentence with him, whether it be positive or a tongue-in-cheek positive way, that's okay with me." Note: Both Spurrier and Neuheisel played in the celebrity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe.





• The Eugene Register-Guard is reporting that six Oregon football players violated NCAA rules by exchanging complimentary football tickets for breaks on their rent. The Pac-10 is investigating the violations and will report on its decision regarding penalties.





• Last week, Seattle Times’ columnist Blaine Newnham wrote an article entitled, “Watchful eyes stay locked on Neuheisel,” and  Nicole Brodeur, also of the Times, wrote one entitled, “A Seahawk to watch like a hawk.” Newnham was referring to Neuheisel’s secondary violations at Colorado and Brodeur was referring to Jerramy Stevens’ off-field troubles at Washington.

  “But I'll be keeping tabs on what Stevens does off the field,” Brodeur says.

  “Still, there is every reason for Washington to watch Neuheisel like no other coach,” Newnham says.

  I wonder who’s watching over Newnham and Brodeur?





• Another quote from Newnham’s article, "’I think Colorado is a little shocked,’ said Rob Aronson (Washington faculty athletic representative) ’They thought they were going to embarrass Rick (with their investigation), and now they are facing serious ramifications for what they have done.’"



In January 1999, at the time Neuheisel left Coloardo, the NCAA notified Colorado of  potential violations. Apparently, a photo of Taylor Barton and Neuheisel, and an accompanying article, published in the Oregonian a year earlier tipped them off. 

Hmm.

• According to Ted Miller (Seattle P-I) who writes about some remarks Coach Neuheisel made, "freshman offensive linemen Nathan Rhodes and Stanley Daniels reported out of shape. The revised roster lists them at 330 and 320 pounds, respectively." 



• Alfred Toeaina is not listed on eDuck.com's "Roster numbers of new players" to the Oregon program. Does that mean he'll gray-shirt?




• Race Bannon of dawgman.com fame says, "beat Mich-again." I'll go along with that.

Ciao, Lotti