By
Ryan Finley
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Boller to remain as Golden Bears' quarterback, Holmoe
Washington State
The Cougars will come to Tucson this weekend to take on No. 22 Arizona. For WSU head coach Mike Price, Saturday's game will be a chance to avenge last season's game. In 1999's tilt, UA quarterback Keith Smith hit Bobby Wade for a 42-yard touchdown strike as time expired en route to a 30-24 victory.
WSU head coach Mike Price said that the loss - while it stung at the time - will not be a point of contention when the two teams meet.
"We haven't talked about it much," Price said. "I'm sure we have kids who remember what exactly did happen. It wasn't Arizona's fault."
Price believes that a poor call on behalf on the officials cost Washington State (3-2 overall, 1-1 Pacific 10 Conference) the game.
"I feel it wasn't a catch," he said. "It's not a rallying cry for us this year, though."
Price believes that the team should be well-prepared for Arizona's "double-flex eagle" defense - the Wildcats are second in the nation in run defense.
"Their defense is playing with more intensity, resembling the Wildcats of old," he said. "They brought flex into the league. We enjoy scheming against it - it's not your basic defense."
Tucson's weather should be a welcome sight to the Cougars.
"We probably look forward to coming down there," he said. "I'm not sure if the Wildcats look forward to playing us up there in October."
Oregon State
A week after losing 33-30 to Washington in Seattle, the Beavers will try to return to form Saturday when they play host to Stanford in Corvalis, Ore.
OSU head coach Dennis Erickson continues to rave about Beavers running back Ken Simonton, who leads the Beavers offensive attack with 841 rushing yards.
The 5-foot-7 running back's durability has been a surprise to the second-year head coach.
"(His durability) concerned me when I got here because of his size," Erickson said. "I don't think he's any different than any other back. I don't think he's any more prone than any other back."
Simonton, who evokes images of ex-Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders, has been thrust into the limelight so far in the Beavers' 4-1 season.
"He's low to the ground, not very big," Erickson said. "He has tremendous explosion and quickness."
Following last weekend's loss to the Huskies, Simonton made a new fan - UW head coach Rick Neuheisel.
"He's a wonderful, engaging kid," Neuheisel said. "He's absolutely a marvelous young man (and a) gifted player. He has great vision, explosiveness."
Neuheisel compares the senior to another former Pac-10 great.
"Marcus Allen was never a blazer, but he had the ability to play at high speed," Neuheisel said. "(Simonton is) like Barry Sanders in terms of his ability to cut. He has the ability to elude tacklers like Barry does."
California
The Golden Bears have essentially been the conference doormat so far this season. Poor decision-making by sophomore quarterback Kyle Boller and a propensity for giving up the big play on defense has rendered California 1-4 overall and 0-2 in Pac-10 play.
Cal head coach Tom Holmoe is standing by Boller despite calls for the coach to make a change.
"I think that Kyle is a quarterback that continues to develop an unbelievable amount of talent," Holmoe said. "We're trying to do everything we can. It can't all be attributed to him, good or bad."
Boller, who was recruited by most Pac-10 teams out of high school, has improved in recent weeks despite losing.
"Kyle is a work in progress," Holmoe said. "I think that the biggest thing is that the expectations were so high. He came in with an offense that wasn't tailor-made to take off."
Holmoe said that Boller's take charge attitude has hurt the Golden Bears in the past.
"Right now, Kyle does not have the ability to carry the team by himself," he said. "He will be able to be that guy. He has a great attitude."
California travels to Los Angeles this weekend to take on UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. California players, who drew criticism from Holmoe for not taking last weekend's 30-10 loss to Arizona State seriously, are apparently ready to take on the Bruins.
"You've got to have the proper attitude to get yourself right," he said. "(The team) came back on Sunday and they're ready for UCLA. This is a game where they're ready to play. They think that they can get right this game."
