COLLEGE FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : SAN DIEGO STATE : WAC School Officials Discuss Bowls

Officials from SDSU, Air Force, Brigham Young and Utah were involved in a conference call with Western Athletic Conference Commissioner Joe Kearney Tuesday morning to discuss the conference’s bowl possibilities.

For now, it looks like the SDSU-BYU winner Nov. 16 will go to the Holiday Bowl, the loser to either the Copper Bowl or Freedom Bowl, and Air Force to the Liberty Bowl. Utah, after a 52-26 loss at Hawaii late Saturday, is an uncertainty.

“We’re just making sure we maintain contact with the bowls and indicate our continued interest in a variety of bowls,” SDSU Athletic Director Fred Miller said.

One thing WAC officials are watching with interest is the new NCAA rule that states a school must have a minimum of six victories against Division I-A opponents before it can go to a bowl game. A couple of bowls are interested in Stanford, for example, but the Cardinal (5-3) has only four victories against Division I-A teams (and one against Cornell). Therefore, Stanford must win two of its final three games (UCLA, at Washington State and then home against Cal) before becoming eligible.

“(The six-victories rule) is putting a lot of pressure on a number of teams with bowl possibilities,” Miller said.

Colorado State is coming off of a 40-17 loss to Brigham Young. The Rams (3-6, 2-4), who have not lost four consecutive games since 1988, have lost three in a row.

And Coach Earle Bruce did not sound upbeat during a conference call Tuesday with San Diego reporters.

Asked if upsetting SDSU could redeem the CSU season, Bruce responded: “I don’t think we can redeem this season as far as Earle Bruce and this football team is concerned.”

SDSU running back Marshall Faulk was involved in contact drills Tuesday for the first time since he fractured two ribs and punctured a lung Oct. 12. “From what I saw, he was at full speed,” Coach Al Luginbill said. . . . SDSU center Kevin Macon (bruised ankle) did not practice Tuesday but Luginbill expects him to return today.