ROSE BOWL REPORT

Myron “Mike” Davis, one of the surviving members of the Washington State team that was the last to play in the Rose Bowl, in 1931, addressed the team before practice Friday.

“He took his time and came down, this old man, and talked to us,” said quarterback Ryan Leaf, one of a number of players who got a sense of how long Washington State has been waiting for this to happen again.

“I went around and asked the players what they thought,” Coach Mike Price said. “It meant a lot.”

Davis, 89, lives in Studio City and was a halfback on the ’31 team.

“I told them, according to NCAA rules he couldn’t play until he’s practiced three days,” Price said. “We plan to suit him up if needed.”

Price has no doubt today’s team would beat the ’31 team.

“We’d definitely have them outnumbered,” he said. “I think there are only seven of them.”

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Receiver Chris Jackson got a little grief this season when he boldly predicted before the Apple Cup game against Washington that Washington State would not only win, but put up 40 points.

Never mind that Jackson, a senior from Santa Ana Mater Dei, backed it up in Washington State’s 41-35 victory, catching eight passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns.

He has been given a message: No more of that.

“Yeah, we had a little discussion,” Price said. “He said something at the banquet that could have been taken wrong, and I said, ‘I want to see you at 6 o’clock in my office.’

“We get along great. He shouldn’t have done that. He sure made up for it. But I wasn’t happy with him.”

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Quarterback Steve Birnbaum, Leaf’s backup, missed practice because of a strained back Friday--apparently an injury he suffered picking up a suitcase.

There wasn’t an immediate assessment of Birnbaum’s availability for the game, but Washington State hopes he isn’t needed.