For Cougars, Things Are Different This Time Around

Memories of the way they were:

Washington State returns to the Rose Bowl today, just not the same Washington State that played there Jan. 1 as Pac-10 champion, bringing only six returning starters, including the kicker, from the 21-16 loss to Michigan. It would have been seven, but defensive tackle Gary Holmes is sidelined because of a sprained ankle.

“I think we pretty much put all of that behind us,” said tight end Love Jefferson, a Bolsa Grande High product and one of the six. “It’s more that we’re coming to play UCLA and not coming back to play at the Rose Bowl.”

Added Coach Mike Price: “There’s some good feelings about that stadium and some bad feelings about that stadium. But we’re not bringing the same team we took down there to the Rose Bowl; we’re not playing the same team we played in the Rose Bowl the last time. Half this football team wasn’t in the Rose Bowl last year. Thirty-four players out of the 60 that we’re bringing didn’t play in that Rose Bowl game. So it’s all new for us really.”

And some of it isn’t. Namely, the clock, the one that ran out as the Cougars desperately tried for a final play and the victory.

“Bringing down a guy to work on the clock to give us a couple more seconds at the end is what we’re working on,” Price said.

The Bruins are undefeated and ranked No. 4 in the nation. The last time they were rated as high--other than last week, when they dropped one spot despite not playing--was No. 1 on Oct. 23, 1988--the week unranked Washington State came to Rose Bowl and staged a major upset, 34-30.

All indications are that Miami wants to reschedule the game against UCLA for the end of the season but that the Bruins are hesitant because of conflicts that range from recruiting to not wanting to play two weeks after what would have been their finale against USC.

“Several impediments have been explained to me,” Hurricane Athletic Director Paul Dee told the Miami Herald. “What are they? You’d have to ask [UCLA]. In terms of the University of Miami, we really don’t have any impediments.”