Sun Bowl Could Be It for Washington State

No. 15 Washington State accepted an invitation to play in the Sun Bowl at El Paso on Dec. 31, contingent on the Cougars not being selected for a bowl championship series game.

A 26-14 loss to Washington on Saturday dropped the Cougars (9-2, 6-2 in the Pacific 10) from No. 8 to No. 14 in the BCS standings.

“Our players deserve to play in a bowl game of the Sun Bowl’s status and prestige,” Coach Mike Price said. “We are grateful the Sun Bowl has made this offer and [will] still allow us to be involved in possible BCS plans.”

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Quarterback Ken Dorsey of top-ranked Miami accused Washington of taking cheap shots against him in Miami’s 34-29 loss to the Huskies last season and said he expects it to happen again Saturday when the teams play at the Orange Bowl.

“When you hand the ball off and they hit you, that’s a late hit. And they don’t call those things up there,” Dorsey said. “I don’t know what they’re going to try to do this year, but that’s the way I remember them and that’s the mentality I’m going to go into this game with.”

Dorsey said Washington (8-2) doesn’t respect the Hurricanes (9-0) and that the Huskies expect to win because of last year’s result and because Washington ended Miami’s NCAA-record, 58-game home winning streak in 1994.

Dorsey struggled against the Huskies. It was his first career start on the road, and he wasn’t ready for the hostile environment of Husky Stadium. The Hurricanes had not practiced with crowd noise.

He had trouble calling audibles and burned several timeouts. He fumbled twice, tripped and fell twice, and muffed a snap.

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Ohio State quarterback Steve Bellisari’s court appearance on drunken driving charges was postponed until Monday.

Bellisari had been scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, but the judge granted his lawyers’ request for a delay.

Bellisari’s case will be heard by Judge Bill Pollitt, a member of the last Ohio State football team to win a national championship, in 1968.

Coach Jim Tressel suspended Bellisari from the team Friday and reinstated him Sunday night. Bellisari is scheduled to travel with the team for a game against No. 11 Michigan on Saturday.

Bellisari was arrested Friday by Ohio State campus police.

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Quentin Jammer of Texas, Edward Reed of Miami and Roy Williams of Oklahoma were selected as finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the best defensive back. The winner will be announced Dec. 6.

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John Parker resigned as head coach at Cheyney (Pa.) University after compiling a 4-38 record in four years.

Cheyney finished 0-10 this season.