Coach Speak

Published 9:00 pm Monday, August 28, 2006

Tuesday was the first Pac-10 Coaches teleconference of the season and unfortunately, that was also the chosen time to do a fire alarm test in Hec Edmundson Pavilion (where the media work room is located), so I missed much of what a few of the coaches had to say.

But here’s a few notes from what I did catch:

Oregon’s Mike Bellotti said that there is a serious battle going on at wide receiver, and rather than the expected starters – Cameron Colvin and James Finley – Jordan Kent and Brian Paysinger are actually the starters. Finley, the team’s top returning receiver, has been slowed by injury during the spring and fall. Bellotti also went on a rant about the new rules intended to speed up the game, and said he expects that it could be overturned next season. Bellotti has been one of the most outspoken critics of the new rules.

Arizona’s Mike Stoops said that quarterback Willie Tuitama is much better this season and said he’d be comfortable throwing the ball 45 times a game if that’s what the opponent forced him to do.

Oregon State’s Mike Riley – who along with Washington State’s Bill Doba is usually the most personable of the coaches on the call – said quarterback Matt Moore is more accurate than last season, when he led the league in interceptions.

UCLA’s Karl Dorrell said that quarterback Ben Olson has picked up the system faster than any quarterback he’s had and expects him to have a big season.

Arizona State’s Dirk Koetter revealed that along with playing receiver and a bit of running back, Rudy Burgess would also see time at cornerback this season.

California’s Jeff Tedford said he still hasn’t decided on who would start at quarterback between Nate Longshore and Joe Ayoob.

Doba was part of what was both the funniest and most uncomfortable part of the call. He was asked (I think by a radio reporter) if things have gotten any easier for him since the death of his wife earlier this year. Doba gave a heartfelt answer about how things are still tough and it’s hard to be at home alone, but that football does take his mind of things a little. The same reporter quickly followed up the somewhat emotional answer by asking Doba how his kicker situation was. It elicited some laughs and eye rolls from myself and the other Husky beat writers.

Oh, and Tyrone Willingham didn’t say much of anything. We’ll see if he elaborates on that when he meets with us later this afternoon.