UCLA promote Lea

UCLA has promoted Clark Lea from graduate assistant to linebackers coach. Coach Carnell Lake needed to leave the coaching staff on Monday due to family reasons, leaving the spot open wide for the taking. Clark Lea is a second-year graduate assistant who has been "hands-on" with the team since the beginning of 2009, so the head coach Rick Neuheisel is confident in his promotion.

Mosi Tatupu dies at age 54

Mosi Tatupu was a fullback on the USC’s 1974 national championship football team. Tatupu played fourteen years in the NFL and died on Tuesday from an undetermined cause. Lofa Tatupu, Mosi's son, is a Trojan's alum with two national title teams and currently plays for the Seattle Seahawks. Mosi was a native of American Samoa and attended USC where he won Offensive Player of the Year and Most Inspirational Player in 1977. With Mosi on their team, USC went 37-10-1, winning four bowl games which include two Rose Bowls. From 1997 to 2006, the Mosi Tatupu Award was given to the college football special teams player of the year. Mosi was an NFLer with the New England Patriots and the LA Rams, and had the privilege to play in the 1986 Super Bowl and made the Pro Bowl that year as well. Even with such a full life, Mosi was not ready to go quite yet and he will be missed by his family, friends and fans alike.

Pac-10 ranked high in attendance at fourth

The Pacific 10 Conference has proven to be highly recognized in the nation, coming in at fourth in the nation for average attendance (54,186) among the BCS conferences. The following are the schools, in order of attendees:

1. USC... 84,799 - Although USC had fallen down the ranks, they managed to make their way back up the list and into the highest attended football program in the conference. This is the seventh consecutive year for the Trojans to be in the lead.
2. UCLA... 64,547 - UCLA is ranked at No. 25 in the nation
3. Washington... 64,356 - Washington is ranked No. 26, right after UCLA in the nation
4 .California... 59,472 - This attendance earns Cali the No. 30 spot in the nation.
5. Oregon... 58,544
6. Arizona State... 48,556
7. Oregon State... 42,328
8. Stanford... 41,436
9. Arizona... 35,656
10. Washington State... 25,909

The leading BCS conferences include the SEC at No.1, the Big Ten taking second and the Big 12 at third.

2016-17 season line-up already in the works

Washington State and Boise State have decided to begin a home-and-home football series to begin in 2016. The first time they will play will be on September 10th at Boise State which will change the next year to Washington State's venue in 2017.

This series is expected to generate a huge buzz, since football fans throughout the Pacific NW have long-awaited this renewel. Fans want to see quality nonconference games and a Washington vs Boise is just the ticket. Since both teams are highly skilled and competetive, this series will be fun for all. The last time Washington and Boise have played each other was in 2001, so it will be a clean fifteen years between games.

Should be a great series. Too bad it doesnt start for another six years!

Colorado moving to the Pac-10

There is a possibility that Colorado will be trading in their Big 12 boots for some Pac-10 action. Colorado's athletic director has told reporters that if the move happens, to expect it to come this summer. The discussion dealt with multiple issues besides the move, including the football season-ticket plan to his expectations of another year with a tight budget.

The actual move away from the Big 12 Conference requires a two-year notice, so Colorado wouldn't begin play with the Pac-10 until as late as the 2013 season. This decision is only a speculation at the moment and Colorado is still dedicated to being a great team while apart of the Big 12 conference. The only thing for us to do is wait and see what happens!

Washington State Cougars

Well Pac-10 fans...this will be my last post on the histories of your beloved teams! What ever will I chat about? Any suggestions? While you think about that one, I will give you a bit of information on the Washington State Cougars.

The Washington State Cougars football team was established in 1893 and has a 492–475–45 (.508) overall record. Located Pullman, Washington, the Washington Cougars play in the Memorial Stadium.

The Cougars home field has the lowest capacity of any Pac-10 stadium, so every game is jam-packed with screaming fans. Currently, Paul Wulff is the head coach for the cougars and was hired in December of 2007. Over the years, the Cougars have established themselves in the conference. The Washington Cougars have participated in many bowl games such as the Rose Bowl, the Aloha Bowl and the Holiday Bowl.

With four conference titles under their belt and a 6-4 bowl record, the Washington State Cougars have done well for themselves over the years. Over the decades, the Washington State Cougars have also accumulated a few rivals such as the Washington Huskies and the Idaho Vandals.

Washington Huskies

The University of Washington Huskies have a prosperous history and a strong future in college football. Since their indictment into the Pacific 10 Conference, the Huskies have won fifteen Pac-10 Championships and seven Rose Bowls, as well as four National Championships. As of 2008, the Washington Huskies’ overall rank is 653-398-50. I could go on and on about their awards, but a I would like to note that the Huskies have the bragging rights to two of the nation’s longest winning streaks and holds the DI-A unbeaten record at 63 consecutive games. Now that is impressive.

Since 1970, 16 of 19 starting quarterbacks have gone onto the NFL and the trend doesn’t look like its ending any time soon. The University of Washington is often referred to as one of the top Quarterback U’s because of this feat by the Huskies. A great victory for the Washington Huskies came in 2009, when they beat Washington State University 30-0 in the Apple Cup. Washington State has always been a big rival, and the Huskies were proud to completely sweep them under the rug.

Check back tomorrow to read the last of this history series. Happy Tuesday!

USC Trojans

The University of South California Trojans football program was established in 1888. With eleven national championships, the USC Trojans have been a football powerhouse in the NCAA. The USC Trojans football tam has also ranked in the top 5 of the final BCS and AP Polls consistently throughout their program history. Currently, the USC Trojans hold a 772–306–54 (.706) overall record.

Due to lack in availability of travel during the first few decades of play, the USC Trojans were not able to go far from home for games. This restriction was the foundation for their current rivalry between UCLA. The rivalry between USC and UCLA is a unique one, because they are they only two Division I-A programs in the major BCS conference that share the same home town. USC and UCLA are a measly ten miles away from each other and, until 1982, they also shared the same stadium. The mere proximity would create tension between any two teams. Often, the game between these two teams determines who is going to the Rose Bowl and have the city bragging rights for the year.

With its heavy hand over many of the other schools, USC has shown to be an outstanding team over the years. This past season, the USC Trojans finished the season with a 9-4 record and beat Boston College in the Emerald Bowl. Unfortunately for them, this past season also marked the end of its seven-year streak of Pac-10 Championship wins and BCS Bowl appearances.

UCLA Bruins

The UCLA Bruins football team has found great success since their inception in 1919. They UCLA Bruins have been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll at least once in every decade since the 1930s, and their major time of success was in the 1950s under head coach Red Sanders. In 1954, the UCLA Bruins football team made it to the national championships. Red Sanders also let the UCLA Bruins to three conference championships and an overall record of 66-19 in nine years.

When the 1980s and 90s came along, Terry Donahue took position as head coach where he led his football team to a 151-74-8 record, which included 13 bowls games and an NCAA record eight straight bowl wins. Over the years, the Bruins football team has had many outstanding players who have been first-round draft picks, consensus All-Americans and many other major award winners.

The UCLA Bruins football team currently hold a 517–348–37 (.594) record, which is one of the highest in the Pac-10 conference. The Bruins have the privilege to play in the Rose Bowl, which is a National Historic Landmark in Pasadena, California. Their home turf holds an amazing capacity of 92,542, and there is rarely an empty seat in the house during a UCLA Bruins came. Who wouldn’t want to attend a game at the Rose Bowl?

I’ll be back Friday with the USC!

Stanford Cardinals

I am back yet again with the Stanford Cardinals.

The Stanford Cardinals began playing football in 1892, only one year after the University was founded. Over the decades, a large rivalry has developed between Stanford and Cal, after Standford beat them in their first Big Game. This has become one of the oldest rivalry games in college football. Since 1981, Stanford has been known as the Cardinal, changed their name to the Indians from 1930 to 1972. The change came after Standford native American students met with President Richard Lyman, and expressed the insult they felt by the mascot to their culture and heritage.

The Stanford Cardinals have a653-451-52 (.587) record, which is one of the highest in the Pac-10. Though the Cardinals have gone through many coaches since its establishment, the Standford football program's head coach is Jim Harbaugh who has been their for the past three years. As a college football player himself, Harbaugh knows what it takes to succeed and pushes his team on and off the field. Alumni of the Cardinals have won numerous awards, including the Heisman Trophy, and more recently in 2009, the Doak Walker Award. The Standford Cardinals continues to produce amazing players and an outstanding record to make sure to check them out this next season!