Washington State Goes By Either Rodney or David

Maybe Washington State Coach Mike Price hasn’t been exaggerating his claims that his team doesn’t get the respect it deserves.

At a news conference Monday at Universal Studios featuring Price and Michigan Coach Lloyd Carr, Price was introduced as the coach of “the University of Washington State.�

“I’ve been using this line for a long time, that we’re the Rodney Dangerfield of the Pac-10,� Price said.

Then they must have as many personalities as they do offenses, because Price also contended that his team is playing the role of David to the top-ranked Wolverines’ Goliath. “I just hope we have enough rocks in our sling,� Price said.

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Carr, for one, respects the Cougars.

“There really isn’t a team we’re going to have as much problem matching up with,� he said. “It all starts with Ryan Leaf. He’s the best quarterback I’ve seen in the 18 years I’ve been at Michigan. . . .

“I think this game is going to be won up front. If we don’t get pressure on Ryan Leaf it’s going to be a long day. I hope we can force them to throw the football on time and we can make some plays from there.�

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Price’s only complaint is that the Rose Bowl isn’t big enough.

“We have a phone line [that] has gotten 1.72 million calls asking for ticket information and we’ve had 420,000 requests,� he said. “I’d like to ask the Rose Bowl committee if the Cougars come back, to enlarge the stadium by about 300,000.�

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The Wolverines didn’t practice Monday but will be back to work today after attending a brunch reuniting members of the 1947 national championship team. Their schedule Wednesday includes a photo session at the Rose Bowl, a pep rally and a team dinner.

Michigan hasn’t won the national championship since the 1947 season, but Carr said he doesn’t want his players preoccupied with chasing a title.

“What I’ve tried to tell the players and coaches is that’s a side issue,� he said. “We’re here to play a good football game. Washington State had a tremendous year and our focus, since the beginning, has been on this game and this team. If we get sidetracked with all these other things, it’s a detriment to our ability to perform on the first.�

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Washington State also didn’t practice Monday, and Price said his team has been able to accomplish a lot because the weather here has been better than it is back home.

“We’ve been down here long enough,� he said, “and we’re ready to go.�

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If it seems odd that Michigan, by players’ accounts, is still adding defensive tactics to its playbook, Carr said that shouldn’t be interpreted as a sign of poor preparation. Instead, it’s a sign of respect for Washington State’s multifaceted offense.

“It’s a one-back team that sometimes empties the backfield and goes with no backs, and there are certain things you can do,� he said.

“They may have three receivers on one side and one on the other, or two on one side and two on the other. We’ve seen that all year long. The difference with Washington State is they have quality receivers, along with a tremendous quarterback.

“It’s not as much the scheme as people executing.�

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After Michigan State’s 51-23 loss to Washington in the Aloha Bowl on Christmas, the Wolverines are left to uphold the honor of their conference--and their state--in the Rose Bowl. That’s in addition to avoiding a trend of Michigan schools losing to Washington schools.

Nose tackle Rob Renes said his team is up for those challenges.

“Michigan State went out and unfortunately didn’t have as good a showing as everyone in the Big Ten would have liked,� he said.

“We definitely have a sense of obligation to the University of Michigan. We want to win this game and we owe it to the players, our families and our fans to go out and have the best game we can. And if we do that, we’ll be successful, even if it doesn’t mean a victorious outcome.�