HOT COUGAR ACTION: WSU vs. Oregon previews galore

I'm currently working on about a dozen projects right now, some of which will be up today. With time a little short and in an effort to finish the various projects, we're going straight to the links this morning.

Wednesday's are apparently preview days as it seems like every beat writer and national site posted their preview of Saturday's game. There is also a link to Chip Kelly's press conference where he talks about Mike Leach's offense.

Football

Spitz absent again from WSU practice - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Sept. 25, 2012
FROM PULLMAN — Washington State began its preparation for Oregon earlier this afternoon, going through a two-hour session of scout work and special teams drills. They did all of it without an offensive lineman who had returned to the team only two days prior. Read on.

Mike Leach on Pac-12 coaches call - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Sept. 25, 2012
FROM PULLMAN — Mike Leach made his weekly appearance on the Pac-12 coaches call this morning, and we have a recap of it below.

First look: Oregon vs. WSU - Spokesman.com - Sept. 25, 2012
What it means for WSU: The Cougars are hurting after a 35-34 loss to Colorado in which WSU squandered a 17-point mid-fourth-quarter lead. But that collapse was two weeks in the making, as the Cougars played poorly in the second halves of wins over Eastern Washington and UNLV in weeks prior. Coach Mike Leach called his team "mentally weak" and said they’re "afraid of success," saying complacency seems to set in when they gain a lead in the second half. Their attitudes need to improve against Oregon if they expect to have a chance.

The Kickoff: Oregon faces Washington State in first test away from Eugene - Addicted To Quack
THE MATCHUP: Oregon leaves the friendly confines of Autzen Stadium for the first time this season as they travel north to Seattle for a matchup with Mike Leach's Washington State Cougars. Washington State comes into this game at 2-2, with narrow victories over Eastern Washington and UNLV. However, their last game featured a terrible home loss to Colorado, a game in which Washington State blew a 17-point fourth quarter lead against the lowly Buffaloes. The excitement of the Mike Leach hire rejuvenated the fan base in the offseason with the promise of big points, but the offense has actually regressed to this point in the Leach era while the defense has remained one of the worst in major college football.

WSU starts preperations for Oregon | Sports | KLEW CBS 3 - News, Weather and Sports - Lewiston, ID
PULLMAN, WA – The WSU defense is busy preparing for the Oregon Ducks offense, and with the Ducks new number two ranking in the country, that’s obviously no easy task.

Chip Kelly: If you're going to stop the run, we'll throw the ball - SB Nation Seattle
The Ducks will be going up against another pass-happy head coach in Mike Leach's Washington State Cougars on Saturday. In Leach's first season with the Cougars, he has them at 18th in the nation in passing yards per game at 313.8 yards per game. The Ducks only throw for 267.3 yards per game, but they rush it for 303.8 per game - good for seventh in the nation.

Oregon Ducks football: Coach Chip Kelly on the new-look Washington State Cougars (video) | OregonLive.com
He also talked about how his team works on taking care of the ball after turnovers in the first four games. and the challenge Oregon's secondary will face against a Mike Leach-coached offense that passes the ball -- a lot.

WSU vs. Ducks isn’t true home game
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday said Monday that he would rather play No. 2 Oregon in Pullman this weekend instead of in Seattle.

Oregon-Washington St. Preview - Yahoo! Sports
Offensive masterminds Chip Kelly of Oregon and Mike Leach of Washington State are set to meet for the first time.

Washington State will chuck at the Ducks’ defense | The Cougars are throwing nearly 70 percent of the time in their first season under new coach Mike Leach
On at least one side of the ball, though, the Ducks know exactly what to expect from Washington State and new coach Mike Leach when they meet Saturday at Seattle’s CenturyLink Field at 7:30 p.m.

NCAA College Football Preview - Oregon Ducks at Washington State Cougars - Sep 29, 2012 - CBSSports.com
Offensive masterminds Chip Kelly of Oregon and Mike Leach of Washington State are set to meet for the first time. It's Kelly's defense, however, that is gaining in notoriety after its best performance of the year.

Cougars Face No. 2 Oregon In The Seattle Game - The Washington State University Official Athletic Site
COUGARS MATCHUP AGAINST No. 2 OREGON IN THE SEATTLE GAME: Washington State University continues Pac-12 Conference play Saturday, facing second-ranked University of Oregon in The Seattle Game at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and will be nationally televised on ESPN2.

John Henderson: Washington State's collapse vs. CU Buffs was stunning - The Denver Post
Mike Leach never had any problems with this when he was at Texas Tech. His Red Raiders were great at holding leads. They were pretty good turning big leads into pinball scores too.