Cougars set to hold first fall scrimmage

Good morning, Cougar fans. We now stand just 18 days from the start of major college football season, and 20 days from the debut of the 2015 Cougars. In yet another sign that football is almost upon us, WSU sent out season tickets late last week. If that isn't enough to get everyone excited for the upcoming football season, the fact that the Cougs will be conducting their first full-fledged scrimmage of the fall should be.

Sunday marks the final day of WSU's now-annual August field trip to Lewiston, and the team is expected to begin its live scrimmage approximately 45 minutes after the 2:30 p.m. practice begins. If you're able to go and watch in person, the temperatures are only expected to reach the upper 80s, which is practically a cold spell compared last week's triple digits.

As for Saturday, the most notable bit of news concerned, once again, a player who wasn't there. This time it is starting corner Charleston White. While we're as likely to find out the reason for his absence as we are to be told where NASA staged the moon landing, we can only hope that White is happy, healthy and back with the team as soon as possible. He is, after all, the best cornerback the Cougars have. In White's absence, Jacob Thorpe reports that true freshman Darien Molton ran with the first team. Oy.

In brighter news, new kicker Matt Abramo seems to have recovered from whatever malady was keeping him from full participation when fall camp began. Per Mr. Thorpe, Abramo made four of the five field goals he attempted, with the longest coming from 47 yards. I expect the kicking battle to come down to the last day of fall practice, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see multiple guys attempting kicks against Portland State.

Following Sunday's scrimmage, the Cougs will take Monday off before they resume in Pullman. Once they get back to campus, there will be three additional practices open to the public on Tuesday (3:30 p.m.), Wednesday (3:30), and Thursday (2:30).

Football

WSU practice notes: Scrimmage tomorrow | The Spokesman-Review
Washington State had a short practice on Saturday that lasted only an hour and a half. But on Sunday the Cougars will hold their only scrimmage of preseason camp.

Guard Eduardo Middleton’s work ethic pays dividends for Cougars - Spokesman.com - Aug. 15, 2015
The Washington State Cougars wrapped a short football practice on Saturday afternoon, but Eduardo Middleton, his face flecked with blood from a deep cut on his nose, continued to train for a position he doesn’t play long after the rest of his teammates had departed the Sacajawea Junior High practice fields.

Hello from Lewiston, and my first day with WSU football | The Seattle Times
Stefanie Loh has picked up the WSU beat for the Seattle Times.

Pac-12 picks, predictions: Oregon Ducks the ones to beat if Adams can play | FOX Sports
After getting to a bowl game in his second season, Mike Leach's Wazzu team took a step back in Year Three. Don't be surprised if they get back to the postseason again this winter.

Pac-12 picks, predictions: Oregon repeats and ruins everyone's playoff shot | FOX Sports
My hunch is one of these three North teams -- Washington, Cal or Washington State -- will finish with a much better record than I projected, but it’s hard to foresee which one.

Pac-12 predictions: Arizona State is about to stun Pac-12 South | FOX Sports
The Audible is one of the best college football podcasts out there. They spend a fair amount of time talking about WSU in this Pac-12 preview.

Scout.com: Preview 2015 Unit Rankings: Pac-12 QBs
Mike Leach is excited about the trajectory of his young quarterbacks, Luke Falk and Peyton Bender. Falk is the favorite, thanks to a strong finish to 2014 after starter Connor Halliday was lost for the year to injury.

Scout.com: Preview 2015 Unit Rankings: Pac-12 RBs
The Cougars don’t put much emphasis on the running backs. Good thing, too, because it’s the weakest unit of the offense.

Sports Television

AT&T expanding NFL Sunday Ticket package to more Americans
Are you a current WSU student who roots for an NFL team not named the Seahawks? Do you have a spare $99 hanging around? Probably not, but if you do, you may be in luck. This is a pretty sweet deal if you're a fan of, say, the the Vikings or some other team that is rarely on in the Pacific Northwest.

Beer

Craft beers get heavy ... on the alcohol
A growing number of breweries are scrambling to meet consumer demand by offering craft beers with higher alcohol content.

Non-Sports

We have an eclectic mix of non-sports stories for this Sunday, but they're all worth reading. The first is about a legendary flight that took place in Seattle. As someone who flew KC-135s (the military version of the 707) for five years, I can tell you that the prospect of doing a barrel roll in that large aircraft is beyond frightening. Watching the footage confirmed that, as the nose dropped precipitously during the maneuver. Tex Johnston was and is the man.

There is also a very lengthy piece about the aftermath of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. Since the anniversary was last week, this article was released on the web for the first time. It is a fascinating look at several first-hand accounts. It should be read in bits and pieces, unless you're a really fast reader.

Finally, if you're of a certain age, you remember the days of BMG and Columbia House, those two music clearinghouses that would lure you in with 12 tapes/CDs for a penny, or a dollar, then put you on the hook for buying an additional eight CDs at a considerable markup. Anybody who worked in a college dorm mailroom likely had a 500+ CD collection which cost them roughly $20. I was actually stunned when I found out Columbia House was still in business. Columbia House is dead. Long live Columbia House.

60 years ago: The famous Boeing 707 prototype barrel roll over Lake Washington | The Seattle Times
Friday is 60 years since Tex Johnston’s famous barrel-roll of the Boeing 707 prototype over Lake Washington.

Hiroshima - The New Yorker
John Hersey's 1946 piece exploring how six survivors experienced the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, and its aftermath.

Columbia House's Bankruptcy Signals End To Bygone Era: An Inside Look - Forbes
As Columbia House moves into bankruptcy, a look back at its finer days and its biggest mistakes.