'Cats connection could have eye on Triple Crown.

Byline: PAC-10 NOTEBOOK By Bob Clark The Register-Guard

If the usual question is whether Arizona has the horses, let it be stated clearly that it does. A couple of them, anyway.

And truly the four-legged variety at that.

There is a 2-year-old colt named Da Stoops being trained by Arizona alum Bob Baffert, who has the pedigree himself of knowing a good horse or two from Triple Crown races. Named for UA coach Mike Stoops and his brother, defensive coordinator Mark Stoops, Da Stoops has a win and two seconds in three races this summer.

`Maybe they will split the winnings with us,' Mike Stoops said.

Da Stoops is the offspring of Distorted Humor, the sire of Funny Cide, a Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner in 2003.

As usual, of course, basketball trumps football in Tucson, even with horses. Baffert is also training another horse owned by the same UA boosters who own Da Stoops, and Midnight Lute won his only start so far as a 2-year-old.

That Midnight Lute nickname for Arizona coach Lute Olson was originally meant in a derogatory manner, coming from then UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian after he lost a recruit at the last minute to Olson and the Wildcats. Olson has obviously given his approval for the name, or loyal boosters wouldn't use it. Plus, Midnight Lute may be an often-heard name in racing circles in future months. The sire of Midnight Lute is Real Quiet, a horse that made a run at the Triple Crown in 1998.

`Midnight Lute is very talented,' Baffert said. `As long as we keep him healthy, he has a bright future. He looks like a great prospect.'

The man could coach, or at least describe recruits.

Who shows in Seattle?

It seemed like such a good idea when promoter Bob Walsh first came up with it, and he'd done well before with bringing events to Seattle, such as Final Fours and an NBA all-star game and even the 1990 Goodwill Games.

So with great optimism, Walsh purchased the rights to an Air Force home game, for a million dollars or so, and moved it to Seattle's Qwest Field, since the scheduled opponent was Washington.

Who didn't think those loyal fans of the Huskies would gobble up the tickets? The Cougars had drawn well in their three games at Qwest, with all over 50,000. Of course Washington would do better.

Then the Huskies went 1-10 and sold 5,000 fewer season tickets themselves for this season. Walsh set ticket prices at up to $80, with UW students asked to fork over $30. ABC decided to televise the game, another reason not to attend.

Bottom line: About 20,000 tickets have been sold, though the optimistic Walsh is still talking about attendance of 40,000. Good luck.

Granted, it's not at Husky Stadium, but the last time Washington drew less than 40,000 for a game in Seattle was 1977, when 36,489 showed up to watch the Huskies play San Jose State.

Then again, when was Washington last such a popular pick for last in the league?

`That's fine,' Washington offensive lineman Stanley Daniels said. `That'll make it that much better when we're playing in (a bowl game).'

Added UW receiver Sonny Shackelford: `Let's just say that once Air Force gets here, everybody will see what we're talking about.'

Well, not everybody, unless some tickets start selling.

A weekend of watching

It might not do a lot for spousal relations, but what an opening week for a Pac-10 fan with a remote control. By the end of games Saturday, it would be no great task - other than to risk tired eyes, a sore bottom and marital relations - to see seven of the league's 10 teams in action, and all nine that play if the viewer has a good satellite dish.

Follow along: On Thursday, it's Oregon at Houston on ESPN2 at 4 p.m., with Idaho and Washington State on Fox Sports in the Northwest at 7 p.m. (On Fox Arizona at the same time, it will be Temple at Arizona State.)

On Friday, it's Arizona at Utah on ESPN at 5 p.m. Then Saturday offers the Huskies and Air Force at 12:30 p.m. on ABC, with Portland State at Oregon State at 3 p.m. on KVAL, via the Beaver Sports Network. Or it's USC at Hawaii at 4 p.m. on ESPN2, followed by UCLA at San Diego State on ESPN2 at about 7:15.

The right dish and California isn't out of reach with its 2 p.m. game against Sacramento State slated to be on Comcast Sportsnet. That leaves out only Stanford, which doesn't play this weekend.

Fearless prediction

It could be a long September for the UCLA defensive line. Well, it could be a long season for this group of Bruins, and that's saying something considering that UCLA was last in the Pac-10 in run defense last season, allowing 210 yards a game and more than 250 four times.

The Bruins could be worse off this season, particularly early in the schedule with top defensive tackle Kevin Brown out indefinitely after ankle surgery. C.J. Niusulu, the other starter from last season, has transferred to Portland State after too many steps over the disciplinary line in Westwood.

With no experience on the inside and limited size, the Bruins open with San Diego State, which features onetime UO recruit Lynell Hamilton on the comeback from injuries and 215-pound battering ram Brandon Bornes.

On Sept. 10, UCLA has to stop the Rice running game, annually one of the nation's most productive. A week later, it's a visit to the Rose Bowl by Oklahoma, which means, oh, about 250 yards and 30 carries for Sooners sophomore Adrian Peterson.

Or not?

`We have a new attitude,' UCLA defensive tackle Kenneth Lombard said. `We're going to stop the run. There's no ifs, ands or buts about it.'

They're also catching

For all the deserved attention being given to USC's group of talented receivers, let this also be noted: No team in college football has a trio of returning receivers with more catches last season than the combined total of 184 put up by Derek Hagan (83), Terry Richardson (45) and tight end Zach Miller for Arizona State.

`We can throw to anybody on the field, and that enables us to be so much more creative on offense,' ASU quarterback Sam Keller said. `So many guys can catch balls who we can really be crisp on offense.'

Cal is making a case for having the league's best pair of new receivers in freshman DeSean Jackson and junior transfer Lavelle Hawkins.

`DeSean is a football guy and he just gets it,' Cal receivers coach Eric Kiesau told the Contra Costa Times. `It's like talking to a 30-year-old about football.

`Lavelle is more of a guy who has to make mistakes on the field, then the next day he fixes it. And both of them have been watching film every day for hours. It's been phenomenal.'

Odds at the end

The presence of USC for an opening game opponent has made it a likely sellout for Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. That would be the first for Hawaii since 2002. ... WSU has decided to toughen its nonleague schedule and play at Auburn in 2006. The Cougars will be paid $800,000 and also expect a TV appearance out of it. ... In search of a better running game, Stanford has moved Anthony Kimble from wide receiver to tailback and Nick Frank from nose tackle to fullback. ... Stanford picked Trent Edwards as its starting quarterback over T.C. Ostrander, with Stanford coach Walt Harris explaining that `Trent is a little bit more ready and gives us a little better chance.' In other competitions, 26-game starter Drew Olson, recovered from his knee surgery in January, won out over redshirt freshman Ben Olson at UCLA, and Cal has picked redshirt freshman Nate Longshore over JC transfer Joe Ayoob. Ayoob couldn't play in Cal's last scrimmage due to a bruised throwing elbow, and Cal coach Jeff Tedford said Longshore `is more accurate. He is more consistent because he knows what he is doing.' ... Arizona true freshmen Mike Thomas, a 5-foot-8 receiver known as `Money Mike,' has been maybe the most impressive player on offense. The defense has added safety Brandon Tatum, another true freshman who posted team bests in the vertical jump (42 1/2 inches) and standing long jump (11 2/3 feet), had a 40-yard dash time of 4.4 seconds and then did 18 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press. `Everybody was calling me freak,' Tatum said. ... ASU's scout team defensive line is an impressive collection of transfers awaiting eligibility in 2006. Loren Howard came from Northwestern, Tranell Morant from Florida and Michael Marquardt from BYU.

RATING THE PAC-10

FOOTBALL

1. USC: What? You expected some surprising revelation here?

2. ASU: Might score 60 on Temple in opener, and will if it can

3. California: First four foes 12-32 in '04; three fired coaches

4. UCLA: Two bowls with Dorrell, but 12-13 record overall

5. Oregon: Might be trying to play Houston's game at Houston

6. WSU: AD Sterk went to view Reser as example for Cougs

7. Washington: Doesn't play outside of Seattle until October

8. OSU: Which league team had a tougher August to deal with?

9. Arizona: Reached 20 points only three times last season

10. Stanford: Opens Sept. 10; plays twice before UO on Oct. 1