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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Wyden's support is vital ... Guest Opinion: City of Ashland space needs ... Haines & Friends Fund grants help local artists ... Wyden's support is vital ... Guest Opinion: City of Ashland space needs ... Haines & Friends Fund grants help local artists ... COLLEGE FOOTBALL Mark Anderson: Ukwuachu's sexual assault leaves Boise State, Baylor both looking bad Comment By Mark Anderson The Las Vegas Review-Journal DailyTidings.com By Mark Anderson The Las Vegas Review-Journal Posted Aug. 25, 2015 at 9:14 AM By Mark Anderson The Las Vegas Review-Journal Posted Aug. 25, 2015 at 9:14 AM » Social News Baylor blames Boise State and former Broncos coach Chris Petersen for not providing enough information. Boise State and Petersen insist otherwise. No one comes out completely clean in this mess regarding former defensive end Sam Ukwuachu, who was sentenced on Friday to 180 days in jail and 10 years probation for sexually assaulting a Baylor student in 2013. He began his college football career at Boise State, and it was there that his ex-girlfriend alleged in testimony last week that Ukwuachu struck and choked her. Petersen dismissed Ukwuachu in May 2013. Petersen, now Washington’s coach, said he told Baylor coach Art Briles about Ukwauchu’s disciplinary history at Boise State. Briles said he wasn’t given the complete story, and Ukwauchu’s former high school coach said he never was given such information in conversations with Broncos assistant coaches. The key is what Petersen told Briles, and only those two know. It’s conceivable there was a miscommunication between the two, though it’s difficult to imagine that happening. If Briles was correct, then Petersen made a big mistake in not divulging the entire story. Good luck dealing with coaches in future transfer situations. But if Petersen did tell everything, Briles should admit that and acknowledge he didn’t do his due diligence. Right now, it’s just a mess. One in which everyone comes out unclean. GOAT The conference call was supposed to last an hour and a half. It went at least double that length, messing up dinner plans in the East. The topic was the Football Writers Association of America’s 75th anniversary All-America team. We were charged with picking three sets of teams, and the discussion was thorough, passionate and even heated at times. One player from a current Mountain West team made the roster — Utah State’s Merlin Olsen at second-team defensive tackle. Navy’s Roger Staubach was the choice for first-team quarterback, and his selection highlighted our mission of trying to represent many decades worth of players while knowing the statistics from one generation don’t translate to another. Staubach never would have been considered on numbers alone. He beat out Florida’s Tim Tebow, who was second team. Nebraska’s Tommie Frazier went in at third team. Nebraska, in fact, had six players represented, the most of any school. The Big Ten had 19 players make the team, the highest of any conference. To see the complete team, visit bit.ly/1U4qfnr . MY FINAL FOUR The FWAA-National Football Foundation poll doesn’t receive the same attention as the ones from The Associated Press and USA Today, but its voters include not only national media members, but also former UNR coach Chris Ault, former Oklahoma and Dallas Cowboys coach Barry Switzer and two Hall of Fame players. And this reporter. My preseason ballot fell in line with the consensus, and here is the important first four: Ohio State — Defending champion brings back a powerhouse. Texas Christian — Quarterback Trevone Boykin is one of the front-runners for the Heisman Trophy. Alabama — Best defense in the Southeastern Conference. Baylor — The Bears return 18 starters. First two out: Oregon and Michigan State. These rankings will be updated weekly during the season. THEY’RE BACK? Brigham Young has been adamant about staying out of the Mountain West and trying to get into a power conference. An invitation to a power conference is still the goal, but suddenly the Mountain West doesn’t look as bad to the Cougars. When asked at a campus event last week about the possibility of returning, BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said, “I would never say never about anything like that.” It wasn’t an emphatic statement that the Cougars were interested in joining the league they left four years ago, but that kind of comment wouldn’t have been made before now. Why? Because BYU knows conference membership is its best path to playing in a New Year’s Six game. Only Notre Dame has a realistic chance of getting there via the independent route. Contact Mark Anderson at [email protected] or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65. He is first vice president of the Football Writers Association of America. By Mark Anderson The Las Vegas Review-Journal DailyTidings.com By Mark Anderson The Las Vegas Review-Journal Posted Aug. 25, 2015 at 9:14 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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