September 4, 2007

Rumors of Alridge's demise are unfounded
Foot is sprained, not fractured, says star Cougar back

By MICHAEL MURPHY

The rumor spread with viral efficiency, which is to be expected when the speculation focused on the Cougars' most-spectacular player. The word was that Anthony Alridge, aka "Quick Six," had fractured his right foot in the Cougars' 48-27 loss at Oregon on Saturday.

And when Alridge was seen hobbling around in a walking boot, the rumor caught fire. But the quickest move Alridge move made all week was to throw water on those hot rumors.

Hurt? Yes. Fractured? No.

"That's not true, " said Alridge of the rumor. "It's more like a sprain, I guess. But no, it's not fractured. It's just a bruise. My foot got swollen, so they put me in this boot."

Alridge hurt the foot in the first quarter, but still managed to finish with 205 rushing yards, 325 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns against the Ducks. Alridge fumbled twice, injuring his foot on the second. The senior running back underwent X-rays at Oregon's Autzen Stadium, which revealed no fracture.

"It happened in the first quarter, the second time I fumbled," said Alridge. "I think someone rolled up on my foot. I got tackled the wrong way The only thing that hurts is the bruised part.

"It was swollen, but the swelling has gone down. It was really swollen Saturday. If had taken off my shoe at halftime — it was hurting at halftime — it would have been big. But I kept on playing."

The Cougars don't play until Sept. 15, when they begin their Conference USA title defense with a game against Tulane at the Louisiana Superdome. But if the Cougars had a game this Saturday, Alridge said he'd be good to go.

Breaking the ice

Freshman Terrance Ganaway scored the first touchdown of his college career Saturday Oregon. Ganaway scored on a 1-yard dive with 10 seconds to play in the opening quarter, the Cougars' first points of the game.

"I'll tell you, the feeling was great," said Ganaway, who scored 36 touchdowns last season for DeKalb High. "It was so exciting. I was fortunate to score in my first college game. I pray to God that I have many more."

Two plays before Ganaway's plunge, Anthony Alridge had dashed 29 yards to the 1-yard line, where he was finally corralled by Oregon cornerback Walter Thurmond.

"I was kind of mad at myself because I should have gotten in the end zone," said Alridge, who finished with 205 rushing yards. "I did that a lot last year, with Jackie Battle. I'd get to the 2- or the 3-yard line, and then I'd go out of bounds or get hit.

"Then Jackie would come in and score all the touchdowns. I was kind of upset at myself about that, but Terrence Ganaway, the freshman, got his first career touchdown, so it was good."

Nothing new

Coach Art Briles waiting until game day before naming sophomore Blake Joseph as the starting quarterback at Oregon. It could have been nerve-wracking for the players, but redshirt freshman Case Keenum said he had been through a similar situation before, so it really wasn't a big deal.

As a relative newbie at Abilene Wylie, Keenum was on the tarmac behind two more-experienced quarterbacks, junior Scott Casselberry and senior Jordan Hibbs. But it was Keenum taking the snaps when the season began.

"During my sophomore year I had a junior and a senior ahead of me, and I didn't know I was the starting quarterback until I heard my name over the loudspeakers before the first game that year," said Keenum, who took the majority of the snaps against the Ducks. "That was the first I knew of it. So I've been through it before."

Volleyball marathon

Cougar volleyball begins a stretch of five matches in four days tonight when they host Cal State Bakersfield (3-4) at 7 p.m. in the Athletics/Alumni Building. Following Wednesday's match, the Cougars (1-3) will hit the road Thursday to play UT-San Antonio, and will then will play in the CenturyTel Premier Tournament in San Marcos, taking on Texas State Friday and Cal State Fullerton on Saturday.