It seems music is a central component in the lives of many of the county's college football players.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about Arizona State QB Samson Szakacsy (Camarillo) and Washington OL Greg "Preach" Christine (St. Bonaventure) teaming up to produce an album for their band.

Today, the Arizona Republic reported that Vaughn Dotsy (St. Bonaventure) also gets his groove on. The Arizona sophomore starting guard sings Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" in the locker room with fellow guard Conan Amituanai.

"We've got our singing bond," Dotsy told the Republic. "When we start singing, it's just awesome. The other guys start singing in with us. I don't have a terrible voice, but I'm more of the background singer. Conan's the lead."

One of the reasons wide receiver Josh Smith (Moorpark) gave for transferring to UCLA from Colorado this season was to further pursue his music career. Smith joined the Bruins in practice this week. Szakacsy and Smith used to rap together a few years ago, but have recently lost touch.

I suggest all the football musicians get together for a big jam session when they return to the area in the offseason. Maybe they can produce an album called "805 Football".

With Rudy Carpenter no longer in Tempe, senior Danny Sullivan will open the season as Arizona State's starting quarterback.

After a strong spring, Camarillo High product Samson Szakacsy was pushing Sullivan for playing time before his throwing arm became sore last month.

"He had a great spring," said Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson Tuesday. "He was 100 percent and he was really battling for that job. About two weeks into camp, he started to get some soreness in the tricep.

"That bothered him and continues to bother him.

"I would like to think that as we go through the week, he'll throw it and may have a chance to play on Saturday."

With Szakacsy's health in question, freshman Brock Osweiler, rather than redshirting, will get a taste of the action Saturday against Idaho State

"You have to, that arm has been hurt off and on since he's been here. You can't depend on that. You have to find a quarterback that will be there."

Dennis Erickson was disappointed with last season for the Sun Devils.

"We've coming off a season that was very unacceptable for us."

(on replacing Newbury Park and Westlake High product Rudy Carpenter at quarterback)

"Rudy has been the quarterback at Arizona State for a long time. During the spring, Danny Sullivan won the job. Beginning next week, he's going to have to compete with two others... Samson Szakacsy and Brock Osweiler.

"I really like our quarterback situation. Even though we're inexperienced, I like our depth."

(On the team as a whole)

"The strength of our team is our defense. We're very young there last year."

Here's what local products were saying yesterday about their upcoming college football games this Saturday.

- Arizona State quarterback Rudy Carpenter (Westlake) spent the bye week in Tempe following the Sun Devils' loss to Georgia studying film of the their upcoming opponent Cal.
"I'm kind of going to start all over again with the film process and re-watch everything," Carpenter told the Arizona Republic. "This is a huge game for us. Georgia was a big game, but in the grand scheme of things it's not a Pac-10 game."

- USC senior Clay Matthews (Agoura) will be in the starting lineup on Saturday against Oregon. The former walk-on will either start at linebacker or defensive end depending on the injury status middle linebacker Rey Maualuga.
"He's just been too effective to keep him on the sideline," USC head coach Pete Carroll told reporters.

- Brigham Young University tight end Dennis Pitta (Moorpark) missed bye week practices last week with a sore shoulder, but should be back on the field against Utah State on Saturday. The potential BCS-busting Cougars moved up to No. 7 in the USA Today/Coaches' Poll, No. 8 in the Associated Press rankings and No. 9 in the Harris poll.
"I feel good," Pitta told the Salt Lake Tribune. "I will be practicing all this week. I just got a little banged up here and there in the game against Wyoming, so the bye week was a good time for me to rest up and try to get my legs back under me."

- Following Oregon State's upset victory over then top-ranked USC, Greg Newman (Thousand Oaks) and his Utah teammates are anxious to get the Beavers in Salt Lake City and continue the Mountain West supremacy over the Pac-10 Conference this season.
"This is what the game of football is all about for me and why I play," Newman told the Tribune. "It's going to be a whole lot of fun and I can't wait to get out there."

Arizona State opens up Saturday against Northern Arizona at Sundevil Stadium and head coach Dennis Erickson knows who his horse is entering the season:

"If (quarterback) Rudy (Carpenter) plays like we think he's capable of, we've got a chance to compete against anybody."

Although the Sun Devils will have to keep the Westlake High product clean this fall. ASU won 10 games last year and give up 55 sacks.

"I've dealt with that question al lthe time," said Erickson. "We've got to protect him. There's no question about that... I look for our offensive front to rise to the occasion."