Arizona also home to an economy-sized RB

Arizona football coach Mike Stoops was reviewing the sudden emergence of his running back, Keola Antolin, when he threw in an extra syllable and mangled the freshman's name.

It's ANT-o-lin, and forgive Stoops the misstep. Perhaps he, like a lot of other people, can't get used to the idea of college football suddenly being dotted by economy-sized running backs.

When Nic Grigsby — himself no hulk at 5 feet 10, 178 pounds — fumbled on his first carry the other night against California, Stoops turned readily to Antolin, who responded with 149 yards on 21 carries and three touchdowns.

Antolin is listed at 5-8, 180, though there are people who will tell you he's closer to the 5-6 of Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State's Pac-10 rushing leader.

Cue up what OSU coach Mike Riley has been saying about Rodgers, and it'll sound a lot like Stoops talking about Antolin.

"He's got a low center of gravity," Stoops says. "He's a very powerful guy for not being very big."

And Stoops says the old observation about tacklers being unable to see such smurfs is true.

"We 'lose' ball carriers all the time as defenders," he says.

The first time Stoops almost lost Antolin, it was to his brother Bob, the Oklahoma coach. The Sooners already had one product of Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas in current starter DeMarco Murray. But little brother won this battle, and now says, "It's ironic. One's playing for Bob, one for me."

Mike Stoops saw players like this in the Big 12, like Darren Sproles of Kansas State and Quentin Griffin of Oklahoma, both 5-7. With today's spread-concept offenses, emphasizing freeing players in space, we might see them a lot more.

Kendall Hunter, a 5-8, 190-pound sophomore back at Oklahoma State, leads the Big 12 with 955 yards, and the Cowboys' robust rushing attack gives them a chance against Texas this week.

Second (with 594 yards) is Colorado freshman Rodney Stewart, 5-6 and 180. The Buffs' experience with this freshman class of running backs is a strange one, but typical of recruiting.

Colorado's big prey last year was 6-1, 225-pound Darrell Scott of Ventura, Calif., widely considered the country's best back, whom the Buffs signed. Meanwhile, assistant coach Darian Hagan was recruiting a linebacker in Trotwood, Ohio, who recommended a guy he called "Speedy" at another nearby high school in Columbus. Speedy is now swiveling hips in the Rockies and Scott is 400-plus yards behind him.

Durability — being an every-down asset — is the usual concern for these undersized backs. Riley, though, isn't concerned about Rodgers.

"As far as the hits, he hasn't even blinked," Riley said. "I really believe they come in all different packages."

Pack in the Pac

Approaching the final Saturday of October, the Pac-10 standings are a glut of one-loss teams leading the way. Does that mean it's a race or is USC's perceived dominance hidden in those numbers?

We'll know more Saturday night, when the Trojans, No. 5 in the first BCS standings, visit Arizona, which could make it the most entertaining race in years with a victory.

Starting next week, USC doesn't leave California to play. But Oregon State's position isn't bad either; it has a bye this week, followed by home games with ASU, Cal and Oregon, broken by roadies at UCLA and Arizona. And it wins straight up in a tie with USC.

And what's more ...

• Oregon offensive assistant Chip Kelly figures to get some head-coaching overtures this winter, but the Ducks are doing everything they can to keep him. Both Kelly — guaranteed $335,000 this year before incentives — and defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti have four-year deals, according to the Eugene Register-Guard.

• Bob DeCarolis, Oregon State athletic director who spent years at Michigan, is a candidate for the AD job at Indiana. He's had howling successes in football and baseball at OSU, rock-bottom failures in men's basketball.

• The home team has won eight straight in the Cal-UCLA series. Saturday, that's Cal.

• Arizona didn't have a penalty assessed in the victory over Cal. That's the first time that has happened in the league since 2001, and eighth since 1959.

• UTEP coach Mike Price, on the end of WSU's 280-game scoring streak: "I'm just proud we were able to keep that streak going as long as we could. And I'm disappointed and empathetic for what Paul Wulff is going through."

• A stat for the space age: In its last two games, UCLA has allowed a total of 93 yards passing.

• Nothing against OSU's Lyle Moevao, but it's probably not a great statement on Pac-10 quarterbacks that he leads the league in passing with 254 yards a game.

Bud Withers: 206-464-8281 or bwithers@seattletimes.com