Cliff Kirkpatrick

LAS VEGAS – Oregon State LB Keaton Kristick committed a faux pas Monday at the joint Las Vegas Bowl press conference with Brigham Young.

He walked in with a cup of coffee and drank it as he mingled with reporters and opposing players.

Mormons are not supposed to drink anything with caffeine. When that was brought to his attention, he was shocked. So it wasn’t a way of taunting the Cougars.

“Really, I didn’t know that,” Kristick said. “I feel really bad now.”

A guy I worked with in my last job, who covered San Diego State, had to smuggle Pepsi into the football games at BYU since it wasn’t served or sold in the stadium. There was no way he could make it through the day with a Pepsi.

Beyond that situation, there wasn’t anything major that came out of the event. But there was potential for a problem.

A reporter tried to lure coach Mike Riley into dissing BYU the way Oregon coach Mike Bellotti did in 2006. Someone asked Bellotti back then if BYU would be a top Pac-10 team.

Bellotti said the Cougars wouldn’t be a top team. After BYU dominated the Ducks Bellotti was asked again if the Cougars would be a top Pac-10 team, and he remained firm that they wouldn’t.

The question to Riley came under the guise of expanding the Pac-10, and if BYU and Utah were good teams to include.

“I think they would fit very well,” Riley said. “I don’t know what would happen with expansion. Football-wise, they look to me like good fits.”

International incident averted. Good job, Mike.

Video report
Check Riley in the above clip at the press conference. QB Sean Canfield talks about the team in the quick bottom clip.

Trophy presentation
The game will not only be broadcast on ESPN but ESPN360.com, including the trophy presentation. When the TV feed goes off the air you can check out the postgame festivities on the Net.

Quick hits
Officials from the Big 12 Conference will call the game. … The Beavers will be on the west side of the stadium as the visiting team, but will use the home team’s locker room.

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