NCAA Football FanHouse

WSU's Paul Wulff Responds to Seattle Times

Sean Hawkins — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10, Washington State

The Seattle Times put the Washington State University football program in the cross-hairs on Sunday, reporting on an array of mistakes by players over the last 18 months. 25 arrests in 18 months is a troubling sign, no matter the coach or the program.

Some of it was your run-of-the-mill incidents that occur at campuses across the country. You know, underage drinking, marijuana possession, assault. Not to excuse the behavior, but pretty standard stuff for 18-22 year-olds. But some of it was, well, a little odd. For example, standout defensive end/linebacker Andy Mattingly attacked a five-foot-ten soccer player. With a frying pan. And the soccer player? He had a butter knife to try and fend off the 6-4, 245-pounder who notched 91 tackles and eight sacks as a true sophomore last season. Predictably, the soccer player took the worst of it, suffering a two-inch gash and was "bleeding profusely" according to the police report. As the old saying goes, never bring a butter knife to a frying pan fight.

All that said, the vast majority of these assorted misdeeds happened under the previous coaching regime of Bill Doba. Doba was relieved of his duties in December after a modest 30-29 record. But the real issues surrounding Doba and his coaching staff appears to be what was, or wasn't, happening off the field.

WSU already suffered the worst APR penalty among all BCS teams, losing eight scholarships based on academic deficiencies and players bailing out of Pullman. Doba blamed a large part of the problems on the signing class of 2005, where six of the eight APR cases came to Pullman in that class. And Doba himself admitted in the story that he might have been a little easy on the players.

"I wasn't real proud of it, to be honest with you," Doba says. "They're kids ... I guess maybe I might have been too easy on them."

WSU turned to favorite son Paul Wulff, an excellent offensive lineman from the late-80's Cougar teams and a three-time Big Sky coach of the year prospect out of Eastern Washington. Wulff's reputation is strong on the field, but just as strong behind the scenes in terms of discipline and having the head coach mentality. In other words, this is his program and the buck stops at his desk.

In response to the Sunday story, Wulff hopped on the sports radio airwaves yesterday on KJR-AM in Seattle. You can give it a listen here. Most of all it was a chance for Wulff to respond in his own voice, beyond just a couple of lines in the story about what WSU is already doing to correct the problems of the past.

For example, since the APR debacle, academics have taken on a whole new level of importance. In Wulff's first semester in Pullman, the football team just turned in a 2.72 GPA for the spring, the highest in the last 30 years. The goal for this fall is to turn in the highest GPA in team history. And Wulff has already implemented a team "Unity Council", a 16-player group that will sit in judgment in dealing with players who stray off the beaten path. They will recommend punishment to the coaching staff, and the input will be part of the ultimate decision on each player.

The hope here is that it's another level of accountability for a program that needs organization and direction. Will it all work? Time will tell. It could be a few seasons before the bad apples are weeded out of the program. But despite the bad press, things are beginning to turn around under Wulff.

WSU's Paul Wulff Responds to Seattle Times originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pullman Is a Really Fun Town

Brian Cook — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:11:00 EST

Filed under: Washington Football, Washington State Football, NCAA FB Police Blotter

Bill Doba... not so much.

The Seattle Times has decided to leave no instate Division I-A program unbashed, following up their epic series on Washington's wacky ways under Rick Neuheisel with an expose on the disaster train that is the Washington State Cougars program.

Most of the article is the usual blah blah blah about very large men getting into very minor legal trouble. Since WSU was terrible during the period in question and the coach is now an ex-coach, there's not much outrage to be generated. But... Washington State is located in Pullman, which is sort of a legendarily horrible little town just down the road from appropriately named Moscow, Idaho. And never has a town been blown up in two sentences like this:

"WSU is a hard school to go to, man," [ex-DB Courtney] Williams says. "You ain't got nothin' to do but get drunk and smoke weed, and not go to class because you're too tired from doing what you're doing."

As WSU Football Blog ruefully concludes, "ouch." They have much more on the situation, too... if you're interested, check them out.

Pullman Is a Really Fun Town originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Washington State Hit Hard by APR

Brian Cook — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:18:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10

Whee I'm a plane I'm a plane.... what do you mean that doesn't count for course credit?

The APR has been a frequent topic of discussion on the Fanhouse and elsewhere, but this is the first year that the NCAA's squad size adjustments have gone away. As a result, multiple teams are getting hurt by it, some badly. The latest is Pac-10 struggler Washington State. The Cougars announced yesterday that they were going to be playing six scholarships down in 2008.

What's more, the APR penalty isn't going away any time soon. From the article:

Sterk said the department has been planning for the sanctions, and said it shouldn't negatively affect the team's ability to sign players. However, he is still concerned that the problem won't go away for some time.

"It'll be a lingering number because (the NCAA APR) has a four-year rollover," Sterk explained. "If you look at it, we've had a blip last year with people leaving. We'll have to deal with it and move on."

Put this in perspective: when teams are caught with major NCAA violations they lose a few scholarships for a period of a few years and basically proceed as if nothing ever happened. Washington State, a middling BCS team, has just been hit with a penalty equivalent or worse.

APR has teeth, and it's one thing Myles Brand and the NCAA should be lauded for. Now, about everything else...

Washington State Hit Hard by APR originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New WSU Coach Hardened By Life

Sean Hawkins — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 11:36:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10

As the dust settles after the hiring of Paul Wulff at WSU, many fans have weighed in on the selection. Some absolutely love it, based on his excellence at the Division-1AA level (or is it the Football Sub-Division, to be politically correct?). But there are some that don't like it, and the leg they are standing on has to do with no success at the Division-1A level as either an assistant, a coordinator or a head coach.

But to understand that Wulff is the right choice, there are a lot of facts to consider beyond just dismissing his lack of Division-1 successes. Wulff did turn in a 53-40 record at Eastern Washington University, a program with a tiny budget and a stadium smaller than many high school stadiums in Texas (capacity: 8,000). Out of eight seasons as head coach at EWU, he had seven winning years, and has taken the Eagles to the playoffs in three of the last four years. He's won Big Sky Coach of the Year honors on three occasions. His offenses are exciting and explosive, and he and his assistants have great reputations for "coaching 'em up". This year, his true sophomore QB, Matt Nichols, threw for an astounding 3744 yards and 34 touchdowns running a no-huddle spread offense. And the Eagles lost by just three points in the playoffs at Appalachian State, your three-time defending Division-1AA/Football Sub-Division champions.

All that stuff is great, but that's just what he's done on the field. Off the field, Wulff is a fascinating story of overcoming adversity at a very early stage of life.

Much has been written since Wulff was hired about his tough upbringing and the things he's had to overcome. Former coaches that had Wulff as a player, like Jim Walden, Dennis Erickson and Mike Price, have all sung the praises of Wulff about the character in the man and the things that have made him what he is today. But today, the Spokesman Review's story brought a lot of things to the forefront. It's hard to know where to start, but to consider this quote by athletic director Jim Sterk:

"I think Paul's been refined by fire, both personally and then as a coach," Sterk said.

You could say that. Wulff grew up in Woodland, CA, and early in his life everything was normal. But life took a hard turn for the worse when at age 12, his mother Delores disappeared in the middle of the night without a trace. It's a very interesting unsolved mystery that is profiled here. As the story details, police immediately suspected Wulff's father, Carl, as the primary person of interest. Blood, hair and an earring were found in Carl's trunk, and the suspicion and evidence ultimately led to a murder charge and arrest in 1985. But after exhaustive searches, including digging up land, renting a plane with heat-seeking equipment to try and locate the body and the hiring of psychics, no body was ever produced. The murder charge was dismissed later in that same year, and his father never faced trial. Carl finally passed away in 2005, alone and estranged from his family. The sad part for Wulff is that he never got closure on what happened to his mother. Wulff's brother Carli went to his father's home after his death to go through his personal belongings, hoping to find a confession or some other details about what happened, but sadly, nothing was ever found.

A tough road to hoe for anyone, especially a kid of 12 years of age to have his mother disappear and his father as the prime suspect. You wouldn't wish that on anyone. And to not get the closure that many people need in times of tragedy is even worse. What if she's still alive? What if his father really didn't do it? Why couldn't he have just confessed so the family could turn the page? Even though the evidence points to what happened, it would have been good for Wulff and family to get the truth and move on. So that's a tough part in an already tough story. But unfortunately, there's more to Wulff's story of personal tragedy.

After a fine playing career at WSU, where Wulff won all-conference honors his senior year as a center in 1989, Wulff married his college sweetheart, Tammy. But as Wulff toiled as an assistant at EWU with very little money starting out, including living in a trailer, Tammy was diagnosed with brain cancer in 1997. After a difficult battle with the deadly disease, she finally lost her fight and died in his arms in 2002.

"It was like being shot in the gut," he said. "We were totally blindsided. That was where my life dramatically changed. Basically my faith had grown, and, being a born-again Christian, it woke me up. From that point forward, it changed me forever."

Now don't worry, there is some good news in all this! First, Wulff has since re-married and has what looks like a great marriage with his wife Sherry. They've built a family with three kids (the eldest daughter is from his wife's previous relationship, but they've had two kids since they've been married). And of course, professionally Wulff just landed the job that he's wanted since he played at WSU 20-something years ago.

Being the head coach at WSU is admittedly no easy task. Pullman is an isolated BCS school, 75 miles from Spokane and surrounded by wheat fields. WSU has the smallest stadium in the Pac-10, the lowest amount of football donors and the smallest football budget in the conference. Bells and whistles are part of what helps sell recruits on where to spend 5 years of their young lives, and WSU is at the end of the line in terms of "fluff". But things are changing in Pullman. The Cougars are right in the middle of a massive stadium renovation that will culminate in a modern facility that can sell a lot better with recruits, while fans will enjoy the enhanced gameday experience. When all is said and done, basically everything is going to be upgraded, from the bathrooms and concessions to a new scoreboard, stadium entrance, luxury seating, etc. WSU may not be at the top in terms of facilities, but it's starting to turn around.

So, based on everything we now know about Wulff, do you think any of the challenges are going to be a problem? If anything, he's going to do what he's always done in his life. Embrace the role of the underdog and run with it. The only conclusion you can make is that he's going to give everything he has to this job, and no, please don't feel sorry for him, because he's not feeling sorry for himself. He's a great example of a self-made success who could have just laid down and wallowed in his misfortunes, but instead, he dusted himself off, learned from some difficult experiences, and decided to keep pushing. If you want to bet against him, go right ahead. He's expecting it.

New WSU Coach Hardened By Life originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 16 Dec 2007 11:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSU Search Ends With Paul Wulff

Sean Hawkins — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:42:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10

After a couple of weeks of rumors, lists, phone calls and interviews, Washington State finally has their man. Several media outlets are reporting tonight that WSU will hold a press conference tomorrow afternoon at 3 PM to introduce Paul Wulff as the next head football coach. He reportedly beat out former Michigan State coach John L. Smith and Oklahoma assistant Kevin Sumlin for the head job.

While Wulff hasn't coached at the division-I level, he does come to WSU with an impressive record of 53-40 at Eastern Washington, where he's been the head coach the last eight seasons. If you aren't too familiar with EWU, you aren't alone. Cheney, WA is one of the most difficult places to recruit to in the nation, and they have one of the smallest venues (8,000 seats) and football budgets in college football. Yet Wulff has won coach of the year honors in the Big Sky on four separate occasions in those eight seasons. Wulff's EWU Eagles just wrapped up their season a week ago, where they lost 38-35 at Appalachian State (remember them?) in the Football Subdivision Playoffs.

Wulff is a former center at WSU, where he started for the last three years of his career and earned All-Pac-10 honors in 1989. He's one of the only WSU players to ever play for WSU coaching legends Jim Walden, Dennis Erickson and Mike Price in his playing career. He is known for exciting offense, where his Eagles led the nation in total offense on two occasions, and finished second in total offense in two other seasons. And for those hoping for a reunion from glory days gone by, former coach Mike Price publicly pulled out of the running on Saturday, a day before things started to finalize for Wulff and WSU. While not exactly the splashy hire that some Cougar fans were hoping for, Wulff at age 40 is seen as a coach on the rise, and should inject some energy and passion into the program.

WSU Search Ends With Paul Wulff originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bill Doba Fired by Washington State

Sean Hawkins — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:20:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10, NCAA FB Coaching

Winning the Apple Cup over arch-rival Washington is always regarded as a good year at Washington State. But even with Saturday's win, it wasn't enough to save Bill Doba. Washington State has fired Doba, according to several media outlets, and the press conference is scheduled for 4:30 pm today. Doba's assistants were also let go, so this is a full house-cleaning of the football program.

Doba has had a difficult time in his last few years at WSU. He did compile a 30-29 record in his five seasons as the Cougar head coach, including a 3-2 record against Washington. But in Pac-10 play Doba was just 17-25, and that includes a coach-of-the-year season in 2003 when WSU went 10-3 and won the Holiday Bowl. After that Holiday Bowl season, Doba went 20-26 overall, and in the end it wasn't good enough. These last four years are also the longest bowl-less seasons at Washington State since the mid-80's.

There is no word as to who the successor will be, although the rumor mill is already churning out the names of UTEP's Mike Price, Cal defensive coordinator Bob Gregory, and even UW offensive coordinator Tim Lappano have been mentioned in unsubstantiated rumors. However AD Jim Sterk did acknowledge over the weekend that if a change were to happen, that Mike Price would be a name that's on the list.

There's bound to be a whole list of names and rumors, but one thing is crystal clear - WSU will have to move fast to find a replacement. Coaches around the country are dropping like flies, and there will be several openings for the top coaching prospects to choose from. WSU is smack-dab in the middle of a massive stadium renovation, and many millions are still yet to be raised to complete the job. A new hire to generate excitement among the donors is extremely important. Plus, this is a vital time in recruiting, and WSU has traditionally held off on offering kids too early. The current (now former) staff liked to take their time and get kids to play out their senior seasons, and then make their move with visits and offers. That strategy leaves them with three known verbal commitments right now for this year's class, a distant last in the Pac-10. No matter who is next, they are going to have a ton of ground to make up in recruiting circles.

Change is never easy, and Bill Doba is a class act in every sense of the word. He's dealt with personal tragedy, losing his wife to cancer in 2006. Yet through it all, he's been regarded as a great man by literally everyone who's crossed paths with him. WSU fans everywhere will always be thankful for what Bill Doba gave the football program. A Midwest guy from Indiana, here's hoping he enjoys his settlement and retires back home to be with family while enjoying his golden years.

Bill Doba Fired by Washington State originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSU's Brink Goes Out in Style

Sean Hawkins — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 02:19:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10

It's been a long, tough ride for WSU's Alex Brink. The senior QB has shot up the Washington State record books, passing the likes of Jason Gesser, Drew Bledsoe, Ryan Leaf, Timm Rosenbach, Mark Rypien and Jack Thompson to become the all-time leader in passing yards and TD passes among many school records.

But the one thing that sticks out like a sore thumb to WSU fans has always been his inability to lift the team onto his shoulders and win the big one, however that is defined. Alex Brink tonight, however, showed all the doubters, the "Brinkhaters" and all others, that he could in fact have that shining senior QB moment that everyone had been waiting for.

In a seesaw battle that saw both teams combine for nearly 1,000 yards of total offense, Brink lit up the brisk Seattle evening with 399 yards and five TD passes. The last throw was maybe his best, as he beat a corner blitz and threw a rainbow 35-yard TD pass to a streaking Brandon Gibson with 31 seconds left in the fourth quarter, leading the Cougars to a 42-35 victory. That now gives Brink a 3-1 record in his four Apple Cup starts, the best WSU starting QB ever in terms of wins and losses in the 100-year history of the rivalry. That's more wins than Bledsoe, Leaf, Gesser, you name it.

But while passing records look nice in the school media guide, and it's also a great thing to beat your rival three out of four, it's still overall wins, losses and bowl games (or lack thereof) for how you are remembered. And that's where WSU fans will always be split on Brink's legacy. After all, the Cougars just finished their fourth straight non-bowl season with a record of 5-7. Those four years are the longest stretch of post-season misses since the mid-80's. So while Brink's career has already been argued quite a bit while he's been at WSU, it's likely the debate will be there in one way or another, for many years to come.

The frustration of no bowl games and losing seasons, however, has boiled over this year. Now, even after this thrilling Apple Cup victory, head coach Bill Doba is rumored to be hanging on to his job by a thread. The Cougars have already said that an announcement about Bill Doba's future will come on Monday afternoon.

Is that good news for Bill Doba, or bad? It's hard to decipher, because there's been very little positive or negative information about Doba in recent weeks. It's like the cone of silence has enveloped the program, and everyone is left to speculate. It's a very, very critical juncture for the WSU football program. Martin Stadium is right in the middle of a four-phase renovation plan, and with the remaining phases, there includes a lot of money that needs to be raised to complete the job. One wonders what the overall message is if WSU does in fact keep Doba to finish out his contract. Will that make fund-raising that much more difficult? Does he deserve to keep his job after missing out on post-season play for so long? Or are there things that are more important to the athletic director and school president than wins and losses, and that will be the message they convey on Monday?

We'll find out in less than 48 hours, but for now, WSU fans will bask in the glow of an Apple Cup victory. And best of all, finally, Alex Brink can walk off the field knowing that yes, he did elevate a team to greater heights, and he can close out his career at WSU as the best Apple Cup QB in school history. No debate can ever take that away from him.

WSU's Brink Goes Out in Style originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 25 Nov 2007 02:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSU's Doba Fears the Internet

Sean Hawkins — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10

This era of technology can be daunting, especially to our elders. How many of you have helped out Mom and Dad with their computer a time or two? No big deal, they were just raised in a different era and technology can be overwhelming.

But today, more than any other time in college football, web sites and message boards have a strong influence on shaping public opinion regarding teams, players, and especially coaches. Go ahead and Google a head coach of a team that's struggling, and the odds are good that you'll find a "Fire Coach X" website. It's the way it is today, and there really isn't anything a coach can do to stop this phenomenon, other than win games, get to the postseason, etc.

That leads us to WSU. Seems as though Bill Doba is so concerned about this thing called the World Wide Web that he actually believes he could be fired because of it:

"Because of the Internet and all the negative stuff, we have some kids we have offered and I think they want to commit but they want to wait and see if the Internet is going to fire me," Doba said Tuesday.

The Cougars are the only Pac-10 team without a commitment, according to recruiting Web sites.

Doba has become a target for unhappy Cougars fans who use Web sites and message boards to unleash their frustration. There even is a Web site dedicated to getting him fired.

Ok, Doba doesn't actually believe that the Internet will fire him. This is just another one of those weekly quips that he is so good at using in his media briefings. He knows that a fan blog or web site dedicated to seeing him forced into retirement isn't going to be at the top of AD Jim Sterk's list of reasons for making a change. Maybe, just maybe, it'll be everything else? Such as the end-result on the field? Maybe a fourth straight non-bowl season and another lowly-rated recruiting class will be his undoing? Maybe the lack of tangible momentum for a football program that was at an elite level just a few years ago, with a major stadium renovation underway, will be the ultimate reason that a change will be needed?

Maybe the criticism and Doba Must Go websites will disappear if they can get this thing turned around, but even after the UCLA win on Saturday, some serious heavy-lifting is still required to get WSU back to bowl eligibility. The Cougars sit at 3-5 right now, and with just four games left, there is very little, if any, room for error. Jim Sterk has gone on record as saying he will absolutely not give Bill Doba a vote of confidence right now, and only says that Doba's job will be evaluated at the end of the year. Sterk did take an unusual step by posting a blog entry at the WSUCougars.com website defending some things about Bill Doba, as he's obviously got his ear to the ground on the different rumblings about Doba. But Sterk also has a stadium renovation to finish, and right now, phases I and II are paid for, but phases III and IV are still in the fund raising process. Undoubtedly, Sterk's job is all the more difficult in raising money if there is uncertainty and unhappiness regarding a 67-year old coach who has been at the helm of some very difficult seasons of late. As we know, it's a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately theme in college football, and while Doba's first season he was Pac-10 co-coach of the year as WSU beat Texas in the 2003 Holiday Bowl, well, that's a lifetime ago in some people's minds.

A 4-0 finish might be the only thing that can save Bill Doba's job at this point, and it's all the more daunting when you consider that Cal is next on the schedule. Yes, Cal is struggling lately, losers of three straight and they are battling a major injury bug right now. But this Cal team did did go into Autzen Stadium earlier this year and take down the Ducks. The same Ducks that destroyed WSU 53-7. So we know that Cal is loaded with talent, and they have the ability to beat basically anyone in the conference. I don't think you can say the same thing about WSU right now. But we'll see. The UCLA game was a good step in the right direction. In a 2007 season that has seen, well, everything, it's at least possible the Cougars can circle the wagons and fight for Doba's job the rest of the way.

WSU's Doba Fears the Internet originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UCLA Should Root for USC

Scott Olin Schmidt — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 21:59:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Football, USC Football, Washington State Football, Pac 10, Los Angeles

Although it goes against their very nature, UCLA Bruins should all start cheering on their cross-town rivals at USC. The bottom line is this in 2007. Unless USC has won on Saturday, the Bruins lose.

When USC had a bye in week two, the Bruins lost in a blowout to Utah. When Stanford improbably upset the Trojans earlier this month, UCLA gave Notre Dame it's only victory of the Season. So when USC lost to Oregon this afternoon, Bruins should have seen what was coming on the Palouse.

Bruins Nation is about to implode, but looking at the schedule, this theory should hold true through December.

Next week UCLA hosts Arizona and USC gets Oregon State--two games both should win. The week after, USC travels to Cal and UCLA gets Arizona State--both games which could go either way.

USC plays on Thanksgiving day, so rack up a loss for UCLA against Oregon two days later and this theory will really be tested on December 1st when one team must win and the other must lost.

UCLA Should Root for USC originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 27 Oct 2007 21:59:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSU Running Game a Constant Struggle

Sean Hawkins — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10

While Alex Brink continues to rack up the passing yards on a weekly basis, a crucial element to the WSU offense has fallen off the face of the earth: the running game. In what is considered a staple of the modern version of the Dennis Erickson-Mike Price one-back offense, WSU has emphasized balance in recent years as a key to offensive success. And in the Bill Doba era, which has seen Mike Levenseller and Timm Rosenbach design the offense and call the plays, the offense has been running at nearly a 50-50 run-pass ratio. But this year? Forget it. The balance has completely disappeared in 2007, and the trend is becoming a big worry for WSU.

Right now, the offense is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry. That's good for 108.6 yards per game, which places them ninth in the Pac-10. That's ok, you say, WSU still leads the conference in passing yards per game at just a shade under 300, so big deal. Well, it is a big deal because WSU's offense needs that balance to be successful. Alex Brink is who he is, a solid player who is at his best when he has a strong running attack behind him. But force Alex into 2nd or 3rd and long, and like any QB in the nation, it's a whole different deal. But to really put that 108.6 rushing yards per game in proper perspective, you must realize that it is the lowest per-game average in the Bill Doba era. But the further you go back, the worse it gets. Going back to 1997, 108.6 is the lowest yards per game over that span. The second-worst rushing mark is 114 yards, turned in by a dreadful 1999 team, a team so bad that Mike Price dubbed himself the "King of Poop Island".

It's even worse when you look at just the last couple of years to see how important the WSU running game actually is to wins and losses. Late last year the season fell apart in a three-game losing streak, as WSU struggled vs. Arizona, ASU and UW. In the Arizona and ASU losses, the Cougars were held under 100 yards rushing. In both losses they were held to under two yards per carry. In the season finale against UW, they did barely crack the 100-yard mark at 102 yards, but it came on just 3.3 yards per carry. That's even worse than the 3.6 yards per carry they are averaging this year.

The proof is in the stats, and WSU was 4-2 in 2006 when they were able to crack the century mark in rushing yards. That translates to a 2-4 record in games when held under 100 yards. This year the trend continues, as the Cougars are 2-1 in games where they went over 100 yards, but an alarming 0-4 when they fail to better the century mark. That puts them at a combined 2-8 over the last two years when held under 100 yards rushing.

Why the trouble in running the ball? It's likely a combination of many things. The WSU defense has been one of the worst in recent school history. When you can't keep the opposition out of the end zone, your offensive approach changes and you are forced to throw the ball simply to stay in the game. The offensive line has seen some shuffling due to injury and some baby-faced lineman have been thrown to the wolves. Bill Doba said earlier this week that they are simply too young and not strong enough to blow the opposition off the ball, so the running game is going to be a season-long struggle. They have to get bigger and stronger before they can manhandle the opposing defense, and right now it's just about young players trying to survive.

The starter, Dwight Tardy, is a solid, gritty back with some pop, but he's exactly not a home-run threat. His strength is not making something out of nothing. With the struggles of the offensive front, he doesn't have much of a chance to make a big impact. The depth isn't strong behind Tardy either. Chris Ivory has shown flashes of being a pretty good back, but he's had some injury issues since week one. WSU also lost their best playmaker off the team from last year, WR Jason Hill, to the NFL. It's been an adjustment to life without his big-play presence on the outside. Brandon Gibson has had a big year in Hill's place, but he's battled some nagging injuries himself and had to sit out of the Oregon blowout a few weeks ago. Gibson should be back after practicing this week, but it's hard to know how well he'll play against a fast, aggressive UCLA secondary.

The bad news for the Cougars is that UCLA has been a strong rushing defensive team this year. They give up just 2.5 yards per carry and have allowed a Pac-10 low three rushing TD's for the season. While four turnovers were the highlight to UCLA's victory last week over Cal, lost in the shuffle was the fact that UCLA held Cal to just 67 rushing yards on 30 attempts. That's good against anyone, but especially Cal, a team that averages over five yards per carry and have 17 rushing TD's this year. Last year WSU handled UCLA in Pasadena, 37-15, but WSU's running game was a big part of that win. They had over 100 rushing yards, including two fourth-quarter rushing TD's to break open what was a tight game.

Add it all up and it makes it fairly obvious what UCLA is going to try to do this week. UCLA defenders will likely attack the WSU offensive line, stuff the running game and dare Alex Brink and company to beat them over the top. We'll see what WSU has left in the tank, but if they continue to be one-dimensional on offense, it could be another tough day in Pullman.

WSU Running Game a Constant Struggle originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSU's Mattingly a Star in the Making?

Sean Hawkins — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:18:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10

You hate to get too excited over a player with just two career starts under his belt. But it's hard to ignore what WSU's Andy Mattingly is starting to do at WSU. Mattingly, a true sophomore, got his first start at outside linebacker vs. ASU two games ago, and thus far has made a tremendous impact as a starter. Mattingly totaled four sacks, five tackles for loss among 17 total stops in his first start vs. ASU, a game where WSU's defense played one of it's best games of the season. They hung tough for four quarters before falling to the unbeaten Sun Devils on a missed field goal in the waning moments.

The following week, WSU was flat-out embarrassed by Oregon, but you can't lay the blame at Mattingly's feet for that one. He held his own, with two more sacks. That makes six sacks in just a two-game span as a starter, an impressive total that is one of the best two-game totals in recent WSU history. He's already tied for third in the conference with the six sacks, just one-and-a-half behind conference leader Nick Reed of Oregon. And his nine tackles for loss this year is already good for second in the Pac-10.

This week, Mattingly has caught the eye of the local scribes, as he's been featured in several stories, including Cougfan.com, the Seattle Times, and a detailed background story in the Tacoma News Tribune. The News Tribune story went into his training with older brother Chris, a specialist in hand-to-hand combat in the US Army. Andy spent a couple of weeks in 2006 at Fort Benning, GA, learning jujitsu from Chris. The training appears to be paying off on the football field:

"When you're battling with offensive linemen and trying to get in there, the quick hands help get them off you," Andy said. "And it also helps in the aggressiveness and toughness aspect when you're getting hit in the face and stuff."

Mattingly says his ultimate career goal is to be on a SWAT team, but at the rate he's going, by the time he's a senior the NFL could come calling. He's a big kid, at 6-4, 235, and despite his large frame, was so athletic in high school that he played safety. The top recruit for WSU's 2006 class, he's regarded as an excellent player in space and has very good instincts for being so inexperienced. He was on special teams as a true frosh last year as the Cougar coaches allowed him to get his feet wet, and he continues to get better with each week this season.

Mattingly's presence also appears to be swaying Bill Doba and his approach to the defense. WSU started out the first five games as a true 4-3 defense, but with the defense struggling so much this year with so much inexperience, the linebackers are at least one area that has some talent. The Oregon game saw WSU switch up to more of a 3-4 look, getting linebackers Cory Evans, Mattingly, Greg Trent and Kendrick Dunn all on the field at the same time. Doba has mentioned this week that there could be some more changes defensively, so the 3-4 is likely to be in the mix.

One thing is crystal clear - the WSU defense has been run over through most of the season, on pace for one of the worst years, statistically, in recent WSU history. The defense needs a leader to get them going in the right direction. There are still five games left this year, plenty of football left to be played. In a defense desperately seeking a playmaker, Mattingly could be the rising star to lead them out of the doldrums.

WSU's Mattingly a Star in the Making? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doba Must Go Columns Making the Rounds

Sean Hawkins — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10, NCAA FB Coaching

The 2007 season has been a titanic disaster for WSU. Now 2-5 after a 53-7 embarrassment of epic proportions at Oregon, WSU takes the week off to try and regroup. But not only are the natives restless, even the media is starting to sound the alarms that this should be the end of the Bill Doba reign in Pullman.

First it was Howie Stalwick, freelance journalist who covers WSU for various publications, saying that with WSU sinking every week and no real end in sight, the end is near. Then WSU alum and P-I writer Jim Moore added on yesterday, alluding to how you can basically feel it in the air, that Doba's run out of time and most likely it will end upon the completion of the season.

Maybe the most damaging of all was Bud Withers of the Seattle Times writing last week about the disastrous recruiting under Bill Doba's watch. How bad has it been? Basically Doba and staff have whiffed on over 50% of the players they signed on letter-of-intent day from 2003 - 2005. What I mean by whiff is that over 50% of the players who signed on the dotted line aren't even in the program anymore. Poor recruiting has led to a shaky position in regards to depth, where many backups are far too young, inexperienced and just not very good Pac-10 level players. WSU is traditionally a thin program anyway, but when the recruiting is this bad, it's almost impossible to compete with the power programs in the Pac-10.

It's not so much that the media is starting to weigh in on this. After all, the program hasn't returned to postseason play since the 2003 Holiday Bowl, which was largely a senior-laden team led by Mike Price recruits. It's really not that hard to figure out. Now that the program is 100% Doba, the recruiting foibles show how the talent gap has widened considerably, to the point that against BCS teams, WSU hasn't even been competitive this season. The Oregon game was exhibit A as to how wide that gap really is, where it was 40-0 at the half and according to many people who were at the game, the score could have been much, much worse if Mike Bellotti didn't take his foot off the gas in the third quarter.

Over the years coach Doba has been pretty much Teflon. The guy is a pure class act in every sense of the word, and is widely respected by fans, media and opposing coaches. Plus, Doba really stepped up and did what everyone considered a big favor to the program when Mike Price bailed on WSU before the 2002 Rose Bowl. It's not as if Doba asked for this job, but he was willing to help out in a pinch by assuming the role. After all, the guy was a lifer assistant in his 60's when this job fell in his lap. At the time it was deemed the perfect fit, as the Cougars had a very good thing going, coming off a pair of 10-win seasons and a Pac-10 title in 2002. The approach of keeping things moving in the same direction was a big thumbs-up from fans and media alike.

But if you ask anyone involved in college athletics, they'll tell you first and foremost that recruiting is the lifeblood of a program. If you aren't successful in recruiting, you are dead in the water. And given what's happened under Bill Doba, WSU football has become a listless program with little hope for future success under the current regime. A quick check of the 2007 commitment lists show WSU, as of this writing, still doesn't have a single recruit committed to be a Cougar. That's right, the number is still at zero. The writing is officially on the wall. As painful as it is to admit for WSU fans, the time has come for change. Here's hoping that when this does likely happen, it'll be handled with the same dignity and class that Doba has shown in his years at WSU.

Doba Must Go Columns Making the Rounds originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oregon Offense a Nightmare for Bill Doba

Sean Hawkins — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 08:16:00 EST

Filed under: Oregon Football, Washington State Football, Pac 10

Bill Doba's WSU defense had a big improvement last week vs. Arizona State. They held the Sun Devils to 23 points, and the game came down to a final missed field goal before the whole thing as decided. The Cougar D played fast and aggressive, and it appeared that Doba finally decided to cut the youngsters loose and see what kind of damage they could do. Andy Mattingly, the 6-4, 230lb true sophomore linebacker with the quickness of a safety, had the game of his life, with 17 tackles, four sacks and five tackles for loss, the latter of which tied a school record.

So it looked like the defense finally turned the corner. But alas, things seem like they might be going in reverse this week. Doba did something he hasn't done all year last week, and that was blitz repeatedly, well over 50% of the time according to Mattingly. But this week will be different, for the opponent in Oregon will dictate the defensive approach. And that, overall, is not a good thing. The success against ASU, while encouraging to see the defense get after it, might have been a bit of a mirage. ASU employs the one-back offense under Dennis Erickson, and the WSU program has basically been running the same offense since the late 1980's. So they knew what they were doing to see last week, and, bottom line, they knew they could blitz.

This week? Not so much. Oregon, with Dennis Dixon at QB, loves to spread you out and dissect you with the quick passing game. Blitzing is pretty much out of the question, as Dixon and his receivers would be able to do whatever they want against an approach like that. Take away the pass? No problem for Oregon, just hand it to RB Jonathan Stewart and watch him get seven-plus yards per carry, which is what he's averaging right now as the top running back in the conference. To make matters worse, the last offense WSU saw like this on the road was against Arizona, and we know what happened there - over 500 yards of total offense and 48 points in a blowout in Tucson. Willie Tuitama threw for five TD's, and a true frosh running back named Nicholas Grigsby had 186 yards in his first-ever start. Uh-oh.

And finally, speaking of Andy Mattingly, how does Bill Doba reward his young rising linebacker for a major breakout game against an unbeaten opponent? By removing him from the starting lineup, that's how. Kendrick Dunn is back this week after missing the ASU game with an injury, so Doba is giving the JC transfer his job back, even though Mattingly might have had the best game at linebacker for WSU since Will Derting roamed the Palouse. WSU is a 17-18 point underdog, and sure, this season has seen it's share of craziness. I guess if Stanford can waltz into the LA Coliseum and beat USC, then anything can happen in the Pac-10. But add it all up, it could be a long, rough afternoon in Eugune for Doba's defense.

Oregon Offense a Nightmare for Bill Doba originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 13 Oct 2007 08:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alex Brink Gets Last Shot at Hometown Team

Sean Hawkins — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:20:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10

While simply getting a victory this Saturday at Oregon is the top focus for WSU, this is also a homecoming of sorts for QB Alex Brink. Brink hails from Eugene, and was passed over by Oregon, Oregon State, and even the rest of the Pac-10 before committing to Boise State. He then changed his mind and accepted an offer from WSU, and the rest as they say is history. But while Brink acknowledges the homecoming, he's more worried about the final outcome this week:

"It's certainly an opportunity I've been looking forward to my entire career ... but we need to win a football game bad. That's first and foremost," Brink said Tuesday.

Last week saw some history in that Alex Brink has now become the all-time leading passer in WSU history. Players like Jack Thompson, Mark Rypien, Timm Rosenbach, Drew Bledsoe, Ryan Leaf and now Jason Gesser are all looking up at Brink's career passing yards. Brink topped Gesser last Saturday vs. ASU, and now has over 8,900 yards passing. With seven games still on the schedule, it's not out of the question that Brink will surpass the 10,000-yard plateau before it's all said and done.

Last year, Brink was excellent against Oregon, as the Cougars upset the 16th-ranked Ducks in Pullman. Brink set a school record for completion percentage, going 20-for-23 through the air. But yet, there's a somewhat hollow feeling to Brink's flashy numbers. It's always been a bit of a controversy with Alex Brink and the WSU faithful, where for reasons that would take weeks to explain he hasn't exactly been Mr. Popular. Whether it's fair or not, he bares the blunt of the blame for a failure to return the program to postseason play during his time as the starting QB. But it's very difficult not to be appreciative of what Brink has achieved, despite the fact that he's only had one non-losing season and the team is currently sitting at 2-4. But this is really nothing new, at any school in America. The QB and also the head coach will always be front and center in the blame game, and that view isn't likely to change anytime soon.

Alex Brink Gets Last Shot at Hometown Team originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 10 Oct 2007 08:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSU's Defense Shuffles in New Bodies

Sean Hawkins — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10

Through the first five games of 2007, it's hard to find a defense that's played much worse than WSU. Last in the Pac-10 in scoring defense, total defense, and passing defense among the major categories, a program that used to pride itself on playing fast and aggressive has turned into a passive group lacking experience and, most of all, confidence.

It's gotten so bad, this defense ranked "in the hundreds" among the nation's teams, that even the few productive players on defense are going to be replaced. Newcomers Alfonso Jackson and Kendrick Dunn, two of the top tacklers on the team, are both out this week after suffering injuries last week vs. Arizona. So changes are in fact coming for this beleagured group, but sadly, it's not really even by choice. At least four new starters will be in the lineup Saturday when WSU hosts ASU. Among the new starters is junior defensive tackle A'i Ahmu (pictured), a player who's battled stress fractures in his foot for the last year. Ahmu will start in place of senior Aaron Johnson. But at least Ahmu has a few starts under his belt, even if it is just a few. The rest of the new faces, led by safeties Christian Bass, Xavier Hicks and linebacker Andy Mattingly, will all be making their starting debuts this weekend.

But the seeds of what we are seeing today were planted last year, when the WSU defense lost so many productive players. The Cougars lost five of their top seven tacklers from 2006, including all-conference safety Eric Frampton and all-conference defensive end Mkristo Bruce. They even lost starting corner Tyron Brackenridge, who was last seen scoring a touchdown for the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. In other words, this defense was already a thin, inexperienced unit before they ever lined up for the 2007 season. When you look at everything as a whole, the results thus far aren't exactly a shock. But what it does show is that WSU has come up short in terms of recruiting defensive talent. A lot of painful lessons are surely on the horizon when you realize that ASU, Oregon, and Cal, along with their athletic, dynamic offenses, are still on the schedule. In other words, if you can fathom it, it's probably going to get worse before it gets better.

WSU's Defense Shuffles in New Bodies originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 05 Oct 2007 08:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arizona's Tuitama Torches Hapless WSU Defense

Sean Hawkins — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 11:24:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10, Arizona Football

The projected airshow hit Tucson alright, but it was extremely one-sided. Arizona's Willie Tuitama absolutely shredded the hapless WSU passing defense to the tune of 346 yards and five TD passes in the 48-20 domination. All told, Arizona would total an astounding 567 yards of total offense against a WSU defense that is, without a doubt, completely overmatched against above-average competition.

It's not so much that Arizona had success through the air. You knew going in that they would rack up yards in bunches against this Cougar pass defense. But Arizona's ground game took off behind true frosh running back Nicholas Grigsby, who had 186 impressive yards in his first home start of his career. Grigsby averaged 6.2 yards per carry, and oh yeah, he led Arizona in receptions with nine, including a touchdown. Arizona only punted one time, and that's now just one punt over the last eight quarters that the WSU defense has "forced". When you can't get the other team's offense off the field, how can you ever expect to win?

The Cougar offense did what it could, and Alex Brink kept them in the hunt into the 3rd quarter. His TD pass to Brandon Gibson would tie it up at 20 on the first drive of the second half, and it looked like momentum swung WSU's way. But Arizona just kept doing whatever it wanted to, possession after possession, and when the WSU offense stalled, that was all she wrote. Brink would finish with 347 yards and three TD passes, very respectable numbers against a veteran Arizona defense. And WR Brandon Gibson continued his excellent 2007 start with 11 catches for 127 yards and a TD. Gibson is one of the best WR's in the conference and even an all-conference cornerback like Arizona's Antoine Cason couldn't slow him down.

Meanwhile Mike Stoops can at least dial down the temp on his hot seat to medium after Arizona's best offensive show in Stoops' four-year tenure. This new Texas Tech spread offense seems to fit Tuitama like a glove, and after some bumpy spots early in the season, there's no telling how many good things are coming for Arizona the rest of the way. In the offense-happy Pac-10, the Wildcats have the look of a team that could cause some major headaches over the rest of the season. But the temp on WSU's Bill Doba's hotseat is now officially turned up to the max. With Arizona State up next, and the ASU offense under Dennis Erickson rolling into Pullman next Saturday, the 2007 season for WSU is now on life support. A couple of more nights like this one and it will be plug-pulling time in the Palouse.

Arizona's Tuitama Torches Hapless WSU Defense originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 30 Sep 2007 11:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSU, Arizona Airshow Set for Saturday Night

Sean Hawkins — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 08:25:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10, Arizona Football

If you are a fan of prominent passing attacks, then tune in Saturday night as WSU faces Arizona down in Tucson. Both teams love to air it out, and while the Cal-Oregon game gets the hype this week for Pac-10 offensive fireworks, the Cougars and Wildcats aren't to be overlooked.

Arizona leads the Pac-10 in passing offense, at just over 318 yards per game. But WSU is third, at 282 yards per game, so, doing a little math, that's 600 total passing yards combined that is a regular day at the office for these teams. With the game starting at 7 PM pacific time, Bill Doba quipped "We might not get back until Monday".

However, often in match-ups like this, it's not necessarily the obvious strengths that will decide this one, but more so it's how teams handle their weaknesses that factor in the most. The most troubling thing from a Cougar angle is that WSU's defense, especially against the pass, has been not only among the worst in the conference, but one of the worst pass defenses in the nation so far this year. As we pointed out earlier this week, WSU is 101st in the country in passing yards allowed, and dead last at 119th in opponent third-down rate, allowing an unfathomable 57.9 percent. That third down rate is especially troubling, as everyone knows, in that it shows how long the opposing team can keep their offense on the field. That's really bad news in that it also plays keep-away from the WSU offense, which is clearly the strength of the team in 2007.

An even scarier proposition is that Arizona QB Willie Tuitama is starting to get a grasp on this Texas Tech Red Raider passing attack that was imported by Mike Stoops. New offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes brought the playbook with him after seven years at Texas Tech, a team known for it's infatuation with spreading the field and throwing it like crazy. How much is Tuitama getting the feel for the new attack? He set school records in completions and passing attempts vs. Cal last week, going a Tech-like 42 for 61 in the 45-27 loss. And Tuitama loves to spread the ball around, as five different Arizona WR's already have double digits in receptions and we're only four games into the season. Senior Michael Thomas has logged 31 catches, good for the top spot in the conference so far. Sophomore Terrell Turner is showing he's one of the best young WR's in the conference, tied for 4th in the Pac-10 in receptions.

But WSU is not to be outdone in the passing offense department. WR's Michael Bumpus and Brandon Gibson are 2nd and 3rd in the conference in total catches. Gibson leads the conference in receiving yards per game and is second in TD catches. And oh yeah, often-overlooked senior QB Alex Brink is #2 in passing yards per game, behind only Tuitama. So, all told, this game at least statistically has the Pac-10's top two QB's in terms of passing yards per game, and four of the top five WR's in the Pac-10 this year in catches and yards.

The weirdest thing about Arizona this year is their defense. With 10 starters back from last year's strong group, there were visions of Desert Swarm dancing in the heads of the Wildcat faithful, but it just hasn't clicked this year. Mike Stoops earlier in the week pointed to a lack of turnovers, and he's right. Arizona is ninth in the conference in turnover ratio, ahead of only Oregon State with a minus-3 in that department. The Wildcats are smack dab in the middle of the conference in other areas, such as passing defense, rushing defense, sacks and total defense. So for reasons that haven't yet been clear, Arizona hasn't performed up to expectations on defense thus far.

This game is beyond crucial for both programs. The Wildcats are a disappointing 1-3 this season, and while slow starts are nothing new for Arizona under Mike Stoops, a loss here would turn up the heat significantly on his already-warm coaching seat. The same could be said for Bill Doba, as a loss here would put the Cougars in a 2-3 hole with several tougher games on the horizon. Many are already saying that this is the Pac-10's version of the "coaching hot-seat bowl", and the loser could be facing the end of the road at their respective program.

WSU, Arizona Airshow Set for Saturday Night originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 28 Sep 2007 08:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSU Defense One of Worst in School History?

Sean Hawkins — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:19:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10

Saturday's loss to USC wasn't unexpected from a Cougar fan's point of view. In fact the game played out to pretty much all expectations. It might be close early, but USC's offense is just too powerful, and of course their defense sports several future NFL draft picks, and the Trojans should pull away. The game stayed exactly to script in the 47-14 USC conquest. But there are some pretty alarming signs for WSU right now, signs that have been forming like storm clouds in the distance. You can see it coming on the horizon, you hold out hope they'll blow the other way, but deep down you know it's going to rain on your parade.

The biggest thing, hands down, the Cougars are dealing with is a defensive ineptness that is downright offensive. USC was so in control on Saturday night that they never once even had to punt. In fact the only two possessions in which the Trojans didn't get on the scoreboard were interceptions, the first one before halftime when Booty made his only mistake of the game. The second was late in the game when backup QB Mark Sanchez made a throw he shouldn't have that was picked off by defensive lineman Toby Turpin.

Head coach Bill Doba has got to be tossing and turning at night after what he's seen his guys do over the first four games. After all, Doba is a long-time defensive coordinator and has been the architect of some very stout defenses in his time at WSU. The 1994 defense, a unit that gave up a mere 229 yards per game, was #3 in the nation in rushing defense and scoring defense. The 2001 defense had 40 sacks and 26 interceptions, both second in the nation only to Miami. In 2002, the team set a school record with a fantastic 55 sacks, plus they led the Pac-10 in rushing defense. In 2003, WSU led the nation in takeaways, were 5th in pass efficiency defense and 6th in rushing defense.

So how far has the defense fallen since the salad days? As the Seattle P-I points out, we're talking a fall of epic proportions when you consider the following:

Only six times in the 113-year history of Cougars football has WSU yielded more points in the first four games of the season. WSU has given up 134 points, and that 33.5 average would rank fourth worst in school history for a season.

WSU is also on pace to register some of the worst numbers in school history in total yards allowed (429.8) and passing yards allowed (274.0). WSU ranks 88th in the nation in total yards allowed, 93rd in points allowed, 101st in passing yards allowed and 119th -- dead last -- in third-down conversions allowed at 57.9 percent.

Phew, that's bad. But will it get any better? After all, the Cougars are starting two new linebackers and three new players in the secondary this year, and all these guys are getting a baptism by fire. And, for the first time since 1983, the Cougars have played two top-10 teams in their first four games, and that's certainly an influence in the defensive stats. They've got to improve eventually...right? Or is this just a huge drop in talent that has slowly been building at WSU?

This is the first year that Mike Price's players are officially out of the program, as last year's senior class featured some redshirts from 2002, Price's last year in Pullman. Mkristo Bruce was one notable player who was recruited by Mike Price. But it's now a 100% pure Bill Doba program at this point. While anyone can skew statistics in their favor, in fact there are several novels on Amazon.com that will show you how to do it, it's pretty hard to hide from these defensive numbers. With offensive machines like ASU, Oregon and Cal still on the schedule, unless there's drastic improvement from here on out, there's no telling how bad it might get before it's all said and done.

WSU Defense One of Worst in School History? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 25 Sep 2007 08:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trojan Gameday: Pot of Gold Edition

Scott Olin Schmidt — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 14:28:00 EST

Filed under: USC Football, Washington State Football, Pac 10, NCAA FB Fans

The USC Trojans opened up their quest for a sixth consecutive Pac Ten title on Saturday, hosting the Washington State Cougars to a wet but spirited Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Just like the last two Trojan games, we were there to bring you the full pageantry of the day--and some insights on the game.

For once this season, the USC Trojans lived up to their "Leave No Doubt" slogan on their way to a 47-14 victory over the Washington State Cougars.

Heisman Candidate John David Booty lived up to the reputation, distributing the ball evenly among nine receivers while throwing for 279 yards and four touchdowns with just one interception. That tight end Fred Davis was his leading receiver shows that Booty was able to make progressions and check off receivers--something he seemingly had failed to do in previous games.

The Trojan running game was slowed a little compared to their 313-yard performance against Nebraska, rushing for but 215 yards. Nonetheless, USC was able to work in both Freshman Joe McKnight and sixth-year Senior Hershel Dennis late in the game and neither disappointed.
If the USC offense seemed less than impressive to fans or statisticians, it was because they were operating on a short field. The Trojan defense was able to shut down the Washington State offense, which gained only 64 yards on the ground and 183 yards through the air, cause turnovers or mistakes and give the offense good field position.

But enough about the game...you want to see Song Girls!

There was an army of Song Giels marching their way to the Coliseum Saturday.

Not even a little rain could keep these Song Girls from smiling!

Former Song Boy aka. Yell Leader, Keegan, poses for a picture with Traveler.

Adam Rose of the All things Trojan Blog flashes his press pass.

Fans pose before the game with George Tirebiter.

George is one lucky Dog.

I don't know why these co-eds aren't Song Girls.

These fans came prepared for the cold, wet weather.

In the end, the Trojan offense turned the heat up on Wazzu.

Trojan Gameday: Pot of Gold Edition originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 23 Sep 2007 14:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSU Wins, but Defense Shows Soft, White Underbelly

Sean Hawkins — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:43:00 EST

Filed under: Washington State Football, Pac 10

Bill Doba probably summed this one up best on the post-game radio show, saying that he's never seen a 45-28 win feel more like a loss than this one. Idaho came sprinting out of the gates, rolling down the field in effortless fashion for a lightning quick 7-0 lead not even 90 seconds into the game. Idaho would take a 14-7 lead later in the quarter, and would tie it up at 21 halfway through the 2nd quarter as frosh QB Nathan Enderle showed poise and a strong arm to boot. Eventually the Cougar offense would take over, opening up a 38-21 lead in the third quarter and they pulled away for a 45-28 win.

The offense was great again, what with 45 points and almost 450 yards of total offense. QB Alex Brink was strong as can be expected, 26-for-36 for 307 yards, four TD's and just one INT. He spread the ball around to seven different receivers, but Michael Bumpus was the brightest star on this clear, comfortable evening on the Palouse, grabbing eight balls for 118 yards and two TD's. Dwight Tardy finally topped the 100-yard mark after coming so close the first two weeks, running for 108 very tough yards on 22 carries.

But the defense, oh that defense. To their credit, they did do a great job of taking the ball away with five total turnovers, including four INT's. But there are clearly some issues that somehow, someway have to be fixed, or else you might as well get used to yards and points by the truckload every Saturday.

Personally I was impressed with both Chima Nwachukwu and Devin Giles, both first-year starters at cornerback. They look very athletic, and you could see that they both possess good footwork and instincts. They should be a pretty strong pair of corners in the near future, but there are a lot of games - and lessons to be learned - that are going to be rather painful as they cut their teeth playing in the Pac-10. And their youth has a trickle-down effect right now that could be a big problem as conference play gets going.

First of all, one big thing that it appears Bill Doba is trying to do through the first three games is compensate for the youth of the cornerbacks by giving a ton of safety help in coverage. While that's great, and it should help limit the mistakes deep down the field, well, there is this little matter of the middle of the defense. It's a big hole right now, a hole that Idaho kept exploiting time and again. Not only did Enderle have his most success with hitting slants, drags and other routes over the middle by splitting the safeties, but RB Deonte Jackson had an impressive 113 yards rushing. With the safeties and corners playing so soft, the run support just lacks that little extra something. WSU has a history of playing aggressive defense, and witness last year all-Pac-10 Eric Frampton's team-leading 100 tackles at safety. In other words, they like to get their safeties into the action and not just have them drop deep down the field to help out the corners on every play.

But even worse is the pass coverage over the middle. MLB Greg Trent is a team captain, and he's really tough in run support as the leading tackler on the team, but covering tight-ends, running backs and slot receivers in the passing game are, well, let's just say they aren't his specialty. But it's not fair to simply lay the blame at the feet of Trent. The other linebackers, Kendrick Dunn, Cory Evans and Andy Mattingly, were just as guilty in letting the middle become a vast open space. Combine that open space with the lack of teeth from the pass rush out of the defensive line, where they managed only two sacks against a QB in Enderle that is more Andrew Walter than Marques Tuiasosopo, then you have a recipe for disaster.

The defensive line has got to get better at rushing the passer and making life uncomfortable for the opposing QB, because a young secondary can only hold up for so long before things break down. I'm still waiting to see Ropati Pitoitua and Aaron Johnson (pictured), the large duo in the middle at defensive tackle, make a major impact this year, but thus far it hasn't happened. Not that the defensive tackles are big-time playmakers, but that big push up the middle that you hope for out of the size and experience of these seniors just hasn't been there this year.

And oh yeah, that's USC looming next Saturday. The same USC that led Nebraska 42-10 in the 3rd quarter in a blowout that had big-time written all over it. USC's got to be licking their chops when they look at WSU's game film from this week and see what Idaho was able to do against the Cougar defense. The middle is rapidly becoming the soft white underbelly of the WSU defense. I don't know what the answer is at this point. Does Doba relent and realize that his defensive front needs help, and decides it's time to let his young corners sink or swim and free up the safeties to make more plays closer to the line of scrimmage? Does Doba look at lineup changes, as young tackles like Toby Turpin have showed some talent inside? It's a hard nut to crack. But unless something drastic changes, it will be a season-long weakness that could torpedo any shot at a bowl season for WSU.

WSU Wins, but Defense Shows Soft, White Underbelly originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 17 Sep 2007 11:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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