Washington State Cougars (1-10) vs. Washington Huskies (3-7)
Saturday, November 28, 3:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Washington -24.5

Sam’s Take (49 – 19):

For the second straight season, the Apple Cup will decide the Pac-10’s cellar dweller (well, it will make it official anyway, the Cougs already have the spot wrapped up). Amazingly, both of these programs combined have only won one game since September 19th. That day, I thought the Apple Cup would surely be must-see TV, as UW upset USC and Wazzu pulled out a thrilling comeback win over SMU. But the momentum didn’t carry over for either school, so here we are again.

WSU has won four of the last five, including a particularly satisfying double overtime game last year that kept the hated Huskies winless (which is how they would finish). But U-Dub was without a pair of game breakers that will undoubtedly influence the outcome in Seattle this Saturday. I expect QB Jake Locker and RB Chris Polk to account for at least four to five TDs against a Cougar defense that ranks 116th nationally against the run and 117th against the pass.

Don’t get me wrong; I am a big believer in throwing out the record books for rivalry games. But it is very hard for me to believe that WSU can score enough points to keep up with Locker, Polk and the rest of Sarkisian’s playmakers. As bad as the Huskies are on defense (104th nationally in total defense), Wazzu is even worse offensively (119th nationally in total offense). In a game of weakness vs. weakness, I’ll take U-Dub.

Paul Wulff has been adamant that his WSU program is headed in the right direction, and I want to believe him. But a perfect storm of injuries, dismissals, and poor play has helped produce arguably the worst team in the history of the program. While Sarkisian’s Dawgs have a long way to go as well, the talent discrepancy between the two programs is night and day.

I like the Huskies in a rout.

Prediction: Washington 42 – Washington State 17

Washington State Player to Keep an Eye On: RB Dwight Tardy – This will be Tardy’s last game as a Coug and I expect him to finish his solid career with a big effort. Tardy would love to end his career with a winning record against U-Dub (he is 2-1 in his career vs. UW).

Washington Player to Keep an Eye On: TE Kavario Middleton – Middleton has given the Cougs some bulletin board material this week by saying the Dawgs would score 50 on WSU to show them where they stand in the Pac-10. Now he and the rest of the offense will have to back it up.

Dave’s Take (50 – 18):

It’s been a far fall from 2-1 as Washington has lost 6 of their last 7, but not far enough to make me forget that they are a tier above Washington State.

After all, all three wins came against teams with winning records in Idaho and conference-contenders USC and Arizona. They also had extremely close calls against Notre Dame, ASU, and UCLA.

Washington State? Every loss has been by 13+, and 8 of the 10 have been by three touchdowns or more. Had it not been for an absolute meltdown by SMU’s Bo Levi Mitchell, that game would have been another double-digit loss. The Cougars haven’t been remotely competitive all season, and it has gotten worse as injuries have piled up.

This is the easiest game on Washington’s schedule, rivalry game or not. Plenty of players left on this year’s team that remember the game from last year too. The Huskies have come a long way since then; the Cougars have actually regressed.

Prediction: Washington 44 – Washington State 17

Washington State Cougars 1-10 Overall (0-8 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Oregon State 42 – Washington State 10

Next Week’s Opponent: @Washington

“We felt we were in the game. We had the ball for long periods of time. One play here or there and it would have been a whole different game.” – QB Kevin Lopina

Lopina may sound like a hopeless optimist, but actually, I tend to agree with the above statement (to a point). While the box score from Saturday’s loss to Oregon State looks all too familiar, WSU showed some promising signs of life. At one point late in the third quarter the score was 21-10 OSU, and that was especially impressive considering the Beavers scored on their first three possessions of the game. The Cougs put fourth a commendable effort, and Wazzu fans can only hope that the team is ready to take the next step this Saturday.

There are two players that I think deserve special recognition for their efforts in this game and throughout the season (not counting C Kenny Alfred).

WR Jared Karstetter – Karstetter had another excellent day against OSU (6 catches 72 yards) and the sophomore has now caught 34 passes for 507 yards (14.9 YPC) and 6 TDs in 2009. If you are looking for positives to build on as this program moves forward, look no further than #84. Karstetter is already a reliable target, but its safe to assume the 6-4 receiver is going to be even better in the next two seasons.

P Reid Forrest – A strong argument could be made that Forrest is the Cougars’ MVP, as he trails only Vanderbilit’s Brett Upson for most punts in the country (Forrest has 79, Upson has 81). Forrest ranks 3rd in the Pac-10 with a 43.56 per punt average, and he has done a commendable job under difficult circumstances. He punted eight more times against OSU, with a 38-yard average.

As bad as 2009 has been, a win in Seattle would infuse Paul Wulff’s program with much-needed momentum. Sure the Cougs beat U-Dub last year only to suffer through another terrible season, but winning the Apple Cup for a second straight season would still be massive. It was troubling to see that only 16,167 people attended the OSU game at Martin Stadium, so Wazzu needs something to spark the fan base for next season. You can bet a win over the Dawgs would do just that.

Oregon State Beavers (7-3) vs. Washington State Cougars (1-9)
Saturday, November 21, 2:00 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Oregon State -31.0

Sam’s Take (46 – 18):

Oregon State could be one win away from a Civil War for the roses… a Ducks win that is. With all due respect to Washington State, Beaver fans should pay more attention to the game in Tucson than the massacre that will surely take place in Pullman. OSU is playing their absolute best football of the 209 season right now, while the Cougars are getting worse by the week. Even if an expected snowstorm rolls through Martin Stadium, I just don’t see WSU staying within five touchdowns of OSU.

I am most interested to see how long Mike Riley keeps the first team in on Saturday (particularly the offensive unit). I would really hate to see ‘Quizz miss another Civil War with Rose Bowl implications because of an unnecessary injury, but I know that Beaver fans want to see him pile up enough yards against the Cougs to keep him in the Pac-10 Player of the Year race.

I expect to see OSU pounce on the Cougars from the opening kickoff, and QB Sean Canfield should have a field day against the nation’s 3rd worst pass defense. In the running game, I think this is the perfect time to increase the roles of RB Ryan McCants and Jovan Stevenson. It really wont matter who is in the backfield for OSU, as the Cougs D-line has been decimated by injuries and an offensive lineman (Michael Pfeiff) will now man one of the defensive tackle spots for the game.

Bottom line; Oregon State can choose its score in this one, and I can only hope that both teams come out of the game injury free (as Wazzu still has an Apple Cup to defend).

Prediction: Oregon State 48 – Washington State 10

Oregon State Player to Keep an Eye On: DE Gabe Miller – Miller and fellow defensive end Matt LaGrone have really emerged in the last few weeks, and the sacks are finally coming for this OSU defense.

Washington State Player to Keep an Eye On: WR Jeffrey Solomon – Solomon played well against UCLA, and will have a chance to build on that performance this week..

Dave’s Take (49 – 15):

Plenty of fans around the Pac-10 will be rooting for the Washington State Cougars to pull off the upset of the year in college football; it sure would open up a whole lot of Rose Bowl scenarios.

Sadly, it is difficult to even entertain the the notion of this one being competitive. With the way these two teams are playing right now, you could argue that Oregon State could compete with just about any team in the country; and you’d be hard-pressed to find a dozen teams that Washington State would have a great chance of beating.

Unless Oregon State inexplicably sleepwalks through the entire game and Washington State plays the game of their life, the Beavers should have this one locked up well before the second quarter comes to a close.

Full speed ahead to the end of the season. Oregon State has a Civil War for the ages coming up, and Washington State will get one last chance at a second win (and oh what a win it would be) in the Apple Cup. If this were a video game, both sides would likely just “SIM” this one to get to the good stuff; but alas, let’s get it over with.

Prediction: Oregon State 41 – Washington State 9

Ding Dong’ the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.
Let them know
The Wicked Witch is dead!

For some reason, this song was running through my head as I watched Stanford pummel USC.

For Trojans fans, it has been a fantastic ride for the last seven years. So fantastic, in fact, that Trojan fans are completely guilty of taking it for granted. Every single one of them (myself, included).

Virtually every hiccup along the way has cost USC a trip to the National Championship, which in turn turned the Rose Bowl into a consolation prize of sorts. USC fans are always disappointed to “only” win the Pac-10 and “only” go to the Rose Bowl.

And that’s one of the reasons why fans around the conference have hated the USC Trojans and their fans for the better part of a decade now, and as Stanford drove the final nail into the coffin that Washington had opened and Oregon had closed, there is plenty of reason for the rest of the conference to celebrate.

A friend of mine asked me, “Dave, you know your Pac-10; Is USC done for? I mean, I know they are this season, but are they done for good?”

I’m surprised at how many people are living in the moment so badly that they are actually asking this question. NO, USC isn’t done for good. They still have one of the best coaches in the country and a never-ending stable of 4 and 5-star talent. They will be a serious contender for the Pac-10 title next year, as well as the years to come.

The beauty, though, is that they won’t be the only serious contender. 2009 will not mark the beginning of the end of USC as a football power; but it will mark the end of their stranglehold over the rest of the conference.

PAC-10 ON THE RISE – FIVE TEAMS IN THE TOP 25

Many college football fans are going to continue to be ignorant and disregard the Pac-10.

They will continue to laugh off the conference for no reason at all, and ignore evidence of its strength. They will continue to hold the ridiculous double standard that when SEC teams beat each other up (which has been non-existent this year), it is an indication of how strong the conference is, but when the Pac-10 beats itself up, it is an indication of how weak the conference is. How does this even begin to make sense?

Of course, if you are one of these people, you are scoffing and preparing your “LOL PAC-10 TEH SUX” comment. Good for you.

But for the more reasonable, it is hard to ignore that the Pac-10 is on the rise.

Perhaps the strongest evidence of the Pac-10’s strength is the amount of BCS ranked teams it has. Heading into this weekend, the Pac-10 currently has 20% of the teams in the BCS top 25 with five; #11 Oregon, #17 Stanford, #18 USC, #19 Oregon State, and #25 California. The ACC and Big 10 each have four, the SEC, Big East, and Mountain West have three, the Big 12 has two, and the WAC has one.

What makes this even more impressive is the fact that the Pac-10 is the only conference that schedules only three out of conference games. They actually have to play a true round robin, and don’t have the opportunity to dodge big conference opponents or schedule an extra softy like other teams do.

TEAM-BY-TEAM, EVERYONE IS GETTING BETTER

What impresses me most about the Pac-10 this season is that as great and deep as the conference has proven to be this season, from the looks of it, it is only going to get better.

1-6:

Oregon – Still in control of their own destiny atop the Pac-10, Oregon has steam-rolled through most of their opponents, including USC and Cal. Their two losses have come against very good ranked opponents; and they’d love to have the Boise State game back as that continues to look more and more like an anomaly. The Mike Belotti to Chip Kelly transition was seamless, and with a fantastic and innovative system in place on both sides of the ball, Oregon will be a power for years to come. They have both Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James returning next year, and this was the year for the offensive and defensive lines to rebuild; both should be even stronger in 2010.

Stanford – Their late surge has given them back-to-back wins over conference powerhouses in Oregon and USC as well as a chance of a trip to the Rose Bowl if the cards fall right. Jim Harbaugh has turned this team around in a hurry, and they have taken on his personality as a hard-nosed physical team that never stops working. This was supposed to be the year to break in Andrew Luck, but he has already emerged as a star at the quarterback position. He will likely be even better next season, and Harbaugh’s excellent ability to recruit will be even easier after the display the Cardinal have put on over the last few weeks.

Oregon State – Year in and year out, Mike Riley churns out one of the most consistently strong teams in the Pac-10. The Beavers have finished in the Top 25 for three straight years, and from the looks of it will keep that streak alive here in 2009. Their excellent post-September play (as always) has put them in a position to take at least a share of the Pac-10 title with a win over their rival Ducks. Mike Riley is one of the best in the country at recruiting and developing players into his system, and there is no reason to believe the Beavers won’t continue to be a threat to make noise in the conference for as long as he’s at the helm.

Arizona – Hard to believe Mike Stoops was on the hot seat not too long ago. With the help of Sonny Dykes and the emergence of Nick Foles at QB, the Wildcats have an electrifying offense. They also have an extremely fast and talented defensive unit. With Oregon and USC still ahead, the path to the Rose Bowl is a difficult one, but it isn’t out of the question. And even if the ‘Cats do fall short this season, the valuable experience that they are gaining from playing meaningful conference games in November will pay huge dividends in creating a championship atmosphere next year and beyond.

USC – Remarkably, the once invincible Trojans find themselves staring at a potential Poinsettia or Emerald Bowl berth. This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Trojans with an inexperienced quarterback and a defense that was almost entirely turned over from last season, but we refused to believe that it would be. Tons of injuries on offense didn’t help, either. But while the Trojans may be down and out this year, they will be right back in the thick of things next year. And for the first time in seven years, they won’t have the target on their back. It should be a lot of fun to see how Pete Carroll rallies the troops next season and beyond now that USC’s aura of invincibility is gone.

Cal – Hard to consider this year anything but a disappointment considering the high hopes coming in. On paper, Cal was right up there with USC among the most talented teams in the country. Jeff Tedford has done an outstanding job recruiting, and while the Bears haven’t been able to get over the hump yet, they seem to be an annual threat to do so. Every year we hype Cal up as one of the conference’s top teams and they end up falling short; they strike me as one of those teams that as soon as we all decide to finally count them out, that will be when it all comes together and they catch everyone off guard.

7-9:

UCLA – The fact that UCLA is the 7th or 8th best team in this conference is about as good of an indicator of the Pac-10’s strength as anything else. Yes, they have five losses; but all to the teams listed above, proving only that they aren’t quite in that tier yet. The Bruins did go into Tennessee with a redshirt freshman quarterback and take that game, and they also dominated what has turned out to be a pretty decent Kansas State team that beat Kansas a few weeks ago. Rick Neuheisel has been stockpiling great young talent, and this team is clearly going in the right direction; they just need to put it all together. A win over Arizona State or USC would make them bowl eligible, too.

Arizona State – Possessing arguably the best defense in the Pac-10, ASU has had a frustrating year due in large part to their inability to get anything going on offense. It is pretty clear that they are only a playmaker or two on offense away from making the jump into the category above. Even without one, Georgia, Cal, and USC were all near-misses that could have easily gone the Sun Devils’ way. If this team can get better play from the offensive line and quarterback next year, both very realistic possibilities, near misses will start turning into wins.

Washington – Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the Huskies have a long way to go to get back to respectability. That said, they have the right man to get them there in Steve Sarkisian. This has been made evident by their hard work and no-quit attitude, which helped them play a respectable game against LSU and pull off huge upsets over USC and Arizona. As Coach Sark brings in more talent, the Huskies should continue to rise, and until then they will likely continue to be a thorn in the side of the conferences top dogs.

10:

Washington State – And than there’s the Cougars. While WSU has made a few strides, they are hard to notice or get excited about with how rapidly the rest of the conference is rising. The situation looks pretty dire in Pullman, but on the bright side, there really isn’t anywhere to go but up from here.



THE WRAP UP

Looking at this conference from top to bottom, how can you deny its strength? Every single team (with perhaps the exception of WSU) appears to be either getting better or at the very least maintaining their competitive spot. From the looks of things, the Pac-10 is going to be a flat-out dogfight of excellent teams with top-flight talent for years to come.

Isn’t that what earned the SEC the reputation of being the nation’s best conference?

It’s about time to drop the bias.

Washington State Cougars 1-9 Overall (0-7 Conference)

This Week’s Score: UCLA 43 – Washington State 7

Next Week’s Opponent: Oregon State

Let’s start with the bright side. Washington State has a very exciting one-two punch in Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto. Thompson is one of the best guards in the Pac-10 and Casto is an explosive forward… oh right… I suppose we should talk about football.

Look, at this point we all know the season only has meaning for one reason – the Apple Cup. Sure beating the Huskies looked impossible earlier this season, but now who cares that U-Dub defeated USC? That result is not nearly as impressive anymore, and even with Jake Locker the Dawgs are a vulnerable squad.

It’s difficult to sugarcoat the UCLA game. It was a terrible performance even by this Cougar team’s standards. The players had a bad game, and the coaches did too. It was all very disheartening, and I honestly don’t know how Paul Wulff can motivate his team anymore. A portion of the fan base (I wont speculate how large) is ready to sack Wulff now, and I really can’t blame them.

The fact that Wazzu has recently become synonymous with the phrase “worst BCS team in America” is absolutely unacceptable. WSU is capable of consistent success, but the program is just so far behind in every area right now. I still blame Bill Doba more than Wulff, but I’m not sure how much longer that logic will hold up.

Nothing went right for the Cougs against UCLA. If there is one play that seems to summarize the day, it was that inconceivable 68-yard TD scamper by QB Kevin Prince. With all due respect to Prince and his mobility, that play was unforgivable from a WSU perspective. Coming into the season, I thought a QB like Marshall Lobbestael would make huge strides but those thoughts are non-existent now, especially after his latest performance (2/6 6 yards 3 INTs).

Next, the Cougars will be blown out by Oregon State, and then comes the second annual bottom feeder bowl with the Huskies.

“This is something I anticipated could one day happen. I just knew he was the type of superstar coach that could end up in our league. But we’re both competitors and we’ll be trying to do everything we can to help our respective teams win when we play each other” – Washington Head Coach Lorenzo Romar on WSU hiring Ken Bone

Washington State lost a rising star in the coaching profession to the University of Virginia…. but have the Cougars hired another one? The departure of Tony Bennett brought an end to an era in Pullman–an era full of winning, defense, NCAA tourney runs, defense, Taylor Rochesite, and defense.

Now this Wazzu program will move in an entirely different direction. New head coach Ken Bone brings an up-tempo style that places a heavy emphasis on the transition game. The 51-year old coach from Seattle (WA) also brings an impressive track record with him, as he took each of his last two Portland State teams to the NCAA Tournament.

Bone respects the style that the fans in Pullman have come to expect over these last six years (going back to Dick Bennett), but he also believes that his brand can be just as successful: “It’s a different style. Their defense, their offense, their transition defense, it all fit together the way they wanted to play. What we want to do is good, but it should look a little quicker”.

The Cougars return a couple of all-conference caliber players, but they also lost three valuable contributors (Rochestie, Aaron Baynes, and Caleb Forrest). It will therefore be interesting to see how deep Bone’s debut squad is, especially if WSU expects to play up-tempo right away.

Impact Superstar: G Klay Thompson

It would not surprise me in the least to see Thompson win Pac-10 Player of the Year for 2009-10; he is that good. The 6-6 sophomore from Ladera Ranch (CA) is the total package at the two guard. His shooting stroke is as pure as you will find, but he’s also an unselfish playmaker with tremendous passing skills. As good as his offensive game is he may be a better defender, as he can rebound, block shots, and create steals. Last season, Thompson averaged 12.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.9 APG, while also shooting 41% from 3-point range.

Thompson’s basketball pedigree played an obvious role in his development (son of 3-time NBA champion Mychal Thompson), but I believe the sky is the limit for Klay. In Bone’s system, he will have more offensive freedom than ever before, and I have no doubt that he will far exceed his freshman statistics.

Needs To Have A Big Year: F DeAngelo Casto

Casto and Thompson shined at the U-19 World Basketball Championships for Team USA this summer, and that experience should pay huge dividends in the Pac-10 this season. The 6-8 Casto has the potential to be a dominant player on both sides of the court, and he is particularly lethal on the fast break. In limited minutes last season (his freshman year), Casto averaged 4.4 PPG and 4.0 RPG, but those numbers should be considerably better in 2009-10.

The sophomore from Spokane (WA) recently showcased his new and improved game, as he posted spectacular numbers in the season opener against Mississippi Valley State (18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks in only 20 minutes). Casto must be a consistent force on the boards and in the post all season, and his 2009-10 debut game seems to suggest that he will be.

Potential Impact Newcomer: G Reggie Moore

Many surrounding the WSU program believe Moore has limitless potential. The 6-1 point guard from Seattle (WA) is the kind of elite athlete that Ken Bone needs to run his system. Now the question is, can he become the team’s starting PG right away?

While I don’t expect him to become Taylor Rochestie overnight, I still think the answer is yes. If the season opener is any indication of what’s to come, the Cougs will be in good shape at the one spot all year (Moore had 10 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals against MVSU in season opener).

My Take

The all-conference duo of Thompson and Casto is as good as you will find in the Pac-10, but I am not sold on the depth of this WSU squad. Ken Bone admitted the Cougs are not quite ready for the up-tempo system yet: “I’m not sure we can be too up-tempo this year. We probably don’t have the depth.” Washington State surprised me with their 94-point scoring fest against Mississippi Valley State, but we won’t know if the Cougars are really ready to run until they play better competition.

While Bone may have to adjust his coaching style to fit this season’s team, I believe Wazzu will be successful if the role players (Lodwick, Capers, Koprivica) and freshmen (Thames, Motum) step up.

Ultimately, I see this as being a transitional year for a program that is in the middle of an ideological shift. But when Bone strings together a few more recruiting classes, the rest of the Pac-10 better watch out for the high-flying Cougars.

Projected Pac-10 Finish: 8th Place

UCLA Bruins (4-5) vs. Washington State Cougars (1-8)
Saturday, November 14, 12:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: UCLA -18.0

Sam’s Take (43 – 16):

November in Pullman… does it get any better? Excuse the sarcasm, but the near-freezing temperature is just what the doctor ordered for a Cougar squad that is looking for any kind of advantage. UCLA is certainly not used to the cold, so it will be interesting to see how the Bruins handle themselves (especially if snow starts falling).

After a two-month drought, UCLA finally found a way to win their first Pac-10 game of the season by defeating Washington last week. The Bruins did everything they could to hand UW the game (committed five turnovers), but the win kept UCLA’s bowl hopes alive.

I’m sure Rick Neuheisel has been preaching ball security all week in practice, especially with less than ideal weather conditions expected for Saturday. I believe the only way UCLA can lose to WSU is if they turn the ball over frequently, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see Norm Chow go with a relatively conservative game plan.

QB Kevin Prince has been cleared to start this week, which is especially good news for Bruins fans considering the progress that Prince has made as of late. The freshman QB shouldn’t have much trouble dissecting the nation’s 118th ranked passing defense, unless Chow elects to primarily pound the ball on the nation’s 115th ranked run defense. Either way, Wazzu is probably in for a long day.

The Bruins may have to grind this game out for a little while, but I expect Rick Neuheisel’s club to return to sunny Southern California with a chance to become bowl eligible next week.

Prediction: UCLA 33 – Washington State 14

UCLA Player to Keep an Eye On: RB Derrick Coleman – Coleman will get the start this week in place of Jonathan Franklin, and he is the perfect “bad weather” tailback. I expect the 235-pound bruiser to be very effective Saturday.

Washington State Player to Keep an Eye On: C Kenny Alfred – I don’t spotlight o-lineman often, but Alfred is a difference maker who may actually be capable of containing the “unblockable” DT Brian Price.

Dave’s Take (46 – 13):

There isn’t much doubt that UCLA is in the bottom half of the conference; that much is clear because they’ve played everyone but USC in the top half.

Yes they head into this game against Washington State in 9th place in the conference, but the gauntlet of @Stanford, Oregon, Cal, @Arizona, and @Oregon State is the reason why. When they played a team at their level in the bottom half of the conference (Washington), they pulled off the win despite a very ugly game in which they lost the turnover battle 5 to 1.

This week, they play a team they are a level above. Washington State has proven that they simply can not compete in the Pac-10 at this point, and despite the fact that UCLA is not an upper-echelon team, it would take a perfect storm of UCLA at their worst, WSU at their best, and a ton of favorable bounces for the Cougars to walk away with the victory.

Needless to say, I don’t expect that to happen.

Prediction: UCLA 31 – Washington State 10

Washington State Cougars 1-8 Overall (0-7 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Arizona 48 – Washington State 7

Next Week’s Opponent: UCLA

Even moral victories seem to be eluding the Cougars these days.

It is hard to muster up much hope for the future when the talent discrepancy is so abundantly clear. After a disastrous 16 minutes and 32 seconds of football that saw the Cougars down 31-0, the Wildcats put the playbook away and just ran the ball. They only threw it five times in the remaining 43 minutes and 28 seconds.

And run, run, run they did. With their backups, no less. The Wildcats racked up 294 yards on the ground on 54 carries, and completely dominated time of possession 41:19 to 18:41. There really wasn’t anything they didn’t dominate. Especially special teams, in which the Cougars gave up both a kick return and a punt return for touchdowns.

There just wasn’t any offense to be had when the Cougars did have the ball. Jeff Tuel went an underwhelming 5/10 for 23 yards while getting mercilessly hurried and sacked with the offensive line defenseless against Arizona’s attack. Tuel’s six sacks led to two lost fumbles as well.

Paul Wulff started Marshall Lobbestael in the second half (likely to spare his young quarterback his life), who fared a bit better going 7/11 for 103 yards, highlighted by a 64-yard touchdown reception by Jered Karstetter midway through the 4th quarter. That was the only highlight of the game for the Cougars, which came with the game already well out of reach at 48-0.

What is there left to say? I feel bad for Paul Wulff; convincing potential recruits to play here after this season is going to be a pretty monumental task.

Washington State Cougars (1-7) vs. Arizona Wildcats (5-2)
Saturday, November 7, 1:30 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Arizona -31.0

Sam’s Take (39 – 15):

Think Arizona used their bye last week to prepare for Wazzu or get an early start on some of the conference powers coming up on the schedule (@Cal, Ore, @ASU, @USC)?

With all due respect to the Cougars, U of A controls its own destiny in the Rose Bowl race (a bowl the ‘Cats have never been to) so it wouldn’t surprise me to see them peeking ahead a little bit. The Wildcats have two goals this week: 1.) Win the game 2.) Come out of the win with no new injuries. Running backs Nic Grigsby and Greg Nwoko already have injury concerns, so if this is a lopsided game by the middle of the second half (which it almost certainly will be) the UA coaches must not risk the health of key contributors.

In my opinion Arizona is the second best offense that WSU has faced this season (behind Oregon and ahead of USC and Notre Dame). The Cougars are simply not equipped to handle Sonny Dykes quick screen game, and I expect QB Nick Foles to have a huge game. Looking for a bright side to all of this Cougar fans? QB Jeff Tuel is the real deal, and he’s maturing with each new road trip. I expect the stingy ‘Cats D to be all over him in Tucson, but these humbling experiences WILL pay off for Tuel in a couple of years.

Soon we will learn just how good Mike Stoops football team really is, but nothing new will be disclosed to us this week. I expect a good old fashion blowout at the Old Pueblo.

Prediction: Arizona 48 – Washington State 17

Washington State Player to Keep an Eye On: RB Dwight Tardy – Tardy looked good in his limited carries against the Irish, and the Cougs would love to run the ball in order to keep the high-powered Wildcats offense off the field.

Arizona Player to Keep an Eye On: RB Nick Booth – With Grigsby and Nwoko likely out, Keola Antolin and Booth will get the carries against WSU. The UA coaches are excited about what the 6-2 220 pound Booth can bring to the running game.

Dave’s Take (42 – 12):

The recap to most of Washington State’s games this season have been pretty similar; opponent gets out to a huge early lead and then calls off the dogs. I expect the same this week, even if Arizona does get caught looking ahead to next week, the talent discrepancy is just to large for the Cougars to make up here, especially on the road.

For Arizona, the focus here is to stay healthy, but to also try to execute at a high level, at least while the starters are still in. If they write this game off and play sloppy, they’ll still come away with the win, but it might leave a bad taste in their mouth heading into the Cal game, which they really can’t afford to have carry over.

The Cougars want to continue playing hard for all four quarters and learning good habits. Two of their remaining three games come against the current 8th and 9th teams in the conference (UCLA and @Washington), so pulling one more upset out of their hat this season isn’t completely out of the question; but it looks to be this week.

Prediction: Arizona 41 – Washington State 16

Washington State Cougars 1-7 Overall (0-6 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Notre Dame 40 – Washington State 14

Next Week’s Opponent: @Arizona

Well, that went about the way most of us expected it to. The Cougars were physically beat down by Notre Dame’s overpowering line play, and while the laundry list of WSU injuries played a role, it is pretty clear that these two teams are not in the same stratosphere talent-wise. On numerous occasions, I saw the Irish o-line blow the WSU front seven right off the ball. The same could not be said for the Cougars o-line, as it looked helpless against the ND rush.

The game was essentially over by halftime, especially after Golden Tate’s incredible Hail Mary grab with no time left in the first half (TD put the Irish up 30-7). For the game, Notre Dame out gained Wazzu 592 to 206 in total offense, and ND QB Jimmy Clausen completed 81% of his passes (22-27 passes for 268 yards and two TDs).

It’s very hard to find positives in games like these, but I did like what I saw from RB Dwight Tardy and WR Jared Karstetter. Tardy managed to run for 72 yards on only eight carries (9.0 YPC) and I thought he hit the hole very quickly. While Karstetter only made two catches on the day, both were for TDs. I understand that Paul Wulff likes to use Karstetter primarily in the red zone, because of his frame and leaping ability, but I would like to see the sophomore more involved in the offense this season and in the future.

It is easy to see why the WSU coaches are so excited about QB Jeff Tuel, even on a day where he struggled a little bit statistically (12-23 104 yards 2 TDs, 2 INTs). I have no doubt that the freshman is going to be a great player in the coming years, but he must keep his head up during these difficult times.

Next, Washington State travels to the Old Pueblo to take on a nationally ranked Arizona team that is on a roll right now. Paul Wulff’s squad will not pull the upset, but this game provides young Cougars like Tuel with another excellent opportunity to gain invaluable experience.