Here are the brutally demoralizing facts from 2008: Washington State had one of the worst defenses in the history of Division I football. The Cougars allowed an FBS record 570 points, which translates to 43.8 points per game.

Numbers like those make it hard to believe that WSU was the last team to represent the Pac-10 in the Rose Bowl before USC’s streak. Essentially, a perfect storm of poor play, untimely injuries, and a complete loss of confidence hit the program hard last season; but at least they beat the Huskies.

Now, head coach Paul Wulff and co-defensive coordinators Chris Ball and Jody Sears must find a way to get better results out of a defense that will be replacing six starters.

If a silver lining is to be found, the linebacking corps may be the right place to look. LB Coach Travis Niekamp has a few promising players to work with, including an exciting sophomore who has a bright future on the Palouse.

Sophomore Louis Bland returns to WSU this season after a very encouraging campaign in 2008. Bland played in all 12 games as a true freshman, and started nine. He finished the year with 55 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two sacks, and one interception on his way to being named to Phil Steele’s Freshman All-American third team.

The most exciting aspect of Bland’s season was how he seemed to get better with each game. In the Apple Cup against Washington, Bland proved he could handle the big stage even as a freshman.

He made a big stop behind the line of scrimmage in the first overtime that ended a UW drive. Then, he made an even bigger tackle for a two-yard loss in the second overtime that forced the Huskies to kick a field goal (which they missed). The victory over Washington was Bland’s best game of the season, and he collected seven tackles (three for loss) in all.

At 5-10 202 pounds, Bland gets the absolute most out of his defensive back frame. He relies on tremendous speed and quickness, while also possessing natural instincts for the position.

The Modesto (CA) native is a perfect fit for the weakside, and should continue to flourish at the position for years to come. This off-season, he has been dealing with a nagging knee injury that could limit him in fall practice and even force him out of action in the season opener. Nonetheless, he is expected to be at full speed for the majority of the 2009 season.

Joining Bland as an impact playmaker will be senior Andy Mattingly.  This off-season, the Washington State coaching staff decided to permanently move Mattingly back to linebacker, after he split time at OLB and defensive end in 2008.

Last season, he underachieved with only 44 tackles, four tackles for loss, and one sack. Big things were expected from the gifted Mattingly in 2008, especially considering his 2007 production (91 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, eight sacks as an OLB). After a year of experimentation, it is now very clear to the new WSU coaches that they made a mistake with the choice to play him on the defensive line.

With Mattingly returning to his natural position of strongside linebacker, he may be able to regain his 2007 form. At 6-4 255 pounds, he is a physically imposing athlete with a versatile skill set. He is a spectacular pass-rusher, but also has the speed and quickness to run with receivers and tight ends in coverage. The Spokane (WA) native will form a formidable duo with Bland, giving the Cougars a great foundation to build around.

Washington State will be breaking in a new middle linebacker this season, sophomore Alex Hoffman-Ellis. Hoffman-Ellis joined the team in August of 2008, and is a very raw prospect. He has only played two years of competitive football (one high school and one junior college), making the learning curve especially steep if he wants to be ready to compete in the Pac-10. Still, his natural ability is exciting, and he has been praised for his dedication in film study as well as on the field.

At 6-1 236 pounds, Hoffman-Ellis has good size and moves very well for a middle linebacker. He has enough speed to make plays on the edges, which should give the defensive coordinators some creative possibilities. While it will be hard to replace four-year starter Greg Trent at the MLB position, Hoffman-Ellis offers a lot of potential. The Los Angeles (CA) native looked great during spring, and entered fall atop the depth chart.

The main reserve behind Hoffman-Ellis will be sophomore Mike Ledgerwood. Last season, Ledgerwood played in 10 games as a freshman, making 14 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. With a year of experience under his belt, the Kennewick (WA) native should be a steady presence in the middle of the defense when he is called upon. At 6-0 224 pounds he is a bit undersized for a MLB, but he has good speed (4.53) and solid fundamentals.

The top weakside backup is junior Myron Beck. Beck started nine games in 2008, after walking on as a JC transfer from Glendale C.C. in Arizona. He accounted for 34 tackles, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one interception in his debut year with the Cougars.

At Pac-10 Media Day, coach Wulff mentioned Beck as one of the players that has improved most since the end of last season. At 5-11 202 pounds, he is built like Bland, and relies on his quickness to defeat larger defenders. After off-season back surgery, the Seattle (WA) native has progressed very well and seems to be at full strength once again.

Other players competing for time are: seniors Jason Stripling and Sam Tennant, juniors Hallston Higgins, and Andrew Kreutz, sophomore Marshall Pirtz, and freshmen Kevin Baffney, Andre Barrington, Deon Ford, Joshua Garett, Sekope Kaufusi, and Darren Markle.

My Take

For folks in Pullman that are looking for a glass half full perspective, here it is: the linebackers are actually pretty good. I don’t know if the defense as a whole will be any better than last year, but I expect this unit of LB’s to pull their weight (and some).

Bland’s knee injury is a little discomforting, but I still expect him to be very productive this season. Beck is a quality backup too, so the weakside is in great shape.

Cougar fans should be very excited about Mattingly’s full-time return to strongside linebacker. His pass-rushing skills and overall physicality should force opposing offenses to account for him on every play, which will greatly aid the rest of the defense. If Hoffman-Ellis can adequately hold down the middle linebacker spot, WSU will have a reliable trio of defenders at the second level.

Overall, expect this unit to be the backbone of the Washington State defense in 2009.