Pac-10 Week 8 Notes and Observations: Washington State Cougars
Washington State Cougars 1-6 Overall (0-5 Conference)
This Week’s Score: Cal 49 – Washington State 17
Next Week’s Opponent: @Notre Dame (Alamo Dome)
Truthfully, there is a new criterion for evaluating Washington State football. It’s no longer based on winning or losing, but rather on the intricacies of how the Cougars compete in all three phases of the game. With that in mind, I was actually encouraged quite a bit by what I saw from the Wazzu offense this week, while simultaneously being horrified by the state of the injury-ridden defense.
Let’s start with the good. Cougar fans, you officially have a right to get excited about QB Jeff Tuel and what he may mean for the future of this program. I don’t care if Cal’s D mailed it in Saturday or not, Tuel was excellent. The promising freshman accounted for 354 yards passing and two touchdowns on 28/42 passing, and he connected with eight different receivers. Tuel’s calm demeanor and strong pocket presence are especially remarkable to me considering his experience level, and it makes you wonder what he will look like in a few years.
Wideouts Johnny Forzani and Gino Simone are helping to establish some consistency in the passing game, and Tuel clearly has confidence in both. For the second game in a row, Forzani busted loose on a long TD catch and run (68 yards vs. Cal, 99 yards vs. ASU), and his playmaking ability has to excite Paul Wulff and the rest of the coaching staff. The running game wasn’t utilized much, but I like RB Carl Winston (8 carries 51 yards) and believe he could develop into a solid feature back down the road.
While the offense should be happy with its 440 yards of offense, the defense took a big step back after generating six turnovers against ASU. I knew the D would struggle without LB Louis Bland (arguably the unit’s best player) among others. But Cal moved the ball so effortlessly that it makes you wonder how many points Jeff Tedford’s team could have put up if they really wanted to. WSU just isn’t equipped to handle most of the offenses in the Pac-10, let alone an opposition that features world-class sprinters in the backfield.
The Cougs will now travel to San Antonio for a non-conference meeting with Notre Dame. I don’t doubt that this game meant something to both athletic departments when it was scheduled (which was God knows when), but is this really the right time for a neutral site meeting between the programs? For Coug fans making the trip, I would focus on enjoying the continued development of Tuel and the River Walk, because Jimmy Clausen and the Irish will likely be able to choose their score.
Washington State Cougars
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Carl Winston, Football, Gino Simone, Jeff Tuel, Johnny Forzani, Louis Bland, Paul Wulff
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