Washington State Cougars 1-5 Overall (0-4 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Arizona State 27 – Washington State 14

Next Week’s Opponent: BYE

If you’d have told me before the game started that the Cougars would force six turnovers and complete their longest play from scrimmage of all time with a 99-yard touchdown pass, I’d have assumed it was a pretty special day in Pullman.

But it wasn’t. Take away that one big play, and the Cougars mustered up only 82 yards of total offense, thanks in large part to an incredible negative 54 yards rushing including 12 sacks.

It’s easy to take away positives from this game. Jeff Tuel connecting with Johnny Forzani (who had slipped behind everyone and showed off his speed) from the one-yard line was an exciting moment; Louis Bland, Xavier Hicks Jr., and Andy Mattingly all snagging picks was great as well. But the silver-lining doesn’t really lessen the blow of how hopeless the offense looked all game, and yet another loss in the record books.

It’s just a miserable situation in Washington State; there’s really no way to put a positive spin on it. The season looked bleak enough to begin with, and losing Jeshua Anderson and James Montgomery has made it even worse. If not for the improbable comeback against SMU, the Cougars would be in grave danger of suffering a winless season; but is a one-win season with an 0-9 conference record a whole lot better?

All eyes are on Paul Wulff now. Patience was obviously the plan, but it’s easier said than done; especially with the success Coach Sarkisian is having in Washington. Does he keep his job after the season ends?

In a season of heartache and pain, any bit of silver lining helps. Here’s a bit for Cougs fans; you won’t lose this Saturday. Sure, you aren’t playing… but at least it’s not a loss.

Washington State Cougars 1-4 Overall (0-3 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Oregon 52 – Washington State 6

Next Week’s Opponent: Arizona State

Wazzu fans may not be happy with the blowout loss in Eugene, especially considering the great effort in the Coliseum. But let’s be honest about three things: 1) The Cougs still have a long way to go in all three phases of the game, and there just isn’t enough speed right now. 2) The team has been ravaged by injuries all season, making it nearly impossible to create any chemistry. 3) They ran into a buzz saw Saturday night, as the Ducks appear to be clicking on all cylinders.

The best thing Paul Wulff’s team can do is move on, because Oregon was a bad match up for this WSU team, especially in a hostile environment like Autzen.

In a way, I think it is good that QB Jeff Tuel exited the game early, as his presence would not have changed the outcome, and a poor performance could have hurt his confidence. Tuel’s hip-pointer injury is not serious, and with the two toughest games already out of the way (and maybe three if you count Stanford), the promising freshman will have a better chance to be successful for the rest of the ’09 season.

Losing RB James Montgomery and WR Jeshua Anderson has really hurt lately, as there just isn’t any explosion in the offense. Receivers like Simone, Blackledge and Karstetter must continue to improve, because the passing game was downright embarrassing against the Ducks (leading receiver only had 12 yards). I like what I saw from freshman RB Carl Winston (7 car. 56 yards) and I can only hope that he may provide an offensive spark for Wazzu.

Defensively, I see a few positives (though you wouldn’t know it by watching the Oregon game). The linebackers are pretty solid (especially Hoffman-Ellis), and the defensive tackles are playing well. Unfortunately, the unit simply isn’t fast enough to hold up against athletically gifted teams, and Wulff must change that in the next few recruiting classes.

Next up for the Cougs is a home date with Arizona State. The Sun Devils are nothing special on offense, so this may be a golden opportunity for WSU to steal one as long as Tuel can stay in control and the receivers and running backs can be halfway decent. Paul Wulff’s team must find a way to keep fighting through all of the adversity. Sure, the blowouts are becoming painfully hard to deal with (along with the injuries), but progress will only be made if the team continues to persevere.

Washington State Cougars 1-3 Overall (0-2 Conference)

This Week’s Score: USC 27 – Washington State 6

Next Week’s Opponent: @Oregon

Just two weeks ago, the Cougars were coming fresh off of a crushing home loss to the lowly Hawaii Warriors, putting into serious question whether or not they would win a single game this season. Losing Jeshua Anderson for the year did nothing but fuel the fire. Not many people were giving them a chance against SMU, considered to be the last real chance they had.

And then they beat SMU in remarkable come-from-behind fashion. While some might point to a Bo Levi Mitchell collapse, the most important thing to take from that game was the fact that the team never gave up, and showed a ton of heart, making the big plays when they needed to. But as good as everyone felt about the win, losing RB James Montgomery for the season and a trip to USC made it look like the happiness would be short lived.

But for the second straight week, the Cougars shocked everyone. A quick strike touchdown pass by Matt Barkley followed by an onside kick and another huge touchdown pass on the first play of the ensuing drive made it 20-0 USC in the first quarter, making it look like we were well on our way to a repeat of last year’s humiliating blowout loss.

But once again, the Cougars showed that they aren’t going to just roll over. True freshman quarterback Jeff Tuel took over and performed admirably, going 14/22 for 130 yards and an interception. His performance was highlighted by a 19-play drive that spanned 8 minutes and 35 seconds in the second quarter that unfortunately ended with no points do to a missed FG, but quickly established the young passer as an offensive threat. WR Gino Simone also had a big day, hauling in eight catches for 83 yards.

As far as moral victories go, they don’t get a whole lot bigger than this one. Washington State controlled the clock, forced two turnovers, and found themselves a quarterback worth getting excited about. Interesting stat on the Cougars; through four games, Washington State is outscoring their opponents in the second half by a score of 53-36. We might have all been writing off the Cougars, but they aren’t writing themselves off.

Things don’t get any easier for Washington State this week when they head into Autzen. But with Cal just getting beat 42-3 there, the Cougars probably can’t do a whole lot worse.

Washington State Cougars 1-2 Overall (0-1 Conference)

This Week’s Score: Washington State 30 – Southern Methodist 27 (OT)

Next Week’s Opponent: @USC

Sure the Huskies will get most of the attention in the Evergreen State, but how ‘bout them Cougars?! I will admit that I basically wrote WSU off after what I saw in the first two games of the season (mostly the Hawaii game), and I expected a comfortable SMU victory on Saturday. For about three quarters it looked like I would be right, as the Mustangs were up 24-7 and cruising to an easy victory in Pullman.

But then the Wazzu defense decided to take control of the game.

I cannot say enough about the resiliency of the Cougs D, which picked off four Bo Levi Mitchell passes and returned two of them for game-changing touchdowns (Hoffman-Ellis’s INT TD made it 24-13 late in the 3rd Qtr, and Beck’s INT TD made it 27-20 in the 4th).

SMU put up 504 yards on offense compared to only 276 from WSU, yet somehow Paul Wulff’s team came through. QB Marshall Lobbestael didn’t exactly light the world on fire with his performance (24-52 239 yards 2 TDs, 2 INTs), but he showed tremendous leadership and poise while directing Wazzu on an 80-yard scoring drive to tie the game in the final minute of the 4th quarter. WR Jared Karstetter has really stepped up as the number one target (caught game-tying TD in final minute), which is huge considering the recent retirement of Jeshua Anderson.

Pessimists will suggest that there are still way too many inconsistencies on both sides of the ball for this to be a competitive team every week. But college football is a funny game, and sometimes a comeback performance like Saturday’s can spark a program. Unfortunately for Washington State, an angry USC team is awaiting their arrival in Los Angeles this week so the momentum may not carry over from the SMU game.

The Pac-10 (and Notre Dame) will not make it easy for WSU to claim another victory, but none of that diminishes the comeback against the Mustangs. Even if Nico Grasu’s game winning kick in O.T. turns out to be the crowning achievement for the 2009 Cougars, it was a special moment for a program that needed one.

Southern Methodist Mustangs (2-0) vs. Washington State Cougars (0-2)
Saturday, September 19, 2:00 PM PST
Las Vegas Favorite: Southern Methodist -6.0

Sam’s Take (14 – 4):

Can it get any worse right now in Pullman? Suddenly, the SMU game may be the Cougars last realistic shot at a win in 2009, and sadly, I’m not sold that can even get this one. After an off-season of promise and hope, this WSU team somehow looks worse than last year’s.

As if things weren’t bad enough, speedy wideout Jeshua Anderson decided to leave the team this week in order to concentrate on track. In my opinion, Paul Wulff’s offensive game plan should be simple from here on: give the ball to RB James Montgomery (and occasionally Dwight Tardy). The full use of the no-huddle may have to wait another year, and by running the ball with a couple of talented backs, the Cougars may be able to conserve a little clock so that they no longer get embarrassed by teams like Hawaii (Hawaii?!?!).

As much as I want to believe that the Cougs will end their dreadful play in this game, I just can’t see the WSU defense slowing down June Jones run and shoot attack. I don’t expect SMU to play much defense either, but in my opinion, the Mustangs are a better offensive team than Hawaii.

I expect SMU to move to 3-0 on the season, while the Cougars continue to search for answers.

Prediction: Southern Methodist 38 – Washington State 28

Southern Methodist Player to Keep an Eye On: RB Shawnbrey McNeal - June Jones SMU offense is more potent (and balanced) than ever, as Jones appears to have found a legitimate tailback in McNeal. The transfer from Miami has been excellent through two games, so the Cougars D will have their work cut out for them.

Washington State Player to Keep an Eye On: QB Marshall Lobbestael - It appears Paul Wulff will turn to the athletic Lobbestael in an attempt to find a spark. His performance Saturday will go a long way in determining whether Wazzu fans can keep hope alive in 2009.

Dave’s Take (14 – 4):

Man, talk about a complete 180 on a team. After the Stanford game I really liked some of the things I saw out of this team and fully expected them to go out and beat a weak Hawaii team.

Next thing I know, Hawaii is wiping the floor with the Cougars, moving the ball completely at will to the tune of 626 yards of offense including 489 through the air. Wow. This is the same Hawaii team that struggled against Division II Central Arkansas the week before, mind you.

Yes the Cougars looked much better in the second half, but by then it was too late to win me back. This team looked like it’s hopeless 2008 counterpart, and now facing a dynamic passing attack that will be better than Hawaii’s, what type of numbers should we be looking for this week?

And then losing Jeshua Anderson? I can only imagine what the morale is like for the Cougars right now. I’d love to say “they realize this is their best chance to win a game this season so they’ll go out and get it”, but what did we see last week in the same circumstance? I’m having trouble figuring out how SMU doesn’t get to 40, and I just can’t see Washington State keeping up with that.

Prediction: Southern Methodist 42 – Washington State 24

Head coach Paul Wulff would certainly love to run his no-huddle offense with this group of wideouts, but it will take some time for the new cast of skill position talent to develop in Pullman.

There is a ton of youthful inexperience in the WSU receiving corps, but the unit does have a few intriguing options. The group will be led by a lightning fast junior who is one of the best players on the team, not just at the position.

Junior wideout Jeshua Anderson enters 2009 as the Cougars main receiving threat. The 6-2 188 pound playmaker was the second leading receiver on the team last season (next to Brandon Gibson). He ended 2008 with 33 receptions for 305 yards and two touchdowns (9.2 YPC), and for his career he has 45 catches for 677 yards and four touchdowns. He is a native of Woodland Hills (CA) and was a two-sport star (football and track) at Taft High School (CA).

Jeshua Anderson goes up for the grab

Anderson is a tremendous overall athlete with world-class speed. He won back-to-back NCAA Championships in the 400m hurdles for 2008 and 2009. On top of that, he almost made it to the Olympics in Beijing last summer as a hurdler. Anderson will undoubtedly be the field stretcher of the unit, and Paul Wulff will look to get the speedster in space as much as possible. He missed spring ball in order to compete for the track team, but will be ready for fall practice.

To fully reach his potential, Anderson will have to become a more polished receiver. His wheels are amazing, but if he can become a better route-runner and improve his consistency as a pass-catcher, the Cougars will have an even more formidable weapon.

Next to Anderson, the player with the most time as a starting wideout is sophomore Kevin Norrell. Norrell played in all 13 games in 2008 as a true freshman, starting in six. He caught 11 passes for 124 yards (11.3 YPC) and also returned 16 kickoffs for 296 yards.

At 5-9 199 pounds, Norrell is a very elusive player with great acceleration and agility. He will line-up primarily in the slot as he did often in last year’s offense, and should increase his production after gaining valuable experience during his freshman year.

The Los Angeles (CA) native does not have great top-end speed but possesses some of the best hands on the team and plays with great instincts. Norrell will be a reliable target in Paul Wulff’s offense with his sharp route running and overall polished skill set, especially for a true sophomore.

Anderson and Norrell will be joined as starters by sophomore Jared Karstetter. The 6-4 203 pound wideout is a physically imposing receiver with solid skills. He played in all 13 games last season as a freshman and started three, but he managed only six receptions for 90 yards.

Although Karstetter had limited production in 2008, he made his biggest contribution when it mattered most. During the Apple Cup against Washington, Karstetter hauled in a huge 48-yard reception from Kevin Lopina during the final minute of regulation. His catch set up the game-tying field goal, and the Cougs would go on to win the game in overtime.

This season, the Spokane (WA) native should have a much larger role in the offense, and will provide WSU QB’s with a great compliment to the speedier Anderson and Norrell. Karstetter is a former standout basketball player at Ferris High School (WA), and has the hops to make an impact in the red zone. He also has deceptive speed for a big wideout, running the 40 in the 4.5 range.

Jared Karstetter secures the ball at practice

Juniors Daniel Blackledge and Jeff Solomon may also see time this season for the Cougars.

The 6-1 182 pound Blackledge played in nine games last season, finishing with nine receptions for 70 yards. He has spent most of his career on special teams but could be utilized quite a bit as a wideout in 2009. Blackledge gives WSU a balanced receiving threat, capable of running intermediate routes or going deep. The Colorado Springs (CO) native will start the year as a reserve, but could factor in quite a bit this season.

The 6-0 196 pound Solomon is a transfer from Paul Wulff’s old school, Eastern Washington. This will be his first season with Washington State, and he impressed the coaching staff already this past spring. The Seattle (WA) native played just about every position as a prep star at Ingraham High School (WA) and it is that kind of versatility that could land him playing time in 2009.

The most intriguing prospect on the team is junior Johnny Forzani. Forzani is a junior college transfer from Douglass College in Canada. The 6-1 195 pound wideout may turn out to be a steal for Paul Wulff because of his tremendous athleticism and blazing speed. Forzani has been timed at 4.37 in the 40 and gives WSU another field stretcher along with Anderson.

He spent time with the Calgary Colts (a CFL development team) catching 37 passes for 702 yards and nine touchdowns. The Calgary, Alberta, Canada native may be eased into the rotation, but should threaten for time this season.

Finally, true freshman Gino Simone will enter fall camp with a chance to earn playing time. Simone was a spectacular performer at Skyline High School (WA), and a bit overlooked nationally. The 5-11 174 pound wideout was one of the major reasons that Skyline won back to back state titles, with a combined 2,282 receiving yards and 33 TDs during his last two years in high school. His production alone makes him a viable candidate for playing time in Pullman.

Tight Ends

The likely starter at tight end this season will be senior Tony Thompson. At 6-2 241 pounds, Thompson does not have the height of a prototypical tight end, but he does have pedigree going for him. Thompson is the son of legendary Washington State QB Jack Thompson, also known as “The Throwin’ Samoan”.

Last season, Thompson saw action in 10 games, but only caught four passes for 30 yards on the season. Thompson has spent most of his career on special teams, appearing as the team’s deep snapper for the early part of his career. The former walk-on from Seattle (WA) must continue to develop if he is to be the starter for a full season.

Behind Thompson on the depth chart right now is senior Zach Tatman. The Salem (OR) native is also a former walk-on and enters 2009 without any game experience after redshirting last season. The 6-5 245 pound tight end has a big frame, and should provide the offensive line with blocking help.

Other receivers and tight ends competing for time are: freshmen Dominique Jackson, Esa Johnwell, Skylar Stormo, Andrei Lintz and Elliott Bosch, and juniors Easton Johnson, Randy Johnson, Aaron Gehring, and Anthony Houston.

My Take

Like many positions, this will be a year of development at receiver for the Cougars. That’s not to say that there isn’t talent, because there is, but the wideouts are young.

Obviously it all starts with Anderson, who really is a spectacular athlete. I expect him to surpass his production from the last two years, but the coaches will need to be creative because every defense that plays WSU will be focusing their efforts on stopping Anderson. I also think Norrell and Karstetter can be good contributors, but expect growing pains along the way.

Cougar fans should keep an eye out for Forzani and Simone. Both of them can give the overall skill position talent a real boost if they are as good as advertised. Forzani is the only vertical threat besides Anderson, and I expect to see him on the field early in the season. Simone has tremendous instincts, and I think he can help out right away too.

Unfortunately, I do not see a ton of upside at tight end. It is very important for Thompson to solidify the position, because depth is scary-thin for this unit.

Overall, this year is about building a foundation at receiver for the Washington State Cougars.