For FOOTBALL
Cougars, a spring of getting acquainted
New season
means new faces among players, coaches
By Dale
Grummert, Lewiston Trib
More than
half the coaching staff is new. None of the quarterbacks has taken a snap for
Washington State. The consensus All-American defensive lineman absconded for
the NFL.
In some
ways, it will feel like starting over when the Cougars open spring football
workouts in Year 7 of the Mike Leach tenure.
Leach, for
his part, is stressing the stability of the program rather than its state of
flux. Asked if he's ever been tasked with assimilating so many assistants
coaches at once, he said yes - when he has taken over a new program.
Suffice to
say Cougar leadership will have a largely new personality when six on-field
coaches don Wazzu whistles for the first time today in Pullman, opening a
series of 15 spring practices climaxed by the Crimson and Gray scrimmage at 1
p.m. on April 21 at Albi Stadium in Spokane.
Leach lost
two coaches to UCLA and one each to Ohio State, Oregon and Texas Tech. And
although they all left for other assistant's jobs rather than head-coaching
gigs, Leach believes their departures are flattering reflections of the
Cougars' 26-13 record the past three years, despite relatively modest resources
for a Power 5 school.
"The
deep-pocket programs will prey on other successful programs and get quality
coaches," he said, referring not to the length of their QB dropbacks but
the size of their coffers "If we won four games (last season), we probably
wouldn't have lost too many coaches. But we won eight or nine the last three
years, and then we had five teams in our conference turn over (with new head
coaches). But we've got some really quality guys in here and we're excited
about them.
"And
I think elevated several of them," he added, meaning he thinks he traded
up in those cases.
Facing the
biggest challenge among them might be Tracy Claeys, the former Minnesota head
coach who tries to build on the success of departed defensive coordinator Alex
Grinch despite the loss of five starters, including All-American lineman
Hercules Mata'afa.
Leach, who
grants his DC's a large measure of autonomy, said his only message to Claeys
was to "keep it simple and run his package. I hired him because I thought
his package is good." It's also fairly similar to Grinch's, he said.
Claeys'
staff includes newcomers Darcel McBath (cornerbacks), Kendrick Shaver
(safeties) and Matt Brock (outside linebackers in addition to special teams).
But the
challenge that will draw the most outside attention is finding a quarterback to
replace Pac-12 career passing leader Luke Falk. With the death in January of
heir apparent Tyler Hilinski, the Cougars must decide between four returners
and two newcomers.
The latest
development on that score is the unofficial acquisition of Gardner Minshaw, a
6-foot-2, 215-pound senior who was thought to be headed for Alabama but tweeted
his intention to transfer to WSU on Tuesday. He started five games last season
at East Carolina, completing 174 of 304 passes for 2,140 yards, 16 touchdowns
and seven interceptions. He won't arrive in time for spring camp but, as a
graduate transfer, will be eligible to play in the fall.
Minshaw
will probably vie for a starter's job with veterans like Anthony Gordon and
Trey Tinsley and, more intriguingly, with incoming freshman Camm Cooper, who
has enrolled early and will participate in spring drills.
At the
same time, two new offensive coaches face their own challenges.
Steve
Spurrier Jr. begins working with outside receivers, none of whom ranked among
the Cougars' top six pass-catchers last year. And Mason Miller gets on the
field for the first time with his offensive linemen, needing to replace three
starters and knowing their backups are green.
Yes, Leach
faced a bigger task of spring assimilation when he first came to Pullman in
2012. But this year has to rank second.
:::::::::::::::
WSU spring
football preview: Cougars begins the search to replace Luke Falk and Tyler
Hilinski at QB
Originally
published March 22, 2018 at 11:00 am Updated March 22, 2018 at 11:44 am
The
Cougars are painfully young on offense and have more than a few holes to fill
in spring ball. They've got a lot of promising receivers, but the million
dollar question is who WSU will have to throw to them.
By
Stefanie Loh / Seattle Times
Which
position group is Washington State coach Mike Leach most concerned about as the
Cougars begin spring football Thursday?
“All of
them. We’ve got question marks at all of them,” Leach said Wednesday in a
conference call with reporters. “It’s the central reason we have spring ball.
After
losing a loaded crop of starters that included quarterback Luke Falk, running
back Jamal Morrow and offensive linemen Cole Madison and Cody O’Connell,
Washington State is painfully young on offense in 2018.
The
Cougars’ losses on offense were exacerbated by the loss of Tyler Hilinski,
their junior quarterback who took his own life in January.
The
Cougars will begin football practices this week for the first time since
Hilinski’s death, and the biggest question lies at the quarterback position
where not a single player on WSU’s roster has taken a snap in a Division I
game.
Help is on
its way in the form of former East Carolina quarterback Gardner Minshew, who
will join the Cougars as a graduate transfer on May 7, and is eligible to play
right away.
But
Minshew won’t go through spring ball with WSU, which gives the current group of
young quarterbacks a chance to distinguish themselves and try to win the
starting job.
Beyond
quarterback, expect to see youthful faces everywhere. Three of the Cougars’
five early enrollees play offensive skill positions – RB Max Borghi, WR Rodrick
Fisher and QB Cammon Cooper – and Leach said Wednesday that he’s been impressed
by the early enrollees.
“I thought
this was our best year of early enrollees since I’ve been here,” Leach said.
Here’s a
look at who the Cougars have returning on offense, and what holes they’ll have
to fill.
COACHING
STAFF
OUT —
Outside receivers coach Derek Sage, offensive line coach Clay McGuire, running
backs coach Jim Mastro
IN —
Running backs coach Eric Mele (previously, WSU’s special teams coach), outside
receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr., offensive line coach Mason Miller, special
teams (and outside linebackers) coach Matt Brock.
QUARTERBACKS
OUT – Luke
Falk (graduated), Tyler Hilinski (deceased)
Who to
watch for?
QB Trey
Tinsley, rs-jr, 6-3, 211 pounds
QB Anthony
Gordon, rs-jr,6-3, 192 pounds
QB Cammon
Cooper, fr, 6-4, 210 pounds
QB Connor
Neville, rs-fr, 6-2, 198 pounds
QB John
Bledsoe, rs-fr, 6-3, 209 pounds
Outlook:
Only one
thing is certain for WSU at quarterback this spring: The competition is wide
open and there’s no true front runner.
“We want a
fierce competition, like we always want,” Leach said, adding that every
quarterback will have ample opportunity to compete for the starting job.
Leach’s
evaluation system involves running two groups during pass skeletons drills at
practice. The top three quarterbacks will rep with the first team. Through
constant evaluation, the best quarterback of the second group will get to move
up into the first group to show what he can do, and the quarterback who
struggles most in the first group will get relegated to the second group.
Juniors
Trey Tinsley and Anthony Gordon will begin spring in that first grouping, with
the third member of that top tier to be determined.
“We’ll see
where Camm’s at,” Leach said, referring to true freshman Cammon Cooper, the
highly touted four-star recruit who enrolled at WSU in January.
Tinsley
was WSU’s third QB in 2017 and he has taken on a leadership role since
Hilinski’s death. Gordon has a big arm. Neville’s edge over Cooper is that he’s
been in the system a year longer, while Bledsoe has the pedigree – he’s Drew
Bledsoe’s kid – and the work ethic to mount a dark horse challenge for the
starting spot.
RUNNING
BACK
OUT – RB
Jamal Morrow (graduated), RB Gerard Wicks (graduated).
Who to
watch for?
RB James
Williams, rs-jr, 5-11, 195 pounds
RB Keith
Harrington, rs-sr, 5-8, 190 pounds
RB Max
Borghi, fr, 5-10, 195 pounds
RB Caleb
Perry, rs-fr, 5-9, 162 pounds
Outlook:
The WSU
running backs room is an intriguing mix of old and new this season, and with
Eric Mele now in charge – he gave WSU’s special teams units an identity by
christening them “special forces” – they have a new group motto: #AllGas.
Mele and
freshman Max Borghi join a room anchored by the creative, entertaining James
Williams (964 all purpose yards, 4 TD) and the steady veteran Keith Harrington.
Harrington hasn’t played much in the last two years, but has patiently waited
to show that he can recapture the form he showed as a part-time starter during
his redshirt freshman season in 2015.
Mele says
three backs will play this season, though the third will serve a situational
role. Williams needs to show he can be a feature back, and he’ll have to fend
off eager freshman Borghi, who picked WSU over Stanford, and has a versatile
skillset similar to former Stanford and current Carolina Panthers star
Christian McCaffrey.
RECEIVER
OUT –
Tavares Martin Jr. (dismissed), Isaiah Johnson-Mack (transferred), Robert Lewis
(graduated), C.J. Dimry (graduated)
Who to
watch for?
WR Tay
Martin, so, 6-3, 182 pounds
WR Jamire
Calvin, so, 5-10, 152 pounds
WR Renard
Bell, rs-so, 5-8, 162 pounds
WR Kyle
Sweet, sr, 6-0, 193 pounds
WR Dezmon
Patmon, jr, 6-4, 212 pounds
WR Brandon
Arconado, rs-jr, 5-11, 182 pounds
WR Rodrick
Fisher, fr, 5-11, 169 pounds
Outlook:
Wide
receiver is WSU’s deepest position on offense this year.
“We’ve got
most of them coming back,” Leach said. “And we’ve got some quality guys who are
going to come in in the fall.”
The
Cougars see uptapped potential in Martin, who scored six touchdowns and played
every game as a freshman and was elevated to the starting X receiver spot after
Tavares Martin was dismissed from the team.
Junior
Dezmon Patmon is probably the frontrunner at Z receiver, but the Cougars need
some depth on the outside and hope to see some young talent step up between now
at the season opener.
Jamire
Calvin, Renard Bell and Kyle Sweet were a productive rotation at inside
receiver last season, and the coaches also like what they see from Brandon
Arconado, a walk-on whose blocking skills and soft hands won him a spot behind
Bell at H receiver last season.
OFFENSIVE
LINE
OUT – RT
Cole Madison (graduated), LG Cody O’Connell (graduated), RG B.J. Salmonson
(graduated), Cedric Bigge-Duren (left program)
Who to
watch for?
OL Andre
Dillard, rs-sr, 6-5, 306 pounds
OL Noah
Osur-Myers, rs-jr, 6-4, 295 pounds
OL Abraham
Lucas, rs-fr, 6-6, 281 pounds
OL Josh
Watson, rs-fr, 6-4, 292 pounds
OL Liam
Ryan, rs-so, 6-5, 281 pounds
OL Fred
Mauigoa, jr, 6-3, 315 pounds
OL Robert
Valencia, rs-sr, 6-6, 291 pounds
Outlook:
The
Cougars’ offensive line struggled last season, particularly on the interior.
They’ll miss some of the senior leadership lost to graduated, but this spring
presents a chance to rebuild under the vision of a new coach, Mason Miller.
Left
tackle Andre Dillard is a potential NFL draft pick, and he’ll anchor a starting
five that will likely include Fred Mauigoa at center.
The other
three positions are up for grabs. Noah Osur-Myers, who saw extensive time as a
sub last season, is an emerging starter at one of the guard spots. And the
coaches say Archbishop Murphy alum Abe Lucas is progressing ahead of schedule.
He could compete for the right tackle spot along with Josh Watson and Liam
Ryan, who were backup tackles in 2017. Also in the mix, Robert Valencia, who
transferred from City College of San Francisco last year but did not play last
season due, in part, to injury.
SPECIAL
TEAMS
OUT – K
Erik Powell (graduated), K Mitchell Cox (graduated)
Who to
watch for?
K Jack
Crane, rs-so, 6-2, 190 pounds
K Ryan Henderson
rs-fr, 6-0, 220 pounds
K Johnan
Zetterberg, rs-fr, 6-2, 220 pounds
K Blake
Mazza, rs-fr, 5-9, 173 pounds
Outlook:
Erik
Powell saved his best season for last, kicking his way to Lou Groza Award
semifinalist honors, and 317 career points – third in WSU school history. Now,
the Cougars have to start over in their hunt for a reliable kicker.
Jack
Crane, from Skyline High in Sammamish, is a tall, rangy lefty who handled
kickoffs in six games for WSU last season. But he’s never kicked a field goal
in a college game. Neither has Archbishop Murphy alum Ryan Henderson, who was
perfect on extra points and went 12 of 14 on field goals, including a
56-yarder, during his senior year of high school.
Blake
Mazza was a walk-on at Arkansas last season but did not play in a game. He
transferred to WSU and is immediately eligible because he was not on
scholarship at Arkansas.
Zetterberg
is a walk-on who redshirted in 2017.
:::::::::::::::::
New
apartments on WSU Tri-Cities campus to open August 2018
March 14,
2018 WSU Insider
WSU
Tri-Cities partnered with Corporate Pointe Developers who agreed to build the
apartments on the university campus in an effort to provide students with an
on-campus housing option.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
WSU Photo
Year in Review
February
7, 2018 WSU INSIDER
The
talents of WSU staff photographers Robert Hubner, Shelly Hanks and Dean Hare
are on display in this highlight reel of 2017.
https://youtu.be/uExQaVUkkng
For more
videos from the WSU community, steer your browser over to Washington State
University’s official YouTube channel.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Air Force
officer, WSU alum creates language scholarship to make ‘better Americans’
March 16,
2018
By Adriana
Aumen, WSU College of Arts and Sciences
PULLMAN,
Wash. – Molding better Americans is the motivation behind a new foreign
language scholarship created for Washington State University students by
alumnus Christopher “CJ” Johnson (’02), an officer and linguist in the U.S. Air
Force Reserve.
“So few
Americans speak a foreign language, and the outcome is that few Americans
understand the world outside their immediate circle,” Johnson said. “But
studying a foreign language and actually employing it forces you to think
beyond your circle, to look beyond America, and that’s important because it
makes you a better American,” he said.
The
tuition-assistance scholarship in WSU’s Department of Foreign Languages and
Cultures will be awarded for the first time this fall. By Johnson’s request,
preference will be given to a junior or senior majoring in French language.
“We’re
extremely grateful for Chris’s generous support of WSU students and the
positive impact it will have on many students’ lives,” said Don Shearer,
director of development for the College of Arts and Sciences. “It means so much
when our young alumni take an active interest in the success of students who
soon follow them.”
Opening
doors through language
Johnson,
38, learned French as a child in California and majored in French studies at
WSU, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and the 1998 Cougar
Football team. He was also a cadet in the Air Force Reserve and is now a
lieutenant colonel and foreign affairs officer with previous responsibilities
in Francophone Africa.
His
language proficiency has been critical to his success in the military,
especially on overseas deployments.
“It’s
literally opened doors for me,” Johnson said. “I get a better paycheck because
of my language skills, and in social situations, it’s a good party trick,” he
quipped.
“Seriously,
if you want to be good at your job and have credibility engaging with partners,
you have to speak their language. You don’t need native fluency, but you have
to be able to rap pretty well to be considered a legitimate partner in foreign
affairs.”
While most
of Johnson’s French-speaking counterparts are fluent in English, his ability to
understand their native tongue ensures more accurate communications, especially
on technical points, he said.
Other
languages improve English
Since
college, he learned Portuguese at the Defense Language Institute, and noted
that being tri-lingual has improved his English skills, too.
“To speak
and write well in another language, you have to understand grammar, and that
understanding makes you a better English writer. It’s certainly helped me in my
job and made me a better officer because, in the military, you do a lot of
writing.”
Many
broader benefits of foreign language study extend to people in all professions,
not only the military, he said.
“If you’re
learning a foreign language, you’re also learning the culture, and if you’re
learning the culture, by default you’re widening your aperture, drifting into
critical thinking, and getting a better understanding of society and the world.
And if you’re critically thinking about society, then I think you’re being a
good American.”
A mother’s
legacy
Chris
Johnson and his mother, who spoke four languages and inspired him to take
foreign language.
Johnson
endowed the scholarship largely to honor his mother, Nannea, a native of
Indonesia who was fluent in Indonesian, Dutch, French before she immigrated to
the United States at nine years old. She mastered English in high school,
studied French in college, and applied her diverse language skills throughout
her adult life, working with law and accounting firms in California and
Washington.
“She
believed learning foreign languages was key to making a difference in the
world,” Johnson said. “I’m doing everything my mom wanted to do herself —
except for the military part.”
“It’s
about ensuring my mom’s legacy, but it’s also about Washington State
University,” he said. “I’m a massive Coug and I wanted to give back to the
University, but I wanted to give back in a different way than most people do.
Beyond doing something for my fraternity or the alumni association, or even
Cougar Athletics, this scholarship was a way I could hit different marks with
my mom and WSU.”
Broadening
worldviews
“Mille
mercis to CJ for his generosity in endowing this scholarship,” said WSU French
professor Joan Grenier-Winther, one of Johnson’s fondly remembered teachers.
“My greatest hope is that it will help students travel to and study in
French-speaking countries so as to be immersed in both French language and
culture. It is so important, especially in these days of alienation and
division, that American students have the experience of being a ‘foreigner’
somewhere, to b
“But if travel
is not an option for students, simply being exposed to the beauty of the
language, as well as the significance of French history, literature, music, and
art on Western civilization, through the study of French at WSU, will broaden
their worldviews and enrich their lives.”
The
Department of Foreign Languages and Cultures welcomes gifts to support the
Christopher “CJ” and Nannea “Nan” Johnson Scholarship.
The Air
Force Reserve also noted that it is “committed to building future leaders and
preserving a capable force for the defense of our nation. The AFR offers many
career incentives for citizen airmen, including foreign language proficiency
pay, special assignments and dedicated access to career assistance advisors.
:::::::::::::::
WSU’s a Jordan
Schnitzer Museum of Art opening April 6
Based on
info from WSU issued March 2, 2018
Crimson
will shine when Washington State University’s new Jordan Schnitzer Museum of
Art opens its doors to the public with a dedication ceremony on Friday, April 6,
noon – 1 p.m., followed by a half-day of guided tours.
Nicknamed
the “Crimson Cube” for its box configuration wrapped in crimson-colored glass,
the structure mirrors its campus surroundings. The one-of-a-kind reflective
panels made in the Netherlands are the brainchild of the building’s designer,
Seattle-based Jim Olson of Olson-Kundig Architects.
The $15
million — mostly privately funded – project is expected to draw 20,000 visitors
annually, in addition to expanding educational opportunities to students,
faculty and staff, said museum interim director Anna-Maria Shannon.
::::::::::::::::
Rowing
eager to hit water to start spring season
WSU
ROWING: Cougars look toward returning athletes to help team succeed
By JACKSON
GARDNER, Evergreen 3/22, 2018
WSU
women’s rowing will launch its boats off the Crown Point Shores in Mission Bay,
California, on Saturday to get the spring racing season started with the 45th
annual San Diego Crew Classic regatta.
Head Coach
Jane LaRiviere said the team is ready to get back in the water after a
four-month-plus break.
“It’s the
beginning of a journey,” LaRiviere said. “I think every single person on our
team and our staff is just really looking forward to going to San Diego and
getting started.”
The
Cougars concluded the 2017 spring season with a 14th place finish at the NCAA
Rowing Championships. The departure of several key senior oarswomen means
LaRiviere will have plenty of decisions in how she chooses to fill the open
seats in her first varsity eight.
Adequate
training conditions this winter has given LaRiviere a larger and much-needed
sample size to experiment with her first varsity eight lineup, she said.
The
returning members of the 2016-2017 first varsity eight include senior coxswain
Jenna Mangiagli, senior Emily Morrow, senior Lucie Weissova, senior Kristel
Tohu and junior Paige Danielson.
The
Cougars will get their first test against the premiere talent around the
country as they compete for the Jessop-Whittier Cup, the race within the San
Diego Crew Classic for women’s Division I varsity eights.
“The last
time we lined up was in November, so everybody is ready to just find out where
we’re at,” LaRiviere said. “There are always things that happen in the first
race. It is a relatively long season — we’ll have two months of racing before
we have to really have it together at Pac-12s, and hopefully we have enough for
NCAAs this year.”
Four of
the teams WSU will compete against in the Jessop-Whittier Cup also raced the
Cougars in the 2017 NCAA Rowing Championships, including Stanford University,
University of California, Berkley, University of Texas at Austin and Gonzaga
University.
The rest
of the field is loaded with well-regarded programs like University of Southern
California, University of California, Los Angeles and University of Oklahoma.
In total,
eight of the 12 schools competing in the regatta were ranked or received votes
in the final Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association poll of 2017.
The
Jessop-Whittier Cup is the main prize for the weekend, but WSU will also race a
second varsity eight for the Jackie Ann Stitt Hungness Trophy as well as a
varsity four in the Karen Plumleigh Cortney Cup.
Racing
kicks off Saturday and will continue through Sunday. WSU’s first varsity eight
is scheduled to start their first heat at 9:24 a.m. Saturday, followed by the
second varsity eight at 10:24 a.m.
Rounding
out the morning is the varsity four’s first heat at 10:48 a.m. All of the races
will be streamed live on U.S. Rowing’s Youtube page, with coverage beginning at
7 a.m. Saturday.
::::::::::::::::
As Washington
State spring football camp arrives, here are five storylines to follow
UPDATED:
Wed., March 21, 2018, 9:05 p.m.
Washington
State head coach Mike Leach calls plays during practice on
By Theo
Lawson of the S-R of Spokane/Inland Empire
Thursday
marks the first day of the academic semester for the Washington State football
team, that is, first day of spring camp.
But it
could feel a lot more like the former for Cougars players, who can expect to
spend much of the next month familiarizing themselves with new teachers and
classmates, also known as coaches and teammates.
How five
new WSU assistants and a handful of early-arriving freshmen/junior college
transfers blend in will be one of the top storylines of this particular spring
slate. We take a deeper look at that and browse through four other angles worth
keeping an eye on throughout the next four weeks.
Starting
quarterback
For the
first time in four years, the Cougars are looking for one. It might take some
time to find clarity, too.
Twenty-six
wins and 14,481 passing yards later, Luke Falk leaves WSU as one of the most
accomplished passers in school and Pac-12 history. No matter who his
replacement is, it’ll be someone who’s yet to win game, let alone complete a
pass, wearing the crimson and gray.
For the
last two months, solving the quarterback position came secondary to mourning
the loss of presumed starter Tyler Hilinski, and rightfully so.
Now, as
the Cougars embark on spring camp, Mike Leach and his staff will be searching
for Falk’s heir apparent from a group of signal-callers who probably figured
they’d be spending the March and April contesting for the rights to be
Hilinski’s No. 2.
Cammon
Cooper, an early enrollee who comes to Pullman as Leach’s most-heralded QB
recruit in seven years, will have the entirety of spring camp to showcase his
strong arm and accuracy. His top rival for the starting job might be Gardner
Minshew, the East Carolina grad transfer and one-time Alabama commit who
announced on Tuesday he’d be joining the Cougars. Minshew has the advantage in
FBS experience, but by the time he gets to campus in May, Cooper will have
already spent four months studying Leach’s playbook and throwing with WSU’s
current receivers.
Leach
isn’t able to comment on Minshew until he arrives, but the coach said Wednesday
on a conference call that the Cougars “have three promising guys” on campus,
referring to Cooper, Anthony Gordon and Trey Tinsley.
“The
biggest thing is we want a fierce competition like we always want,” Leach said.
“We want to develop skills and we want to elevate their ability to play.”
Moving
(coaching) parts
The
Cougars are ingratiating five assistant coaches who weren’t on the sideline
when they lost in the Holiday Bowl. They’re also introducing one of the old
aids to a new position group, promoting a quality control assistant to a
full-time assistant role and replacing a longtime strength and conditioning
coach.
“Every
time you get a new job, you’ve got to acclimate a bunch of guys,” Leach said.
“This was a unique year. … “First of all, they add a 10th coach and then the
deep-pocket programs will prey on other successful programs to get quality
coaches. If we’d won four games, I don’t think we probably would’ve lost too
many coaches.”
To recap:
Tracy Claeys replaces Alex Grinch as defensive coordinator, Mason Miller
replaces Clay McGuire as offensive line coach, Eric Mele replaces Jim Mastro as
running backs coach, Matt Brock replaces Mele as special teams coach, Brock
replaces Roy Manning as outside linebackers coach, Steve Spurrier Jr. replaces
Derek Sage as outside receivers coach, Kendrick Shaver takes over as safeties
coach, Darcel McBath is elevated from defensive quality control to cornerbacks
coach and Tyson Brown takes over for Jason Loscalzo as strength and
conditioning coach.
That’s a
lot of turnover, especially on the defensive side of the ball where the Cougars
will have to introduce a new system before they can start to think about
perfecting it.
Which
early enrollees step up?
……………………………
Even if
Cooper doesn’t get the nod at quarterback, the Cougars will almost certainly
have to dip into their recruiting class to fill the two-deep at a variety of
positions.
Leach and
his staff recruited well – especially at the skill positions – and a handful of
WSU’s early signees enrolled early, giving them 15 more practices than the ones
who’ll arrive at some point this summer. Of that crop, Cooper, versatile
running back Max Borghi and speedy wide receiver Rodrick Fisher have great
chances of seeing the field early and should all benefit from getting a jump on
their college careers.
On the
other side of the ball, 6-foot-3, 310-pound defensive tackle Jonathan Lolohea
will have an early crack at filling one of the two vacancies on the defensive
line, left by Hercules Mata’afa and Daniel Ekuale.
Reconstructing
the offensive line
This is a
project WSU may not finish until fall camp – perhaps not until the bitter end
of fall camp, either. In a lot of ways, the Cougars are starting over on the
offensive line – with their personnel and their position coach. WSU will need
to replace a starting right tackle, Cole Madison, a starting right guard, B.J.
Salmonson, and a starting left guard, Cody O’Connell. That’s 130 games of
combined experience the Cougars are losing and the depth behind them wasn’t
outstanding.
Left
tackle Andre Dillard and center Fred Mauigoa are the only returning starters
and next to those two, the Cougars only four linemen with any experience.
Leach said
the Cougars need to “elevate the young guys and see where they can go,” also
cautioning “I never feel good about the depth.” The coach singled out Dillard,
Noah Osur-Myers, Josh Watson and Abraham Lucas as players who stood during
Midnight Maneuver workouts.
Solving
the kicker quandary
Erik
Powell’s foot was as good as any in the Pac-12 last season, but it won’t return
to Martin Stadium this fall. That means the Cougars have to replace someone
who, in 2017, went 20 of 24 on field goals, drilled a 56-yarder to match the
longest FBS kick of the season and was honored as an All-Pac-12 second-team
selection.
To that
end, WSU brought in Arkansas transfer Blake Mazza, who enrolled in January and
will be eligible to play for the Cougars this fall. Redshirt sophomore Jack
Crane appeared in six games last season, all on kickoff, and may also figure
into the place-kicker competition.
:::::::::::::::
WSU spring
preview: A good problem to have at corner
Q&A: Coach
Matt Brock eyes a change on Coug special teams
Punting
likely to become a one-man job
By Dylan Haugh Cougfan
Matt Brock
(Photo: Bowling Green)
PULLMAN –
New assistant coach Matt Brock isn’t looking this spring to make sweeping
changes to the Cougars’ special teams. But one change he is looking at --
punting to become a one man job. Special teams isn’t the only position group on
Brock’s plate, he also takes over for Roy Manning coaching outside linebackers,
and he tells Cougfan.com he sees the position as wide open heading into spring
drills.
Cougfan.com:
Lots of change on the coaching staff this offseason, how do handle a situation
like that as a new coach on campus?
Brock: I
think every kid handles it a little different based on their upbringing and
prior relationships with the former staff. To me it’s a delicate situation. You
have to make sure you handle it correctly. I guess the way I’ve approached it
-- I’ve been through it at Texas Tech and Bowling Green -- I just bring them in
one and one, sit down and try to get to know them as people and then football
players. I do believe if you get to know them as a person, a student and
background as much as you possibly can, that shows you’re invested in them on
and off the football field.
Cougfan.com:
Last season the Cougars used three punters. Are you looking for one to run away
with the job or can you see yourself using a rotation?
Brock: I’d
like to find a guy that can handle it all and take the reins in that position
and not have to use as many bodies there. I’ve never been around that or have
done it that way. Not to say it’s right or wrong. I just would prefer to find
one guy.
Cougfan.com:
What are your thoughts on the rugby style punt, something WSU has used in
recent years?
Brock: I
think at Bowling Green we were about 80 percent traditional and 20 percent
rugby. We will do both because I think it’s a weapon for us as a punt team for
two reasons: One, when you’re facing returners that worry you. The second thing
that it helps with is anytime you have some type of weather issue, whether it
be wind or rain or anything like that, you can create an advantage for yourself
as a coverage unit. It’s usually an opportunity to create takeaways.
Cougfan.com:
What are you looking to see from the players in your first spring ball at WSU?
Brock:
Effort, first and foremost. A complete and total buy-in within our roster
whether it’s a starter or a guy that’s trying to make a name for himself. I
think to be successful you have to have a mix of those guys on the field but
they all have to be 100 percent bought into the overall goal and understand the
importance of the third phase and how it’s going to affect the final score with
field position. I want to make sure we get that done and I want to make sure we
set the tone with our mentality and how we’re going to attack on special teams.
Cougfan.com:
How much tape from last season have you watched?
Brock: For
special teams it’s such a personnel oriented faze of the game ... for me just
learning everyone’s strengths and weaknesses and you obviously start out by
watching every single clip from last year. That’s what I did when I first got
comfortable with things here.
Cougfan.com:
What were some of the things that jumped out to you on tape on special teams?
Brock:
Well I think we have kids that play hard and as long as we have that and they
buy into it, then that excites me. The thing that doesn’t necessarily jump out
in film but it does since I’ve been around the staff is Coach Leach and the
rest of the staff are invested in special teams. If you have those two things
you give yourself a chance to be successful.
Cougfan.com:
What’s your take headed into spring on the outside linebackers group (RUSH)?
Brock:
Very excited to work with them. The thing that probably intrigues me the most
and what I’m communicating with them is, there’s a new staff as far as me being
their position coach, so everybody’s on the same level. The cream is going to
have to rise to the top throughout spring ball, into summer and fall camp ...
Just excited to see how they compete and how they work. I really think the
sky’s the limit for many of those guys.
Cougfan.com:
What did you take from Midnight Maneuvers, the two-week winter conditioning
circuit?
Brock:
It’s been really good, getting around the kids and getting to know them on a
daily basis, but from a special teams standpoint it’s nice to see them move out
there during those Midnight Maneuvers. That’s beneficial … for the team and the
characteristics we’re trying to develop here as well.
Cougfan.com:
Did you have a prior relationship with Mike Leach before taking the job here?
Brock: No,
not directly with him. I’ll put it this way. I had never met him but I worked
with multiple guys at Texas Tech that played for him or had coached with him in
the past. So from a loose connection standpoint you could say I did. But never
a one-on-one personal connection at all.
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