Commentary
By DALE GRUMMERT of the Lewiston
Trib Sept 24, 2018
They started the drive by
taking an illegal "Big Gulp" and were ultimately thwarted by a
"D-move."
Never mind the terminology
- it comes from the private lexicons of Washington State and USC football,
respectively. Suffice to say the Cougars did something they haven't done in a
while. In their 39-36 loss Friday night at Los Angeles Coliseum, they got
outfoxed in the chess match of end-game football.
It was almost refreshing,
because their more typical way of losing road games (and bowl games) in recent
seasons is to be forcibly removed from the stadium by about the second quarter.
Remember last year's misadventures at Cal, Arizona, Seattle and San Diego?
This dramatic 31/2-hour
tussle, on the other hand, initially resembled certain Wazzu home games last
year. It tried achingly to channel the road Cougs of 2015. And it wound up
evoking the failed chess moves of coach Mike Leach's early years at the school.
For the most part,
Washington State in general and new quarterback Gardner Minshew in particular
performed resourcefully and entertainingly in a highlight-filled,
mistake-filled duel that included six lead changes and actually augured well
for WSU's conference season.
It's just that the Cougs
didn't quite finish the way they typically finished games of that ilk during
Luke Falk's long tenure as quarterback. In particular, their final drive added
to the entertainment but abruptly ended the sunny vibes Wazzu had been feeling
throughout the nonleague season.
The tone was set by a Big
Gulp that went down the wrong tube.
As you may remember but are
trying to forget, Leach unveiled a bizarre formation for two plays of his
team's opener at Wyoming, with receiver Kyle Sweet lining up over the football
a few feet to the right of his buddies and snapping it laterally to someone in
the backfield. Leach called it Big Gulp Left, as a cryptic jab at a critical
USA Today writer. Well, he hauled it out again in L.A., on the first play of
the Cougars' final drive, trailing 39-36 with 5:39 remaining.
But Sweet, perhaps
forgetting a rule that receivers normally don't need to think about, failed to
align his shoulders with the line of scrimmage - he opened them slightly to
make it easier to snap the ball. Hence a 5-yard penalty for an illegal
formation.
It was by no means a
deal-breaker. Minshew made amends with a clutch third-and-7 completion to
Jamire Calvin, and three plays later a sliding tailback James Williams made an
amazing fingertip grab on third-and-3.
But the next third down was
less pretty. Minshew, who two plays earlier had absorbed an unflagged
helmet-to-helmet blow from linebacker Porter Gustin, strangely audibled to a
run play on third-and-6, and Williams was stuffed for no gain.
So the Cougars reluctantly
inserted Blake Mazza to attempt a 38-yard field goal with 1:50 on the clock,
hoping to send the game to their old friend, overtime. The Trojans answered
with the D-move.
Southern Cal defensive
tackle Jay Tufele, speaking to reporters in what appeared to be a Coliseum mess
hall, described the D-move as a ploy to free up a lineman for a block attempt.
The Trojans had dusted it off in practice last week after coaches apparently
noticed a tendency of sophomore WSU left guard Christian Haangana to lunge
forward precariously while blocking for field goals. If the Cougars happened to
try one from the the right hashmark, the D-move was on - linemen would try to
skirt around Haangana and hope he lunges into the void.
That's exactly what
happened. The 6-foot-3 Tufele handily stepped around the tumbling guard and
timed his leap perfectly, sending the ball caroming toward the Wazzu sideline,
where Leach and Minshew were watching with absolutely blank expressions.
Over the past three-plus
seasons, there have been 10 games in which the Cougars faced an opportunity to
produce a game-winning or -tying score in the fourth quarter. And this was just
the third time they'd failed.
Tufele, there in the mess
hall, was asked what had gone through his mind when he laid his hand on the
football.
"Game
over," he said. "Checkmate."
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WSU alum to receive the
Medal of Honor at White House
From Pullman radio news
A Washington State
University alum will receive the Medal of Honor at the White House for his
heroic actions in Afghanistan. Former medic Ronald J. Shurer II will receive
the highest military award for valor from President Donald Trump on October
1st. Shurer was serving with special forces as a staff sergeant in the Airborne
during Operation Enduring Freedom. On April 6th, 2008 he went above and beyond
the call of duty when he heroically fought his way up a mountain to aid
teammates and their Afghan commando counterparts. Shurer earned his business
economics degree from WSU in 2001.
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Baseball WSU Cougars 2018
Recruiting Class Receives National Recognition
TUCSON, Ariz. (Sept. 24,
2018) – Washington State’s 2018 signing class has been ranked No. 32 in the
country, according to Collegiate Baseball’s 2018 evaluation of the NCAA
Division I baseball classes.
For fourth-year head coach
Marty Lees, this is the second time in three seasons that the Cougars have
produced a nationally-ranked recruiting class after the 2016 class was ranked
No. 28 in the country by D1baseball.com.
The Cougars 2018 signing
class features 21 newcomers including 12 who earned All-State honors, one
Junior College All-American and a pair of high school signees who were selected
in the Major League Baseball Draft.
For a complete list of the
signees, go to link below:
https://wsucougars.com/news/2018/8/31/baseball-cougars-add-three-to-2018-signing-class.aspx
The Cougars will host a
pair of scrimmages at Bailey-Brayton Field this fall, facing Central Washington
Saturday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. and Gonzaga Sunday, Oct. 21 at 1 p.m.
Washington State will also
host its Cougar Baseball Alumni Weekend Oct. 19-21. To sign up, please click
the sign-up link to the right.
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Pac-12 announces kickoff
time for Oct. 6 battle between Washington State and Oregon State
Mon., Sept. 24, 2018, 5:19
p.m.
By Theo Lawson
Spokane S-R
PULLMAN – An Oct. 6 game
between Pac-12 North foes Washington State and Oregon State will kick off at 6
p.m. in Corvallis, the league announced Monday.
The week-six game between
the Cougars and Beavers can be seen on the Pac-12 Networks.
The Pac-12 announced times
of two other pairings on the same day. Arizona State’s game at Colorado will
start at 1 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks and Cal’s game at Arizona will kick off
at 7 p.m. on FS1.
Two other games, Utah
versus Stanford and Washington versus UCLA, are on six-day selections and will
be announced at a later date.
WSU throttled OSU last
year, winnng 52-23 when the teams played the third week of the season at Martin
Stadium. The Beavers are just 1-3 and 0-1 in Pac-12 play to start the 2018
season – their only win coming week two against FCS opponent Southern Utah.
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1 of 303
In Eugene, Oregon, Volleyball
Cougars Take Ranked Opponent Five Sets Once Again
From WSU Sports Info
WSU falls on the road to
No. 12 Oregon in five-set Pac-12 battle
EUGENE, Ore. -- The
No. 22 ranked Washington State (9-3, 0-2 Pac-12) volleyball program went five
sets against a ranked opponent for the second straight match-up, as the Cougars
battled the No. 12 Oregon Ducks inside Matthew Knight Arena Sunday afternoon.
Set scores for the match
were: 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 23-25, and 12-15 in favor of the Ducks.
The opening set between
these ranked conference opponents saw the Ducks jump out to a 6-2 lead after a
5-0 run against the Cougars. Washington State powered back into the match with
a 4-0 run of their own, aided by kills from McKenna Woodford, and Jocelyn
Urias. Multiple 3-0 runs throughout this set fueled the Cougs to hold onto the
lead against Oregon, as the set victory was clinched with a Claire Martin, and
Ella Lajos block at 25-22.
Set number two featured the
same intensity as the first, as several lead changes and ties saw this contest
knotted up at 7-7 early between these Pac-12 foes. The Cougars generated a
quick 3-0 run after errors from the Ducks and a huge kill from Taylor Mims to
hold the slim advantage. Oregon however went on to create runs of 4-0 and 3-0
to surge ahead of WSU, and claim set two over the Cougars at 25-22 by the final
set point.
Washington State shot out
of the gate in set three with a 5-0 run over Oregon to hold down the 8-6
advantage. The Cougars continued to fend off the Duck comeback in the third set
of play, never falling behind throughout the set for the remainder, and only
allowing three ties as well. Woodford continued to see the offense run through
her as she totaled 13 kills after three sets and lead WSU to a 25-22 set win.
The Cougars jumped out to a
quick 4-1 lead in set four, with kills from Ashley Brown, and Lajos. This
fourth set of play would continue with same the high intensity of the match, as
both the Ducks and the Cougs saw leads throughout competition. A 5-0 run from
WSU led by Woodford saw the Cougars hold down a 15-13 advantage. Oregon once
again went on to generate multiple small runs to narrowly get out in front of
Washington State, before tying up the match at 2-2 overall, with back-to-back
kills at the end of set four.
WSU for the second straight
match went into a set five against a ranked opponent, and against the Ducks
went on a 5-1 run to open the set with multiple kills from Woodford. The
Cougars held a lead at 9-7 until Oregon went on a run of their own at 4-0 and
claimed the 11-9 advantage. Washington State cut the deficit down to just one
point at three different occurrences during this final set, however the Ducks
were able to counter and ultimately take set five at 15-12, and the match at
3-2.
QUOTE OF THE MATCH
"...A really hard
fought match, and Oregon is a great, great team, but just proud of our fight,
just unfortunate we couldn't come out on the top side of it today," head
coach Jen Greeny discussed. "We did exactly what we wanted to do in
limiting their hitting percentage...but it comes down to those couple points
here or there."
NOTES…
Brown recorded a
career-high 55 total assists in the contest, along with posting 10 digs for her
sixth double-double this season.
Taylor Mims tallied 21 digs
in the match, a career-high for the senior.
Mims finished the match
with 17 kills as well, her fifth straight match-up with 10 or more kills.
Alexis Dirige went on to
record 27 total digs against Oregon, a season-high for the junior libero.
Woodford posted 20 overall
kills, a season-high in the stat category during her 2018 campaign.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR…
The Cougars return to
action next, Friday, Sept. 28 as Washington State will host Utah inside Bohler
Gym, with first serve slated for 7 p.m. PT.
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WSU football
First look: Utah at
Washington State
UPDATED: Mon., Sept. 24,
2018, 5 p.m.
By Theo Lawson
S-R of Spokane
Three things to know:
1. Utah is leading the country in a number
of defensive categories, including total defense (204.7 ypg), scoring defense
(12.3 ppg), passing defense (93 ypg) and team passing efficiency defense
(75.6). The Utes are also second nationally in first downs allowed (36).
2. Meanwhile, the Cougars
still lead the FBS in a handful of passing categories. WSU starter Gardner
Minshew is the only quarterback in the country to have attempted more than 200
passes this season (217) and the only one who’s completed more than 150 (154).
The Cougars rank second in total passing offense – with 401.8 yards per game –
to Texas Tech and Mike Leach disciple coach Kliff Kingsbury.
3. WSU’s Leach and Utah’s
Kyle Whittingham attended Brigham Young University at the same time in the late
1970s/early 1980s. Leach didn’t play college football and was working toward an
undergraduate degree that would eventually lead him to law school. Whittingham
was a former WAC Defensive Player of the Year for BYU and led the country in
tackles from his linebacker position.
What is it?
Washington State (3-1, 0-1)
returns to the Palouse to host Utah (3-0). It is the Cougars’ first home
conference game of the 2018 season.
Where is it? Martin Stadium
in Pullman.
When is it? Kickoff is
scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Where can I watch it? The
game will air on Pac-12 Networks.
Who is favored?
Washington State opens as a
two-point favorite.
How did they fare last
week?
Utah had a bye week.
Washington State led by 13 points in the third quarter at USC, but couldn’t
hold on and lost 39-36 to the Trojans at the Coliseum.
Why Utah will win:
Kyle Whittingham brings the
Football Bowl Subdivision’s top-rated defense to Martin Stadium this week. The
Utes are No. 1 in the country in scoring defense, at 12.3 points per game
allowed, and that comes after a game against No. 11 Washington. Utah is also
tops in the nation when it comes total defense and the Utes have allowed just
614 total yards in three games against Weber State, Northern Illinois and UW.
WSU’s Air Raid may finally meet its match against a Utah secondary that boasts
talent across the board and conceded just 155 passing yards to the Huskies two
weeks ago. Utah is also the only team in the country allowing fewer than 100
pass yards per game.
Why WSU will win:
The Ute defense is elite,
but the offense is clearly a work in progress. Utah has managed just 24 points
in two games against non-FBS opposition and the offense was held to 261 yards
in a Pac-12 opener against UW. Tyler Huntley is one of the conference’s most
mobile quarterbacks, but even the fleet-footed junior hasn’t been able to
escape defensive pressure this season and has been sacked 10 times through
three games. The Cougars, on the other hand, rank second in the Pac-12 in total
sacks through four games with 13. Huntley hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in
three games, since the season opener against Weber State, and completed just 57
percent of his passes against Northern Illinois and Washington.
What happened last time?
Hercules Mata’afa and WSU’s
defensive front harassed Utah’s Tyler Huntley all game, sacking the sophomore
quarterback seven times in total and forcing him into three interceptions
during last year’s 33-25 win at Salt Lake City. Troy Williams also threw a pick
and Utah lost three fumbles, meaning the Utes conceded seven turnovers. Luke
Falk went to the air 69 times in the return to his home state, completing 40
passes for 311 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Erik Powell made
four of five field goal attempts, but WSU’s MVP had to be Mata’afa, who
finished with five tackles-for-loss – including three sacks – one forced fumble
and one fumble recovery.
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FOOTBALL
Bye, bye: Utes back in
action, travel to Washington State this week to face 'unique' Cougars
By Dirk Facer Deseret News, Salt Lake City Published: Sept
23, 2018
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s
lone bye week has come and gone. The Utes are now gearing up for Saturday’s
game at Washington State (4 p.m., P12N).
“Well, they’re a very unique
offense,” said Utah linebacker Chase Hansen. “You kind of have a whole new game
plan a lot of times when you play them because their run game a lot of time is
their pass game. They have a lot of quick screens. A lot of stuff that they do
is technically a pass, but it’s kind of their run game.”
Preparing for it, thus, is
a challenge.
“I think it just changes
your keys — kind of where you’re looking — and sometimes it changes personnel,”
Hansen continued. “So it just kind of depends.”
Statistically speaking,
Utah appears well-equipped to face a Washington State offense that ranks second
in the nation in passing with 401.8 yards per game. The Utes top the country in
passing yards allowed (93 ypg) and pass efficiency defense (75.62 rating).
In addition, the Cougars
average 41.7 points per game, and the Utes are holding opponents to just 12.3
points.
Then there’s the rest
factor. Utah is coming off a bye week, and Washington State is back at it
following a 39-36 loss at USC on Friday. The Utes looked to capitalize on the
additional preparation time.
“We will hone in on
Washington State since we have a head start and that is the only team we are
concerned with right now,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said last week.
While Whittingham
emphasized that the focus would be exclusively on the Cougars, he’s aware of
happenings elsewhere as the season progresses. Whittingham noted that the
Pac-12 South looks pretty wide open according to early action.
“Whenever you have a chance
to watch a game and look at somebody that is coming up on the schedule, you
take a peek if you have the opportunity," he said.
Colorado (3-0, 0-0) and
UCLA (0-3, 0-0) also had byes in the Pac-12 South last week. In addition to USC
(2-2, 1-1) defeating Washington State, Arizona (2-2, 1-0) prevailed 35-14 at
Oregon State, while Arizona State (2-2, 0-1) dropped a 27-20 decision at
Washington.
All six teams are in the
division play this week, beginning with UCLA and Colorado squaring off Friday
night in Boulder. Saturday’s slate features Utah-Washington State, Oregon State
at Arizona State, and USC at Arizona.
10 comments on this story
EXTRA
POINTS: Utah is 10-5 after bye weeks under Whittingham. However, the Utes are
just 4-5 in such games since joining the Pac-12 … Washington State has three
straight wins inn the series and leads Utah, 8-7 … The Utes are 28-36 all-time
in Pac-12 games. They joined the conference in 2011 … Utah was among those
“also receiving votes” in this week’s national polls.
Utah (2-1, 0-1) at
Washington State (3-1, 0-1)
Martin Stadium — Pullman,
Wash.
Saturday, 4 p.m.
TV: Pac-12 Networks
Radio: ESPN 700AM
Sports edition newsletter
Sports headlines compiled
each morning by the Deseret News
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Peter McLoughlin, president
of the Seahawks for the past eight years, is out, the team said. He’s replaced
by WSU grad Chuck Arnold. More info here:
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