=Photo of
WSU Soccer team by Dean Hare, WSU Photo Services=
September
25, 2018 / Women's Soccer
No. 9
Cougars Set to Host Oregon Thursday
Soccer
kicks off homecoming Thursday night at Lower Soccer Field.
From WSU
Sports Info
#9
WASHINGTON STATE (8-0-0, 1-0-0 Pac-12)
vs
Oregon (7-1-1, 1-0-0 Pac-12) | Thur., Sept. 27 | 7 p.m.
Watch
Live | Pac-12 Networks (Elise Woodard, Commentator])
Live
Statistics | WSUCougars.com
>
Washington State enters the weekend unbeaten on the year having won a record
8-straight, setting the program record for consecutive wins in a season and to
start a season.
>
WSU is one of just 2 teams in DI, and the only Pac-12 team, still unbeaten and
untied in 2018. There are 7 teams without a loss in Division I soccer.
>
WSU enters the week ranked #9 in the coaches poll, the first time the Cougs
have ever been ranked in the top-10. The team is #8 in TopDrawerSoccer and #5
in SoccerAmerica.
>
The Cougars are unbeaten in the last six games against Oregon.
>
WSU swept the Pac-12 weekly awards after shutting out UCLA - Morgan Weaver
(Offense), Aaqila McLyn (Defense), Rachel Thompson (Goalkeeper).
>
Cougs RPI sits at 27 entering the week.
>
Maddy Haro leads the nation in assists/game (1.00).
>
Morgan Weaver enters the weekend tied for No. 6 all-time in career goals scored
with 21. She is tied for fourth in the Pac-12 in scoring.
>
Nine different Cougars have scored the team's 19 goals on the year with six
different game-winning scorers.
>
WSU is 4th in the Pac-12 and 29th in the nation in scoring (2.38 gpg) entering
the game
>
Defensively, WSU is 3rd in the Pac-12 and 19th in the nation in goals against
average at 0.50.
WSU
RANKED #9
For
the first time in program history the Cougars cracked the top-10 of the United
Soccer Coaches poll as WSU enters the week ranked #9 in the country. WSU's
previous best ranking was in 1993 when the team checked in at #11 in their
first time ranked. The seven week stretch ranked in the coaches poll is the
longest run by the Cougars in program history, the previous best was
five-straight weeks.
In
the two other polls the Cougs have garnered even more recognition as they sit
at #8 in TopDrawerSoccer and #5 in SoccerAmerica.
RECORD
START FOR WSU
For
the first time in program history the Cougars have started a season 8-0-0
breaking their record from 2015. The 2015 season was a record-breaking season
for WSU as the Cougars won an all-time high 14 games and finished third in the
Pac-12 in head coach Todd Shulenberger's first year in Pullman.
In
addition to the record start, the Cougars' eight-straight wins set the record
for the program's longest single-season win-streak, breaking the record of
seven-straight done twice prior.
WSU's
longest win streak spanning multiple seasons is 10 games from Oct.14, 1990 to
Sept. 11, 1991.
:::::::::::::::::::::
WSU
special teams coach Matt Brock laments blocked field goal
Sep 24,
12:45 AM
By Braden
Johnson
Cougfan.com
PULLMAN –
Washington State special teams coach Matt Brock after Sunday’s practice said
the unit's energy was back to normal two days
after the 39-36 road loss to USC. He was also asked about went wrong on
second-year freshman kicker Blake Mazza’s field goal attempt from 38 yards out
with 1:41 remaining, which was blocked and effectively ended the game.
“It was a
breakdown in communication,” Brock said of the protection on the play. “We just
didn’t execute real well, so it’s something we’ve gotta get fixed moving
forward.”
Brock took
ownership of the botched try.
“It’s on
me,” he said. “You’ve got an opportunity – offense drives down, a chance to tie
the game, and we don’t get it done because we don’t protect. Absolutely, I take
ownership for it.”
Special
teams players remained on the Martin Stadium turf for about 10 minutes Sunday
night after Mike Leach broke the team’s huddle to cap the hour-long circuit.
The Cougs ran through a sequence of punt return and coverage drills. Wide
receivers Jamire Calvin, Kyle Sweet, Travel Harris and Calvin Jackson Jr. took
turns fielding punts.
Brock also
noted how Mazza drilled a 50-yard field goal midway through the first quarter
against the Trojans.
“That was
a pretty good kick for him,” Brock said. “Some confidence for him that he
probably needed, we needed, as a team. We talk before the game about where he
feels comfortable at. He told me he felt comfortable at the 50, and credit to
him for giving me good information.”
Mazza is
5-7 on field goal attempts.
The
Cougars have also been boosted by the emergence of punter Oscar Draguicevich
III. The third-year sophomore is third in the nation in net punting yard
average (47.8) and has pinned the opponent inside the 20-yard-line three times.
Draguicevich III’s longest boot was a 67-yarder against Wyoming. Brock said he likes not only the distance but
the location where Draguicevich is punting.
“I think
he’s got a good leg, which obviously comes somewhat genetically,” Brock said.
“But the thing I like about him even more about him is he’s a competitor. He’s
not just a kicker. He played soccer, he played other sports in high school, and
I always think that’s a positive at that position.”
…………..
Mike Leach
wants to say more on missed targeting call, but won't
By Brian
Stultz
Cougfan.com
PULLMAN –
Washington State coach Mike Leach doesn't want to get fined so he's keeping
mum. But when asked on Monday, he said he sure wouldn't mind if others would
inquire regarding the targeting non call on USC's Portin Gustin's hit on Cougar
quarterback Gardner Minshew.
"I'm
not allowed to comment on it but I will tell you the guy who can," Leach
said. "I think you oughta call Woodie Dixon at the Pac-12 office."
Dixon is
general counsel and senior vice president of business affairs for the Pac-12.
The hit
has been widely discussed since the Cougs' 39-36 loss on Friday night. Replays
show Gustin launching himself at Minshew, making helmet-to-helmet contact with
the quarterback. The Trojans' linebacker was not penalized, and the play was
not reviewed by the booth. Gustin had already sat out the first half of Friday
night's game due to being ejected for targeting in the Trojans' loss to Texas
the week prior.
"I'd
be happy to comment on it if I were allowed to, but I'm not allowed to,"
Leach said. "If I were allowed to, I'd be happy to. But since I'm not
allowed to, I suggest you call Dixon at the conference office. I'm sure he has
a telephone number. I'm sure he's got an email. Anything we can do in this
conference regarding player safety should be at the forefront of our concerns."
Two of the
11 penalties WSU was flagged for at USC were for delay of game on defense, for
“disconcerting signals.” WSU has been
called for that penalty five times already this season, and in all four games.
“I’ll tell
you what ... I respectfully decline to comment on the grounds that I may be
incriminated and get a $10,000 fine,” Leach said about those two. “It was so
mixed I can’t entirely say what their position was because it varied a little
bit. But as far as any specifics beyond that, you’ll have to call them and ask
them.”
NOTABLE:
Back in 2016, Leach was fined $10,000 by the conference after accusing Arizona
State and Todd Graham of stealing signs.
NFL Cougs:
Luvu has become one of Jets' most important rookies
By Brian
Stultz Cougfan.com
PULLMAN –
Former Washington State linebacker Frankie Luvu has quickly gone from a player
the New York Jets cut at the end of camp to one of the team's most important
rookies getting lots of playing time. Luvu contributed once again this past
week for the AFC East team in a loss to the Cleveland Browns, recording 2
tackles (both solo) to run his season total to 6 stops, seventh-most on the
team.
An
undrafted free agent, the 6-3, 236-pound Luvu turned heads in training camp but
was cut at the very end. But he was quickly called up from the practice squad
and wound up playing 50 percent of the Jets' defensive snaps in the opener,
making him the second-most-used rookie behind only quarterback Sam Darnold,
according to nj.com. Since then, he's
continued to further entrench himself in rotation.
Luvu
wasn't the only former Cougs player to contribute in the NFL this past week.
Safety
Shalom Luani, playing for the Seattle Seahawks now, recorded 2 tackles in the
win over Dallas. It was the first action that Luani had seen this season.
Deone
Bucannon, who had made 8 tackles in the first two weeks for the Arizona
Cardinals, did not record any stats in his team's loss to the Chicago Bears.
Philadelphia
Eagles defensive tackle Destiny Vaeao, after making a tackle during Week 1, has
not recorded any stats during the past two weeks.
MORE:
Detroit
offensive lineman Joe Dahl has played in one game this season, a 30-27 loss to
San Francisco. Dahl played in 12 games his first two seasons with the Lions,
with three starts.
Quarterback
Luke Falk continues to bid his time with the Miami Dolphins, off to a
surprising 3-0 start. He sits behind starter Ryan Tannehill and backups David
Fales and Brock Osweiler on the depth chart and was inactive last week.
Hercules
Mata'afa is on injured reserve with the Minnesota Vikings after suffering a
torn ACL.
Cole
Madison remains on the reserve/did not report list of the Green Bay Packers for
undisclosed personal reasons.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
New welcome sign greets Pullman visitors in
dozens of languages
Display
resulted from city partnering with architecture students
Greeting
signs written in 60 different languages will create a welcoming environment for
local and distant travelers, making every person feel like they belong in
Pullman.
Sept 25
2018
By
Angelica Relente, Evergreen. Photo by Jenin Reyes, Evergreen.
See photo which
accompanies this story at News for CougGroup blog:
As distant
and local travelers enter Pullman on Davis Way, the word “Welcome” will greet
them in 60 different languages ranging from Indonesian to French.
There will
also be a big “Welcome to Pullman” sign with the names of sponsors for the
project by the end of the month, Mayor Glenn Johnson said. A paved drive-thru
will be included in the area, as well as a bus stop.
The $200,000
sign was partially funded by donations from groups including the Pullman
Chamber of Commerce, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and Asif Chaudhry, the
WSU International Programs vice president, Johnson said.
The 60
languages were chosen specifically because they were the most common languages
teachers in Pullman dealt with from elementary, junior and high school levels,
he said.
WSU
architecture students approached Johnson in 2012 and asked if there could be a
contest among architectural students to benefit the city, he said. He decided
to base the competition off of a welcome sign in various languages.
“When my
wife and I were visiting the Mediterranean, we got into Croatia,” he said. “I
remember seeing this billboard with the word welcome in all these different
languages.”
Johnson
and architecture professor Gregory Kessler provided a monetary award to the
winning team and their idea was used to build the welcome sign, he said.
The
location for the sign used to have a different kind of marker, Johnson said.
“When we
first came into town, there was an old building on the left hand side that at
one time was Burgerville,” Johnson said. “People used to joke about [it and
said] ‘Oh yeah, we missed Pullman because we just saw Burgerville.’ ”
The sign
is also a relatively new idea for city planners, said Ruth Younce, professional
engineer and project designer.
“Nobody
else had a project like this at the city that I work with right now,” she said.
“I was just trying to figure stuff out [that] nobody else [has] ever figured
out.”
Younce
also had to redesign the winning team’s idea to make sure it met building
requirements and ensure the sign would stand up to local weather conditions,
she said.
A lot of
research was put into figuring out the languages and making sure words were
accurate, Younce said, and finalizing the international words on the signs
proved to be a challenge.
“We had
some people arguing back and forth as to which was the right one,” she said.
Another
obstacle faced during the construction was that some workers were trying to
finish the Evolve on Main apartments while the sign was being built so work was
slowed down, Johnson said.
“If you
could’ve seen my smile yesterday when we sat back and looked at all those
signs,” Johnson said, “it was radiating.”
…………………..
Leach
laments pivotal plays, other 'stuff'
Cougs play
first Pac-12 home game Saturday against Utah
By Dale
Grummert, Lewiston Trib
25th
of September of 2018
Mike Leach
said any number of individual plays might have been crucial in deciding the
outcome of Washington State's football game at USC last week.
And he
cautiously implied certain officiating calls loomed pretty big, too.
"I
thought we could have won that game on all three sides of the ball if we had
made one more play," the Cougars coach said Monday in his weekly news
conference, three days after a 39-36 loss in Los Angeles. "In a lot of
cases, just one more play. That's how close that deal was. And then we battled
some stuff you probably shouldn't have to anyway."
He was
probably alluding in part to the Cougars' 11 penalties for 118 yards, including
four for pass interference and two for "disconcerting signals."
The
Cougars (3-1, 0-1) play their first Pac-12 home game Saturday (3 p.m., Pac-12
Networks) at Martin Stadium against Utah (2-1, 0-1). Oddsmakers on Monday
considered the game a toss-up.
It was
also announced that WSU's game at Oregon State on Oct. 6 will begin at 6 p.m.,
again on Pac-12 Networks.
For the
second and third times this season, the Cougars were penalized Friday night for
using "defensive verbal tactics that disconcert offensive signals,"
which goes down as a "delay of game" penalty. It implies defenders
are trying to simulate the snap count and induce the offense to jump offsides.
On one of the instances against USC, middle linebacker Peyton Pelluer was named
as the culprit.
Asked
about those penalties, Leach initially gave his standard reply of recent years,
alluding to fines he has been assessed by the Pac-12 for criticizing officials.
"I
respectfully decline to comment, on the grounds that I may be incriminated and
may get a $10,000 fine," he said. "It was so mixed that I can't
entirely say what their position was, because it varied a little bit.
"We're
not doing anything different than we've done for the last 3½ years," he
said, apparently referring to the hiring of defensive coordinator Alex Grinch
in 2015 and his successor this year, Tracy Claeys. "Nothing different
whatsoever. And nothing different than what a lot of other teams are doing too,
nothing different than what we are subjected to occasionally by our
opponents."
More
relevant to the outcome last week were two pass-interference calls on WSU
cornerback Sean Harper Jr., preceding a USC touchdown and a field goal, and
another P.I., on cornerback Marcus Strong, which was followed immediately by a
touchdown pass involving the same matchup of receiver and defender. Cougars
safety Skyler Thomas was also flagged for interference.
On that
subject, too, Leach seemed to be restraining himself from commenting, but he
also said, "We've got to do better with regard to our technique on some of
the pass-interference things."
In
assessing the impact of penalties in general, Leach said he takes into account
the calls made against both clubs. He suggested that teams like WSU that use
spread offenses are more vulnerable to being flagged because much of the action
in their games takes place in the open field.
"The
other thing is, if you play aggressively, you're going to get some
penalties," he said. "There's a lot of teams that are last in their
league that don't have a lot of penalties. They say, 'Well, at least we're
disciplined.' Well, that's not always the case."
Leach was
asked about a fourth-quarter tackle by USC linebacker Porter Gustin, who
appeared to make a helmet-to-helmet hit on quarterback Gardner Minshew. The
coach declined to comment but suggested reporters direct the question to the
Pac-12 general counsel.
"I'd
be happy to comment on it if I were allowed to," Leach said.
"Anything we do in this conference, player safety should be at the
forefront of our concerns."
…………..
WSU
FOOTBALL
Mike Leach
was a Kyle Whittingham fan long before Washington State, Utah became Pac-12
rivals
UPDATED:
Mon., Sept. 24, 2018, 9:01 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson S-R of Spokane
PULLMAN –
In the late 1970s/early 1980s, Mike Leach was an undergraduate student at
Brigham Young, a devout follower of LaVell Edwards’ football team and by
virtue, a big fan of the Cougars’ top defensive player.
To this
day, in fact, the Washington State coach has mad respect for Kyle Whittingham.
“He’s a
good guy, sharp guy, knows about defense and does a good job,” Leach said of
the Utah coach Monday, six days before the Utes visit Pullman for Saturday’s 3
p.m. game at Martin Stadium.
Whittingham,
who’s in his 15th season at the Utes’ helm, and Leach, in his seventh year with
the Cougars, are two of the Pac-12’s longest-tenured coaches and the only ones
that obtained degrees from the same place. Leach got his from BYU in 1983, two
years after Whittingham graduated in ’81.
Whittingham’s
teams at Utah are typically identified as tough and hard-nosed – particularly
on the defensive side of the ball – and Leach suggests that could be a direct
reflection of the man who’s leading them. Once upon a time, Whittingham
embodied both qualities as an all-conference linebacker and former Western
Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year at BYU.
“Of course
his dad Fred was the defensive coordinator and one of the most steely,
intimidating guys on earth,” Leach said. “You’d walk on campus and LaVell
Edwards would say hi to everybody and Fred, Fred just scared you. He was just
imposing. And from what I hear, was one of the toughest guys on earth. Then
there’s Kyle, so by association you tried to stay away from him, too, and so
did most of the teams BYU played.”
Leach and
Whittingham never met in Provo because, as Leach describes, “I was kind of in a
bit different world (than Whittingman).”
“Kyle was
busy being an All-American linebacker and leading the nation in tackles, while
I was trying to make sure that I did well enough on my courses to go to law school,”
Leach said.
…………………….
Using
virtual reality goggles, Pac-12 research project aims to ‘unpack the history of
concussion’
By JON
WILNER San Jose Merc News
PUBLISHED:
August 23, 2018 at 8:42 am | UPDATED: August 24, 2018 at 4:06 pm
To the
headsets, exercise bikes, body-cooling instruments and all the other pieces of
technology on Pac-12 sidelines this season, add two more items: virtual reality
goggles and a tablet computer.
They
aren’t for entertainment purposes, however.
The
goggles and tablet are essential pieces to a research project the conference
hopes will help revolutionize our understanding of concussions, particularly
the recovery process.
The cause
is there for all to see, usually in the form of a helmet-on-helmet collision
visible on a half-dozen camera angles.
The
recovery stage, however, unfolds where the cameras cannot go, and at varying
speed, in each traumatized brain.
“Research
shows that proper recovery limits the chances of a secondary concussion, and
that the sooner a player is removed from play, the faster the recovery,’’ said
Matthew McQueen, an associate professor at Colorado and the director of the
Pac-12’s Concussion Coordinating Unit, which will administer the project.
“The
student-athletes at Division I schools, unlike, say, an emergency room population,
are monitored daily — it’s a unique level of high surveillance into how
concussion works.”
That
surveillance will be made possible, in part, by the VR goggles designed to
track ocular motor efficiency. The goggles present a red dot that moves in a
circular pattern; while the eyes track the dot, infrared cameras within the
goggles track the accuracy of the eye movement.
The
athlete’s tracking score in a post-collision state is downloaded to the Samsung
tablet, then immediately entered into a secure portal that contains a database.
Within
that database is the athlete’s previously-established baseline (i.e.,
trauma-free) score. The numbers are compared to help determine the presence,
and degree of, concussion.
“We’ve
found that concussion recovery has a signature eye movement,’’ McQueen said.
Every
school has the equipment on hand this season — it’s not just football; several
sports are involved in the study — but only five will have results officially
entered into the database in 2018-19: Colorado, Washington, Oregon State, USC
and Utah.
The other
seven schools will be phased into the project over the next two years,
eventually giving McQueen’s team baseline scores for every athlete in the
conference and a standardized way of testing, diagnosing and monitoring the
head trauma.
We might
be able to draw some conclusions at the end of the season,” said Kim Harmon,
the head football physician at Washington and leader of a conference oversight
group that studies student-athlete health issues
“But in three
years we’ll have a lot better understanding. You need big numbers.”
The
Concussion Coordinating Unit was formed last year by the conference’s brain
trauma task force, which itself is part of the Pac-12’s deeply significant
Student-Athlete Health and Well-Being Initiative (SAHWBI).
Created in
2013 by commissioner Larry Scott, with approval from the schools, the SAHWBI
provides research grants using a slice of the conference’s income from the
College Football Playoff.
Unlike
other SAHWBI projects — for instance: a mental health awareness campaign
founded by two Oregon State athletes — the concussion study is a collaborative
effort with the NCAA and Department of Defense.
The NCAA
and DoD are jointly operating the Concussion Assessment, Research and Education
project (CARE), which is billed as the largest concussion study in history and
designed to enhance safety for athletes and service members.
The Pac-12
was designated as a regional hub for the CARE study and received the funding to
hire data coordinators and equipment at each school.
In an
attempt to break new ground, the conference teamed up with SyncThink, a Palo
Alto-based neuro-technology company that makes the Smooth Pursuit goggles in
use on sidelines this fall.
The Pac-12
awarded the project to Colorado, and McQueen spent 10 months implementing a
data-collection method across the conference. Medical staffs and data
coordinators were trained to use the goggles and given standardized monitoring
process.
The standardized
approach, McQueen said, “will help with our understanding of the natural
history of concussions.”
“We don’t
really know if it’s one big thing, or are there sub-types that might have
different recovery courses,” he added. “No one school has the numbers on a big
enough scale, thank goodness.
“But if we
put it all together” — concussion recovery data from athletes in every sport at
every school — “then the bigger picture begins to emerge. We’re changing the
way business is done.”
Here’s how
it works:
After a
player is involved in a collision and informs the medical staff of dizziness,
nausea or light-headedness, he/she will be tested on the sideline (or in the
locker room) using two primary methods:
The
so-called SCAT approach (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool), which involves
memory, balance and orientation tests — and is used by FIFA, among others — and
the Smooth Pursuit goggles.
The
results will be compared to the baseline scores, at which point trainers and
doctors will determine whether there is good reason to believe a concussion
occurred. If so, the athlete will be removed from practice or competition.
During the
recovery phase, he/she will be test daily using the SCAT approach and the
goggle. Once the symptoms subside, the athlete will enter what’s called ‘return
to play protocol,’ where additional tests are compared to the baseline scores.
The test results for each player throughout the recovery process will be
entered into the database.
Could
athletes attempt to mislead the medical staffs in order to get back to
competition?
“It’s
pretty hard to fake it with the VR,” McQueen said. “The trainers will know.”
One aspect
of head trauma won’t be studied, either by the Pac-12’s concussion unit or by
the joint NCAA/DoD project:
The
repeated, sub-concussive blows to the head that occur in practice and games and
are believed to contribute to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), the
degenerative neurological disease seen in the brains of deceased former NFL
players.
But
because of the standardized monitoring process and the volume of information
that will be collected over the next three years, the twin studies could lead
to new insights into head trauma.
“We can
learn a lot because this gives us the opportunity to unpack the history of
concussion and see what it looks like,” he said. “We’re seeing the athletes
every day, and there are very few populations where you can do that.
“They’re
helping us add to our understanding of what is a concussion.”
#
