Football: Washington
State’s Mike Leach, Gardner Minshew share affinity for late movie star Burt
Reynolds
Mon., Nov.
12, 2018, 10:06 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson Spokane S-R
PULLMAN –
Mike Leach sees a striking resemblence between his starting quarterback and the
late actor who starred in Gunsmoke, The Longest Yard and Smokey and the Bandit.
Gardner
Minshew and Burt Reynolds do share a mustache and Leach paid tribute to the
American TV/movie star on Twitter Sunday night, sharing a video from an ESPN
postgame interview that showed the Washington State QB taping a fake mustache
to his coach’s face after the Cougars beat Colorado 31-7 Saturday in Boulder.
“I’d like
to use this opportunity to honor a true American legend, Mr. Burt Reynolds. RIP
Burt, thanks for everything,” Leach tweeted.
During
Monday’s news conference in Pullman, Leach said of Minshew, “I do think his
face carries a mustache well” and also noted “there is kind of a Smokey and
Bandit vibe with the whole thing.”
Leach said
his transfer quarterback may not be familiar with Reynolds and his filmography
– “it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if he doesn’t,” the coach said – unaware
Minshew had actually cited the actor as a “personal icon” when he guest
appeared on the Jim Rome Show two weeks ago, and also stated his affinity for Reynolds’
hit film, Smokey and the Bandit.
“Ultimately,
the greatest of all time of mustaches is my personal icon, Burt Reynolds,”
Minshew told Rome. “Rest in peace. He is the gold standard when it comes to
mustaches.”
Rome
continued to quiz Minshew about his fandom, asking the quarterback to list his
favorite Reynolds movies.
“Well, the
one movie that sticks out to me is Smokey and the Bandit,” Minshew said. “I had
it on VHS, I remember watching it as young as I can remember. I’ve probably
seen that – I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve seen it. Just always
wanted to be the bandit in the dang Trans Am. That always just got me fired up.
He’s a renegade.”
“What a
roll, him and Jerry Reed taking down to Texarkana,” Minshew said. “Just good
times, man.”
Minshew
probably doesn’t know Leach had a face-to-face encounter with Reynolds while he
was coaching at Valdosta State in the 1990s. Reynolds’ godson played for Leach
and the Blazers, who used to hold their spring scrimmages in Tallahassee,
Florida, because a number of Florida State coaches also had sons playing for
Valdosta. Reynolds had a house in Tallahassee and occasionally came out to
watch the Blazers practice.
“Of course
all the ladies wanted to meet him and everything,” Leach said. “And in the midst
of it, we’re down there trying to have a spring scrimmage. I don’t know him or
anything.”
The
Cougars watch movies as a team on Friday night before Saturday games. Perhaps a
Reynolds flick will be next on the queue.
“There’s a
lot of mustaches around here and why is Gardner’s taken hold in the fashion it
has? It is a little curious to me, but part of it, I do think his face carries
a mustache well,” Leach said. “Some of it’s a little generational, but growing
up you always heard about Burt Reynolds’ mustache. You know?”
…………….
Commentary:
Gardner Minshew has brought a much-needed happiness back to WSU
By Aaron
Levine, Q13Fox TV Seattle Posted 11/11/2018. Updated 11/13/2018
We start
with a smile: Something so simple we often take it for granted, yet so
meaningful when it comes to that of Gardner Minshew in Pullman this season.
Because
Minshew – along with that smile (and that mustache) – has helped bring a
much-needed happiness back to the Palouse.
The Cougs
are now 9-1, and along with the Huskies, still control their own destiny in the
Pac-12 North. But more importantly, there’s a joy within a community that was
desperate for optimism for much of this year.
The
shocking suicide of Tyler Hilinski in January was devastating. And while I’m an
outsider who admittedly knows very little about the Washington State family or
what it means to be a Coug, I still saw the impact it had on the entire
community. I saw the outpouring of support. I’ve seen the efforts to raise
money for Hilinski’s Hope and mental health awareness, and I saw the heartfelt
dedication to the late quarterback during a flag-raising ceremony before the
Cougs home opener.
But to
follow it up with the unexpected success in a season clearly dedicated to
Hilinski? To follow it up with memorable moments like the first-ever College
Gameday in Pullman? To follow it up with a big win over Oregon and to see the
jubilation amongst the crowd rushing the field? To see Minshew celebrating with
fans and soaking it all in? And to continue that success all the way to a No. 8
national ranking with just two games left in the regular season?
That’s
special. That’s something you only see in sports.
This team
is having fun again – and Minshew is a major reason why.
Gardner
Minshew came to Pullman when the Cougs needed him most. Someone who was
separated enough from the tragedy to be able to bring the fun back with his
unique style, with his infectious smile, without being disrespectful to the process
of mourning one of their own.
Frankly,
this team is still playing for Tyler, while rallying behind Gardner.
And while
the next two weeks including Apple Cup loom incredibly large, you can’t take
away what Minshew’s success – and charisma – has meant to those around him.
Maybe it
should be a thing: Aviator glasses for all Coug fans going forward – to reflect
the spirit of both quarterbacks: the one whose smile continues to shine bright,
and the one whose spirit continues to beam down on them everyday.
………………..
Below based
on info from WSU Sports Info…
Coug men’s
basketball games notes before Nov. 14 game in Seattle vs. Seattle U
COUGARS
HIT THE ROAD FOR FIRST TIME IN 2018-19: The Washington State University men’s
basketball team (1-0) hits the road as it heads to Kent, Wash., to take on
Seattle U (2-1), Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. at the ShoWare Center.
• The game
will not be televised, but is available on the WAC Digital Network,
www.wacdigitalnetwork.com/.
• All
season long, Cougar basketball can be heard on the Cougar IMG Sports Radio
Network with the Voice of the Cougars, Matt Chazanow on the call.
• Live
stats able at www.wsucougars.com.
::::::::::::::::
NEXT UP:
• The
Cougars return home for three-straight home games at Beasley Coliseum with Cal
Poly (Nov. 19), Delaware State (Nov. 24) and Cal State Northridge (Nov. 27).
:::::::::::::
ABOUT THE
REDHAWKS:
• Seattle
U is a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), located in Seattle,
Wash.
•
Second-year head coach, Jim Hayford took over for Seattle U last season after
six seasons at Eastern Washington. Before that he was at Whitworth.
• WSU
faced Hayford’s EWU teams twice (2011-12 and 2012-13), winning both the
matchups and his Seattle U team once (2017-18) for a 3-0 overall mark.
• The
Redhawks opened the season with a 96-74 loss at Stanford, and followed it up
with wins over Puget Sound (95-67) and Bryant (82-59).
COUGARS
VERSUS REDHAWKS; WAC:
•
Wednesday marks the 16th all-time meeting between Washington State and Seattle
U, the second in as many seasons after playing for the first time since Dec. 29, 1990 last year.
• WSU
leads 8-7 and has won the last three meetings.
• The
Cougars are 6-1 at home against the Redhawks, 1-2 in neutral-site games and 1-4
in away games.
• Seattle
U is joined in the WAC by Cal Baptist, CSU Bakersfield, Chicago State, Grand
Canyon, Kansas City, New Mexico State, UT Rio Grande Valley and Utah Valley.
• WSU has
faced just two other current members of the WAC, CSU Bakersfield (3-0) and Utah
Valley (2-0), for an overall record against current members of the WAC of
13-7...the Cougars will play at New Mexico State on Dec. 1.
WASHINGTON
STATE WINS SEASON OPENER:
• Led by a
double-double of 31 points and 11 rebounds from senior Robert Franks, WSU
defeated Nicholls, 89-72, in its season opener, Nov. 11 at Beasley Coliseum.
• Freshman
CJ Elleby added 12 points and 8 assists, while redshirt-sophomore Arinze Chidom
added 10 points and 4 steals.
• The
Cougars improved to 96-22 all-time in
season openers and 56-8 when opening the season at home.
• WSU has
won every season opener when opening at Beasley Coliseum and its last 23 season
openers at home.
• Its last
home loss in the first game of the season came Dec. 1, 1972 against Houston,
the final year the Cougars played in Bohler Gym.
• The
Cougars have won 29-consecutive Beasley Coliseum openers (not necessarily the
first game of the season, but the first at home), with their last loss coming
to BYU, Dec. 3, 1987.
COUGARS
ROLL IN EXHIBITION GAME:
• Eight of
WSU’s 13 players scored in double, including five newcomers, as Washington
State defeated New Hope Christian, 138-63, Nov. 4 in exhibition action at
Beasley Coliseum.
• Freshman
Aljaž Kunc led the way in scoring with 24 points, while his classmate and WSU’s
only other freshman had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
• Kunc was
10-for-11 from the field, as WSU shot at a .691 (56-for-81) clip from the field
as a team.
• Junior
college transfers, Jervae Robinson (16 points), Isaiah Wade (15) and Ahmed Ali
(15) also reached double figure scoring in their Cougar uniform debuts.
• The
Cougars assisted on 35 of their 56 baskets and had 41 points on NHCC’s 23
turnovers.
• WSU had
12 dunks on the night...last season in regular season action it had 28 dunks in
31 games.
• For
more, please see the boxscore on page 25.
ABOUT THE
COUGARS:
•
Washington State men’s basketball returns three starters, including three of
its four top scorers from the 2017-18 squad, as head coach Ernie Kent enters
his fifth season at the helm for the 2018-19 basketball season.
• Seniors
Robert Franks and Viont’e Daniels look to lead the team, which features seven
newcomers after putting up their best seasons in 2018-19, averaging 17.4 and
9.0 points, respectively.
• Franks’
big season was capped by being named the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player of the
Year, which led to him to declare for the NBA Draft, only to withdraw his name
prior to the deadline.
• Daniels
was second on the team with 71 made 3-pointers and he, along with Franks and
fellow-starter Carter Skaggs, combined for 206 of the team’s school-record 341
3-pointers in 2017-18.
• Senior
Davante Cooper, junior Jeff Pollard and redshirt sophomore Arinze Chidom also
return for Washington State in 2018-19.
• The
Cougars look to fill the void at point guard with two junior college transfers
in juniors Ahmed Ali and Jervae Robinson.
• Ali
joins WSU after putting up big numbers, most recently at Eastern Florida State
College, where he averaged 16.9 points and 4.8 assists per game in two seasons,
while shooting .426 (230-for-540) from 3-point range on route to earning NJCAA
Division I All-America second team honors as a sophomore.
• Robinson
comes to the Palouse from Otero Junior College.
• With
just six returnees for the Cougs, WSU is looking for immediate impacts from
several newcomers, including Iowa Western CC-transfer, Isaiah Wade, who was an
NJCAA All-America nominee as a sophomore after averaging 12.1 points and 9.5
rebounds per game.
• Freshman
and Washington-native, CJ Elleby also joins the Cougars after picking up
all-State honors each of his final three years at Cleveland HS in Seattle.
• Freshman
Aljaž Kunc and junior college transfers, sophomore Marvin Cannon and walk-on
junior James Streeter also join the 2018-19 squad.
FRANKS
NAMED TO JULIUS ERVING WATCH LIST:
• Senior
Robert Franks is one of five Pac-12 student-athletes named to the 20-member
2019 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Watch List.
• The list
will be cut down to 10 in February and the five finalists will be narrowed down
in March, with the winner being announced April 12, 2019.
FRANKS AND
DANIELS EYE RECORD BOOKS:
• With 797
career points, Robert Franks needs just 203 points to become the 37th WSU men’s
basketball student-athlete to score 1,000-career points.
• Franks
scored 521 points by averaging 17.4 points per game as a junior...if he can
continue at that pace, he will finish with 1,287 points which would put him
16th on WSU’s all-time scoring list.
• Viont’e
Daniels has made 103 career 3-pointers which ranks 21st on WSU’s career
list...if he can repeat his 71 made 3-pointers from his junior campaign,
Daniels would finish his Cougar career with 172 3s, ranking ninth all-time.
KENT
ENTERS FIFTH YEAR:
• Veteran
head coach and former Fox Sports and Pac-12 Networks basketball analyst was
named the 18th head coach in WSU men’s basketball history, March 31, 2014.
• Kent
came to Pullman with a 325-254 (.561) mark as a head coach, having spent six
seasons at the helm for Saint Mary’s in Moraga, Calif., and 13 at Oregon.
• In his
13 years at Oregon, Kent compiled a 235-174 (.575) record and a 109-125 (.466)
conference mark.
• His 127
conference wins rank him 15th-best in Pac-12 history (including Pacific-8 and
Pacific-10 Conferences)....needing just five (132) to catch Howard Dallmar of
Stanford (1955-75) for 14th.
• His win,
Feb. 18, 2017, against Arizona State moved him out of a tie for 15th with
former UCLA coach Ben Howland.
• While at
Oregon, Kent led the Ducks to seven postseason appearances, including five NCAA
Tournament Appearances (2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008) as well as a Pac-10
regular-season (2002) and two conference tournament (2003, 2007) titles.
• Kent’s
first season with the Cougars wasn’t much different than his first with the
Ducks, as he led Oregon to a 13-14 overall record and 8-10 league mark as
Oregon finished sixth in the then-Pacific-10 Conference...he led WSU to a 13-18
overall record and 7-11 league mark.
• WSU’s 13
wins in his first season tied him for third-best in Washington State history
for wins by a men’s basketball coach in his first season…he’s tied with Kelvin
Sampson (1987-88) and Dick Bennett (2003-04), as both of those were also
improvements from the previous season.
• Kent has
378 career wins as a head coach.
MARRION
PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT COACH:
•
Fifth-year head coach, Ernie Kent, elevated Tim Marrion from coordinator of
operations to assistant coach for the 2018-19 season.
• Marrion
is currently in his third full-time stint with the WSU men’s basketball
program, as he returned to his alma mater in September of 2016 to assume the
role of coordinator of basketball operations.
• He
previously served on the WSU men’s basketball staff as the team’s director of
player development under then-head coach Ken Bone, during the 2013-14 season.
• Prior to
that, he was the coordinator of operations for Cougar basketball from spring of
2009 until the summer of 2012.
• Kenny
Tripp joined the staff as coordinator of operations after one year as an
assistant coach for Division II Metropolitan State University of Denver in
2017-18.
• Prior to
his stint with the Roadrunners, Tripp served as a graduate assistant for the
men’s basketball program at Division II Regis University at Denver, Colo., for
two years (2015-17).
::::::::::::
First
winter weather of the season on the Palouse may arrive tonight
Pullman
Radio News 11/13/2018
The first
winter weather of the season on the Palouse may arrive tonight. The National
Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the Palouse. The
forecast is calling for possible light freezing rain tonight and early
Wednesday morning. A few inches of snow may fall in the higher elevations.
::::::::::::::::
Highway 26
near Othello closed through Apple Cup
Detour
expected to remain in place during Thanksgiving break, into December
By Anthony
Kuipers, Moscow Pullman Daily News
Nov 13,
2018
A 32-mile
chunk of State Route 26, a primary route for people traveling from western
Washington to the Palouse, will remain closed east of Othello, Wash., through
the Thanksgiving holiday and the Apple Cup.
The
Washington State Department of Transportation is reporting construction to
replace a concrete bridge deck over the railway is taking longer than expected,
and the closure could last into December.
The detour
around the closure that travels state highways 17, 260 and U.S. Highway 395
will remain in place. It adds an extra 14 miles to the trip.
Crews
began construction Oct. 15 and were expecting to finish the $1.2 million
project by Nov. 21, but protecting the Burlington Northern Sante Fe railroad
tracks under the bridge from demolition took longer than expected. Thus, the
new concrete bridge deck is not expected to cure in time.
The
concrete pour itself is a long process that is made even longer because of the
cold weather.
"You
can't fight physics, it takes a couple weeks for that concrete to reach its
strength," said Jeff Adamson, public information officer for WSDOT.
According
to WSDOT, the average traffic count for the bridge is just under 2,000 vehicles
a day, but that number can double on WSU event weekends.
The game
against the University of Washington on Nov. 23 is sold out.
WSDOT
Project Engineer Dan Lewis said in a news release the detour has "proven
capable of safely accommodating high traffic volumes without significant
delays."
Adamson
said the detour passed a major test the week WSU played the University of
Oregon in Pullman on Oct. 20. The game drew a larger than expected number of
fans to Pullman after ESPN announced its college football TV show "College
GameDay" would air live on the WSU campus.
That is
why WSDOT is optimistic the detour will be suitable for Thanksgiving and Apple
Cup traffic.
"We
were very pleased that it handled the volume very well," Adamson said.
Adamson
said the agency is also pleased with the contractor's work despite the delay.
Before the latest setback, the deadline was pushed up from Nov. 28 to Nov. 21
to accommodate students, families and fans traveling during Thanksgiving break.
He said
the project also required special permission from BNSF, which does not usually
allow construction on the railway during the fourth quarter of the year because
of high traffic volume and because delays are more expensive. He said having to
stop a train running from Spokane to the Tri-Cites during the holiday season
can have a significant affect on eastern Washington's economy.
The bridge
repair was originally scheduled for spring 2019, but two harsh winters
accelerated the bridge's deterioration.
"We're
just very happy this work will be done and this bridge will be safe going into
the teeth of this winter," Adamson said.
:::::::::::
Leach:
Practicing in Pullman may have helped at Boulder
Pullman's
windy weather may have helped No. 8 Washington State in breezy Boulder
By Dale
Grummert, Lewsiton Trib
Nov 13
2018
Like many
Pullmanites, Mike Leach can be annoyed by the sometimes harsh winds of the
Palouse. But they might have helped him win a football game last week.
Blustery
conditions seemed to hamper his pass-minded Washington State offense in the
first half at Boulder, Colo., but the Cougars avoided turnovers and eventually
pulled away for their sixth straight win Saturday, topping Colorado 31-7.
Leach
believes practicing in Pullman helps prepare his quarterbacks and receivers for
coping with wind.
"I
don't worry about rain," the coach said Monday at his weekly news
conference, mentioning team drills in which QBs dip footballs in a bucket of
water before throwing them. Other weather conditions can't be simulated in
practice.
"The
biggest nuisance is the wind," he said. "And even though I don't
really care for it when we're having practice, we do have the opportunity to
practice in wind around here. So it's not like we're caught without any
preparation if the wind blows."
The No. 8
Cougars (9-1, 6-1), still leading the Pac-12 North, are expecting chilly but
dry, calm conditions when they face Arizona (5-5, 4-3) at Martin Stadium in
Pullman on Saturday (7:30 p.m., ESPN). Favored by 10 points, Washington State
will try to avenge a 58-37 loss last year at Tucson, Ariz.
Gardner
Minshew, who averages 48 more passing yards than any other quarterback in the
FBS, repeatedly overthrew receivers on deep and intermediate routes at Boulder.
But he still went 35-for-58 for 335 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions,
and the Cougars ran the ball 33 times for 131 yards, both season-highs.
"We
just had to find completions any way we could get them - just move the ball
down the field and be consistent with that," Minshew said after the game.
"I think that's one thing we struggled with the first half. I was off a
little bit, we had a few drops. Here and there, we just weren't on the same
page. But then I feel we figured it out in the second half."
With the
Buffaloes blitzing rarely and guarding the back end, Minshew was often afforded
plenty of time in the pocket. Perhaps wary of the swirling wind, though, he
didn't always capitalize.
"I
think sometimes it was really good coverage on their (the Buffs') part,"
Leach said Monday. "Sometimes we did protect decent. Sometimes one guy
would get beat somewhere. I also thought he (Minshew) could have triggered a
little quicker on some of them. And again conditions were tough because of the
wind and the communication. As good as he played, I don't think it was one of
his best games."
A key to
the Cougars' second-half getaway was a 48-yard catch-and-run by Dezmon Patmon,
who accrued the last 20 while keeping a defender at bay with a sustained
stiff-arm. That helped set up a 10-yard touchdown run by Minshew that made it
24-7 early in the fourth quarter.
"I
actually thought that play kind of broke the game open," Leach said.
"I know it wasn't a score. A lot of times you feel like a score or
something is what breaks it open."
More
consistently dominant was the WSU defense, which held Colorado to 12 first
downs and pitched a shutout after yielding the game's first score.
"I
thought our defense played a pretty complete game, other than an explosive play
here or there," Leach said after the game. "They really did a good
job keeping them out of the end zone.
"We
kept them off-balance. I thought this was one of the better games our defensive
line has played. I thought they affected the quarterback. They didn't all
result in sacks, but they affected him, they moved him and made it difficult. And
we did get them into a number of third-and longs as a result of that."
::::::::::::::
Washington
State’s Leach: Dezmon Patmon broke Colorado game open with 48-yard reception in
third quarter
UPDATED:
Mon., Nov. 12, 2018, 8:51 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson Spokane S-R
PULLMAN –
Dezmon Patmon didn’t cross the goal line at any point of Saturday’s game
against Colorado, but Washington State coach Mike Leach believes his junior
wide receiver was responsible for breaking it open.
In the
third quarter, Patmon went 48 yards on a catch-and-run that set the Cougars up
inside the Buffaloes’ 30-yard line and eventually allowed Gardner Minshew to
rush for the 10-yard touchdown that gave the visitors a 31-7 lead.
“I
actually thought that play kind of broke the game open,” Leach said Monday. “I
know it wasn’t a score and a lot of times you feel like a score or something is
what breaks it open.”
Minshew
fired to Patmon on a short hitch and the receiver took care of everything else,
bolting down the sideline and shedding off CU tacklers until he was finally
forced out of bounds at the 30.
“He’s kind
of a strong, powerful guy,” Leach said. “Stronger than he realizes, as we’ve
talked about, but he’s getting stronger and stronger as he plays.”
Patmon has
shared reps with Easop Winston at “Z,” but the junior from San Diego has been
something of a revelation for the Cougars in 2018 after sitting behind Isaiah
Johnson-Mack last season. Patmon currently leads the team in total receiving
yards with 724 and has 52 catches to go with three touchdowns.
After
posting 379 receiving yards as a sophomore, he’s had three 100-yard games this
season and had career-high numbers against Stanford, reeling in 10 balls for
127 yards.
::::::::::
Washington
State’s Leach insists defensive plan is part of what made Tate dangerous in
2017 game
UPDATED:
Mon., Nov. 12, 2018, 8:55 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson of Spokane’s S-R
PULLMAN –
Washington State’s defensive backs may still be inhaling the dust Khalil Tate
left behind in a football game-turned-track meet between the Cougars and
Arizona Wildcats last October in the Tucson desert.
Tate
arrived onto the college football scene last season without much notice and
tortured a slew of unsuspecting Pac-12 teams with his rip-roaring speed and
dual threat playmaking ability.
The
Cougars saw it first-hand on Oct. 28, 2017, in Arizona Stadium. Early in the
fourth quarter, the sophomore quarterback faked a handoff to running back J.J.
Taylor and tucked the ball into the arms before curling around the offensive
line and stampeding 49 yards to the end zone.
Tate
stumped WSU nearly every time Arizona’s offense came onto the field and
accounted for 421 yards offense and three touchdowns as the Wildcats cruised
past the Cougars 58-37 in Tucson.
Looking
back, WSU didn’t help itself out much either, coach Mike Leach insists.
“First of
all, our defensive plan was part of what made him dangerous,” Leach said Monday
during a news conference. “I think we had some self-inflicted wounds. The other
thing is, I think he’s good with his feet – he can throw and he can run both.
Then what they were doing offensively kind of set that up and complimented it,
so now it’s kind of a combination with both.”
Tate and
Wildcats (5-5, 4-3) make a visit to Pullman this Saturday to face the No. 8
Cougars (9-1, 6-1) at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN) at Martin Stadium.
WSU is
under the direction of a new defensive coordinator this season, Tracy Claeys,
and the Cougars will probably make a few edits to the game plan – if not scrap
last year’s blueprint completely – with last year’s disaster still in the back
of their mind.
Tate was
only part of the conundrum. The Wildcats had eight offensive plays of 40 yards
or longer, four of 60 yards or longer and two more that were 70 or longer. They
finished with 585 total yards of offense, averaging a whopping 11.5 yards per
play.
“I didn’t
think we adjusted very good and I also think we were pretty much in a situation
where if one guy screwed up they were going to get a lot of yards and I think
that puts too much stress in order to successfully defend them,” Leach said.
“Because you’re talking about any given play there would be three guys staying
at the point of attack and for all of three of them to play perfectly every
time is pretty challenging.”
“So I
think we approached it aggressively, which I liked at the time, but I didn’t
think it was the best approach in hindsight.”
Leach is
WSU’s offensive coordinator and gives his defensive coordinator a fair amount
of autonomy, but don’t be surprised if this week the head coach offers a little
more defensive input than usual.
He’d hate
for lightning – or Khalil Tate – to strike twice.
:::::::::::
Arizona
Wildcat football :First look at the Washington State Cougars
The
Wildcats travel to Pullman looking for an upset
By Ronnie
Stoffle AZ Desert Swarm.com Nov 13, 2018
Fresh off
their bye week, the Arizona Wildcats (5-5, 4-3) head north to take on the
Washington State Cougars (9-1, 6-1) in their final road trip of the regular
season.
Sitting at
5-5, UA has two opportunities to achieve bowl eligibility.
However,
this weekend’s matchup will be viewed by many as an unlikely victory for the
Wildcats, as Washington State has been ranked inside the top 10 for three
straight weeks.
Saturday’s
kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. MOUNTAION TIME and will be televised on
ESPN.
First look
at Washington State
Week 4
loss at USC (39-36)
Week 5 win
vs. Utah (28-24)
Week 8 win
vs. Oregon (34-20)
Week 9 win
at Stanford (41-38)
Week 11
win at Colorado (31-7)
Key
Offensive Players: Gardner Minshew II (QB), James Williams (RB), Dezmon Patmon
(WR), Easop Winston (WR)
Key
Defensive Players: Peyton Pelluer (LB), Jahad Woods (LB), Jalen Thompson
(Safety), Skyler Thomas (Safety)
Series
History: Arizona leads, 27-16
Last
Meeting: Arizona 58, No. 15 Washington State 37 (Oct. 28, 2017 in Tucson)
Streak:
Arizona has won seven of last 10 meetings
The
Cougars enter this contest as one of only three teams nationally ranked in the
top 20 for both total offense and total defense. They rank 18th in total
offense with 470 yards per game and 20th in total defense by allowing 324.1
yards per game.
The other
two teams you ask? Alabama (4th in offense, 8th in defense) and Clemson (9th in
offense, 2nd in defense).
The level
of adversity that Washington State has faced leading to the season opener has
been well-documented. Head coach Mike Leach deserves an immeasurable amount of
credit for making this season what it has become.
With the
quarterback position being undetermined heading into fall camp, East Carolina
graduate transfer Gardner Minshew seized an opportunity to thrive in this
air-raid offense.
During the
two seasons at ECU in which he saw playing time, the Pirates won a total of six
games. That made their record over those two seasons 6-18. It should be noted
that Minshew posted respectable numbers. He threw for 3,487 yards while
completing 57.9 percent of his passes with a 24:11 touchdown-to-interception
ratio.
Leach saw
the potential, but did he have any idea it could be this good? Through 10 games
this season, Minshew has already recorded 3,852 yards while completing 69.6
percent of his passes with a 29:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
He has
already recorded more passing yards and touchdowns in 10 games than he did in
his 17 with ECU.
The
Cougars have four guys who have more than 500 receiving yards and 40 catches.
One of these players is running back James Williams, who has accounted for 943
total yards and 12 touchdowns.
His
ability to effectively run the ball (4.2 yards per carry on 103 attempts) but
also be a factor in the passing game (63 receptions) will be a difficult
matchup for the UA linebackers.
The other
three players with more than 500 yards receiving and 40 catches are Dezmon
Patmon (724 yards, 52 receptions), Easop Winston (561 yards, 44 receptions) and
Davontavean Martin (513 yards, 55 receptions). They also account for 17 receiving
touchdowns and have all recorded at least two 100-yard receiving games.
This type
of offensive productivity is expected in Leach’s scheme. What’s not expected is
this type of defensive dominance as well.
Not only
do they have a top-20 defense, they also rank 15th in total sacks with 30, and
42nd with 66 tackles for loss. They do a tremendous job of creating pressure in
the opposing backfield and against the run. The Cougars are allowing just 125.4
rushing yards per game.
The most
intriguing part about this defensive production is it’s not just one or two
players. This is total team effort, led by sixth-year senior Peyton Pelluer.
Last weekend against Colorado, Pelluer tied the WSU record for most games played
with 51. This weekend he will likely be in sole possession of the record.
Now that
Khalil Tate appears to be healthy once again and Arizona has had an extra week
to prepare for the Cougars, it should make for an interesting matchup. The line
opened with Washington State as 10-point favorites.
If there
was a time for the Wildcats to erase the early-season disappointment, this is
the time. This will be the stage for Kevin Sumlin and his team to show that
they deserved all of the preseason hype and remain in contention for a Pac-12
South championship.
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