Morgan Weaver Leads Four Cougars On All-Pac-12 Women’s Soccer Teams
11/7/2018
from WSU Sports Info
SAN
FRANCISCO - Led by star forward Morgan Weaver, Washington State soccer put four
players on the Pac-12 All-Conference teams.
The teams
were announced by conference commissioner Larry Scott office Wednesday
afternoon.
Weaver, a
junior, took home first team honors for the Cougars.
Others on
the Coug team with honors are:
-- senior
Maddy Haro, second team.
-- senior Maegan
O'Neill, third team.
-- Mykiaa
Minniss, all-freshman team
In a break
out year for the Cougars' scorer, Weaver earned her first-career first team
honor after picking up third team and all-freshmen distinctions in her first
two seasons of play. One of the most feared strikers in the country, Weaver
finished the regular season tied for second in scoring with a career-best 12
goals.
In the
biggest spots Weaver was at her best as the junior netted the game-winner
against No. 8 UCLA to start Pac-12 play while also scoring the equalizer
against No. 1 Stanford to earn a draw against the Cardinal on the
second-to-last weekend of play. She would score seven goals in Pac-12 play
including five in the final three games of the season. The Renton-born Weaver,
who is from University Place, saved the best for last tallying her
second-career hat-trick against Washington in the regular season finale to lead
the Cougars to another Apple Cup victory over their rival. In all, Weaver led
the Cougars in points with 28 as she added a career-high four assists to her 12
goals, scoring or assisting on nearly half of WSU's 36 goals on the year. The
junior led the Pac-12 in player of the week awards taking home three offensive
awards throughout the season including the final two given out by the
conference.
For the
first time in her stellar career, Haro earned all-conference honors as the
senior defender picked up second team honors for the Cougars. The native
Californian was the conductor of the offensive orchestra posting a WSU record
13 assists in 17 games. She would finish fourth in the nation in total assists
while her 0.76 assists per game finished second in the country. Two separate
times on the year Haro posted three-game assists streaks to tie the Cougars'
record for games with an assist. She enters the postseason with 20 career
assists, just one of three Cougars in program history to reach the 20+ assist
plateau. In addition to her helpers, Haro found the back of the net three times
from her defensive position to finish the regular season second on the team in
points with a career best 19. For her efforts, Haro earned one Pac-12 Defensive
Player of the Week nod, the first of the season in the conference, after
assisting on three of four goals for WSU in the opening weekend of play.
The rock
in the defensive midfield and one of the Cougars' team captains, O'Neill saved
her best for last as the senior put together her most complete season in the
Crimson and Gray to earn her first career all-conference award. Despite playing
a truncated season due to injury, O'Neill finished the year as the second
leading scorer for the Cougars netting five goals just 13 games on an even more
impressive 10 shots. Picking her spots, the Spokane native made the most of her
tallies as three of her five goals were of the game-winning variety as she
posted the top strike against Idaho, Oregon and Oregon State, the final two in
back-to-back games. The senior would earn her first Pac-12 Defensive Player of
the Week award after the leading the Cougars to the sweep of the Oregon schools
in late September.
Following
in the footsteps of fellow top newcomers, Minniss earned the sixth-straight
all-freshman team award for the Cougars joining Ella Dederick (2016), Weaver
(2017), and Elyse Bennett (2018) as top WSU players to take home the award.
Making an immediate impact for the Cougars, Minniss stepped into a starting
center back role in game one and proved herself to be one of the best defenders
in the country. A rock in the back, Minniss missed just one game in her
inaugural campaign due to injury, playing nearly every other minute in her 17
games on the field. She helped lead the Cougars to five shutouts on the year
defensively while giving up just over one goal per game.
The
first-year Coug also took home a Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week award in
August after scoring the game-winner, becoming the first freshman of the season
to earn a weekly award, after leading the defense to a shutout of Minnesota on
the road while scoring her first collegiate goal as well.
With their
newly minted all-conference players, the Cougs head back to the postseason once
again, hosting Montana in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament Friday, Nov.
9 at 7 p.m. at Lower Soccer Field.
#
................
WOMEN’S
BASKETBALL: Utah State
downs Cougs
WSU opens
season with an 11-point loss at home
By TAYLOR
DUNLAP, Evergreen
Nov 7,
2018
WSU
women’s basketball opened its season Tuesday night with a 72-61 loss against
Utah State University. The game was a tight matchup throughout the 40-minute
period, however, mistakes in the fourth quarter cost the Cougars a victory.
Redshirt
junior forward Borislava Hristova felt that the team was not ready for the
physicality that Utah State brought.
“We knew
this team was going to go hard on us, we knew their pressure was going to be
key for that team,” Hristova said. “We just didn’t come out as focused and they
just outworked us today and I think we just need to take this to heart and it’s
not going to get any easier, we’re just going to go to practice … and fix the
mistakes we made.”
Utah State
started the first quarter with a steady lead over WSU until the Cougars found
their rhythm and fired back to lead at end the first quarter 19-17. The Cougars
started the first quarter strong making five out of their eight shots compared
to the Aggies eight out of 19 shots.
The second
quarter brought much of the same intensity, however, with five minutes left in
the half Hristova injured her ankle, leaving the court for the rest of the
quarter. With a seven-point lead before Hristova’s injury, the Cougars were
able keep their game together to lead 35-32 at the end of the half.
The second
half was a tale of two quarters as Hristova returned leading the Cougars
attacking offense. WSU finished the third quarter with a 48-44 lead. Although
the Cougars lead by four, their field goal percentage dropped from 62.5 percent
in the first half to only 40 percent in the third quarter.
In the
fourth quarter, the Cougars maintained their lead until their shots being put
up would not fall, giving the Aggies the opportunity to go on a run and win
72-61. In the final quarter, WSU’s field goal percentage was only 33.3 percent
compared to Utah State’s 60 percent.
Head Coach
Kamie Ethridge felt that her team did not get into a rhythm which caused the
Cougars to fall short in the fourth quarter.
“I think
by the end we were just barely standing, we just never regrouped, we never got
into our system very well,” Ethridge said. “It finally caught up with us in the
fourth quarter where we really took some bad shots and hard shots and on the
other hand, they were making big play after big play.”
WSU
struggled with turnovers this game as they turned the ball over 20 times
compared to the Aggies 10. These 20 turnovers resulted in 23 points for Utah
State while the Cougars only scored 11 points off of turnovers.
Hristova
lead the team with 27 points, seven rebounds and two steals.
Freshman
forward Ula Motuga added 15 points in her first collegiate game. Prior to the
matchup, Motuga was gone for 10 days as she was playing basketball in India.
Motuga
said she felt the offense struggled because she was away from the team.
“I’ll
definitely take this loss on my back,” she said. “My absence probably didn’t
prepare us the way that we should have been prepared. Coming back 50 hours
later and expecting myself to be able to click with my teammates automatically
was definitely tough on my part.”
The
Cougars will be back on their home court 1 p.m. Sunday when they face Saint
Mary’s College of California at Beasley Coliseum in their second game of the
season.
::::::::::::::::
Women's
Golf Cougars Complete Play in Hawaii
From WSU
Sports Info 11/7/2018
KALIUA
KONA, Hawaii – The Washington State women's golf team finished 11th at the
Nanea Pac-12 Preview hosted by the University of Hawaii, after a third round
score of 301(+9). WSU finished ahead of Hawaii and behind No. 11 Washington.
With the close of the tournament the Cougars also close out their fall
schedule. WSU will resume play in February.
The
Cougars competed in a tough Pac-12 field with several nationally ranked teams.
No. 14 Arizona took home the tournament title, carding an overall score of
874(-2) through three rounds of play. No. 39 California placed second, posting
an overall score of 875(-1) and No. 1 USC placed third.
Junior
Marie Lund-Hansen led the Cougars after posting a final round score of
one-under, 72, to bring her overall score to a 222(+3). Lund-Hansen's score
tied her for 25th place overall with No. 60 Bianca Pagdanganan from Arizona.
Redshirt-sophomore
Emily Baumgart wen four-over in the final round to finish the tournament at
225(+6). Baumgart finished alongside of No. 17 Olivia Mehaffey from No. 10
Arizona State and No. 80 Petra Salko from No. 48 Oregon. Senior Madison Odiorne
scored a one-over, 74, in the final round to tie for 45th place.
Individually,
Yu-Sang Hou from Arizona and No. 68 Tze-Han Lin from Oregon tied for the
tournament title. Hou and Lin carded went six-under through three rounds of
play after carding an even-par, 73, and three-under, 70, respectively, in the
third round.
::::::::::::::::
Men's
Golf: Washington State Stays Put at 17th to Complete Saint Mary’s
Intercollegiate
The
Cougars finished their fall season at Poppy Hills Golf Course.
From WSU
Sports Info 11/7/2018
PEBBLE
BEACH, Calif. - The Washington State men's golf team finished 17th at the Saint
Mary's Intercollegiate, Wednesday at Poppy Hills Golf Course at Pebble Beach,
Calif.
The
Cougars finished with a three-round score of 903 (+51). No. 10 USC (-21, 831) jumped
into first after the third round. No. 19 BYU dropped into second place with a
three-round score of 839 (-13), followed by No. 8 Pepperdine (-4, 848) in
third.
USC
finished the tournament leading all Pac-12 teams. Arizona (-2, 850) dropped out
of the top three into fourth place. Oregon finished in sixth, shooting an 854
(+2) through all three rounds. Utah took 12th with a three-round score of 878
(+26).
Junior
Nicklaus Chiam led the Cougars for the second straight day, shooting a 72 (+1),
tying with junior Daniel Kolar for 45th, as both shot three-round scores of 221
(+8). Senior AJ Armstrong tied for 92nd, just one stroke ahead of sophomore
Ryan Maine in a tie for 95th and two strokes ahead of senior Grant Cole who
tied for 97th.
The
conclusion of the Saint Mary's Intercollegiate marks the end of the fall season
for the Cougars. The team will resume play in February at the UC Irvine
Invitational at Newport Beach, Calif.
::::::::::::::
COUGAR
NOTES: Cougs' O-line, Minshew setting new standards for avoiding sacks
By DALE
GRUMMERT, Lewiston Trib Nov 7, 2018
PULLMAN -
Yes, Washington State leads the country in passing attempts, completions and
yards. No surprise there.
Perhaps
the Cougars' most impressive statistic is tangential to the passing numbers.
Through nine games, they've allowed only seven quarterback sacks. That's almost
off the charts for a team that throws the ball as frequently as they do.
Much of
the credit goes to transfer quarterback Gardner Minshew, who is showing a keen
sense of pass-rush and a consistent ability to escape it. Another big chunk of
credit goes to an offensive line that has smoothly assimilated three new
starters this season, including a precocious second-year freshman at right
tackle.
Abe Lucas,
6-foot-7 and 320 pounds, proved his mettle in spring and preseason camps this
year and is getting better all the time.
"First
of all, he's huge - I haven't seen anyone his age that big," WSU coach
Mike Leach said this week. "Big, long arms. He's not a guy with a big
belly - I mean, he's all cut up and sharp-looking. Then he moves his feet
pretty well. The most impressive thing is that Abe's one of the best offensive
linemen in the (Pac-12) conference as a freshman.
"I
don't know what his ceiling is," he said, "but it's up there pretty
good."
The No. 10
Cougars (8-1, 5-1), who remained at No. 8 in the College Football Playoff
rankings Tuesday, seek their sixth straight win Saturday (12:30 p.m., ESPN) at
Colorado (5-4, 2-4).
Overall,
the Cougs are tied for fifth in the country in avoidance of sacks, allowing
0.78 a game. The stat gets more impressive when you compare sacks with number
of passing attempts. The figure for Wazzu is 1.47 percent, second in the nation
behind North Carolina State at 1.35.
The thing
is, Wazzu is passing far more frequently than the Wolfpack - 53 attempts a game
to 37. So it's theoretically easier for its opponents to apply pressure with
impunity. They may be forcing incompletions, but they're not often pushing the
WSU offense backward.
One
Leach-coached quarterback comparable to Minshew in sack avoidance was Graham
Harrell at Texas Tech. But his best season in that regard, 2008, falls a bit
short of the pace Minshew and Co. are setting. The Red Raiders' sack total was
1.9 percent of their pass attempts that season.
"He
wasn't a fast guy," Leach said Tuesday of Harrell. "He could just
kind of tell when his time expired back there."
As for
Lucas, he's proving a worthy bookend opposite left tackle Andre Dillard, a
senior likely headed for the NFL next year. The Cougars are also getting strong
play from center Fred Mauigoa and two new starters at guard, Liam Ryan and Josh
Watson. They're staying healthy too - all have started every game.
KEEP THIS
TO YOURSELF - The Cougars' success against divisional opponents has produced a
weird fact. They can lose their next two games and still win the Pac-12 North
by beating Washington in their regular-season finale at Pullman on Nov. 23.
That's
because Wazzu owns a two-game lead over Oregon and Stanford (both 3-3 in
league) and a tie-breaking edge over both, based on head-to-head results. The
Cougs downed the Ducks and the Cardinal in successive games last month.
Washington
stands second in the North at 5-2 and has a bye this week. Even if the Huskies
beat Oregon State on Nov. 17, they need to defeat the Cougars in the Apple Cup
to win the tie-breaker and thus the title. If the Evergreen State teams both
fall apart here in the stretch run, Oregon and Stanford still have shots at the
crown.
FRESHMAN
LEAVES TEAM - One of the most highly rated members of Wazzu's 2018 recruiting
class has decided to transfer.
Drue
Jackson, a receiver from Dallas, made the announcement Tuesday on Twitter.
"He
wanted to get closer to home is the biggest thing," Leach said.
Asked if
he was surprised by the move, the coach said, "Not really."
With the
Cougars' remarkable depth at receiver this year, Jackson had yet to see action
as a true freshman despite the new NCAA rule that allows players to appear in
four games and still redshirt.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
COUG
FOOTBALL: Hunter Dale's recruiting 'quandary' pays off big for him and WSU
By RANDY
ROSETTA/Special to Cougfan.com 11/7/2018
HERE’S AN
UNSETTLING thought for Washington State fans: Hunter Dale, the spirited senior
nickel so steady this season and last that you may take him for granted, could
very well be wearing Cornhusker scarlet and cream right now rather than the
crimson and gray of the most head-turning team in college football.
“He was
all set to go to Nebraska,” J.T. Curtis, Dale’s old coach at Louisiana prep
powerhouse John Curtis Christian, tells Cougfan.com.
Then Bo
Pelini was fired and Mike Riley was hired. “When they went through the coaching
change, that sort of threw him into a quandary,” Curtis said. “We sat down and
I told him ‘You’re going to play some place. Be patient and good things are go
to happen.’”
The
quandary was such that Dale wasn’t settled on a school when LOI Day 2014
arrived. He signed afterward.
“When he
went out to Washington State, he really enjoyed it and I think he was ready for
a change,” Curtis said. “We’ve had guys go out (West) and be successful and I
think that influence was on his mind.”
Dale’s
father Wyatt Harris, who played college ball at Southern University, also
offered practical advice: what better place for a defensive back to be tested
than in a pass-happy league like the Pac-12?
The
Dale-WSU union has proved bountiful.
In a season
that has evolved magically and continues Saturday when the 10th-ranked Cougars
(8-1) travel to struggling Colorado (5-4), the 5-foot-10, 195-pound Dale has
been a metaphor for the defense: a lunch pail guy who wraps people up but may
not necessarily make the highlight reel on the evening news. Last Saturday's
nail biting victory over Cal is a case in point: Dale executed a perfectly
timed blitz off the edge to force Chase Garbers to step up in the pocket,
whereupon Nnamdi Oguayo and Peyton Pelluer collected the sack.
Dale has
recorded 46 tackles so far — putting him in the thick of a tight race with
Jahad Woods, Skyler Thomas and Jalen Thompson to see who will be the runner-up
to runaway Pelluer in the stops department — and 3 tackles for loss.
More than
the numbers, though, is the fact Dale is a tone setter. He hits hard and he
hits fundamentally sound, and doesn’t hesitate to preach a sermon of what WSU
needs.
“You’ve
got to be more physical at times, and we were,” Dale said after the Cougars
staved off Stanford 41-38 two weeks ago to emerge a College Football Playoff
contender. “As long as we’re more physical than the guy across from us and we
get to the ball, we’ll be alright.”
So far, so
good for Dale and the Wazzu defense.
A glance at
the Pac-12 statistics reflects the progress the Cougars have made: They rank
third in rushing yards allowed per game (131.0) and passing yards allowed per
game (196.1), fourth in yards allowed per game (327) and first in sacks (27).
In total defense, they’re fourth in the conference and No. 24 in the nation.
Throughout,
Dale is quietly pushing his teammates behind the scene – and sometimes with
cameras on him – that Washington State can get better. At one point this season
he preached the power of more defensive stops in order to back up the work of
the offense and “put the ball back in their hands.”
DALE’S
ROCK-SOLID APPROACH to the game is an extension of his stellar career at John
Curtis Christian, which is one of the winningest high school programs in the
country.
A hallmark
of players who come out of the Curtis program are their solid fundamentals and
readiness for the college level. Patriot players haven’t shied away from making
the jump from the Deep South to the West Coast: Besides Dale, former John
Curtis players who have played in the Pac-12 recently include former All-Pac 12
linebacker Kenny Young at UCLA, Oregon senior safety Mattrell McGraw and former
Stanford cornerback Terrence Alexander (now at LSU).
A
four-year starter at John Curtis, Dale was a cornerstone on Patriot teams that
won three state championships and played for a fourth.
“He was
really an excellent athlete who was really dedicated to do the things he needed
to do to be successful on and off field,” said his coach J.T. Curtis. “It did
not surprise us at all that when he went to Washington State that he would make
an impact. I didn’t know when, but I knew in time he would find a way make an
impact.”
Playing
the nickel, where he has started 22-straight games, fits Dale perfectly, says
Curtis.
“Physically,
he’s a tough kid. He’s sort of a linebacker trapped in a nickel back’s body.
He’ll hit you, but he is also athletic to cover that third guy going out on
pass routes. It’s kind of becoming a trend to have guys who can be physical
against the run and cover in the secondary and he’s perfect for that.”
NOTABLE:
As a prep
senior, Dale was rated a top-30 prospect in talent-rich Louisiana and a top-100
safety nationally. He twice earned 3A all-state honors.
In
addition to his dad, his mom Michelle also is a former college athlete. She
played basketball at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala. Dale’s grandfather,
Peter Dale, Sr. played football at LSU. And his godfather, Irv Smith, played
tight end at Notre Dame and before moving on to the NFL for seven seasons.
::::::::::::::
UPDATED:
Wed., Nov. 7, 2018, 3:42 p.m.
Pac-12
picks: There may not be a College Football Playoff representative, but Pac-12
could send 10 teams bowling
UPDATED:
Wed., Nov. 7, 2018, 3:42 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson of Spokane’s Spokesman-Review
Four teams
from the Pac-12 Conference are already eligible for postseason. Six more could
get there and five of those could speed up the process this weekend.
UCLA at
Arizona State
Arizona
State by 12 1/2 – Just one game separates the Bruins and Sun Devils in the
Pac-12 South, but the last two results for each team should indicate why ASU
comes into this game as a near two-touchdown favorite. Expect another dominant
performance from N’Keal Harry and a third straight win for the Sun Devils. The
pick: ASU 34, UCLA 21.
WSU at
Colorado
Washington
State by 6 – The Cougars mastered elevation earlier this season when they
opened at Wyoming and are playing with significantly more confidence than the
Colorado team they’ll see Saturday. Oh, and that Colorado team may still be
without three top receivers. The pick: will be in Saturday’s paper.
Oregon at
Utah
Utah by 3
– They won’t have the most explosive quarterback in this game anymore, but the
Utes are fighting for their lives in the Pac-12 South. Running back Zack Moss,
who’s had 100 yards in five of his last six games, is good enough to lead Kyle
Whittingham’s offense on his own. The pick: Utah 33, Oregon 28.
Oregon
State at Stanford
Stanford
by 24 – Stanford has nothing tangible to play for at this point, but you can
bet consecutive losses to the Washington schools won’t sit well with the
Cardinal. I certainly wouldn’t want to be the next team on their schedule. The
pick: Stanford 41, Oregon State 10.
Cal at USC
USC by 5
1/2 – In more than one area, this should be a favorable matchup for the Golden
Bears. But given that Cal has scored 32 points in three of its last four games
– the ones that weren’t against Oregon State – JT Daniels and USC’s resurgent
run game should do enough on offense to sneak out with a sixth win. The pick:
USC 24, Cal 14.
Theo
Lawson’s records
Last week:
5-1 straight up, 3-3 against the spread
Overall:
51-18 straight up, 28-32 against the spread
:::::::::
WSU
FOOTBALL
Weekly WSU
football chat transcript: Recapping Cal, previewing Colorado and talking CFP
rankings
Wed., Nov.
7, 2018, 9:17 a.m.
Moderated
by Theo Lawson Spokane S-R
Nov 7,
9:59 AM
srchat
(Admin): Hey everyone, thanks for joining me for another week. I’ll start
taking questions now!
Nov 7,
10:00 AM
GoCougs
(Guest): Is there a more clutch combo than Minshew and Winston?
Nov 7,
10:01 AM
srchat
(Admin): In the Pac-12? I don’t think so. And I’m not sure how many QB-WR
combos in the country have hooked up for two game-winning touchdowns this year.
There ought to be some kind of award for that.
Nov 7,
10:01 AM
Guest5023
(Guest): Morning, Theo!
Nov 7,
10:01 AM
srchat
(Admin): Howdy!
Nov 7,
10:01 AM
Guest6577
(Guest): Did Sean Harper play last week? If not, whats his status?
Nov 7,
10:02 AM
srchat
(Admin): No, did not play. This is not official, this is just the beat writer’s
hunch: I don’t suspect you’ll see him this weekend either.
Nov 7,
10:02 AM
CaliCougs
(Guest): Knowing you can’t answer Cougar injury questions. Any update on the
injuries for Colorado? (Shenault, Defensive Backfield, etc.)
Nov 7,
10:04 AM
srchat
(Admin): From the Colorado video interviews I’ve seen, doesn’t seem like
MacIntyre has given much clarity on their injuries. As far as I know, all are
day to day.
Nov 7,
10:04 AM
Guest2125
(Guest): who do we need to root for in the next couple of weeks to increase our
chances for final four? Outside and within PAC12
Nov 7,
10:09 AM
srchat
(Admin): If Utah can win out and move back into the top 15, that’d help
tremendously. No matter who it is, you’d want to see a ranked team in the
Pac-12 title game. Huskies beating Oregon State wouldn’t do a lot, but they’ll
prob climb a spot or two if they’re 8-3 heading into the Apple Cup. As far as
the rest of the country goes, you’d want Bama to beat Georgia, you’d want the
Big Ten teams to beat up on each other and you’d want Notre Dame to lose one.
Oklahoma, too. In other words, A LOT has to happen.
Nov 7,
10:09 AM
SeaStorm24:
Moore hasn’t played this season and is obviously out for the remainder. Have
you be able to find out what his injury was?
Nov 7,
10:09 AM
srchat
(Admin): Have not, unfortunately.
Nov 7,
10:09 AM
GoCougs10
(Guest): Has Molten regressed or is this a matter of developing a reputation
against top notch PAC-12 officials?
Nov 7,
10:11 AM
srchat
(Admin): I’m not sure he’s regressed. Pro Football Focus metrics seem to like
him a bunch. I also wouldn’t say he’s been one of the most improved defensive
players…
Nov 7,
10:12 AM
Pdrisky
(Guest): What’s the coldest weather Minshew has played in? Just wondering if
the Pullman Freeze will impact him for the last two home games.
Nov 7,
10:13 AM
srchat
(Admin): Going through his game log at ECU, it looks like he finished the 2016
season at Temple. Philly in November has to be pretty chilly.
Nov 7,
10:13 AM
Guest4105
(Guest): are you still sticking with your prediction for the cougs to drop two
games by the end of the year?
Nov 7,
10:15 AM
srchat
(Admin): Yes, without giving away which game I think they’ll lose, I’ll stick
with the two-loss prediction.
Nov 7,
10:15 AM
srchat
(Admin): And that’s two total games, not two more games.
Nov 7,
10:15 AM
Uncle
Larry (Guest): Do you think the Cougs feel any added pressure this weekend
knowing the east coast (CFP people) will be watching them being it is a 12:30pm
start?
Nov 7,
10:18 AM
srchat
(Admin): I’m not sure they think about the east coast deal as much as fans and
media members do, and they’re on ESPN enough that I’m not sure how much of a
factor that really is. Though, it is a big opportunity. Both for the Cougs and
Minshew individually.
Nov 7,
10:18 AM
Guest10
(Guest): How about a way to early stab at d line depth for next year? thanks
Nov 7,
10:20 AM
srchat
(Admin): I think the starting D-line will be Nnamdi Oguayo at DE, LaMonte
McDougle at NT and Will Rodgers III at DT. I’d imagine Derek Moore and Misiona
Aiolupotea-Pei will rotate in a lot.
Nov 7,
10:21 AM
CaliCougs
(Guest): Would you classify the uptick of DPI against the Cougs as an emerging
bias towards the Cougar Defenders, or just a lot of bad luck lumped into one
season? Cougar Defenders have certainly played more physical and been flagged
frequently as a result, but Travel Harris was essentially bear hugged off the
line this last week on multiple occasions (with one finally being called) and
the refs seemed to just look the other way. Sure seems like the Cougs are
playing two teams every week.
Nov 7, 10:24
AM
srchat
(Admin): I’m never one to resort to there being a “bias.” I’d have to go back
and look, but I bet those big Stanford WRs force a ton of pass interference
calls against just about everyone they play. There were a few more against USC,
too, but I think it’s been blown out of proportion a bit.
Nov 7,
10:24 AM
Guest2125
(Guest): From what you know, has Leach loosen the reins on this team more than
the past? Minshew’s sideline spike and Shivels tweet are very different from
years past. If I remember correctly Leach didn’t allow any social his first
year.
Nov 7,
10:27 AM
srchat
(Admin): I wasn’t covering the team back then, but I seem to remember that,
too. I didn’t make much of Minshew’s spike — just a fun way to get the crowd
engaged and I’m guessing Leach didn’t see it til later. I do wonder if someone
said something to Silvels. Can’t imagine Leach would enjoy seeing that.
Nov 7,
10:27 AM
Guest4105
(Guest): have you grown to like pullman as the cover guy for coug stuff or did
the trip home during the stanford game make you want to go home more?
Nov 7,
10:29 AM
srchat
(Admin): I like Pullman. I love the Bay Area. I’m just taking it one play at a
time. That said, whatever happens the rest of my career, I’m sure covering this
particular Coug team will be a fond memory. For a multitude of reasons.
Nov 7,
10:29 AM
Uncle
Larry (Guest): Leach has yet to loose a game he should of won this year….I
think this is the week. And there is a Husky on the broadcast. Curses!
Nov 7,
10:30 AM
srchat
(Admin): And the Cougars haven’t won at Folsom Field under Leach. Hmm…
Nov 7,
10:31 AM
Sammy-Schroeder
(Guest): Any word on how the younger D lineman are looking: Dallas Hobbs, Ahmir
Crowder, Zeus?
Nov 7,
10:32 AM
srchat
(Admin): I missed the last availability with Jeff Phelps, but I think he
mentioned a few of those guys after a TNF practice before the Stanford game.
But I could be wrong. Will try to get an update this week if we talk to him.
Nov 7,
10:32 AM
Guest10
(Guest): I think WSU is amazing on d line. I thought the sky was.dalking when
that big JC kid left, Do you think they’ll go after another JC NT this year?
Nov 7,
10:35 AM
srchat
(Admin): Most surprising part of this team, if you ask me. Cougars could finish
with more sacks this year than last year. I wouldn’t have believed that in
August after Lolohea’s departure/Oguayo’s injury.
Nov 7,
10:38 AM
srchat
(Admin): And to answer your second question, I don’t think it’s a necessity.
They knew they wouldn’t have Ekuale this year and Comfort wasn’t supposed to be
back, so I’m guessing that’s why they went after Pono.
Nov 7,
10:38 AM
Uncle
Larry (Guest): Colorado biggest strength on offense and defense?
Nov 7,
10:41 AM
srchat
(Admin): On offense, when Laviska Shenault is healthy it’s him. No question.
When he’s not, probably their running back, Travon McMillian (837 yds). On
defense, they’re always pretty good in the back end. It seems like Evan
Worthington, a safety, is their best DB. But not sure if he’s healthy right
now, either.
Nov 7,
10:43 AM
Sammy-Schroeder
(Guest): Is there a chance Sean Harper Jr could get a medical red-shirt this
year and we could get him back for next season?
Nov 7,
10:44 AM
srchat
(Admin): I’m guessing not, seeing as how he’s already played in six games. I’m
also not positive his injury is season-ending .
Nov 7,
10:46 AM
Uncle
Larry (Guest): What did you think of the one handed sideline catch by Minshew?
Legend continues……..
Nov 7,
10:47 AM
srchat
(Admin): Yeah, sheesh, some of this stuff is just too good to be true. Next
wrinkle of “Big Gulp Left” may be Minshew running a go route to the end zone.
Nov 7,
10:50 AM
Sammy-Schroeder
(Guest): Do you think that if WSU beats Colorado and Arizona and loses to UW
and finishes 10-2 we could still make it to a New Years 6 bowl game?
Nov 7,
10:52 AM
srchat
(Admin): It’s possible, but I’d say it’s unlikely. UW would have to win the
Pac-12 title game for that to happen, then they’d have to pick WSU over the
South champ. Which wouldn’t be unreasonable, but I think there will be too many
teams from better conferences vying for those spots.
Nov 7,
10:52 AM
Uncle
Larry (Guest): Is Tay not getting open, double teamed or Minshew just has too
many guys to throw to?
Nov 7,
10:54 AM
srchat
(Admin): Leach didn’t think Tay had been playing poorly when we asked about it
Monday, but Calvin Jackson is rotating in much, much more than he had been.
Also think you have a a point: the consistency of Patmon and Winston at “Z”
gives Minshew plenty of reason to go there more often
Nov 7,
10:55 AM
Guest10
(Guest): Why not! I’ve waiting for some kind of pass out of that formation. how
does in
Nov 7,
10:55 AM
srchat
(Admin): We haven’t seen “Big Gulp Left” since Oregon, if I’m correct. Could be
time to bring it out again this weekend.
Nov 7,
10:56 AM
Sammy-Schroeder
(Guest): After watching the Cal game I’m convinced we have a very small chance
at beating UW given that Cal and UW defend WSU very similar, why don more Pac12
teams try to defend the air raid like Cal and UW, lots of teams are just as
talented in the secondary as Cal?
Nov 7,
10:59 AM
srchat
(Admin): You make a fair point. But … if you just look at the numbers, Cal’s
offense hasn’t been much worse than UW’s. The Cougars may not need to score a
bunch of points to win the Apple Cup this year. Yes, most teams have the
talent, but I’m not sure if replicating the coaching and teaching those schemes
is as easy as it sounds.
Nov 7,
10:59 AM
Jon
Yerkes: what were your impressions on the bball team’s exhibition and and the
team in general?
Nov 7,
11:01 AM
srchat
(Admin): First impression would be that New Hope might be the least talented
college basketball team I’ve seen. And I covered some NAIA games while I was at
the Lewiston Trib. But … the Cougars still made 17-of-27 on 3-pointers and they
looked pretty fluid moving the ball around. The JC players definitely looked
competent. My early guess is this team wins more games than last year’s team.
Not a lot more, necessarily … just …. more.
Nov 7,
11:02 AM
Jon
Yerkes: The QB for the 2019 season is…?
Nov 7,
11:04 AM
srchat
(Admin): Good timing. I was just getting ready to close up shop. I’m going with
Cammon Cooper.
Nov 7,
11:04 AM
srchat
(Admin): And with that, thanks to all those who asked questions this week.
We’ll do it again next Wednesday at 10 a.m. Until then…
#
