Cougfan.com
2018 COUGAR FOOTBALL AWARDS
From
Cougfan.com
PULLMAN —
Cougfan.com's three correspondents in Pullman — Zach Anders, Braden Johnson and
Jackson Gardner — have watched, dissected and talked about 2018 Cougar football
as much as any three humans on the planet outside of the Cougar Football
Complex.
So with 12
games in the books, we went to them to solicit their choices for CF.C's 2018
Cougar Football Awards. One pick was unanimous (so we added a runner up slot in
that category to liven matters up) and every single one of the other nine were
varied — a telltale sign of a great team when the candidates for kudos are so
many. Here's how Zach, Braden and Jackson stack it all up ...
==UNSUNG
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JACKSON
GARDNER: Kainoa Wilson. He was part of seemingly every special teams play. If
something good for the Cougars was happening on special teams, Wilson was
there.
BRADEN
JOHNSON: Taylor Comfort. The nose tackle’s rapid ascension from special teams
player to starter helped Jeff Phelps offset the losses of three starters on the
D-line. Comfort’s ability to put pressure on opposing guards allowed Phelps to
shift and slot Will Rodgers, Logan Tago and Karsen Block at tackle positions
and on the outside.
ZACH
ANDERS: Punter Oscar Draguievich III earns my vote. Memories of the
inconsistent rugby kick were washed away by the steady work of Draguievich,
whose distance and hang time elevated the Cougars’ punt coverage in major way.
His yards per boot rank in the top 10 in the nation.
==SPECIAL
TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
BRADEN
JOHNSON: Oscar Draguicevich. Kudos to first-year special teams coach Matt Brock
for plucking one of the best punting legs out of the junior college ranks.
Draguicevich’s 46 yards per punt average is fifth-best amongst all FBS punters.
ZACH
ANDERS: Blake Mazza had a solid season and demonstrated a kicker’s most
valuable attribute in keeping cool — all as a second-year freshmen. His
game-winning 42-yard field goal against Stanford is one of my favorite moments
of the year and proved to us that this guy can handle pressure.
JACKSON
GARDNER: Travell Harris. The spark he provides as a return man is the headliner
to WSU’s special teams makeover. He will be fun to watch in seasons to come.
==LINEMAN
OF THE YEAR (OFFENSE OR DEFENSE)
JACKSON
GARDNER: Andre Dillard. There aren’t many offensive linemen as consistent as
Dillard. His consistency is recognized by us and will be recognized by the NFL
in this spring’s draft.
BRADEN
JOHNSON: Abraham Lucas. Mike Leach said Lucas is one of the top-two freshmen
offensive linemen in the Pac-12 in November. Lucas already gave Andre Dillard a
run for his money as the most-athletic lineman on the team and was crucial in
blocking sets that allowed Minshew to roll to his right outside the pocket.
ZACH
ANDERS: Andre Dillard, the fifth-year senior started all 12 games and held down
the blind side like the All-American he is. Also a steady team leader on and
off the field. His teammates sing his praises for good reason.
==BIGGEST
SURPRISE
Liam Ryan
(Photo: Cougfan.com/Whittney Thornton)
ZACH
ANDERS: Tracy Claeys used the system he inherited from Alex Grinch, augmented
and modified it a bit, and then focused on what he does best: scheming and
adjustments. We knew he was good, but the way he seamlessly stepped in was
quite something.
BRADEN
JOHNSON: How Matt Brock turned special teams into a strength. Replacing Eric
Mele, Brock refined WSU’s kick returns and coverage and added long-term
solutions at punter (Draguicevich) and kicker (Blake Mazza). Travell Harris
averaged nearly 30 yards per kickoff return, the Cougars did not allow a return
score for the second straight year and gave up less than eight yards per punt
return.
JACKSON
GARDNER: Liam Ryan and Josh Watson. The two guards had massive shoes to fill
and they still found a way to raise the bar.
==ASSISTANT
COACH OF THE YEAR
BRADEN
JOHNSON: Jeff Phelps. WSU led the conference in sacks (35) all while replacing
legendary Hercules Mata’afa, New York Jets rookie Frankie Luvu and playmaking
Daniel Ekuale. Phelps was a menace on the recruiting trail, too, inking
multiple three-star defensive linemen prospects ahead of this month’s early
signing period.
JACKSON
GARDNER: Mason Miller. The offensive line play this season has been too
phenomenal for Miller not to receive this award. No single position group has
benefitted more from a coaching change.
ZACH
ANDERS: Mason Miller in his first season as the o-line coach. Something was
clearly different — better — up front despite losing three starters including
one consensus All-American and one NFL draft pick. Miller turned this squad
into a unified, technically excellent blocking machine.
==PLAY OF
THE YEAR
JACKSON
GARDNER: Easop Winston's 89-yard TD against Utah – the longest scoring play for
the Cougars this season — and it was in game-winning fashion (see video below)!
ZACH
ANDERS: Easop Winston Jr.’s 89-yard touchdown catch and run to lead the
come-from-behind win over Utah. Winston’s over-the-shoulder catch, then
breaking a tackle to rocket up the sidelines for the score will remain one of
the indelible plays of recent Cougar history.
BRADEN
JOHNSON: Minshew’s 22-yard post pass to Dezmon Patmon in the fourth quarter to
ice a 34-20 win over No. 12 Oregon. Moxie from Minshew as Oregon mounted a
three-score rally in the second half and Patmon playing to his size gave WSU a
banner win as the college football microscope centered on Pullman. It paved the
way for an epic postgame celebration and catapulted WSU toward the College
Football Playoff discussion.
==GAME OF
THE YEAR
BRADEN
JOHNSON: College GameDay edition vs. Oregon. The moment proved not to be too
big for the Cougars. From the student body’s raucous greeting of the GameDay
crew’s arrival to the broadcast’s crowd shots and first-half throttling of the
Ducks, it was a weekend that will be forever etched in university history.
ZACH
ANDERS: USC, the controversial setback in Week 5. Despite the clear targeting
no-call and the painful blocked field goal at the end, this was a great game to
watch. But more so I believe it was the launching point for this team. They
were dealt adversity, looked it in the eye and then crafted one of the great
seasons in program history.
JACKSON
GARDNER: Stanford. The Cardinal tried to out-Air Raid the Air Raid kings.
Needless to say it didn’t work, and it turned out to be the most-exciting game
of the season.
==THE
"I DON'T BELIEVE WHAT I JUST SAW" AWARD
24
memorable yards to first quarter pay dirt on GameDay Saturday in Pullman.
(Photo: Cougfan.com/Whittney Thornton)
James
Williams turns the Swinging Gate against Oregon from a no gainer into a
continuous-loop highlight for the ages ...
==MOST
LIKELY TO STAR IN THE NFL
Andre
Dillard (Photo: Cougfan.com/Whittney Thornton)
ZACH
ANDERS: WSU is known for its offense, but when it comes to NFL Cougs it’s all
about the defense — Destiny Vaeao with the Eagles, Frankie Luvu with the Jets,
Deone Bucannon with Cardinals and Shalom Luani now with the Seahawks. I’m going
with junior safety Jalen Thompson a year from now. He has the body and
mentality and he came on strong for the Cougs down the stretch of this season.
JACKSON
GARNDER: Second-year freshman offensive tackle Abe Lucas. We won’t see him in
the NFL for a while, but when he gets there he will be a monster. He is eerily
similar to Andre Dillard, but is bigger. That’s a recipe for success in the
league.
BRADEN
JOHNSON: Andre Dillard. Looking exclusively at graduating seniors with this
pick. Some NFL Draft experts have Dillard listed as a potential second-round
choice, and at 6-5 and a lean 310 pounds, he is versatile enough to play at
tackle or guard.
==DEFENSIVE
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Peyton
Pelluer (Photo: Cougfan.com/Whittney Thornton)
ZACH
ANDERS: Peyton Pelluer. Five incredible seasons capped by this one — WSU’s
leading tackler with 54 solo stops and 32 assists. Beyond the field, I watched
as Pelluer brought this team and community together when it needed it most.
Some things you just can’t measure in the stat book, but if you could, Pelluer
would be leading the Cougs in “heart,” too.
JACKSON
GARDNER: Peyton Pelluer. It’s hard to imagine what the young and inexperienced
WSU defense would have looked like without his leadership this season.
BRADEN
JOHNSON: Jahad Woods. Bucking the Pelluer trend with this pick, but the redshirt
sophomore demonstrated he is the heir apparent at middle linebacker. Woods was
one of the surest tacklers in the conference this fall, amassing 73 total
tackles and 4.5 for loss.
==OFFENSIVE
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gardner
Minshew leads the nation in passing and finished 5th in Heisman Trophy voting
(the highest Heisman finish for a Cougar this side of Ryan Leaf). (Photo:
Isaiah Downing, USA TODAY Sports)
JACKSON
GARDNER: A 10-win season is not possible without Gardner Minshew. He is the
kind of player that elevates everyone around him.
Runner up:
James Williams. His 16 total TDs on the season is one shy of tying a WSU
single-season record. His monster year will have him thinking NFL this
offseason.
BRADEN
JOHNSON: As WSU’s remarkable 2018 campaign ages, The Mississippi Mustache will
go down with the likes of Ryan Leaf and Mel Hein in Cougar folklore. This is a
.500 WSU team without Minshew’s ability to bring together a host of young
offensive faces and new coaches.
Runner-up:
James Williams averaged 4.6 yards per carry and led WSU in receptions (76). He
was deserving of Pac-12 first- or second-team honors and paired seamlessly with
freshman Max Borghi.
ZACH
ANDERS: When we first learned that Gardner Minshew would transfer I immediately
thought to myself, ‘Man, what a learning curve this guy is going to have.'
Instead, he proved he had the skill and the courage capable of doing the job
better than anyone could have predicted.
Runner up:
The offensive line. Those boys allowed 11 sacks all season long. Are you
kidding me? Their performance was a huge part of Minshew’s success, and they’ll
never get the recognition they truly deserve for what they did this season.
==FAVORITE
PRE-GAME MUSTACHE SHOT
Sadly, we
didn't get the names of these Washington State fans at the pre-game event at
USC but their combination of mustaches, headbands, logo shirts and beer cans
capture the fun and spirit that so defined the Cougar Nation's support for
their team.
::::::::::::::
WSU
FOOTBALL
New York
Times story details how family of Tyler Hilinski has dealt with Washington
State QB’s suicide
UPDATED:
Fri., Dec. 14, 2018, 8:23 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson Spokane S-R
Since his
older brother’s death 11 months ago, Ryan Hilinski has ascended national
recruiting leaderboards, earned the distinction of being the country’s top high
school pocket passer and collected dozens of scholarship offers from some of
the top programs in college football.
The
younger brother of Tyler Hilinski, the former Washington State quarterback who
committed suicide in Pullman last January, was the subject of a recent New York
Times story detailing how the Hilinski family is dealing with the loss almost a
year later – and how they’ve coped with Ryan’s decision to embark on a college
career in the sport that may have led to Tyler’s death.
In a few
weeks, Ryan Hilinski will enroll early at the University of South Carolina and
begin his football career with the Gamecocks. Hilinski’s parents, Mark and Kym,
and older brother Kelly have encouraged Ryan to pursue his dreams even if they
put him at the slightest risk of contracting the chronic disease found in
Tyler’s brain months after the WSU QB was found dead in his Pullman apartment.
“We have
no clue what happened,” Mark Hilinski told the NYT’s Mike Piellucci. “We will
sit here for the next 20 years and not know what the heck happened to Tyler.”
Many have
linked Tyler Hilinski’s death to a degenerative brain disease known as Chronic
Traumatic Encephalopathy. An autopsy conducted by the Mayo Clinic found small
traces of CTE in Hilinski’s brain, which may have stemmed from the repeated
head-to-head collisions Hilinski endured playing the quarterback position.
In the
story titled “Suicide, Quarterbacks and the Hilinski Family,” Pielluci notes
that the Hilinski family offered Ryan an opportunity to walk away from the
game.
“Deep
down, part of them would be relieved if he did,” the author writes.
Ryan,
who’ll soon become the third Hilinski brother to play quarterback at the
collegiate level, has honored Tyler this season at California’s Orange Lutheran
High wearing the No. 3. He also plans to wear the number next season at South
Carolina.
Mark and
Kym Hilinski will relocate to nearby Lake Murray, South Carolina, this spring
to be closer to their youngest son and Kelly, an aspiring neurologist, plans on
transferring to South Carolina’s medical school, according to the NYT.
“It would
be hard not to be together knowing that we weren’t in Pullman,” Mark told
Pielluci.
“And maybe
that could have made some kind of difference,” Kym added, completing his
sentence.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Go to this
link …
https://www.spokesman.com/video/2018/dec/14/video-washington-state-coach-ernie-kent-press-conf/
…watch
video with Ernie Kent, WSU men’s basketball head coach talks about …
… “Arinze
Chidom's departure, WSU's loss to Montana State on Sunday and the current state
of the Pac-12 Conference.”
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
With free
agency approaching, Deone Bucannon (WSU Couga) recognizes his time with
Cardinals is ending
By Bob
McManaman, Arizona Republic 12/14/2018
The end is
almost in sight for Cardinals linebacker Deone Bucannon and the end likely
represents a new start elsewhere.
Bucannon
can’t quite get his head around the thought of unrestricted free agency just
yet. Arizona has been his home for the past five years since the Cardinals
selected him in the first round of the 2014 draft.
He doesn’t
really want to leave. But he knows it’s probably time to move on.
That
started becoming increasingly evident at the start of this season under new
head coach Steve Wilks, new defensive coordinator Al Holcomb and a brand new
defensive system.
Bucannon
was put in charge of leading the Cardinals’ 4-3 scheme as its starting
weak-side linebacker, a different role than his previous “money-‘backer” days
during the Bruce Arians’ regime. There, Bucannon excelled in a position created
exclusively for him and he had more tackles than anyone over the course of his
first four years.
After
taking part in all 79 defensive snaps in the season opener against Washington,
Bucannon’s playing time was dramatically reduced. He participated in only 25
snaps the following week against the Rams and then was on the field for just a
single snap against the Bears.
Since
then, Bucannon’s year has been just as turbulent as the Cardinals’ season.
Holcomb said Bucannon had trouble adjusting to the verbalization and technique
that the position required. Wilks went so far at one point to suggest he
couldn’t “trust” Bucannon.
“I can’t
control what reps I get and what reps I don’t get,” Bucannon said, looking back
on the situation. “It ain’t no bad blood for me. To me as a competitor and me
as a player, I feel like I’m an every-down player. But everybody is not going
to see it that way. And that’s fine. At the end of the day, it’s a business.
“But it’s
not going to change my train of thought or my fight.”
The
Cardinals basically benched him for a stretch, although he did see some action
on special teams. Just when he finally started to get his game going again and
regain the trust of his coaches, Bucannon got injured on Nov. 18 against the
Raiders.
He engaged
on a play with fullback Keith Smith and suffered separated ribs and a jostled
collarbone. It’s forced him to miss the last three games, although he returned
to practice this week and stands a decent chance to be active for Sunday’s game
at the Falcons.
'We
definitely want to get him out there'
“It’s good
to see him out there,” Wilks said. “We’re definitely going to try to get Deone
back on the field with some of the things that I’ve talked to Al about. I’m not
going to go into detail with how we’re trying to use him, but we definitely
want to get him out there.”
Bucannon
knows the significance of what these final three games can do for him if he’s
able to play at the level he did before getting hurt. It can help reestablish
his credentials prior to hitting the free-agent market and put him in position
to sign his most lucrative contract. With just for starts under his belt in
2018, that’s saying a lot.
“I know
what kind of player I am, it’s as simple as that,” he said. “I have plenty of
film. I know what kind of player I am. I know what kind of person I am as well.
When stuff hits the fan or there’s rough patches in my life, I keep my head
down and I plow through.
“At the
end of the day, each time I step on that field I’m going to give everything I
got. That’s just me, that’s just how I’ve always been.”
The
thought of signing elsewhere almost seems foreign to Bucannon, who said, “It’s
kind of a whole new world for me. But that’s why I have my agent. I play
football and he does what he does. And if he doesn’t do what he’s supposed to
do, he’s going to have to go, just like me.”
The thing
is, Bucannon isn’t really sure if he wants to go. He said he loves Arizona and
he loves the fans. He said he appreciates and respects Cardinals President Michael
Bidwill and General Manager Steve Keim, too.
“Honestly,
I just want to play football for as long as I can and I want to be somewhere
where I’m appreciated and where they’re going to use me to the best of my
abilities,” he said. “Whether it be here or somewhere else, I just want to be
on the field as much as I possibly can. Where I’m going to be is with whoever I
feel like matches me with my style of play and who I feel actually wants me to
be within their organization.
“Arizona
could be interested. Arizona might not be interested. Other teams could be
interested. Other teams could not be interested. … It’s out of my control.”
:::::::::
WSU SWIMMING
LEADS PAC-12 IN IMPROVEMENT RATE AFTER MID-SEASON INVITE
From WSU
Sports Info 12/15/2018
PULLMAN –
The Washington State swimming team completed the first half of the 2018-19
season at the Phill Hansel Invitational hosted by the University of Houston.
The Cougars rewrote the top-10 performance list at their mid-season invite,
including a school record in the 100 free.
Nationally,
the Cougars are ranked 22nd based on improvement from this time last year,
according to an article released by SwimSwam. Washington State improved 82%.
The team is first in the Pac-12 for improvement, sitting just ahead of Utah who
is ranked 27th in the nation with a 62% improvement rate.
"The
article that SwimSwam released is a great indicator of where we are as a program. This group of student-athletes have bonded
and really turned a corner. I couldn't
be happier with where we are going, especially since our mid-season meet was a
quick drop taper and was unshaved.
“We
continue to talk about our family culture and dynamic and everyone is buying
in. We still have a lot more work to do,
but I feel like our student-athletes are believing in the process and the idea
of working together. It's an exciting
time to be a cougar! GO COUGS!"
Freshman
Keiana Fountaine is proving to be a driving force for the Cougars, leading the
team with nine individual wins and is a member of six relay wins.
The Tracy,
Calif. native has etched her name in the WSU top-10 performance list in two
events, including a school record swim in the 100 free, clocking in at 49.67.
Fountaine also sits in the top-10 in the 200 free, clocking a 1:47.30 in the
event – less than a second off the school record.
The
breaststrokers for WSU are showing impressive times in the 100 and 200. Senior
Linnea Lindberg clocked an impressive 1:01.60 in the 100 breast, placing her
second in the WSU top-10 list, while sophomore Mackenzie Duarte sits third at
1:01.66.
Lindberg
and Duarte dropped several seconds in their respective events compared to their
times at this point in the season last year. Duarte also sits second in the
top-10 list in the 200 breast, clocking a 2:11.84 – dropping nearly four
seconds off her time from last year. Freshman Lauren Burckel also saw a top-10
performance in the 100 breast with a 1:03.21, sitting in ninth.
Sophomore
Taylor McCoy etched her name in the WSU top-10 performances in the 200 back,
clocking a 1:56.86 for the second-fastest time in program history. The Pullman,
Wash. native now sits in the top-10 in both the 100 and 200 back.
Freshman
Emily Barrier is impressing in the freestyle sprints, etching her name in the
top-10 in both the 50 and 100 free. The Fort Collins, Colo. native clocked a
23.07 in the 50 free and 1:49.78 in the 100 free at the mid-season invite to
find herself in fifth and tenth, respectively, in the WSU top-10 list.
The
Cougars will resume competition Jan. 11 and 12 when they travel south to
compete against the Arizona and Arizona State.
::::::::::::
Upcoming for
WSU Sports include
Dec 17 –
Men’s Basketball in Pullman vs. Rider
Dec 19 –
Women’s Basketball in Las Vegas vs. Kansas
Jan 11 –
Women’s Swimming in Tucson vs. Arizona
Jan 11 – Indoor
Track & Field in Boise in Ed Jacoby Invite
Feb 15 –
Baseball in Moraga, Calif., vs. St. Mary’s
March 24 –
Rowing in Spokane vs. OSU, MU, GU
:::::::::::::::
News for
CougGroup 12/15/2018
Cougfan.com
2018 COUGAR FOOTBALL AWARDS
From
Cougfan.com
PULLMAN —
Cougfan.com's three correspondents in Pullman — Zach Anders, Braden Johnson and
Jackson Gardner — have watched, dissected and talked about 2018 Cougar football
as much as any three humans on the planet outside of the Cougar Football
Complex.
So with 12
games in the books, we went to them to solicit their choices for CF.C's 2018
Cougar Football Awards. One pick was unanimous (so we added a runner up slot in
that category to liven matters up) and every single one of the other nine were
varied — a telltale sign of a great team when the candidates for kudos are so
many. Here's how Zach, Braden and Jackson stack it all up ...
==UNSUNG
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JACKSON
GARDNER: Kainoa Wilson. He was part of seemingly every special teams play. If
something good for the Cougars was happening on special teams, Wilson was
there.
BRADEN
JOHNSON: Taylor Comfort. The nose tackle’s rapid ascension from special teams
player to starter helped Jeff Phelps offset the losses of three starters on the
D-line. Comfort’s ability to put pressure on opposing guards allowed Phelps to
shift and slot Will Rodgers, Logan Tago and Karsen Block at tackle positions
and on the outside.
ZACH
ANDERS: Punter Oscar Draguievich III earns my vote. Memories of the
inconsistent rugby kick were washed away by the steady work of Draguievich,
whose distance and hang time elevated the Cougars’ punt coverage in major way.
His yards per boot rank in the top 10 in the nation.
==SPECIAL
TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
BRADEN
JOHNSON: Oscar Draguicevich. Kudos to first-year special teams coach Matt Brock
for plucking one of the best punting legs out of the junior college ranks.
Draguicevich’s 46 yards per punt average is fifth-best amongst all FBS punters.
ZACH
ANDERS: Blake Mazza had a solid season and demonstrated a kicker’s most
valuable attribute in keeping cool — all as a second-year freshmen. His
game-winning 42-yard field goal against Stanford is one of my favorite moments
of the year and proved to us that this guy can handle pressure.
JACKSON
GARDNER: Travell Harris. The spark he provides as a return man is the headliner
to WSU’s special teams makeover. He will be fun to watch in seasons to come.
==LINEMAN
OF THE YEAR (OFFENSE OR DEFENSE)
JACKSON
GARDNER: Andre Dillard. There aren’t many offensive linemen as consistent as
Dillard. His consistency is recognized by us and will be recognized by the NFL
in this spring’s draft.
BRADEN
JOHNSON: Abraham Lucas. Mike Leach said Lucas is one of the top-two freshmen
offensive linemen in the Pac-12 in November. Lucas already gave Andre Dillard a
run for his money as the most-athletic lineman on the team and was crucial in
blocking sets that allowed Minshew to roll to his right outside the pocket.
ZACH
ANDERS: Andre Dillard, the fifth-year senior started all 12 games and held down
the blind side like the All-American he is. Also a steady team leader on and
off the field. His teammates sing his praises for good reason.
==BIGGEST
SURPRISE
Liam Ryan
(Photo: Cougfan.com/Whittney Thornton)
ZACH
ANDERS: Tracy Claeys used the system he inherited from Alex Grinch, augmented
and modified it a bit, and then focused on what he does best: scheming and
adjustments. We knew he was good, but the way he seamlessly stepped in was
quite something.
BRADEN
JOHNSON: How Matt Brock turned special teams into a strength. Replacing Eric
Mele, Brock refined WSU’s kick returns and coverage and added long-term
solutions at punter (Draguicevich) and kicker (Blake Mazza). Travell Harris
averaged nearly 30 yards per kickoff return, the Cougars did not allow a return
score for the second straight year and gave up less than eight yards per punt
return.
JACKSON
GARDNER: Liam Ryan and Josh Watson. The two guards had massive shoes to fill
and they still found a way to raise the bar.
==ASSISTANT
COACH OF THE YEAR
BRADEN
JOHNSON: Jeff Phelps. WSU led the conference in sacks (35) all while replacing
legendary Hercules Mata’afa, New York Jets rookie Frankie Luvu and playmaking
Daniel Ekuale. Phelps was a menace on the recruiting trail, too, inking
multiple three-star defensive linemen prospects ahead of this month’s early
signing period.
JACKSON
GARDNER: Mason Miller. The offensive line play this season has been too
phenomenal for Miller not to receive this award. No single position group has
benefitted more from a coaching change.
ZACH
ANDERS: Mason Miller in his first season as the o-line coach. Something was
clearly different — better — up front despite losing three starters including
one consensus All-American and one NFL draft pick. Miller turned this squad
into a unified, technically excellent blocking machine.
==PLAY OF
THE YEAR
JACKSON
GARDNER: Easop Winston's 89-yard TD against Utah – the longest scoring play for
the Cougars this season — and it was in game-winning fashion (see video below)!
ZACH
ANDERS: Easop Winston Jr.’s 89-yard touchdown catch and run to lead the
come-from-behind win over Utah. Winston’s over-the-shoulder catch, then
breaking a tackle to rocket up the sidelines for the score will remain one of
the indelible plays of recent Cougar history.
BRADEN
JOHNSON: Minshew’s 22-yard post pass to Dezmon Patmon in the fourth quarter to
ice a 34-20 win over No. 12 Oregon. Moxie from Minshew as Oregon mounted a
three-score rally in the second half and Patmon playing to his size gave WSU a
banner win as the college football microscope centered on Pullman. It paved the
way for an epic postgame celebration and catapulted WSU toward the College
Football Playoff discussion.
==GAME OF
THE YEAR
BRADEN
JOHNSON: College GameDay edition vs. Oregon. The moment proved not to be too
big for the Cougars. From the student body’s raucous greeting of the GameDay
crew’s arrival to the broadcast’s crowd shots and first-half throttling of the
Ducks, it was a weekend that will be forever etched in university history.
ZACH
ANDERS: USC, the controversial setback in Week 5. Despite the clear targeting
no-call and the painful blocked field goal at the end, this was a great game to
watch. But more so I believe it was the launching point for this team. They
were dealt adversity, looked it in the eye and then crafted one of the great
seasons in program history.
JACKSON
GARDNER: Stanford. The Cardinal tried to out-Air Raid the Air Raid kings.
Needless to say it didn’t work, and it turned out to be the most-exciting game
of the season.
==THE
"I DON'T BELIEVE WHAT I JUST SAW" AWARD
24
memorable yards to first quarter pay dirt on GameDay Saturday in Pullman.
(Photo: Cougfan.com/Whittney Thornton)
James
Williams turns the Swinging Gate against Oregon from a no gainer into a
continuous-loop highlight for the ages ...
==MOST
LIKELY TO STAR IN THE NFL
Andre
Dillard (Photo: Cougfan.com/Whittney Thornton)
ZACH
ANDERS: WSU is known for its offense, but when it comes to NFL Cougs it’s all
about the defense — Destiny Vaeao with the Eagles, Frankie Luvu with the Jets,
Deone Bucannon with Cardinals and Shalom Luani now with the Seahawks. I’m going
with junior safety Jalen Thompson a year from now. He has the body and
mentality and he came on strong for the Cougs down the stretch of this season.
JACKSON
GARNDER: Second-year freshman offensive tackle Abe Lucas. We won’t see him in
the NFL for a while, but when he gets there he will be a monster. He is eerily
similar to Andre Dillard, but is bigger. That’s a recipe for success in the
league.
BRADEN
JOHNSON: Andre Dillard. Looking exclusively at graduating seniors with this
pick. Some NFL Draft experts have Dillard listed as a potential second-round
choice, and at 6-5 and a lean 310 pounds, he is versatile enough to play at
tackle or guard.
==DEFENSIVE
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Peyton
Pelluer (Photo: Cougfan.com/Whittney Thornton)
ZACH
ANDERS: Peyton Pelluer. Five incredible seasons capped by this one — WSU’s
leading tackler with 54 solo stops and 32 assists. Beyond the field, I watched
as Pelluer brought this team and community together when it needed it most.
Some things you just can’t measure in the stat book, but if you could, Pelluer
would be leading the Cougs in “heart,” too.
JACKSON
GARDNER: Peyton Pelluer. It’s hard to imagine what the young and inexperienced
WSU defense would have looked like without his leadership this season.
BRADEN
JOHNSON: Jahad Woods. Bucking the Pelluer trend with this pick, but the
redshirt sophomore demonstrated he is the heir apparent at middle linebacker.
Woods was one of the surest tacklers in the conference this fall, amassing 73
total tackles and 4.5 for loss.
==OFFENSIVE
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gardner
Minshew leads the nation in passing and finished 5th in Heisman Trophy voting
(the highest Heisman finish for a Cougar this side of Ryan Leaf). (Photo:
Isaiah Downing, USA TODAY Sports)
JACKSON
GARDNER: A 10-win season is not possible without Gardner Minshew. He is the
kind of player that elevates everyone around him.
Runner up:
James Williams. His 16 total TDs on the season is one shy of tying a WSU
single-season record. His monster year will have him thinking NFL this
offseason.
BRADEN
JOHNSON: As WSU’s remarkable 2018 campaign ages, The Mississippi Mustache will
go down with the likes of Ryan Leaf and Mel Hein in Cougar folklore. This is a
.500 WSU team without Minshew’s ability to bring together a host of young
offensive faces and new coaches.
Runner-up:
James Williams averaged 4.6 yards per carry and led WSU in receptions (76). He
was deserving of Pac-12 first- or second-team honors and paired seamlessly with
freshman Max Borghi.
ZACH
ANDERS: When we first learned that Gardner Minshew would transfer I immediately
thought to myself, ‘Man, what a learning curve this guy is going to have.'
Instead, he proved he had the skill and the courage capable of doing the job
better than anyone could have predicted.
Runner up:
The offensive line. Those boys allowed 11 sacks all season long. Are you
kidding me? Their performance was a huge part of Minshew’s success, and they’ll
never get the recognition they truly deserve for what they did this season.
==FAVORITE
PRE-GAME MUSTACHE SHOT
Sadly, we
didn't get the names of these Washington State fans at the pre-game event at
USC but their combination of mustaches, headbands, logo shirts and beer cans
capture the fun and spirit that so defined the Cougar Nation's support for
their team.
::::::::::::::
WSU
FOOTBALL
New York
Times story details how family of Tyler Hilinski has dealt with Washington
State QB’s suicide
UPDATED:
Fri., Dec. 14, 2018, 8:23 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson Spokane S-R
Since his
older brother’s death 11 months ago, Ryan Hilinski has ascended national
recruiting leaderboards, earned the distinction of being the country’s top high
school pocket passer and collected dozens of scholarship offers from some of
the top programs in college football.
The
younger brother of Tyler Hilinski, the former Washington State quarterback who
committed suicide in Pullman last January, was the subject of a recent New York
Times story detailing how the Hilinski family is dealing with the loss almost a
year later – and how they’ve coped with Ryan’s decision to embark on a college
career in the sport that may have led to Tyler’s death.
In a few
weeks, Ryan Hilinski will enroll early at the University of South Carolina and
begin his football career with the Gamecocks. Hilinski’s parents, Mark and Kym,
and older brother Kelly have encouraged Ryan to pursue his dreams even if they
put him at the slightest risk of contracting the chronic disease found in
Tyler’s brain months after the WSU QB was found dead in his Pullman apartment.
“We have
no clue what happened,” Mark Hilinski told the NYT’s Mike Piellucci. “We will
sit here for the next 20 years and not know what the heck happened to Tyler.”
Many have
linked Tyler Hilinski’s death to a degenerative brain disease known as Chronic
Traumatic Encephalopathy. An autopsy conducted by the Mayo Clinic found small
traces of CTE in Hilinski’s brain, which may have stemmed from the repeated
head-to-head collisions Hilinski endured playing the quarterback position.
In the
story titled “Suicide, Quarterbacks and the Hilinski Family,” Pielluci notes
that the Hilinski family offered Ryan an opportunity to walk away from the
game.
“Deep
down, part of them would be relieved if he did,” the author writes.
Ryan,
who’ll soon become the third Hilinski brother to play quarterback at the
collegiate level, has honored Tyler this season at California’s Orange Lutheran
High wearing the No. 3. He also plans to wear the number next season at South
Carolina.
Mark and
Kym Hilinski will relocate to nearby Lake Murray, South Carolina, this spring
to be closer to their youngest son and Kelly, an aspiring neurologist, plans on
transferring to South Carolina’s medical school, according to the NYT.
“It would
be hard not to be together knowing that we weren’t in Pullman,” Mark told
Pielluci.
“And maybe
that could have made some kind of difference,” Kym added, completing his
sentence.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Go to this
link …
https://www.spokesman.com/video/2018/dec/14/video-washington-state-coach-ernie-kent-press-conf/
…watch
video with Ernie Kent, WSU men’s basketball head coach talks about …
… “Arinze
Chidom's departure, WSU's loss to Montana State on Sunday and the current state
of the Pac-12 Conference.”
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
With free
agency approaching, Deone Bucannon (WSU Couga) recognizes his time with
Cardinals is ending
By Bob
McManaman, Arizona Republic 12/14/2018
The end is
almost in sight for Cardinals linebacker Deone Bucannon and the end likely
represents a new start elsewhere.
Bucannon
can’t quite get his head around the thought of unrestricted free agency just
yet. Arizona has been his home for the past five years since the Cardinals
selected him in the first round of the 2014 draft.
He doesn’t
really want to leave. But he knows it’s probably time to move on.
That
started becoming increasingly evident at the start of this season under new
head coach Steve Wilks, new defensive coordinator Al Holcomb and a brand new
defensive system.
Bucannon
was put in charge of leading the Cardinals’ 4-3 scheme as its starting
weak-side linebacker, a different role than his previous “money-‘backer” days
during the Bruce Arians’ regime. There, Bucannon excelled in a position created
exclusively for him and he had more tackles than anyone over the course of his
first four years.
After
taking part in all 79 defensive snaps in the season opener against Washington,
Bucannon’s playing time was dramatically reduced. He participated in only 25
snaps the following week against the Rams and then was on the field for just a
single snap against the Bears.
Since
then, Bucannon’s year has been just as turbulent as the Cardinals’ season.
Holcomb said Bucannon had trouble adjusting to the verbalization and technique
that the position required. Wilks went so far at one point to suggest he couldn’t
“trust” Bucannon.
“I can’t
control what reps I get and what reps I don’t get,” Bucannon said, looking back
on the situation. “It ain’t no bad blood for me. To me as a competitor and me
as a player, I feel like I’m an every-down player. But everybody is not going
to see it that way. And that’s fine. At the end of the day, it’s a business.
“But it’s
not going to change my train of thought or my fight.”
The
Cardinals basically benched him for a stretch, although he did see some action
on special teams. Just when he finally started to get his game going again and
regain the trust of his coaches, Bucannon got injured on Nov. 18 against the
Raiders.
He engaged
on a play with fullback Keith Smith and suffered separated ribs and a jostled
collarbone. It’s forced him to miss the last three games, although he returned
to practice this week and stands a decent chance to be active for Sunday’s game
at the Falcons.
'We
definitely want to get him out there'
“It’s good
to see him out there,” Wilks said. “We’re definitely going to try to get Deone
back on the field with some of the things that I’ve talked to Al about. I’m not
going to go into detail with how we’re trying to use him, but we definitely
want to get him out there.”
Bucannon
knows the significance of what these final three games can do for him if he’s
able to play at the level he did before getting hurt. It can help reestablish
his credentials prior to hitting the free-agent market and put him in position
to sign his most lucrative contract. With just for starts under his belt in
2018, that’s saying a lot.
“I know
what kind of player I am, it’s as simple as that,” he said. “I have plenty of
film. I know what kind of player I am. I know what kind of person I am as well.
When stuff hits the fan or there’s rough patches in my life, I keep my head
down and I plow through.
“At the
end of the day, each time I step on that field I’m going to give everything I
got. That’s just me, that’s just how I’ve always been.”
The
thought of signing elsewhere almost seems foreign to Bucannon, who said, “It’s
kind of a whole new world for me. But that’s why I have my agent. I play
football and he does what he does. And if he doesn’t do what he’s supposed to
do, he’s going to have to go, just like me.”
The thing
is, Bucannon isn’t really sure if he wants to go. He said he loves Arizona and
he loves the fans. He said he appreciates and respects Cardinals President
Michael Bidwill and General Manager Steve Keim, too.
“Honestly,
I just want to play football for as long as I can and I want to be somewhere
where I’m appreciated and where they’re going to use me to the best of my
abilities,” he said. “Whether it be here or somewhere else, I just want to be
on the field as much as I possibly can. Where I’m going to be is with whoever I
feel like matches me with my style of play and who I feel actually wants me to
be within their organization.
“Arizona
could be interested. Arizona might not be interested. Other teams could be
interested. Other teams could not be interested. … It’s out of my control.”
:::::::::
WSU
SWIMMING LEADS PAC-12 IN IMPROVEMENT RATE AFTER MID-SEASON INVITE
From WSU
Sports Info 12/15/2018
PULLMAN –
The Washington State swimming team completed the first half of the 2018-19
season at the Phill Hansel Invitational hosted by the University of Houston.
The Cougars rewrote the top-10 performance list at their mid-season invite,
including a school record in the 100 free.
Nationally,
the Cougars are ranked 22nd based on improvement from this time last year,
according to an article released by SwimSwam. Washington State improved 82%.
The team is first in the Pac-12 for improvement, sitting just ahead of Utah who
is ranked 27th in the nation with a 62% improvement rate.
"The
article that SwimSwam released is a great indicator of where we are as a
program. This group of student-athletes
have bonded and really turned a corner.
I couldn't be happier with where we are going, especially since our
mid-season meet was a quick drop taper and was unshaved.
“We
continue to talk about our family culture and dynamic and everyone is buying
in. We still have a lot more work to do,
but I feel like our student-athletes are believing in the process and the idea
of working together. It's an exciting
time to be a cougar! GO COUGS!"
Freshman
Keiana Fountaine is proving to be a driving force for the Cougars, leading the
team with nine individual wins and is a member of six relay wins.
The Tracy,
Calif. native has etched her name in the WSU top-10 performance list in two
events, including a school record swim in the 100 free, clocking in at 49.67.
Fountaine also sits in the top-10 in the 200 free, clocking a 1:47.30 in the
event – less than a second off the school record.
The
breaststrokers for WSU are showing impressive times in the 100 and 200. Senior
Linnea Lindberg clocked an impressive 1:01.60 in the 100 breast, placing her
second in the WSU top-10 list, while sophomore Mackenzie Duarte sits third at
1:01.66.
Lindberg
and Duarte dropped several seconds in their respective events compared to their
times at this point in the season last year. Duarte also sits second in the
top-10 list in the 200 breast, clocking a 2:11.84 – dropping nearly four
seconds off her time from last year. Freshman Lauren Burckel also saw a top-10
performance in the 100 breast with a 1:03.21, sitting in ninth.
Sophomore
Taylor McCoy etched her name in the WSU top-10 performances in the 200 back,
clocking a 1:56.86 for the second-fastest time in program history. The Pullman,
Wash. native now sits in the top-10 in both the 100 and 200 back.
Freshman
Emily Barrier is impressing in the freestyle sprints, etching her name in the
top-10 in both the 50 and 100 free. The Fort Collins, Colo. native clocked a
23.07 in the 50 free and 1:49.78 in the 100 free at the mid-season invite to
find herself in fifth and tenth, respectively, in the WSU top-10 list.
The
Cougars will resume competition Jan. 11 and 12 when they travel south to
compete against the Arizona and Arizona State.
::::::::::::
Upcoming
for WSU Sports include
Dec 17 –
Men’s Basketball in Pullman vs. Rider
Dec 19 –
Women’s Basketball in Las Vegas vs. Kansas
Jan 11 –
Women’s Swimming in Tucson vs. Arizona
Jan 11 –
Indoor Track & Field in Boise in Ed Jacoby Invite
Feb 15 –
Baseball in Moraga, Calif., vs. St. Mary’s
March 24 –
Rowing in Spokane vs. OSU, MU, GU
…………………..
From WSU
Sports Info
COUGARS MEN’S
BASKETBALL RETURN HOME TO HOST RIDER IN LAS VEGAS CLASSIC: The Washington State
University men’s basketball team (5-3) returns to Pullman to host Rider (3-3),
Monday, Dec. 17 at 7 p.m. in its first
of two games in the Las Vegas Classic that will be played at Pullman, before
heading to Las Vegas for games Dec. 22 and 23. The game will be televised on
the Pac-12 Network.
#
