WSU Cougs Football: Jordan Lee will return to starting lineup

WSU Coug Football: Jordan Lee will return to starting lineup

By Jamey Vinnick, Cougfan, 10/12/2022

PULLMAN – Srong safety Jordan Lee will return to the WSU starting lineup when the Cougars take on Oregon State 6 o’clock in the evening on  Saturday in Corvallis.

That’s according to Jake Dickert, Washington State U head football coach.

 Lee missed three games with injury, before returning to play against USC in a limited role. As a result, Jaden Hicks will move back to a rotational role, playing both free and strong safety.

 "I think we got J Lee to about 25 snaps last week," Dickert said. "We'll probably get him to about 50 snaps this week. And then have Hicks bounce back and forth. And that's a lot of pressure on a freshman to do both jobs. But I think he's been really good throughout the week and he's ready to go there."

Lee returned in the 30-14 loss to USC with 6 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in limited reps. The 5-11, 202-pound graduate transfer from Los Angeles was a welcome sight back in the lineup and Dickert characterized what he brings to the team.

"He's an elite box defender," Dickert said of Lee. "There were a couple times in last week's game, they had an extra hat for him. He beats the block and goes and makes a big play. He just has that feel in the box and that aggressiveness, which in this game, will be everything. Hicks will be there, but that's four years down the road."

DICKERT SPOKE MORE about the right guard situation on Wednesday. He had said on Monday that with Grant Stephens suspended for the first half of Saturday's game, the Cougars would shift the offensive line around, with Fa'alili Fa'amoe likely entering the lineup.

"We have a bunch of different guys rotating in right now," Dickert said. "I think the maturation of Fa'alili has been really impressive. He's just been a little bit banged up throughout the last few weeks but now he's ready to go. To get those reps, we moved him to tackle ... we've got Quinn (McCarthy) and Brock (Dieu) at guard and Ma'ake (Fifita). We're gonna find the best and I don't know if we know at this point exactly who it will be."

One potential move would be to slide Fifita to right guard where he played last season, and let Fa'amoe operate at right tackle, until Stephens returns for the second half at guard and Fifita would move back to tackle.

In this matchup against Oregon State last year, WSU emerged victorious 31-24. But the Beavers gashed WSU for 309 yards on the ground, with two backs going over 100 yards. The Cougar run defense has taken major strides this year however and Dickert spoke about what he has seen that has resulted in such progress.

"This will be a check mark of where our interior defensive line is at," Dickert said. "I do think this is the most physical offensive line we have played ... we're going to see the improvement we've made ... I think it goes back to our interior defensive line playing at a higher level. And that doesn't necessarily always mean making plays. But doing your job and eating up blocks."

WSU-OREGON STATE GAME DETAILS:

·         WHERE: Reser Stadium

·         KICKOFF: Saturday, 6 p.m. Pacific

·         TV: Pac-12 Networks (Roxy Bernstein, Lincoln Kennedy)

·         RADIO: Washington State IMG Radio Network

·         SATURDAY WEATHER: 77 degrees at kickoff, light winds, clear skies

·         RECORDS: Both teams are 4-2/1-2

·         THE SERIES: WSU leads 56-46-3

·         LAST TIME: WSU won 31-24 in Pullman in 2021

·         ESPN matchup predictor: 62.3 percent chance OSU wins

·         RANKINGS: WSU is receiving votes in both polls

·         THE LINE: OSU by 3

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