Washington St Preview: The Cougars are here, and they brought a flag.

Better late than never, right?  Interestingly enough, I think this version is better than the one that was deleted.  Second passes seem to always garner better results.  Go figure.

Washington St seems to operate in some sort of cone-of-silence; far removed from the center of the Pac-12 universe, and situated on the far eastern edge of the state, the Cougars seem to be afterthought in conference goings-ons.  Hell, outside of the annual Apple Cup game with UW-Seattle, I never hear much from these guys... except when ESPN's College Gameday comes on, of course.

For years, all you would have to do is turn on Gameday to be exposed to the dedicated WSU fanbase.  Invariably, a Washington St flag would be situated somewhere behind the head of CU alum Chris Fowler, begging you to ponder the question, "Why Washington St?"

It's a testament to the dedication and passion of a fanbase that is largely forgotten in the national landscape.  The tradition, started by WSU alum Tom Pounds, is now a ubiquitous part of Saturday mornings, and really is all WSU has a reputation for.  I suppose if it was a group of Alabama or the Ohio State fans, members of a large, and douchey fan base, I'd find the tradition annoying.  But since it's representing a relative BCS minnow like WSU, I find it kind of cool.

Good on ya, WSU fans!  You're doing yourselves and the rest of the Pac-12 proud.

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CU will officially start the Pac-12 era against Washington St on Saturday afternoon.  Kick-off is set for 1:30.  If you're still hungover from attending the Great American Beer Festival, and can't find it within yourself to man-up and make it to Boulder, the game can be seen on FCS-Pacific.


Click below for the preview...




The last time these two schools met was in 2004.  A holdover from the cancelled 2001 contest, the Cougars moved the game to Seattle's Qwest Field in hopes of making a quick buck and tap into the Seattle sports scene dominated by the rival Washington Huskies.  I'd call the resulting game ugly, but that would demean the word ugly.

That game defined the word 'unwatchable.'

There were 20 combined punts in the game (for 811 yards!), and CU could only muster 125 yards of offense and 7 total first downs.  The stunted CU offense never found their rhythm that day, much less the endzone, and the Buffs only scored thanks to a block punt recovery by Lawrence Vickers, and a 51-yard interception return from Joe Sanders.  While CU won 20-12, when you look at the stat sheet you realize that the football gods we just being extra kind to the Buffs.

Let's all hope that Saturday's affair is much more palatable.


Opponents season so far -

Since back-to-back-to-back 10-win seasons to start the new millennium, Washington St has failed to crack an over .500 record.  In fact, they've finished in the bottom-three of the conference each year since 2005.  In the past three seasons they've only won two Pac-10 games, and seem hopelessly headed in the wrong direction.

The Cougars, however, burst into 2011 with 2 crushing wins over weak non-conference opponents.  In the victories over Idaho State and UNLV at home, the Cougars amassed an impressive 1,200 yards of offense and 15 scores.  While ISU was able to move the ball pretty effectively against them through the air in the opener (430 yards), the Cougars have held their opponents to a total of 121 yards of rushing offense through the first two games.  The Cougars looked good early, and many began to think they had finally turned the corner.

WSU flew past weak opponents in the early going

Then WSU traveled to San Diego to take on the SDSU Aztecs.  While WSU still looked good offensively, racking up another 419 yards of offense, defensively the Cougars came apart at the seams.  Washington St allowed the Aztecs to score the final 28 points of the contest, and SDSU ran all over the Cougar D to the tune of 500 yards of offense, 227 of which came on the ground.  Aztec RB Ronnie Hillman went off, churning out 191 rushing yards and 4 scores, and and powered SDSU to a 42-24 win.

Hillman sliced up the Cougar D two weeks ago.

Despite the reality check from a not-very good San Diego St squad, the Cougars are entering conference play at 2-1, their best non-con mark since 2007.  While that mark came against some suspect opponents (ISU is 1-AA, and UNLV got de-pantsed at home by a 1-AA Southern Utah squad), it's definitely something for the WSU faithful to feel good about.

I don't blame the Cougars for the KSU-esque non-conference schedule loaded with cream-puffs.  With how poorly they've played the previous 7 years, they can be allowed to feast on some lighter fare.  Still though, those who jumped on the bandwagon after the first two games, like this guy, failed to realize that this is still a piss-poor WSU squad.  While the passing game may turn some heads, they are still streets behind being truly competitive.  They're stocked with some good young talent, but they just aren't there yet.


Offense & Defense - 

The Cougars lean on their program's strong tradition of producing solid QB's to showcase the nation's 4th best passing attack. Grabbing 380 passing yards per contest is no fluke, and the unit is precise and efficient, grabbing 9.9 yards per attempt (Yikes).  The Cougar Airshow, which has accounted for 13 scores and only 2 interceptions on the young season, has helped WSU amass a ton of points this year; all told, they generate 49 points/game, good for 5th in the country.  This unit will severely test a CU secondary which is banged up, inexperienced, and short handed.

While the passing attack gets all the press clippings, the running attack is still capable of racking up some yards.  They grab 4.7 yards per attempt, and generate over 150 total yards per game.  Add it up, and this is a dangerous Cougar offense which, while it has been feasting on weak opponents, generates near 540 yards of offense per contest.

On defense, I'm not too sure what to expect.  They had a dominating performance against UNLV, holding them under 160 yards of offense, but UNLV stinks, and SDSU and Idaho State combined to put up 953 yards and 9 scores on the Cougs.  On the assumption that the UNLV game is an outlier, I'll say that CU will move the ball freely against WSU. 




Star Players - 

Coming into the season, all the talk in the Palouse was centered on highly regarded Jr QB Jeff Tuel.  Unfortunately for Cougar Nation, Tuel suffered a broken clavicle during the season's first quarter.  Fortunately, however, they had a seasoned backup in the form of SR Marshall Lobbastael.

Formerly a starter who lost his job to Tuel when he emerged from the WSU sidelines, Lobbastael is an experienced, efficient, and accurate QB who has put up some gaudy numbers in the early going.  He's stepped in to contribute over 950 yards, on 62% passing, to the Cougar cause, adding a TD-to-INT ratio of 10:2.  You always hate to play a senior QB, but especially one playing really well, as Lobbastael is.

Opposing defenses haven't had much answer for Lobbestael.

Catching most of what Lobbastael lobs out is sophomore sensation Marquess Wilson.  While CU's own super-soph Paul Richards got attention early, Wilson has been doing work all season, gobbling up 15 catches for 429 yards and 4 scores in only 3 games.  In the SDSU loss he had a fantastic game, going for 236 yards and two scores.  He was a freshman All-American last season, getting over 1k yards receiving in 2010, so it's no surprise that he's blossoming this way.

Wilson has been cruising past defenses this season.

When WSU decides to run the ball, they'll utilize the services of FR Rickey Galvin.  To date on the season he hasn't had any huge games, but he's able to keep the chains moving as he's grabbed over 8 yards/carry.  He's also added 3 TD's on the ground, but WSU will be a pass-first squad this season, regardless of how good Galvin is.

On defense, the Cougars are lead by SR LB Alex Hoffman-Ellis.  He's been a mainstay in the Cougar D since transferring from Moorpark College, and he can be disruptive; he was second on the team in 2010 with 83 tackles.  This season he's recorded 13 so far, and has thrown in a interception return for kicks.

Hoffman-Ellis is a pretty good 'backer.

Also on defense are two sophomores who share the team lead in tackles.  Safety Deone Bucannon has been all over the field so far, recording 19 tackles and grabbing an interception.  LB C.J. Mizell compliments Hoffman-Ellis well, and has gotten to the QB twice on the young season. 


Coaching - 


In yet another example of an alum returning home to coach his alma mater out of a hole, Paul Wulff left his gig at near-by Eastern Washington to come home to Pulman in 2008.  Since he arrived back on campus, however, things have only gotten worse for WSU.  All told, he is a sad 7-33 in three-plus seasons as WSU head coach, and, in that time, has only grabbed five Pac-12 wins.

With little success in his three year tenure, I can't imagine Wulff will be around much longer.

It's been a rough three years for Coach Wulff, and, barring a few wins in Pac-12 play to point to, I can't expect he'll be around in Pulman much longer.  To that end, with CU being one of the most 'winnable" games left on the '11 schedule, Wulff should be well focused on taking on the Buffs.






Prediction - 

Prior to the start of the season, many expected that this matchup would determine who would claim the dubious distinction of being the worst team in the Pac-12.  Fortunately for both CU and WSU, that honor will probably go to the pitiful Oregon St Beavers (it's a damn shame CU doesn't have OSU on their schedule this season).  Regardless, neither WSU or CU is going to set the world on fire, and both teams are looking towards this game as a rare "winnable" contest on the Pac-12 schedule.

CU is the definition of a Jekyl and Hyde football team.  In Folsom, at altitude and in front of the raucous students, CU plays a sexy, feisty form of football.  That the Buffs play well at home is no secret, but it's shocking how night and day their performance is compared to road games.  Maybe there really is something 'special' in the water in Boulder.  Luckily, the Buffs get WSU at home, 'cause if this were in Pulman I think the Buffs would be in trouble.

WSU will assert their passing will all afternoon. While the CU secondary is statistically sound (giving up less than 190 yards/contest, best in the Pac-12), they have benefited from playing back-to-back opponents who seemed confused by the very notion of a pass down-field.  If the WSU passing attack doesn't hit their average (380 yards/game) against the short-handed Buffs secondary, I'll be shocked.

But CU will be able to stay in the game.  If SDSU can rack up over 200 yards of ground game, including the Ronnie Hillman outburst, then I expect CU should be able to crack at least 150.  Assuming CU doesn't fall behind the WSU passing attack too early, I look for Speedy to finally crack 100 yards rushing in a game, and for some Colorado running back to finally find the endzone.  Additionally, after two quiet games, I trust Paul Richardson to back up his talk and eviscerate another Pac-12 secondary.

I'll say WSU has another bout of costly turnovers, while the much maligned CU special teams, blessed with the presence of many starters, cannot possibly be worse than last week.  The Buffs score just enough points to win, claiming their first Pac-12 victory in their first attempt.

CU 47 - WSU 42

GO BUFFS!  BEAT THE COUGARS!