FIRST TIMERS AND YOUNGSTERS: Through the first six weeks of the
2008 season, 22 WSU players have registered their first collegiate start, 14 on
offense and eight on defense. Of those twenty-two players, 19 are
underclassmen, 11 on offense and eight on defense. Additionally, five true
freshmen have seen action this season: WRs Jared Karstetter
and Kevin Norrell, LBs Mike Ledgerwood and Louis Bland
and S Tyree Toomer.
MR. CONSISTENT: Despite the Crimson offense averaging a
conference worst 16.3 points per game All-Pac-10 WR Brandon Gibson
Gibson ranks second in the Pac-10 in receptions per game (6.0), first in overall
receptions (36), second in total receiving yards (460) and third in receiving
yards per game (76.7). He has caught at least one pass in 29 straight games, tied with Arizona WR
Mike Thomas for longest current string in the Pac-10.
MORE GIBSON: Gibson is about to crack into the top three of
several school records. He needs
162 yards to become school's leading receiver, 16 receptions to move into second
for career receptions, one touchdown to move into a tie for third for most receiving
touchdowns. He is currently tied for first on the WSU list for career
100-plus yard games with 11, placing him alongside his current wide receivers
coach, Mike Levenseller as the only two Cougars with more than 10 100-yard
receiving games.
HONORING RANDALL SIMMONS: During the 2008 season, Washington State University
players are wearing “RS” on the back of their helmets, honoring the late Randall
Simmons. Simmons, who played at WSU from 1976-78, was a member of the SWAT team
in Los Angeles when he was killed in the line of duty, Feb. 7, 2008.
THIRD TIME'S A CHARM?: Much like their Pac-10 green and yellow
brothers to the south the Cougars have had a difficult time keeping their
starting quarterbacks healthy. Senior Gary Rodgers started out the
season atop the depth chart before being knocked out with a spine fracture
injury. Junior Kevin Lopina stepped up only to he sidelined with a
fractured vertebrae injury after two starts. Redshirt freshman Marshall Lobbestael
is the third quarterback to start a game for WSU this season and will be the
first to make three consecutive starts this year when he takes snaps at Oregon
State.
FILLING UP THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE: Through the first six games of the
2008 season, 15 of WSU’s 41 players to start a game in 2008
have combined to miss 27 games this season due to
injuries - that includes an injury-riddled offensive line,
which has used four different lineups through the first
six games. This past week the Cougars were without CBs Tyrone Justin and Markus Dawes, each of whom has
started this season, OT Steven Ayers, who started three games earlier this
year, RB Chris Ivory and LB Cory
Evans, who missed his third straight start.
A COUPLE OF BRIGHT SPOTs: Sophomore K Nico Grasu has been
a bright spot for Washington State connecting on all 10 extra points and five of
seven field goal attempts with both misses coming from more than 40 yards out.
The coaches say they are confident giving him a shot at a 55-yard attempt.
P Reid Forrest is tied for second in Pac-10
with nine punts downed inside the 20-yard line. He holds a 40.0 per
punt average.
A CHANCE WITH THE BIG BOYS: Injuries have decimated the
quarterbacking depth so much that Wulff recently held open campus tryouts for a
walk-on spot on the team. Freshman Peter Roberts of Woodinville
High in Washington - the same high school UW great Marques Tuiasosopo went to - won the
competition and will run the scout team.
ONE OF THE BEST: Redshirt junior C Kenny Alfred is on both
the Rimington Trophy and Rotary
Lombardi Award Watch lists. He has 25 career starts under his belt,
including 10 straight, the second longest streak on the team.
STADEN IMPACT: Through the first six games of 2008, junior
college transfer Chantz Staden already has 541 kickoff return yards, breaking a
38-year-old single-season record for a junior. Staden already ranks fifth on the WSU single-season
list and His 25.8 kickoff return average currently ranks fifth on the all-time
single-season list.
ROUGH TIMES: WSU's offense has scored just 50 points in five
games against Bowl Subdivision teams while the quarterbacks are last in pass
efficiency averaging just 193.2 yards per game and throwing just six touchdowns
all year. The ground game isn't that much better averaging a measly 2.9
yards per carry. The defense has been just as bad allowing 31 touchdowns
in six games. including 24 rushing touchdowns which averages out to four a game.
A YOUNGSTER AND VETERAN: In Saturday’s contest at UCLA, LB Louis
Bland had his best day as a Cougar. The true freshman recorded eight tackles
(seven solo) including two tackles-for-loss, in just his second start. In his
two starts this season Bland has registered 11 tackles and now has 18 tackles
for the season. Senior LB Greg Trent
, who has 30 consecutive starts, currently has 271 career tackles which places
him 13th on the all-time list.
YOUNG GUN: Although he has already spent eight seasons as a head
coach head coach Paul Wulff at 41 years old is the 12-th youngest
Football Bowl Subdivision
head coach in the nation, and the youngest in the
Pacific-10 Conference. He sports a 2-2 record versus OSU.