Washington State Football Preview

Four years of missing bowl games after the best run in school history made it time for head coach Bill Doba to go. Alum Paul Wulff takes over and now must repair the depth ravaged by some poor recruiting efforts. The Cougars will operate with a new look no-huddle approach while trying to locate a QB capable of stepping in for record setting four-year starter Alex Brink. But Brink never won many games worth mentioning other than beating in-state rival Washington. So what is there to lose? Pulling the trigger will likely be Brink's understudy for most of those years in senior Gary Rogers. But don't count out Kansas State transfer Kevin Lopina. Easily the best playmaker on the entire team is WR Brandon Gibson, an all-conference pick. A three TE rotation will also continue to be a source of notable options. The running game has not been much help and continues to be a developing issue as both projected starters are dealing with injuries. The OL is actually a veteran group with four starters back. There is no reason WSU should be this bad running with the ball. Yes, eight starters return to the defense, but with a patchwork DL in place this group is struggling to find an identity. The secondary for years has been a source of incompetence...simply terrible. Don't expect miracles overnight by any stretch. All three LBs are senior returning starters so the shift to a 3-4 alignment has been made in an effort to locate something that can prove positive. This new offense could give some opponents a headache but make no mistake...this is a transition, learning and rebuilding year for the Cougars.