OFFENSE

 

Jeff Tuel could be one of the top quarterbacks in the Pac-12 this year. The 6'3" junior compares favorably to former Cougar greats Ryan Leaf and Drew Bledsoe. As a sophomore, Tuel completed 60 percent of his passes for 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Tuel’s favorite target is Marquess Wilson, who had more receiving yards than any other freshman in the country last year with 1,006. Wilson leads a group of receivers that is the deepest and most talented position on the team. Senior Jared Karstetter is a sure-handed, move-the-chains receiver, and WSU also has experience returning with senior Isiah Barton and junior Gino Simone.

The Cougs had a miserable rushing attack last year, but that figures to improve with Logwone Mitz, a bruising 230-pound senior, and Rickey Galvin, a 5'8", 162-pound redshirt freshman. Galvin broke his arm and was lost for the season on his first career carry against Oklahoma State last year. He’s an explosive back who will give the Cougs big-play capabilities.

Washington State has solid skill players, but in order for them to be effective, the offensive line needs to be more effective. The Cougs averaged only 91.0 yards rushing per game and allowed 51 sacks.

DEFENSE

The Cougars allowed 220.3 rushing yards per game last year, in large part because their defensive line was getting shoved around all too frequently. End Travis Long is the standout of this group. Senior defensive tackle Brandon Rankin is the best run-stuffer inside.

At least there’s considerable help behind them at linebacker, with returning regulars Alex Hoffman-Ellis, C.J. Mizell and Sekope Kaufusi. Mizell gives the Cougars a nastiness it has lacked in the past. Kaufusi’s the Cougars’ version of Troy Polamalu, hair streaming out of the back of his helmet, obscuring his number, 59. Like Polamalu, he plays with an abundance of passion.

The secondary returns three starters — cornerback Nolan Washington and safeties Deone Bucannon and Tyree Toomer. Another returner starter, cornerback Aire Justin, has been suspended for the 2011 season for violating the NCAA’s banned substance policy. 

SPECIALISTS

Sophomore Andrew Furney won the kicking job over Nico Grasu last year and returns to handle the duties. Furney has a big leg. Punter Reid Forrest graduated, leaving the job to Dan Wagner, a converted quarterback.

FINAL ANALYSIS

If he were almost anywhere else, Paul Wulff would have been fired by now. Coaches who are 5–32 in three seasons, regardless of the extenuating circumstances, don’t survive.

But Wulff returns for a fourth season at Washington State because athletic director Bill Moos believes that his head coach deserves another year based on progress made by the team last year. Yes, the Cougars went 2–10, and record-wise, that isn’t the definition of progress. But the team showed several signs of life late in the season, smacking Oregon State in Corvallis and nearly taking Washington to overtime before losing in the Apple Cup.

For the most part, the Cougars were competitive last year. Washington State has speed, size and athleticism now. Wulff believes his team should be good enough to go to a bowl game this year. Anything short of that will not be acceptable to Cougar fans.