Halliday injures liver, out of Apple Cup

18 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

• 

  kenn92 on November 20 at 12:12 p.m.

  Crap. Just when there was a little light at the end of the tunnel. I’m as quick as anyone to bash the coaching staff, but we need to consider how handicapped CPW has been throughout this year. With my untrained eyes, it seems like the kids have turned the corner and are competitive with most of the Pac-12 now. Wulff needs another year.

• 

  kaddy on November 20 at 12:45 p.m.

  Snakebit. Back to Lobes. Containing Polk should be priority #1. If we do that, we have a shot. I think we come to play.

  I think if Tuel was healthy all year, we would be bowling. Even with the revolving door of QB’s, we were on the doorstep.

  Wulff deserves to come back, imo.

• 

  SayulitaCoug1 on November 20 at 1:08 p.m.

  I’ve maintained all along that this would be a transitional year that resulted in some close games, but few wins. Wulff, and all we Coug fans, will see the results next year.

  Halliday’s performance, while not a thing of beauty, was one of the gutsiest performances I have ever seen. He got drilled numerous times and kept coming back for more. With young men like that, this program is in great shape.

• 

  Leo_Z on November 20 at 1:23 p.m.

  I’m happy to see the general consensus is to keep PW around. I agree with that sentiment and look forward to a break-out year in 2012. This team has been competitive in every game save a quarter here and there that got away. Next year has the potential to be exciting. I do feel bad for the seniors that will never get to go bowling.

• 

  coug79 on November 20 at 1:25 p.m.

  Conner Halliday is one tough hombre.

• 

  drwonderful on November 20 at 2:10 p.m.

  Here are some statistics. Of the 4 wins for the Cougs, the win - loss record of the teams is 12 -32, skewed by ASU’s 5 wins. That means that our wins have been against teams that have won 37% of their games. Yes, we have seen improvement in how the Cougs’s have played, but that has not translated into wins. The old saying is that potential is what gets coaches fired. Now, we hear that that potential is what gets coaches retained. Unless changes are made at the end of the season, mediocrity might be the new norm.

• 

  rufus on November 20 at 2:20 p.m.

  We can’t seem to catch a break - Lobster will have to beat the dogs. Paul W is good to go next year…

• 

  coug91 on November 20 at 2:30 p.m.

  So who’ll be the backup to Lobbestael?

• 

  Ridgetop on November 20 at 2:30 p.m.

  What a shame! Halliday is definitely a gamer. I hope next year we do a better job of protecting the QB. So what happens if the Lobster goes down?

• 

  Fractal on November 20 at 3:01 p.m.

  I disagree strongly with the comments favoring Wulff’s retention. Look at who we beat … Idaho State isn’t an FBS team, and UNLV shouldn’t be one. Colorado is terrible and it took a miracle to beat them. We beat ASU … that was a great win, and it’s legitimate. That said, even in that win, we had just about everything go our way (dropped TD passes, missed chip shot FGs, Halliday not getting picked despite throwing a lot of balls up for grabs, etc.), and ASU has completely cratered to end the year, having just lost at home to Arizona (who is terrible this year and who canned its own coach).

  Thus, while it’s tempting to say that we’re close to bowl contention, consider the very real possibility that we’ll be 4-8 after next week despite having two gimmes on the schedule. That means after being 3-1, we would have gone 1-7 to close the year. Lots of other teams suffered injuries as well, including at the QB position.

  Even if we think Wulff is doing an “adequate” job, my fear is that Wulff’s ceiling is very low, and it will be reached infrequently. I understand that WSU is unlikely to compete for a conference title every year, but Wulff’s record at Eastern (he never lost fewer than 4 games a year there, and frequently lost many more) and his performance so far indicates that the best case with him is something like 7-5 every three or four years (and even this is giving him credit for assumed improvement … as we learned this year, making those kinds of assumptions can be haughty). Are records like 4-8 most of the time, and 7-5 every three or four years, enough? Are they enough to cause a significantly large bump in fan support, donations, and revenues? I don’t think so, personally, even though I’d be really happy with 7-5 right now myself.

• 

  SpectreCoug on November 20 at 3:50 p.m.

  Fractal,

  Not trying to pick a fight, but play the hypothetical with any other team. Coming off a 2-10 season, your qb (and MVP) gets hurt after one series. The backup is serviceable, but clearly regresses as the season goes on. Finally, the third string qb gets to play, and plays great, but only for a couple games before he too is hurt, forcing you to go back to the iffy second-teamer. How many wins can be expected out of that scenario? Realistically, we could (should) have six right now, with a hope for a seventh in the AC. I think that’s more than any of us would have expected given those facts before the season started. Sorry to sound so much like Walden, but you can’t ignore those conditions.

  I’m not saying Wulff is the ultimate answer, but I think, given what has happened, that he deserves to serve out his contract.

• 

  coug79 on November 20 at 5:44 p.m.

  Interesting how the wheels came off the UW wagon with a back up QB yesterday.

• 

  Jobu on November 20 at 9:15 p.m.

  @Spectre

  Injuries are part of the game, heck they are the norm when it comes to QB’s with Wulff as head coach. And if you really think of it, QB play wasn’t why we lost the games this year. Vince even said after the UNLV game that this was one the best offense’s he has ever seen at WSU and at that was with Lobbestael as QB.

  Lobbestael wasn’t the reason why we lost UCLA. Kartstetter dropped a sure touchdown pass in that game would have been the difference in the game and a W for us. UCLA beat us with their back too. Blame Lobbestael for the SDSU game if you want, if that is what makes you feel better, that’s fine. But Hillman was just beasting us in the 2nd half. Lobbestael fumbled as we were answering their touchdown. The defense could have gotten a stop, but instead Hllman takes it 50+ yards to the house and ball game.

  Please explain the OSU performance with our MVP starting at QB? That was embrassing. Please explain our performance against Cal as well after Grippi preached how this was the best week of practice yet?

  It’s a team game and there is a lot of blame to go around for why we are 4-7, not because of QB play. UCLA lost their QB and has won 6 games, Utah lost theirs and have somehow won 5 games without him. No reason why shouldn’t have been able to do that. Lobbestael played well enough to win the games, the defense didn’t step up when we needed them and players having drops at key times also.

• 

  Al_Loysius on November 20 at 9:30 p.m.

  Courageous? Yes.

  Dumb thing to do? Yes.

  I would yield to a medical professional, but my understanding is that a lacerated liver is not a minor thing, as evidenced by the fact that he is in ICU. I am a little puzzled by the comment that he waved off the trainer. What is the protocol for the sideline trainer and team doctor to take command in this situation? Is a player (who may not be objective in that situation) allowed to make the call? For example, that is why we don’t let players keep playing when they have a concussion.

  This is a medical question. I am sure some football guys think it is a “rah-rah” , “rub some dirt on it” issue.

• 

  SpectreCoug on November 21 at 7:04 a.m.

  Jobu,

  That’s why I was making it a hypothetical, without including actual names and games. In a vacuum, given what has happened to our qbs, no one could expect us to have six wins at this point. I will argue that the UCLA game was there for the taking until Marshall threw that back-breaking pick.

• 

  Coug82 on November 21 at 7:59 a.m.

  Halliday’s performance was Gesser-like. He’s one tough kid and I pray for an quick and full recovery. He’s got a great future as a Coug.

  As much insight as being a Monday morning QB gives us, I think Wulff did the right thing kicking the tying field goal. We’ve heard it all year and we all maybe got a little tired of hearing it, the “young” Cougs made rookie mistakes in OT. A Freshman QB not making sure his throw-away pass got passed the line of scrimmage. someone lining up on the wrong side for a screen pass.

  I think Kartstetter might like to have that last drive back. His first catch and not getting out of bounds was a mistake and I think it was in his head when he made the next catch, took a couple steps toward the end zone and quickly stepped out of bounds not wanting to make the same mistake. But he appeared to have 1/2 a step on the defender and IMO had a great chance to make it to the end zone. Not to mention, the defender was coming from the field side and probably would have knocked him out of bounds anyway.

  I am a Wulff believer and hope he is back next year. think about the playmakers on this team; M. Wilson, B Ratliff, C Halliday, J Tuell, R Galvin, T Long, CJ Mizell, N Washington, D Bucannon, C Locker, are all Wulff recruits. Only 3 of the 10 OL 2-deeps are seniors, (3 of 12 if you include the TE). these guys haven’t ever given up. they play hard to the end. They are playing for their coach and for each other. How about asking the players who they want as their coach? I hope Moos takes that into account when making his decision. This football team is 100 times better than they were when Wulff took over.

  it’s Apple Cup week, let’s kick some Husky tail, this is the Cougs Bowl game. The Husky D can’t stop anyone these days. If our D can limit Polk, the Cougs have a great shot at a win.

  Go Cougs!

• 

  Edog on November 21 at 8:32 a.m.

  I hope we can table the fire/retain Wulff talk until at least Sunday and focus on/enjoy the Apple Cup. Stand behind the team, support Lobster and make sure any banterring is aimed at some Husky fan (like Bretterson…only kidding).
  UW’s D is pretty bad. I think we can put some points up on Saturday and bring the Cup back to Pullman!

  Go Cougs!

• 

  Al_Loysius on November 21 at 11:21 a.m.

  Before you fire Wulff, Moos would have to have a suitable replacement. Frankly, who are you going to find who would want the job? Rob Akey? Mike Price? Some HS coach? It is not that good a job unless you have Wazzu ties and are willing to take constant crap.

« Back to SportsLink