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WSU football chat (transcript)

Oct 26 2016, 11:04 AM
Guest4990 (guest): When will Arizona game time be announced
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:05 AM
srchat: Next Monday.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:06 AM
Guest3786 (guest): Where does the $10000 fine of Leach go?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:06 AM
srchat: That's a really good question. The money is a applied to a postgraduate scholarship fund.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:08 AM
Jeremy Brown: Molton has made me eat my words. That's all!
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:08 AM
Guest5184 (guest): A few questions....Any updates on Tago and Barber ?..Who did Leach call his best WR ? Cougs seem to making more inroads to NW recruiting, who on the staff handles territory ?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:09 AM
srchat: No ... Not sure what specific instance you're referring to.Marks is clearly the best WR. ... Eric Mele does a lot of the instate stuff, but other staff members chip in as well.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:12 AM
Sid (guest): Cody update? Is he practicing?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:12 AM
JesseCoug (guest): What's your feeling on if the continent will play this Saturday?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:12 AM
srchat: We'll just have to wait and see on O'Connell.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:17 AM
Guest5082 (guest): On the best WR question..it was in reference to something leach said that CF carried..yes I would agree on marks ..you may have missed the piece...
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:17 AM
srchat: What Leach said during Monday's press conference was that Jamal Morrow was the best all-around running back. I promise you, if Leach said it I was there to hear it.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:18 AM
Guest8516 (guest): I know you asked this question directly, but what is your personal take on the reason for WSU's 4th quarter struggles?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:20 AM
srchat: I think the lack of depth is still showing up a bit on the defensive line, allowing those ASU runs to find some success. I also think the team has had some fast starts in part due to playing a few teams playing without their starting QBs, and the game tightens once the backup gets a feel for the game (or ASU adjusts its offense).
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:20 AM
Guest952 (guest): Who are the Thursday night football performers you would expect to see make an impact next year?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:21 AM
srchat: Grant Porter and Jahad Woods could see the field next year. They obviously like D'Jimon Jones and Marcus Strong a lot.My hot take is that the offensive coaches try to steal Jones from Grinch in the offseason.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:21 AM
DertingSanchez (guest): Do you sense the offense making any adjustments to try and keep Falk from getting beat up so we don't have a repeat of last year towards the end of the season?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:22 AM
srchat: The offense does everything it can from the very start of the season to prevent the quarterback from getting sacked or hit.I think Leach will give the o-line a hard time this week, and they will focus on technique a lot, but there is not much else they can do.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:22 AM
Guest5082 (guest): Barber/Tago....and ?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:23 AM
srchat: I don't know what you're asking.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:23 AM
Guest1319 (guest): Do you think all the hits Luke took were more on the o-line or him not getting the ball out of his hand quick enough when ASU was blitzing so much? Or a bit of both?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:23 AM
srchat: It's almost always a bit of both. I think both the o-line and Luke were confused by ASU's odd looks and had trouble deciphering which players were going to blitz.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:24 AM
Guest8516 (guest): I know this will be a non-issue this year (knock on wood), but it seems to me the drop-off from Falk to Hilinski is not as steep as it was from Falk to Bender. Your thoughts?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:26 AM
srchat: It's hard to tell, to be honest. Bender through a great ball (I think he's got like 15 touchdowns and no interceptions at his junior college) but obviously struggled in the Apple Cup. Hilinski has looked good when he's played, and has had some practices that make me think he's ahead of where Bender was, but still has a lot of bad practices where he throws multiple interceptions. The truth is most redshirt freshmen aren't ready and don't react to bad plays well, and neither are the exception.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:26 AM
Guest5870 (guest): He said something like Martin might be playing the best right now, not that he is the best. According to that article
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:26 AM
srchat: Thanks, Guest.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:26 AM
Guest7784 (guest): I miss the screen game with Harrington.Williams does a good job, but would like to see that element added back in.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:26 AM
Guest952 (guest): What's the position that needs the most depth added in this recruiting class?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:26 AM
srchat: Defensive line. That's true almost every year for every team, but feels especially true for the Cougars this year.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:27 AM
Guest7065 (guest): Are there any freshmen or younger players sticking out to you in Thursday night football? Thanks for all your hard work!
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:27 AM
srchat: Grant Porter is the most electric player on offense in TNF.Jahad Woods and Marcus Strong play very well on defense.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:27 AM
JesseCoug (guest): Gut feeling on Barber outcome, is this likely his last game?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:28 AM
srchat: No idea. Maybe leaning 51% toward yes.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:28 AM
CougSchroed (guest): If another OL goes down, who is the first in after Salmonson?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:29 AM
srchat: Depends on who goes down. At center you would see Frederick Mauigoa. Otherwise, I think Drew Norvell would probably be next man up.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:31 AM
Guest1319 (guest): Biggest worry against OSU?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:32 AM
srchat: Falling behind early. The Beavers have the ability to run the ball well, and on the road it could be tough to come back against a team. But, there aren't many big worries because WSU is a heavy favorite.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:34 AM
Guest7784 (guest): Seems like there are media members (not you)who don't like Leach. Spokane sports radio hosts really seem to fall into this category. Is it because for years they were used to more access? It also seems like the fact that Leach doesn't care what they think bothers them also. Thoughts?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:38 AM
srchat: Well, I think that people who very publicly do not care what others think often are disliked. Leach can be very flippant to reporters and sometimes does little to hide his disdain for a question. He's not really much for common courtesies. When people see their colleagues get made fun of publicly by someone in a position of power for trying to do their jobs, it often rubs them the wrong way.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:39 AM
JesseCoug (guest): Any coaches in the Pac 12 you see losing their job after the season?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:40 AM
srchat: No, unless Phil Knight decides he's willing to write a huge check in order to get someone else at Oregon. I'm sure there's some frustration with Mora at UCLA right now but he's only a year removed from 10 wins. I suppose if USC were to stumble again Clay Helton would probably be the most likely coach to get fired.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:41 AM
Sid (guest): Why have they gotten away from the run the past two games after having so much success with it?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:41 AM
srchat: Teams started to respect the run game more and devote more defenders to stopping it, so the Cougars went back to the pass.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:42 AM
Guest955 (guest): Why hasnt Charleston White seen the field as much as last year. He was one of our better corners and surprised he hasnt taken control over the revolving door of safety opposite luani
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:43 AM
srchat: I'm pretty sure Charleston White has seen the field a lot more than last year. Two years ago he was one of the team's better corners, but did not play much last season. I'm not sure I'd call the SS position a "revolving door," Jalen Thompson seems to have it pretty well locked down having started every game.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:43 AM
Guest3763 (guest): People are saying Utah has a decent shot at the playoff. What do you think of this?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:43 AM
srchat: Utah has virtually no shot at the playoff.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:46 AM
CougSchroed (guest): ASU showed a lot of fronts with only 5 in the box. Yet Falk rarely checked to run. Do you think Leach/Falk basically decided to air it out regardless of how the defense played them due to ASU's horrendous pass defense? How is OSU's defense? Stronger against the pass or stronger against the run?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:47 AM
srchat: The tough thing about ASU is that they so rarely did what they showed pre-snap. From Falk's perspective, a five-man box could mean a sellout play to stop the run. In that game, I think Falk had to basically stick to his game plan and not fall for the desert mirages.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:47 AM
Guest3763 (guest): That was my thought too, thanks!
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:47 AM
JesseCoug (guest): Where would you rank WSU in terms of talent compared to the rest of the Pac 12? I see them around 8 or 7.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:49 AM
srchat: In terms of raw talent on hand I would currently go: 1.USC 2. UW 3. UCLA 4. Oregon 5. WSU 6. Stanford 7. Colorado 8.Utah 9. California 10. ASU 11. Arizona 12. Oregon State. Or something close to that.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:49 AM
Coooooouuuuugs (guest): OSU Game. Easy blowout, or potential trap game?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:50 AM
srchat: Not quite a blowout but never in danger of losing.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:51 AM
Guest3763 (guest): If you were the athletic director, how would you resolve the big financial deficit?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:53 AM
srchat: I would hold an annual fair in which fans could pay to listen to Mike Leach tell stories, have Gabe Marks guess your weight, wrestle Hercules Mata'afa, pay for Kyra Holt kill your groundhogs with a volleyball, etc.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:54 AM
Guest7844 (guest): Do you think the secondary play has been disappointing? Thought it would be the strength of the defense
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:55 AM
srchat: WSU is third in the conference with 9 interceptions and has given up just 10 passing touchdowns, so I don't think it has been disappointing and I do think it has been a strength.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:55 AM
Guest3763 (guest): What do you think of the whole ASU sign stealing debacle?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:56 AM
srchat: I agree that teams would be silly not to try and figure out signals. But if ASU is actually going way beyond other teams in terms of recording them, then they should be made to stop doing that.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:57 AM
Guest3763 (guest): Do NFL scouts ever make it to games in Pullman or is it too far out there for them?
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:57 AM
srchat: They actually come pretty frequently. The way the advance scouts work is they just live in a certain area and go to the local games. So, the PNW guys will make it out to WSU for some practices, games, etc.
 
Oct 26 2016, 11:59 AM
Sid (guest): How do you see the game playing out? Pass, pass, pass or more running this week? What is the strength of OSU defense?
 
Oct 26 2016, 12:00 PM
srchat: OSU is better at defending the pass then the run. But that so rarely works when projecting what the Cougars will do.
 
Oct 26 2016, 12:00 PM
JesseCoug (guest): Wazzu have a good chance to be in first place all alone after this weekend?
 
Oct 26 2016, 12:01 PM
srchat: Probably their best chance until the Apple Cup. I wouldn't call it a "good" chance, though, because I expect to UW to beat Utah fairly easily.
 
Oct 26 2016, 12:01 PM
Guest955 (guest): What factors in to the decision to have sweet or charme punt? are there certain areas of the field where they favor one over the other?
 
Oct 26 2016, 12:02 PM
srchat: Good question! Basically, they like Charme between the 20s or when the other team has a good returner because he's accurate and they can pin somebody. They like Sweet because he can punt on the move, so if they're expecting the other team to sellout to block the punt or they're backed up against their end zone they will go with him.
 
Oct 26 2016, 12:02 PM
CougSchroed (guest): Where is Mack Hopkins on the depth chart?Any chance at all he could get PT this year? If not, do you think he has a chance to crack the 2 deeps in his time at Wazzu? Also,thanks for your good work!
 
Oct 26 2016, 12:03 PM
srchat: Pretty far down. I don't expect him to play this year. Too early to tell if he has a chance to play in the future, but with the way they're starting to recruit o-linemen playing time will be tough to come by.
 
Oct 26 2016, 12:03 PM
srchat: Alright, everybody. Thanks for joining our live chat. I'll post the full transcript shortly.
Jacob Thorpe
Jacob Thorpe joined The Spokesman-Review in 2013. He currently is a reporter for the Sports Desk covering Washington State University athletics.

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