Cougs Ready To Silence Skeptics - Again Veteran Offense Goes All-Out At 2-Hour Practice, While Young Defense Remains Cautious

Washington State’s veteran offense had the throttle wide open from the start of practice Saturday morning, running through a wide variety of plays and using nearly every set and type of backfield motion imaginable.

But the young Cougars defense cautiously kept one foot on the brake throughout the enthusiastic 2-hour session that kicked off two-a-day fall football practices.

“It’s all a matter of experience,” explained coach Mike Price, who welcomed back 35 letterwinners from last year’s 8-4 team that surpassed all expectation by finishing fourth in the Pacific-10 Conference and beating Baylor 10-3 in the Alamo Bowl.

“We’re putting our entire offense in in eight practices. We’re throwing it at these kids as fast as we can. Every day it’s a different play from a different set with different motion. We’re just throwing a ton of stuff at the offense - way too much, in fact, if we were going to play in four days.

“But we don’t have to play in four days, so we’re giving them everything.”

The Cougars, who will don pads for the first time Wednesday morning, have until Sept. 2 to prepare for their season opener at Pittsburgh.

And Price is convinced that his offense, with seven starters and nine key backups returning, can handle the early cramming sessions.

With junior Chad Davis running the No. 1 unit, the Cougars unveiled various two-back sets they plan to implement this season in an effort to improve a running game that averaged a paltry 86.5 yards per game last fall.

“But on the other side, we’re really being a little bit more basic on defense and just trying to teach the kids fundamentals,” Price added. “It has kind of flip-flopped from last year, when we gave them all kinds of stuff on defense and kept it real conservative on offense.”

Only three starters and eight backups return this fall from a 1994 defense that was ranked No.1 in the country following the bowl games.

“So we’re not doing very much defensively right now, except trying to really coach our young kids up.” Price said.

Bender missing

Junior defensive tackle Leon Bender missed Friday’s Photo Day and Saturday’s two practice sessions to remain at the bedside of his father, who apparently suffered a stroke last week.

Price said Bender, who lives in Santee, Calif., was expected to rejoin the team today, and he emphasized that Bender’s absence had nothing to do with his shaky academic status.

“He’s eligible to practice right now,” Price said.

Bender is considered to be the only regular in grade trouble, but his status for the 1995 season won’t be known until summer school grades are posted later this week.

Price said he hopes to know by Monday whether Bender will be eligible to play this fall.

Other no-shows

Dorian Boose, a junior defensive end from Walla Walla Community College, practiced Friday after his junior college transcripts showed up at WSU, but two other transfers were no-shows.

Price said James Curtis, a running back from San Diego, Calif., who played one season at San Diego State, will not be eligible until next fall and will not be required to be on campus until classes start.

In addition, Price said Kevin McKenzie, a running back from Long Beach City College, is enroute to WSU after taking a summer school final exam at Compton (Calif.) Community College Friday afternoon.

Shape up or wake up

Six veteran players failed their physical testing Friday, but Price said he still feels this year’s team reported to fall camp in better physical condition than last year’s.

“We only had three fail the test last fall, but the test was harder this year,” he explained.

“I think we’re in as good a shape as we were last year, but a few more guys are going to have the opportunity to improve their conditioning at 6 o’clock in the morning.

“The other guys (who passed the testing) aren’t going to get that opportunity. They’re going to have to sleep in, the poor guys.”

Walker hires on

Mike Walker, a nose guard who lettered for the Cougars under coach Jim Walden in 1979 and 1981, has hired on as a graduate assistant on Price’s staff.

Walker, who went on to play professionally for Hamilton and Edmonton in the Candian Football League, will help coach the defensive line.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo