Coug Defense Puts Heat On Leaf But Young Quarterback Withstands Pressure In First Scrimmage
Quarterback Ryan Leaf completed 15 of 19 passes in Washington State’s first fall football scrimmage Thursday, yet everyone agreed the offense was “sloppy.”
Go figure.
“It wasn’t nearly as crisp as we need to be and we were sloppy,” coach Mike Price said “Athletic at places - very athletic - but sloppy.”
When given time, Leaf ably found receivers Shawn McWashington (six catches) and Chad Carpenter (four). But he was sacked four times and pressured repeatedly while operating behind an offensive line that was charged for more false starts than Linford Christie.”We need to work on our discipline and learn to play within the rules,” Price said.
Defense often dominates opening scrimmages, and Thursday’s 60-play rehearsal was no exception. The offense managed just 56 yards rushing while yielding five sacks and four tackles for losses. With four additional practice games scheduled before the Aug. 31 season-opener, however, the offensive line has time to build cohesion.
“It was a little sloppy, but that’s just what comes with the first scrimmage of the fall,” said Leaf, who passed for 152 yards without an interception. “I thought Coach Price had a good game plan. In the past, he’s kind of set the number ones up so they’d look pretty good out there, by maybe going against the number two defense. And today, he said, ‘I’m tired of this. Let’s just go out, be competitive, ones against ones. And I think that really prepared me more.
“I felt a good rush for the first time, felt the good pressure I’m going to feel every game during the season.”
Dorian Boose supplied much of that pressure, sacking Leaf twice and stopping running back Michael Black for losses on the first two plays from scrimmage. Black carried six times for just 4 yards, but caught Leaf’s only touchdown pass, a 12-yarder over the middle. Senior Ron Montgomery led the running backs with 24 yards on six carries.
“The running game wasn’t very good,” Price said. “The run defense was. I thought we might be able to bang it up in there a little bit. I think we’ve got some really good backs, but they certainly didn’t show it today.”
Bender optimistic Defensive tackle Leon Bender, up to 320 pounds after a year away from football, stopped Black for a 1-yard loss and generally played well.
“Now that I’ve got married and everything, I’ve gained some weight,” said Bender, whose ideal playing weight is in the 300 range. “All the good cooking and stuff.”
Bender was married Nov. 25. He and his wife, Liza, have a 6-month-old daughter named Imani, after the Swahili word for faith. “I saw it in the African-American student center, and I had never ever heard anybody named Imani,” he said.
About this time last year, Bender was declared academically ineligible. He attended junior college in the spring and summer school at WSU, but is still awaiting final clearance from the university. Bender said his academic troubles have been conquered.
“With my wife and my baby girl, it’s just more of like a reality check, basically,” Bender said. “Because I always knew I could do it; it was just the thing of me applying myself. But now it’s not just me I have to take care of.
“Academically, I wasn’t really motivated (last year). I just came for football. Now, it’s both.”
Notes
Backup Steve Birnbaum completed 6 of 8 passes for 84 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown pass to Chris Jackson. Birnbaum fooled the defense with a deft play-fake, then hit Jackson in stride… . McWashington made the catch of the day, outleaping cornerback Terrell Henderson near the left sideline… . Cornerback Shad Hinchen and linebacker Johnny Nansen, held out of recent practices with sore knees, played Thursday… . Nian Taylor appeared headed for a touchdown on a punt return, but fell face first trying to juke punter Jeff Banks… . Former Lewis and Clark High School star Paul Mencke completed 1 of 3 passes for 3 yards. Operating without a yellow non-contact jersey like the ones reserved for Leaf and Birnbaum, the freshman was wrestled down by Eboni Wilson on his first play from scrimmage.
, DataTimes