Cougars put focus on opener
PULLMAN — Not much could be gleaned from the Cougars’ final scrimmage of the fall, with Washington State’s first-stringers spending most of Friday playing against a scout team comprised largely of players who had been in camp for only three practices.
Suffice it to say, if New Mexico head coach Rocky Long decides his scout team deserves playing time on Friday night, go ahead and give the Cougars their first win of the season.
“It seems like we’re getting everybody back right now, right at the right time,” said starting quarterback Josh Swogger, who went 8 of 18 and had a touchdown pass when a throw bounced off a receiver into the arms of Jason Hill in the end zone. “I think we just need this next week to get focused and get everything tied up as a team, get everybody healthy and get ready to go out there next Friday.”
Head coach Bill Doba has just one important starting decision to make by the time WSU heads to Albuquerque: Pick a kicker.
That decision hasn’t been made easy, as both junior Graham Siderius and freshman Loren Langley matched each other kick for kick Friday, including a pair of misses from 42 yards.
Doba has said he’ll wait as long as he has to, suggesting with tongue in cheek (maybe) on multiple occasions that he might not make a decision until the players are loading onto the bus.
“It’s getting closer and closer,” Doba said. “We really want to chart this last week and see who’s hot right now. If you go by percentages right now, Loren has got a slightly higher percentage.”
But Siderius, who will kick off for the Cougars no matter who wins the placekicking duties, said he’s still ready to assume the role vacated by All-American Drew Dunning’s graduation.
“Pressure of games doesn’t really get to you. If it does, you’re not supposed to be a kicker,” Siderius said. “It’s been a really close battle. … It’s hard to be here for three years and then not feel like you’re going to be the main contributor. These are your friends — your best friends — and you think you can help them win and so you want to go out there and do it.”
Cast of captains
The Cougars continue to get good news on middle linebacker Will Derting and safety Hamza Abdullah, both of whom are in casts for left wrist and thumb injuries, respectively.
Doba said Derting will have his current cast removed on Sunday or Monday and have a third, smaller one put back on. He should be cleared for contact by Monday afternoon’s practice, giving the junior three full sessions to get ready for New Mexico. He has practiced this week without participating in contact drills.
Abdullah, meanwhile, was able to play in the scrimmage and actually managed to pick off a pass despite the use of only one hand, returning it 28 yards into the corner of the end zone.
“He’s better with one hand than he was with two,” Doba joked. “No, he’s been a leader and he’s had a great summer and a good spring.”
Notes
Starting defensive tackle Steve Cook sat out with some numbness in his arms, the second time this fall the senior has had the problem. Cook is still expected to be ready to play by Friday, but freshman Aaron Johnson and sophomore Odell Howard took his place for the scrimmage. … Doba narrowed down the list of freshmen expected to see time this season, eschewing a redshirt year. Wideout Michael Bumpus has been, by all accounts, a no-brainer since the first day of camp. Doba said linebacker Jed Collins of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., would probably get a look. And defensive end Jason Roberts out of Fresno, Calif., could also play this season if the injury bug bites.
Freshman walk-on Blake Ferguson continued his comeback from a thumb injury over the summer, fielding an early kickoff on Friday. … Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Drew Hansen suffered a left ankle injury during Thursday’s practice, since diagnosed as a high ankle sprain. While not as damaging to a lineman as it would be to a skill position player, high ankle sprains tend to be much more severe than a regular sprain, and can take weeks to heal properly.