Highs and lows

High point of the game

With a run defense that’s yielding 6.3 yards per run, WSU has rarely forced the opposition into obvious passing situations. You know, the type of play that leads to sacks. The sack total heading into last Saturday, the Cougars’ 11th game? Seven. But, on Arizona State’s first possession, they sacked Rudy Carpenter on consecutive plays, one by tackle Toby Turpin, his first, the other by blitzing linebacker Louis Bland. WSU came into the game with an aggressive mind-set and it paid off quickly.

Low point of the game

Quarterbacks are taught, when they feel pressure, to step up and exit the pocket in the guard-tackle gap. They don’t want to get in the habit of trying to bail out on the backside, because, if the tackle has done his job and pushed an onrushing end upfield, that’s where the danger is. But that’s exactly what WSU quarterback Kevin Lopina did, trying to avoid pressure by spinning out the back. Defensive end Dexter Davis was waiting, and the combination of his explosiveness and Lopina’s self-propelled force led to a concussion-producing hit. As the junior quarterback lay prone on the field for a while, breaths were held. But Lopina rose to his feet and was able to leave the field under his own power.

A pat on the back

Watching Washington State practice recently has been a little like watching “Profiles in Courage” come to life. And no one has shown more courage than right tackle Micah Hannam. The sophomore does his drills, runs plays, scrimmages, does the basic practice stuff like a guy in perfect health. But when the drill or play is over, his left arm hangs close to his side, too painful to extend. It’s a pain that would keep most of us sidelined for a month. For Hannam, it’s an occupational hazard.

Needs fixing

It’s getting too late to really fix anything. Eleven games into a season, it’s pretty obvious what WSU has and how it can play. So let’s go another direction. How about enough miracle cures to ensure the Cougars can put their best lineup on the field? A quick fix on the injury front would help with quarterback experience (if Lopina can go), add some depth to the defensive line (if Andy Mattingly is ready) and shore up the defensive backfield (if Tyrone Justin is 100 percent). It’s a duct tape type of a fix, but isn’t that how you kept your first car running?

Three unanswered questions

• Was the Arizona game an aberration? It was only a little over a week ago the Cougar offense showed signs of life, pinning 28 points on an Arizona defense that hadn’t yielded that many in a Pac-10 game. Now, with Oregon scoring 55 against the Wildcats and WSU sputtering and stalling against Arizona State, it makes one wonder if the UA’s defensive failings were more responsible for the four touchdowns than the Cougars’ offensive prowess.

• How much recuperative power is held by the words “Apple Cup”? As the Cougars walked off the field Saturday, Lopina was in a sweat suit. So was defensive back Alfonso Jackson. Defensive end Mattingly didn’t even make the trip. Cornerback Tyrone Justin tried to play and couldn’t. Running back Logwone Mitz couldn’t even try. So how many of these guys will make it back this week? And the million-dollar question: How about Jake Locker? The UW quarterback had surgery Friday to remove a plate from his thumb, but no one knows when he’ll be ready to play.

• What, no snow in the forecast? Wouldn’t it seem fitting that a rivalry game that will feature teams on unrivaled losing streaks would be played in weather unfit for anything but building an igloo? How about a driving sleet storm that obscures the television broadcast? But, so far, none of that seems to be the case. The Weather Channel is predicting cloudy skies and a high of 44 degrees. Sort of perfect end-of-football weather, crisp with a hint of basketball just around the corner.

Vince Grippi, staff writer