Grip on Sports: Washington State’s desired defensive identity remains elusive

Wednesday: This was the season the Cougars were supposed to turn the corner. Nine games in, we all know it didn’t happen. So will there be repercussions?

There already have been some repercussions, of course. Head coach Mike Leach axed special teams coordinator – and assistant head coach – Erik Russell, a longtime friend. Such is the price of unmet expectations.

Now that Washington State is no longer in the bowl hunt during a season when a berth was expected, will more changes come?

Leach may have given us all a clue yesterday on the Pac-12 coaches’ conference call. Here’s a sampling of what he said about his defense:

“We need more of an identity on defense.  Some of it is, we need to select better – what are we going to do, what are our core beliefs, what’s going to be kind of the signature things we run that we’re effective at.”

It sounds like a criticism of defensive coordinator Mike Breske. It is Breske, and the defensive staff, who has the responsibility of deciding ”what are (the Cougars’) core beliefs.”

If the head coach doesn’t like what’s been decided, don’t you think he’s obligated to make a change, either by dictating what those core beliefs are going to be or, if resisted, then eliminating the folks who are resisting?

If you remember, when Leach was hired in December of 2011, he indicated he wanted an aggressive, turnover-producing defensive scheme. That’s why he turned to Breske, who had developed just such a reputation at Montana, North Dakota State and Wyoming, among other stops.

Last season, the Cougars forced 30 turnovers (including 16 interceptions), keeping them in some games and having a big hand in a couple upsets (most notably USC).

But this season (prior to the Oregon State game) the defense has recovered only eight fumbles and has – this is not a typo – just two interceptions. That doesn’t fit the mold of an aggressive, turnover-producing defense.

Early in the season, when the Cougars had a chance to set the tone for the year, the defense seemed a little shell-shocked following an opening-play, 78-yard scoring pass by Rutgers. The aggressive, blitzing, attacking schemes we expected to see seemed to disappear, at least through the Nevada game.

The Cougars lost two games they expected to win. A successful season was already in trouble, if not doomed. The attack mentality returned for Portland State but has come and gone as the season has slipped away, and the turnovers have never really materialized.

Part of that is luck. Part of it is a secondary that includes more underclassmen than your typical Rush Week. And part of it, Leach seems to be saying, is due to the decision-making process.

That process is in his hands. If he feels a change is needed, he’s the guy who, ultimately, must make it.

Sunday: There is a pantheon of Cougar quarterbacks, headlined by the original passing star, Jack Thompson. But the list is a long one, from Mark Rypien to Timm Rosenbach to Drew Bledsoe to Ryan Leaf to Jason Gesser to Alex Brink.

All did enough special things in their tenure at WSU to make the list, from keying upsets to setting records to leading teams to the Rose Bowl. It’s hard to say who was “best,” but it isn’t hard to quantify who is the most prolific. That would be Connor Halliday, No. 1 on WSU’s lists in every major passing category.

Yes, he’s been Mike Leach’s quarterback, and Leach has a propensity to throw the ball more than any other coach in college football – hence Halliday’s records for most pass attempts in a game and most passing yardage. But Halliday also was WSU’s lone starting quarterback just one full season, last year. His sophomore season he shared time with Jeff Tuel. This year’s season has been cut short.

Numbers don’t tell the entire story. His abilities are an outgrowth of his confidence. He believes he can make every throw. That leads to overreaching at times, sure, but as Halliday as matured such moments have become rarer and rarer. That growth is what had set him apart this season.