Chunk runs aplenty: Is there a more prominent spot in WSU’s RB rotation for Leo Pulalasi?

PULLMAN – When he thinks about what he’s gotten from Leo Pulalasi, the Washington State running back in his third year with the program, Jimmy Rogers knows he has a lot to like. After seeing inconsistent roles in his first two seasons, Pulalasi looks faster. Stronger. He bounces off hits like a rubber ball off a wall.

But as the Cougars head into the final three games of the regular season, Rogers’ first at the helm of the program, he might like something else most entirely.

“In a bye week where I let the guys go home for the weekend, most players kinda wanna go see their family,” Rogers said, “and for him to take it upon himself to wanna stay here and go through rehab and make this a priority, it says a lot. It shows his improvement, just as a teammate.”

Pulalasi, a Tacoma native, is a bit banged up. After carrying once for 5 yards in WSU’s last game, a setback to Oregon State on the first of the month, he left early with an undisclosed injury. It added up to a costly loss for the Cougars’ offense, which has been beleaguered with injuries almost all season, adding another dimension of difficulty for a wayward unit.

But as WSU (4-5) found ways to generate consistent rushing offense, as has been the case in the second half of this regular season, Pulalasi has often found himself in the mix. In the Cougars’ win over Colorado State in late September, he logged three carries for 50 yards, most coming on a 45-yard splurge. Two weeks later, in his group’s close loss to Virginia, he picked up 24 yards on three carries – and the following week, in a win over Toledo, he tallied 23 yards on five attempts.

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That has introduced an interesting dichotomy: When he’s received opportunities, Pulalasi has made the most of them, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. That is a top-50 mark nationally among running backs with at least 24 carries, the amount he has registered. But Pulalasi has not always seen the chances to match. He has logged fewer than 10 offensive snaps in every game but one, including his early exit against OSU.

Is there a more prominent spot for Pulalasi in the Cougars’ running back rotation? Some indications point toward yes. WSU has all but benched veteran Angel Johnson, who has played a combined 17 snaps in his past two games, handing the reins to third-year sophomore Kirby Vorhees. Coaches have also done well to use redshirt freshman tailback Maxwell Woods, who carried four times for 20 yards against OSU – but he is speedy and undersized, so he is best used as a scatback.

Ostensibly, that opens up a spot for Pulalasi, who has leveraged his speed and power like never before in his college career. For his part, Rogers seems to have taken notice.

“When Leo has gotten his opportunities, (he’s) made plays with it,” Rogers said. “And so those guys need to get rewarded. If I’m gonna claim the best players play, if those things happen, that happened. Leo just got hurt.”

With that final sentence, Rogers appeared to indicate this: If Pulalasi had not gotten hurt against Oregon State, he would have figured more notably into the WSU running back rotation, which got 46 yards on 10 carries from Vorhees in that one. Below is Pulalasi’s one carry against Oregon State, where he used a nice inside cut to surge forward for five yards.

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But because Pulalasi has grown in the weight room, he has also become a multidimensional player. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 212 pounds, he has become an effective pass-blocker. In each of his first four games, he recorded a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade in the mid-70s, far above average. That number dipped to the 20s when he yielded a hit on QB Zevi Eckhaus against Colorado State, but he has stabilized himself since, recording grades in the high-60s and low-70s.

Usually, a running back’s pass-blocking capabilities are seen as gravy, a bonus he can add to what an offensive line is already doing. But it takes on extra importance considering the state of the Cougs’ offensive line, which has been plagued with injuries. Each of their top two options at right tackle, starter Christian Hilborn and backup Jaylin Caldwell, have been out with injuries. Veteran center Brock Dieu had to leave early with his own injury against Oregon State. And even right guard AJ Vaipulu has been “banged up,” Rogers said earlier this week, prompting coaches to swap in true freshman Trevor Bindel for 12 snaps in Vaipulu’s place against OSU.

Hilborn and/or Dieu could return in WSU’s home game against Louisiana Tech this weekend, Rogers said. Hilborn has been out for each of the last four games. But that will depend on how the two progress in practice this week, Rogers added.

In that shape, the Cougs’ front five has struggled to give Eckhaus time to throw, which is where Pulalasi’s robust pass-blocking skills could enter the picture. More importantly, he has proven himself a reliable back, churning out 5-6 yards almost every time he touches the football. In an offense scoring at a historically slow pace – if it holds, the Cougs’ 19.9 points per game would be the program’s fewest since 2009 – maybe he could supply the kind of spark the team needs.

“At the end of the day, he’s gotta be healthy,” Rogers said, “and he’s gotta go out there and play physical and do what he does best. He’s gonna be taking hits on his shoulder, so he’s gotta feel like he can protect himself as well.”