Three weeks ago, after Washington State wrapped up a Wednesday practice at Rogers Field, Cougars coach Mike Leach talked tight ends, his philosophy on them and why you’re probably more apt to see a palm tree in Pullman than you are a tight end in Leach’s vaunted Air Raid offense.

Idaho has two games remaining to validate a season that has come up short on expectations.

The keys to a potential victory for Washington State against Stanford Saturday at Martin Stadium.

Nine months from today, Jacob Eason will likely be in an NFL training camp as a newly minted millionaire. With that platinum arm, the Huskies quarterback will probably be competing for a starting job as he bruises wide receivers’ hands.

Those who’ve kept up with Washington State’s efforts on the recruiting trail during the Mike Leach era may recall the team’s pursuit of a small, swift linebacker from Helix High School in San Diego five years ago, while Alex Grinch and Roy Manning were working diligently to build a defense that placed a premium on speed rather than size

CougCenter reported Thursday the Cougar Athletic Fund has received a donation of $2 million from alums Scott and Lisa Taylor that will go to the construction of an indoor practice facility, the next capital project on WSU’s shortlist after the school recently broke ground on a facility for the baseball program.

While the clock is ticking down for Idaho seniors, who have two games remaining, sophomore defensive tackle Nate DeGraw is enjoying late-season success that can be the foundation for his next two seasons with the Vandals.

Two days after The Spokesman-Review learned backup linebacker Fa’avae Fa’avae chose to leave the team and enter the NCAA transfer portal, a school official confirmed that defensive back Daniel Isom, a seven-game starter for the Cougars this fall, has been dismissed with three weeks left in the regular season.

It’s not that on-field success doesn’t matter, per se; that’d be an oversimplification. But this class’ belief in the stability of UW’s program pulverizes any enduring doubt.

Liam Ryan’s penalties, and the regularity at which they’ve happened, have drawn the ire of those watching from home this season. WSU’s new left tackle has been the most penalized player on the most penalized team in the conference, absorbing 15 flags through nine games and one in every game with the exception of the season opener against NMSU.

With no game on the schedule the week before Minnesota played Penn State, most of the Gophers coaches hit the road for recruiting.

In this week’s mailbag, we look back at a 33-20 loss to the Golden Bears and why a couple of Pac-12 teams pose bigger defensive problems to the Cougars than others. We also tackle Leach-to-Arkansas rumors, evaluate Anthony Gordon and spend a second or two on the officiating blunder heard round the conference.

Anthony Gordon, who’s still the nation’s leading passer at 3,794 yards, made the semifinalist cut for the award given annually to the top quarterback in college football, joining 15 other players from around the country and two others in the Pac-12 Conference.

Thaddeus Moss visited LSU in April 2017 looking to transfer from North Carolina State. Within a couple days, the tight end wanted to play for coach Ed Orgeron.

There was a moment when Baylor coach Matt Rhule saw his No. 12 Bears start to fracture just a little bit for the first time in this undefeated season. Understandably frustrated, defensive players were yelling at some of the offensive guys.

Each week, the Pittsburgh coaching staff jots down a number representing the amount of sacks they’d like the Panthers to have during a given game. Sophomore defensive lineman Jaylen Twyman would prefer to keep the number a secret.

Ohio State star defensive end Chase Young will be held out of one more game as punishment for breaking NCAA rules by accepting a personal loan.

The Cougars, who sit at 4-5 overall and 1-5 in Pac-12 play, haven’t given themselves much of a buffer when it comes to postseason eligibility and they now require wins in two of their final three games to clinch a bowl berth for a fifth straight year.

For the first three years of Talolo Limu-Jones’ career at Eastern Washington, the redshirt junior receiver’s name was often in the same sentence as “upside,” “potential” or “prototype.”