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Glenn Kasses

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All Stories

Sports

Cougars’ offensive line hit its stride against Ducks’ defenders

PULLMAN — Things did not go well for the Washington State offensive line early this season. The running game was stuck in neutral and quarterback Josh Swogger wasn't always getting the time he needed to throw the ball on target. It didn't help that both guard spots were being shuffled on an almost weekly basis — as evidenced by the three different combinations in four games.
Sports

No relief for Trojans with Sun Devils up next

Before the season started, most Pac-10 fans had last weekend's USC-California game circled as a marquee matchup. Not as many thought it would be just the first of two in a row for the Trojans.
Sports

At least they weren’t Nebraska

PULLMAN — It's straight out of the Coaching 101 playbook to talk about the negatives after wins and the positives after losses in an attempt to balance a team's psyche throughout a season. On Sunday, Washington State head coach Bill Doba found an interesting way to reconcile his team's 41-38 loss to Oregon 24 hours earlier, a game that included a blown 14-point fourth-quarter lead.
Sports

27 4th-quarter points stun Coug defense

PULLMAN — If the clock had run out after Oregon racked up 99 plays and 635 yards of offense, Washington State still would have escaped with a victory. It didn't, and the 100th play — plus 13 more yards — turned a sure-fire WSU win into a crushing defeat in the home opener of the Pac-10 season. On that 100th play, Ducks quarterback Kellen Clemens scampered 13 yards on a designed draw into the end zone, giving Oregon its first lead and its first win of the Pac-10 season, a 41-38 stunner over the Cougars (3-2, 1-1 Pac-10) before 35,117 in Martin Stadium.
Sports

Running strong

PULLMAN — It's taken five games, but it appears that Washington State is finally discovering a running game. Using a combination of Jerome Harrison, Chris Bruhn and Allen Thompson, the Cougars rushed for 143 yards on 26 carries, an average of 5.5 per carry. Harrison, a junior college transfer in his first year with the Cougars, had by far the most success. The Kalamazoo, Mich., native ran for 117 yards on 14 carries, including one 43-yard scamper and a one-yard touchdown plunge.
Sports

Journey to the center

MOST PEOPLE FIGURE that the quarterback is in control of the offense every time they line up for the snap. That may be true — partially. But just one person is guaranteed to have the ball in his hands on every play. For Washington State, that man is center Nick Mihlhauser, a junior who's in his second year as a starter for the Cougars. He's a second-generation Pac-10 football player, as his father, Bob, used to put on the pads as well.
Sports

Plenty on line for Cougars, Ducks

PULLMAN – Not many around the conference or the country will be focusing on the game in Martin Stadium today. With California visiting Southern California today – undoubtedly the marquee game of the 2004 Pac-10 season – most everyone will be locking in on that intrastate matchup to figure out who the top team in the conference will be. But most would agree it's certain that even the loser will finish near the top of the Pac-10.
Sports

Doing a bang-up job, at last

PULLMAN — When he was still at Sweetwater High School in Southern California, Allen Thompson used to make short films of sketch comedies with his friends. Little did he know that the first years of his football career at Washington State would seem more like a dramatic tragedy.
Sports

Cougars hope special teams provide edge

PULLMAN — The Washington State Cougars haven't been winning football games with ease this year, so they'll take just about any edge they can get. In Week 2 of their Pacific-10 season, the conference home opener against Oregon, they might just find an advantage in special teams play. Washington State will take it.
Sports

Ducks downplay revenge factor

Oregon still remembers its week as a national darling last season. The Ducks beat a Michigan team some thought was the nation's best, made the cover of Sports Illustrated, and were on a roll heading into the Pacific-10 Conference season. Then came the conference opener, a home game against Washington State. A 55-16 loss to Washington State.
Sports

Numbers game forces Cougs’ O’Connor to move to tight end

PULLMAN — Sean O'Connor was still wearing his No. 73 at practice on Tuesday. Having played every position on the offensive line while at Washington State, it makes sense. This week, though, it's causing problems. With it becoming increasingly likely that starting tight end Troy Bienemann won't be able to play on Saturday, and with backup Cody Boyd out, the Cougars needed a second tight end desperately to go along with Jesse Taylor. O'Connor, who has moonlighted at the position before, was their man.
Sports

Trojans face stern test in Bears

USC was a unanimous preseason choice to win the Pac-10. California was a unanimous choice to finish second. Last season, USC was a co-national champion. A co-champion with one loss — to Cal. On Saturday, the two teams are squaring off in the most anticipated matchup of the Pac-10 season and one of the biggest games in the nation this year.
Sports

Injuries still bothering Cougs

PULLMAN – Washington State hoped its bye week would allow both of its starting defensive tackles to return from injury. The Cougars will most likely have to settle for one.
Sports

Another bowl trip doable for Cougars

PULLMAN - First, the facts. Washington State got to watch the Pac-10 football action from home on Saturday while enjoying its bye week. At 3-1, including a 1-0 mark in the conference, the Cougars find themselves in a position remarkably similar to the past three years. And all those teams ended up with 10 wins.
Sports

Scout team gets turn in spotlight

PULLMAN — Most of their days are spent pretending to be someone else, taking the brunt of the blows from Washington State's best players. But this morning, the Cougar scout teamers get a chance to be themselves and shine.
Sports

Cougars enjoyed getting cat nap

PULLMAN — With no game on the schedule for this Saturday, Washington State's football team got three days off this week. But some habits — like practice, for instance — are tough to break. "The first day it was real weird," Cougars defensive end Mkristo Bruce said. "I came out of class and go sit down in the locker room, and I was like, 'Man, people are late today.' I just waited and waited and then I was like, 'Ohhhh.' I got caught on that."
Sports

Cougars return from Arizona tired, wounded

PULLMAN — Any doubt as to just how hard Washington State had to play to eke out a win at Arizona in its Pac-10 opener was put to rest as soon as the team jumped on a flight back to the Inland Northwest. "On the plane coming home, we had just gotten in the air, I looked back and I didn't see one guy that was awake," head coach Bill Doba said Sunday. "They were all exhausted."
Sports

Hill still on a roll

TUCSON, Ariz. — Noticing a trend when the Cougars want big plays on offense? It's not hard: Wide receiver Jason Hill caught two more touchdowns Saturday against Arizona, one good for 43 yards and the other a game-winner with 53 ticks left in the fourth quarter. Two weeks ago, against Colorado, Hill grabbed six passes for 206 yards. Against Idaho, he converted three catches into three scores and 105 yards.
Sports

Snatching it away

TUCSON, Ariz. — The Cougars were on the verge of losing to a team picked to finish dead last in the conference. With just more than 90 seconds to play, the Arizona Wildcats had picked up a first down and were perhaps just 20 seconds — or one more play — away from taking a knee and sending Washington State home with a loss. "We need the football," defensive coordinator Robb Akey said, discussing his defense's strategy.
Sports

Swogger earns win, respect

TUCSON, Ariz. — After beating up on Idaho, Washington State head coach Bill Doba disclosed that his starting quarterback, Josh Swogger, had suffered a knee injury. Doba said the sophomore was doubtful when considering his status for the next game, WSU's Pac-10 opener at Arizona. He even half-jokingly spoke of prepping punter Kyle Basler as an emergency quarterback.
Sports

Cougars should get a few answers

TUCSON, Ariz. — Washington State University has played three games so far, winning two and losing one. What does that mean? Well, other than being four wins away from bowl eligibility, no one — including WSU head coach Bill Doba — knows for sure.
Sports

From BMX to BMOC

PULLMAN — Steve Dildine isn't the most polished player in the world, his coaches at WSU will tell you. But they're OK with that, because the outside linebacker didn't take up football on a competitive level until his last year of high school. It's almost unprecedented, but Dildine, in his one year of high school football, racked up 2,265 yards rushing and 45 touchdowns as the running back for Bethel High School in Spanaway, Wash.
Sports

Admission door shuts out a few

PULLMAN — Lawrence Ball signed a letter of intent to play football for Washington State University in February. But he was denied admission in August, and he'll watch his would-be Cougars teammates from the sideline on Saturday. From the other sideline.
Sports

Swogger practices full time

PULLMAN — While Washington State will probably wait until game day to make a final decision on quarterback Josh Swogger, the Cougars are optimistic that the sophomore starter will be able to play with a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament in his knee. Swogger practiced again on Wednesday and wasn't held out of any drills, from warm-ups to 11-on-11 work.