Glenn Kasses

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – On Thursday night, cannon fire couldn't have stirred Josh Swogger. On the eve of his first start at quarterback for Washington State, the strong-armed sophomore "got a great night's sleep." "My nervous night was Wednesday," Swogger said. "I couldn't really sleep on Wednesday night. I think I stayed up until three or four in the morning, tossing and turning in bed. "But once we met and watched all the film (Thursday), I just relaxed and said, 'This is it – this is how it's going to be.' " Which is not to say he and the Cougars didn't give their fans some nerve-wracking moments Friday night before pulling out a 21-17 victory over New Mexico in their season opener at University Stadium.

PULLMAN — One doesn't necessarily think of a librarian and a teacher in England producing Division I-A football players. But that's what happened with Washington State University junior wide receiver Marty Martin, who was born in Cirencester, England, before moving stateside as a child. Martin has five catches in his first two seasons on the field with WSU, but will play a big role for the Cougars this year as a starting slot receiver. He'll also return punts for the first time in his collegiate career.

PULLMAN — Pester a Washington State Cougar and he might admit that it's pretty comical to see players sprinting toward a student manager in a striped shirt after every down in practice. That manager is wearing a referee's jersey, and he's the designated official. Give the ball to him, and you won't get flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, even with a stricter set of rules taking effect this season.

PULLMAN — The coaching staff is the same, but that's about it. New quarterback, new receivers, new defensive line, new secondary, new kicker — and who that is hasn't even been settled yet. Questions rule the day around Washington State, and with the season opener just 48 hours away, the most pertinent one seems to be this: Would anything, could anything, be considered a surprise out of these Cougars?

PULLMAN — So much for all the preseason fuss: Middle linebacker Will Derting has been cleared and will play on Friday in the season opener at New Mexico. "Yeah, he's gonna go," head coach Bill Doba said.

PULLMAN — Looking for a sign that these Washington State Cougars are ready for something different following three weeks of camp? With the team filing off the field after Saturday's practice, defensive coordinator Robb Akey jumped into one of the equipment staff's motorized carts and went for a joy ride around the practice fields. Akey said he hadn't driven one before and wanted to give it a shot. "We need to start the season. We need to play against somebody else," Akey said moments after turning the vehicle back over to its rightful drivers. "I think the players feel that way and I know we're anxious too to find out where we're at."

PULLMAN — With Washington State quarterback Josh Swogger, getting a first impression is the easy part. Ask his Cougar teammates and coaches, and they'll all sing a similar song about Swogger's obvious natural ability, which is on display from the first throw of every practice.

PULLMAN — At many positions this year, Washington State has lots of youth and little experience on the roster. In the backfield, at least, one of those two concerns goes out the window.

PULLMAN — Ask Washington State offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Mike Levenseller about his pass-catchers, and in a sentence he can nail down not just them but the Cougars as a whole. "You start looking down that list, there's not a whole lot of guys who have played a lot," he said of a group that has three combined career starts. "I feel we've got a group of guys that are potentially very good."

PULLMAN — At the outset of fall training camp, Washington State head coach Bill Doba said his top priority was to find a starting left guard in the first days of camp so the team could develop some continuity. Almost three weeks later, the Cougars are still searching.

PULLMAN — Two weeks remain until Washington State's season opener, and with their second subpar performance in a scrimmages recorded on Wednesday, the Cougar offense is searching for answers. "The clock is already ticking. It's been ticking for a while," WSU wideout and punt returner Marty Martin said. "We know now, Saturday is our last scrimmage, school (starts) on Monday and then we basically have a week-and-a-half. We got to start locking it in."

PULLMAN — Picture a punter in your head and Kyle Basler might not be the image that comes to mind. For when it comes to Washington State's not-so-secret weapon, the stereotype of a scrawny specialist doesn't fit. At 6-foot-3 and 231 pounds, Basler is part of a new breed in punting, looking more like, well, a football player. During his high school career in Elma, Basler took snaps at quarterback, running back, tight end, defensive end, linebacker and safety in addition to his kicking duties.