Defense Rules And Offense Struggles For WSU, Arizona

Dad’s Night used to be poker and cigars in somebody’s basement sanctum done up in faux walnut. But that was before the cable-industrial complex had to go trolling for evening programming.

Now TV baits the hook with 150 or 200 grand and the tender tradition of Dad’s Day at Washington State magically becomes Dad’s Night - with the Cougars and Arizona plugged into the time slot when Bob Newhart used to leave them drolly in the aisles at Beasley Coliseum.

It’s Cougar Football Saturday and you’ve got headlights on all the way.

Convenience aside, aesthetics demand this game - like assault and battery - be played under the cover of darkness.

It’s a paean to the 2-yard loss and shaken-up-on-the-play. The logo is a CAT scan of a concussion. The script is Samuel Beckett, two characters in search of a plot.

Waiting for First-and-Goal.

The last two meetings of the Cats and Cougs have ended in scores of 9-6 and 10-7, both Arizona victories. Each time, Wazzu had desperation field goals fail at the curtain - desperate in that with their defense off the field, the Cougars had no chance of winning.

And this year?

Well, consider that the Wildcats coughed up five turnovers - one a fumble for a touchdown - in a 31-17 loss to Washington last week, and Cougars quarterback Chad Davis had two interceptions run back for scores in a 26-7 loss to Oregon.

Prediction: Somebody 12, The Other Guys 6 - all points produced by the defense.

It wasn’t always like this. In the ‘80s, the over on this game was routinely in the 70s - 45-28, 42-34.

Then philosophies did a 180.

“It’s get-after-them defense,” said Cougars defensive coordinator Bill Doba. “Get your good players on defense - except the great skill kids.

“We’re a little more offensive-minded. I think Dick Tomey’s philosophy is more defense, kicking game and don’t screw it up on offense, although they’re doing a little more this year.”

They could hardly do less.

Washington got a 17-0 head start on Arizona last week - and had managed all of 77 yards of offense to that point. Once again, the Wildcats lead the Pac-10 in total defense and has yielded just 88 points; the offense has given up 43.

Still, this duel seems to lack some of the drama of a year ago, when Arizona’s stats had slipped slightly and Wazzu was the new sheriff in town.

“There was more of a rivalry made of it in the media,” admitted Cougar coach Mike Price, “because we had two nicknames - the (Palouse) Posse and the (Desert) Swarm. Now the nicknames aren’t there.”

Neither is that old rivalry maker Chad Eaton, the former Cougar tackle whose saliva they’re still wringing out of microphones up and down the coast.

And then, yes, both teams are 3-4.

For Cougar fans, that record oozes news bad and good. Wazzu must run the table to return to a bowl and the Cougs haven’t managed that since 1983, but there isn’t a team left they can’t beat.

The offense they so needed to improve dramatically has improved only incrementally. But the defense, gutted of its marquee names, has performed above and beyond the call. It’s missing a pass rush, maybe one stopper in the secondary and last year’s loud-mouth bravado, but that’s about it.

“The biggest difference is up front - guys like Eaton and Don Sasa were getting five, six tackles a game,” said Doba. “Our young kids are getting one, two or three. And when a tackle makes a tackle, it’s usually for no gain or minus yardage.”

Which is what Gary Holmes and Darryl Jones will be doing when they aren’t freshmen anymore.

What the Eatons and Sasas helped start here, these youngsters are seeing through a difficult transition - ensuring that Arizona-WSU games to come will be a minimalist’s dream.

“I have a hard time - I never watch their defense much,” said Doba. “But I think we both have a defensive tradition now. Part of the reason our defense is playing well is attitude. They think they’re good, and I’m sure Arizona is the same way.”

So the offenses better have 12 men. Or a curfew.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = John Blanchette The Spokesman-Review