Cougs Running Away From A Two-Back Offense Plan Delayed Because Players Out Of Shape
Washington State University used Thursday afternoon’s first fall football scrimmage to evaluate complementary players, and coach Mike Price said he liked most of what he saw.
“We’re looking to find players and I think we found a couple that we didn’t know we maybe had,” the WSU coach said. “I know we found one.”
Price refused to identify the player, but it’s probably safe to assume he is not a running back.
With starter Michael Black and backup Miguel Meriwether nursing apparently minor ankle injuries, no WSU tailback managed more than 16 yards.
Black was held out completely, while Meriwether carried just three times for 8 yards and caught one pass.
Before camp opened, Price said the Cougars, who have employed mostly a one-back offense during his tenure, might use more two-back sets in an effort to beef up the running game this season.
And yet, through nearly a week of two-a-days, WSU has not so much as hinted at employing such an attack.
The reason? Poor conditioning among several running backs, Price said.
“To be candid with you, with the running back position, I was disappointed in the condition that they reported to in camp,” Price said. “Other than a couple of them, the ones that I thought would be helping us out did not bust their butts over the summer like I thought they would, so they’re not playing.
“That left us with Michael Black - he’s in great shape.”
Price said freshmen Alvan Arzu and Adam Hawkins also reported in shape, leaving Meriwether, DeJuan Gilmore and Jason Clayton as the best-known targets of the coach’s ire.
Without Black in the backfield, the first-string offensive line was difficult to evaluate completely.
The Cougars are searching for answers at right guard, a position filled last season by Bryan Chiu, who was a senior.
Coaches have said the position will probably be filled by Mickey Long, a converted defensive lineman, or veteran backup Mike Sage. But they went with a different combination Thursday.
Senior center Cory Withrow returned to right guard, the position he played two years ago, and veteran backup Lee Harrison moved into the starting lineup at center.
“I think that’s something you might see,” quarterback Ryan Leaf said.
The Harrison-Withrow combination gives the Cougars more continuity, because each player has mastered the line’s calls.
The downside is that each player is somewhat undersized by modern standards. The 6-foot-4 Withrow weighs 275 pounds. Harrison, at 6-2, weighs 266. The rest of the line averages better than 6-5 and 300.
“My game is to never make any mental mistakes,” Harrison said. “I know the offense probably as well as anybody else on the offensive line, and that’s obviously a huge thing that’s helping me out.”
Withrow said the new combination might be best suited for an opponent like UCLA, which just happens to visit Martin Stadium for the Cougars’ Aug. 30 opener.
“With UCLA and the kind of defense that they run, you really do need to all be on the same page,” Withrow said. “Because you don’t know what’s coming at you - they’ll bring guys from the water station to blitz, for crying out loud.
“And their defense isn’t real big - the line probably averages 250, 260 - so we’re just really concentrating on the UCLA game and seeing what we can get for that game.”
Leaf completed 8 of 12 passes for 119 yards and one touchdown. Just about all of that, including a 39-yard catch-and-run to Chris Jackson, came with Harrison at center and Withrow at guard.
The afternoon’s only offensive touchdown was Leaf’s 17-yard pass to Shawn Tims, who made an excellent grab on a ball thrown slightly behind him. That play also came with the Harrison and Withrow team.
“The O-line did a good job of letting everybody sweep outside, and I felt comfortable stepping up in the pocket,” Leaf said. “But we do need to get Michael back - it’s kind of hard to focus on things when you don’t have a run threat, really.”
Black was slowed by a bad ankle last season. Price said it’s the other ankle that’s bothering him now. Black is expected to return by Monday.
Notes
With added emphasis on evaluating backups, the first-string units participated in only about 20 plays. That’s compared with roughly 25 for the second-stringers and more like 30 for the rookies. … Punter Jeff Banks got plenty of action, averaging 43.5 yards on 11 punts. … Dorian Boose, Delmar Morais and Shane Doyle were each credited with one sack, while Jonathan Nance had two tackles for a loss. … Freshman linebacker Serign Marong, a rookie from Pullman High, returned a Sam Baurichter fumble for a touchdown on the scrimmage’s final play. … Starting flanker Shawn McWashington has an injured groin muscle and caught just one pass.
, DataTimes