Doba kicks around decision on Cougars booter

PULLMAN — One, Graham Siderius, stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 207 pounds. The other, Loren Langley, is 5-7 and 146.

Come Sept. 3, one of them may be counted on to trot out and kick a game-deciding field goal.

Which one is anyone’s guess.

Siderius kicked off for the Cougars last season but spend the rest of his Saturdays on the sidelines watching All-American Drew Dunning nail clutch kicks and pass Jason Hanson for the Washington State University career scoring record. In the spring, Siderius was essentially unopposed as the Cougars’ kicker.

Langley, on the other hand, spent last season kicking at Puyallup High School.

On the surface, it would appear logical that Siderius, a junior, would get the nod. But some inconsistency in the spring gave head coach Bill Doba reason to open up the competition, giving a chance to the diminutive Langley — nicknamed “Peanut” by 231-pound punter Kyle Basler.

“Before, with Drew, it really wasn’t a competition. He was the guy,” Siderius said. “Loren’s a talented kid and it pushes you a little bit, to have the competition.”

Both kickers have had their attempts in practice charted since Tuesday, and it’s a certainty that both will get their share of chances during the team’s first scrimmage on Sunday.

With pressing positional concerns on the offensive and defensive lines, as well as in the secondary, the Cougars are in no rush to make a decision on the kicking game.

Doba suggested he would let the two kickers duel for the job throughout camp, giving them both ample time to prove themselves.

“Graham is better than he was last spring. I think he’s improved a lot,” Doba said. “Graham looks like he has the stronger leg, but I really like the way Loren gets the ball up quickly. It’s very difficult to block his kick. I just have to see who’s the most consistent.”

Since Siderius has the more powerful leg and the experience, he’s probably a lock to continue kicking off. But Langley has turned some heads in camp this week with his ability to split the uprights.

Langley began his adjustment to the college game last year, booting field goals off the ground instead of a tee, permissible at the high school level.

“That helped me a ton,” Langley said. “As far as the coaches, they don’t have to worry about transitioning from the tee to the grass. It’s college, so it’s a lot different than high school. You come here, and they expect you to do your job.”

Now, it’s just a question of which kicker gets to do that job — and if he can come through should the Cougars need him in New Mexico.

Notes

Freshman defensive tackle Matt Eichelberger went down clutching his knee during one-on-one drills, but after a few minutes on the turf he was able to rejoin his teammates on the practice field. … One major Las Vegas line has the Cougars a two-point favorite in their opener at New Mexico.