Injuries dampen Cougs’ scrimmage
PULLMAN — Washington State’s coaching staff did its best to control everything on the field Sunday during the first scrimmage of the fall.
After quarterback Josh Swogger led the Cougars down the Martin Stadium field for a score on the day’s first drive, four extra points were attempted, two each by competing kickers Graham Siderius and Loren Langley.
And later on, when the Cougar offense failed to convert on a fourth down, it got a fifth shot at moving the chains.
Even still, head coach Bill Doba walked off the field lamenting those things he couldn’t control — penalties and injuries.
“Way too many penalties,” Doba said. “Way too many holes, the defense lined up offsides a couple times in crucial situations. But part of it is being tired.”
The Cougars played short-handed, with a number of key players sidelined by injuries suffered on Saturday. For five days WSU practiced without many noticeable bumps and bruises, but that all ended during the team’s first two-a-day practices.
Safety Hamza Abdulllah sprained his left thumb. Swelling has prevented a proper diagnosis, but it’s feasible that ligament damage could keep the senior captain out for more than a month.
Starting tailback Chris Bruhn has a quadriceps contusion and coaches plan on giving him a week to fully recover. Backup running back Allen Thompson suffered a concussion and a lower back strain that will keep him out for more than a week.
Right guard and long snapper Riley Fitt-Chappell has a concussion and will be evaluated daily, but could also miss more than a week. Left tackle Calvin Armstrong is out for about a week after spraining his left ankle.
No. 2 tight end Cody Boyd and freshman cornerback Ian Bell both strained hamstrings. Boyd’s injury is expected to sideline him for a week; Bell’s could take 2-4 weeks to heal.
Defensive tackle Steve Cook was experiencing some numbness in his arms and sat out as a precaution.
Safety Aaron Joseph was the lone injured Cougar from Sunday’s scrimmage: He suffered a concussion and has not yet been fully evaluated.
On the field, the Cougars did manage to make some nice plays. Both quarterbacks, Swogger and backup Alex Brink, were spotty but played impressively at times. Swogger finished the day 7 of 17 for 133 yards. Brink went 10 of 20 for 127 yards, throwing touchdown passes on his last two attempts to tight end Troy Bienemann, as well as an interception in the red zone. Freshman wideout Michael Bumpus caught a 41-yarder from Brink and had four catches for 64 yards.
The running game — with Bruhn and Thompson out, and with junior college transfer Jerome Harrison not yet in full pads because of NCAA rules — struggled. Another backup, Kevin McCall, carried the load and had 13 rushes for 24 yards including the first touchdown of the day from one yard out.
“Fortunately, the guys that we lost, we pretty much know what they can do,” Doba said. “But you’d like to keep it together, get the timing down.”