Offense clicks for Cougars
PULLMAN — It wasn’t supposed to be anything more than a simple run up the middle, but Jerome Harrison took a handoff and went 70 yards for a touchdown on the first play of Saturday’s scrimmage at Washington State.
And in doing so — even though it came against the Cougars’ second-team defense — the running back set a tone for the team’s first official scrimmage of the spring that couldn’t have been more different than the one from 2004.
While last season the Cougars had to fight for every first down and could only dream about scoring touchdowns in scrimmages, the morning session at Martin Stadium featured nine offensive scores as starters and backups alike marched down the field with ease for much of the day.
“I don’t know if the defense struggled or we did well, but we certainly moved the football,” said sophomore quarterback Alex Brink, who is managing the first-team offense while Josh Swogger continues to recuperate from surgery. “It’s night and day. I just remember the past couple of years, the defense has dominated the scrimmages.”
Harrison carried the ball just four more times after that first scoring dash but ended up with 96 yards and one additional visit to the end zone, and Brink threw two touchdown passes of his own as he completed 12 of 20 throws for 158 yards.
Wide receiver Jason Hill also had a nice day, catching seven passes for 115 yards and two scores.
Though the offense wasn’t perfect — the first team was unable to score in a two-minute drill at the conclusion of the day — it impressed head coach Bill Doba. Often, defenses are well ahead of offenses at this time of year, but that doesn’t seem to be the case at WSU.
“It was a really good day for the offense, I thought. They came out and made some big plays,” Doba said. “The quarterbacks made some good checks and got us into some good plays.
“I think we got out of the scrimmage what we wanted to. We needed to get some work in and the good Lord cooperated and we got a sunny day.”
A primary difference offensively, aside from a year’s more experience for the nine returning starters, has been the rapid improvement on the offensive line. In 2004, the Cougars were desperate to find a successful combination at guard and shuffled their lineup for the first half of the season in the process. But this spring that hasn’t been an issue thanks in large part to players like Sean O’Connor, who has stepped into the left guard role nicely after being moved multiple times last year. O’Connor even spent part of 2004 at tight end before bulking back up in the off-season.
“He started out as a one, and he’s continued to be a one,” offensive line coach George Yarno said. “It helps when he’s got good players around him, and he’s had a good spring.
“The pieces are fitting together quicker than they did last year but there are still guys competing for positions.”
And it hasn’t hurt to have a productive running back in the backfield, either, as Doba is quick to note.
“They got some push and you don’t need much when you’ve got a guy in Harrison back there,” he said. “He finds that crease; he’s special. He’s strong enough that he can break some tackles. We didn’t use him a lot, obviously. We’re trying to keep him healthy and have him ready for the fall.”