Doba praises WSU’s attitude after second spring scrimmage

PULLMAN — Time is running short this spring to draw conclusions about the 2005 Cougars football team with two practices and a scrimmage left before the summer hiatus begins.

For head coach Bill Doba, though, he has one thing already in mind about this team, still months away from taking the field for the first time that counts. And it has nothing to do with Xs and Os.

“I really like the team,” Doba said after watching a second official scrimmage in Martin Stadium on Saturday. “I really like the way they take care of each other. I like their camaraderie, their attitude. They come to work every day. They just got off the field a few hours ago — after a darn good practice (Friday) they got off the field at 6 o’clock. And we’re back out here (Saturday) morning. I think they’re really focused. They’re ready to go.”

Doba has some reason to believe that this team will be more ready to play than the one from 2004 at Washington State, which finished 5-6. Already the Cougars have managed to work on more this spring than they did last year, evidenced by their ability to work on a 4-minute, kill-the-clock drill — nonexistent a year ago.

“We’re really far ahead of where we were back last spring,” said sophomore quarterback Alex Brink. “We have a lot of guys healthy this spring, which is a big deal. Everybody’s going out and making plays.”

The star performer of the spring remains running back Jerome Harrison, all alone on the depth chart at his position and far better than any other Cougar in playmaking ability thus far.

On Saturday he made the most impressive individual play, taking a run to the left all the way back across the field before dodging multiple tacklers on the way to a 40-yard touchdown. It came against the No. 1 WSU defense, as well, just part of a nine-carry, 90-yard effort.

“I was going to go throw a block, but I couldn’t get out in front of him,” Brink joked.

Said Doba: “If we can keep him healthy, I don’t plan on taking him out – I’ll put it that way. He’s really special, I think. The kids call him the ghost. He’s there and he’s gone, kind of a phantom. He’s hard to see, and he’s really had a great spring.”

Surprisingly, the WSU offense has continued to look more impressive than its defensive counterpart. Again on Saturday the offensive units were able to move the ball, but Doba and some of the players agreed that the defense had made progress since the week before, when nine offensive touchdowns were scored. This week, the offenses scored seven times.

“We’ve tried to cut down on the big plays and I think we did that a little bit this week,” sophomore defensive tackle Aaron Johnson said. “This last week is when it all comes together. All the plays have been put in, and it becomes just about getting everything right, getting our techniques right.”