Boyd’s status still uncertain
PULLMAN – Washington State’s training staff remains uncertain about the playing fate of Cody Boyd, who has now undergone an MRI and a CT-scan without any fully conclusive result this week.
Head trainer Bill Drake said Boyd has three bone cysts in his right ankle, but it remains to be seen what sort of effect the cysts – or any other yet undiscovered damage – will have on the junior’s season.
“That’s what we’re suspicious of right now, what’s causing the problem,” Drake said of the cysts. “We’re talking to colleagues, consultants and batting it around because it’s a really tough case right now.”
Boyd could not complete Sunday’s first practice after the ankle started to flare up on him. The tests this week revealed no stress fracture, which would likely be season-ending. But Boyd remains on crutches, and Drake said Wednesday was the first time Boyd could bear any weight whatsoever on the ankle.
While Boyd is the No. 2 tight end on the depth chart and is expected to play a significant role in the offense, head coach Bill Doba has other options if need be. Third-stringer Jesse Taylor was pressed into duty last fall because of injuries and has improved significantly, and Jacob McKinney is working in a tight end/fullback role where the Cougars could go to a three-wideout, two-running back look.
Blunt to punt
The Cougars have a new walk-on punter this season, Darryl Blunt, and he’s already turned some heads this week in practice.
Blunt began his collegiate career at Portland State last year, thinking he’d be the first choice there.
“They brought in a transfer senior from Michigan State, and me and him battled for a spot,” he said. “I actually beat him out, but I guess they wanted him to punt that season because he had more experience.”
As a result, Blunt left Portland State after the fall and has landed at WSU, where he must sit out this season. But after that, he has three years of eligibility left, and with current punter Kyle Basler a senior, that might just work perfectly for the Cougars.
“A kid who’s a walk-on,” head coach Bill Doba remarked earlier this week. “But if he keeps kicking like that, he won’t be a walk-on for long.”
Notes
Athletic director Jim Sterk said a deal for televising the season-opener against Idaho on Sept. 1 will be completed by the end of the week, with the competition narrowed to Fox Sports Northwest and another cable station. … Sterk also said BYU is definitely out as the 2006 season opener. WSU and BYU had been working on a deal to send the Cougars to Utah next season, but the deal fell through. WSU is working on another option, about which Sterk said: “It should be a good one. People will get excited about it.” A future home-and-home series with BYU remains a possibility. … Junior wideout Chris Jordan missed practice again on Wednesday with a minor knee sprain; Drake said Jordan could miss another day or two. … Redshirt freshman linebacker Alex Hamill of Coeur d’Alene missed practice with a right shoulder subluxation, similar to the injury last year in his left shoulder that required surgery. The severity of the new shoulder injury is still unknown. … Redshirt freshman Dan Rowlands, coming off of recent gall bladder surgery, was able to stretch with the team Wednesday and could be back in 2-4 weeks. … Linebacker Greg Trent and defensive lineman Bryan Tarkington are still missing from practice because of paperwork issues. … Doba said any position changes probably won’t happen until after the first scrimmage on Saturday. … This morning’s session will be the first of the fall in full pads, followed Friday by the first two-a-day.