Constructive criticism, but nothing more
PULLMAN – Washington State head coach Bill Doba spent much of October defending his starting quarterback, Alex Brink. The Cougars lost all five of their games that month, and fans’ calls for backup Josh Swogger, the starter in 2004, grew louder.
Now that it’s November, Doba is admitting that Brink’s play hasn’t been superb.
“I think he’s had a couple just mediocre games,” Doba said. “I don’t think he’s improved the last week or two.”
A change in thinking for the Cougars? Possible, but not probable. A study of what Doba has – and hasn’t – said would indicate that it’s just as likely that Brink is more entrenched in the starting role as he has ever been.
Even though Doba is saying that Brink hasn’t played well, he’s also offering this for public consumption.
“People want to make a switch just for the sake of switching,” he said. “But come in Sunday morning and grade the film. Come to practice every day. Come to the quarterback meetings. And then tell me who should start.”
As that line would suggest, WSU doesn’t seem willing to employ anything resembling a knee-jerk reaction under center, even after a 42-point loss last week.
“It’s just something where you have to go out and keep working hard, keep pushing through,” Brink said. “I feel like, certainly, last week wasn’t our best performance offensively. But one game doesn’t determine how we play throughout the season. We need to continue to play at the high level we had prior to the USC game.”
Or, as one player said this week of a switch: “Don’t hold your breath.”
Doba has stressed the importance of staying positive with his players throughout the losing streak, and throughout his tenure he has declined opportunities to deliver sharp criticism of individual players in public.
So it’s possible that the critique of Brink’s play is a sign that the head coach is comfortable with the sophomore as a starter.
This would likely be the last week in which a switch to Swogger could happen, given the possibility of qualifying for a bowl game with three straight wins.
If it does not happen this week, a change wouldn’t make much sense given that the coaching staff has expressed a preference for Brink and he has two years left to continue maturing on the field. Brink has 13 starts under his belt already and could make 27 more in the regular season by the time his career is done.
“He just had a couple passes that were overthrown, a couple that were short,” Doba said of Brink’s performance in the USC game, in which Brink went 9 of 17 for 64 yards.
“I didn’t say he didn’t play well. He didn’t play as well as he had been playing, I think. And, you know, he’s a sophomore. He’s had a few sophomore mistakes. But he’s still playing well enough.”
A reporter asked Doba earlier this week if he could envision a scenario in which Swogger would go in for Brink on Saturday against Arizona State.
“If we thought Josh could win the game for us, sure, we’d put him in,” Doba said. “We don’t hate Josh or anything. But unless (Alex) really struggles …”
Notes
Seattle’s Space Needle is offering its prominent façade to either Washington or Washington State come Apple Cup weekend. From now until Nov. 15, the landmark’s Web site, spaceneedle.com, will accept donations to Habitat for Humanity in the name of either school. The proceeds will help build houses for those affected by hurricanes in the Southeast this year, and the school that ends up with more donations will have its school colors and logo painted onto the building when the teams play on Nov. 19. … The Cougars endured another wet, windy practice session, and weather reports suggest more cold and possibly wet weather come kickoff. … Fewer than 1,000 tickets remain for the game. … Trandon Harvey will again return punts in Michael Bumpus‘ absence. … Doba said Jerome Harrison could be used on a kickoff return in a vital fourth-quarter situation.