An empty-handed feeling
PULLMAN – Forty catches and 500 yards wasn’t too much to ask, really.
“I didn’t think that was out of the picture,” senior tight end Troy Bienemann said of his preseason ambitions. “I thought I would see the ball a lot more than I have. But that’s the way things go. I don’t call the plays. I don’t see what Alex (Brink) sees.
“I guess I’m not going to get there.”
Bienemann is one of just two four-year starters on this year’s Washington State team, and as a team captain it seemed the sure-handed target would be a staple of the Cougars offense. But with 21 catches for 259 yards through nine games, Bienemann is in a struggle just to remain part of the passing game.
Over the last two weeks he has caught one pass – a tight end screen at USC that went for no yards. With 91 career grabs, he’s still four shy of tying the school record for receptions at his position.
“I think he’s deserving of the record. He probably should have had it by now, but things haven’t gone his way,” tight ends coach Robin Pflugrad said. “I think we’re all personally disappointed that he hasn’t had the opportunity to have more catches and in situations where maybe we could have gotten a couple more first downs.”
Even Brink, his quarterback, admits that he hasn’t gotten the ball to his safety valve as often as he probably should.
“You’ve got guys like Jerome (Harrison) and guys like Jason (Hill). It’s easy to get the ball in Jerome’s hands – hand the ball off. Or throw it deep to Jason,” Brink said.
“And then to refocus, come back down and get the ball to Troy, certainly I would admit it’s been hard for me at times.”
As frustrated as Bienemann the player is with his senior season, it’s Bienemann the captain that has really struggled.
Everyone around the Cougars program is upset that a promising season has gone bad, but few – especially among players on the field – have had so heavy a burden because of it.
With a number of young players on the field, keeping things going in the right direction hasn’t been easy.
And as talented as the Cougars are this season, there are plenty of indications that this is a collection of individuals with potential that hasn’t always played as one team.
“I think we’re the best 3-6 team in the nation, I’ll tell you that much,” Bienemann said. “Coming in you expect to win. Everything is supposed to take care of itself. I was just going to sit in the back seat and ride the wave. But I’ve been forced to kind of really take it by the reins and steer and try and do what I can. Because we’ve got to fight a lot of things. It’s human nature to want to join the masses and point fingers. But I can’t do that at all. I think that’s the hardest part – it’s hard staying so positive every week.”
Following the loss to Arizona State – the loss that officially sealed the bowl fate of the 2005 season – Bienemann couldn’t remain positive any longer. He briefly lost control of his emotions in a post-game radio interview as the reality of his senior season kicked in.
Even now that 5-6 is the best WSU can do, Bienemann said it’s tough to believe this season couldn’t have been much, much better.
“You always held out hope that we could still salvage the season,” he said. “It wasn’t until after the last game that I realized this was just a bad year, a bust.”
Notes
Middle linebacker Will Derting practiced again Wednesday, though he did not participate in contact drills. In past weeks, head coach Bill Doba has said he wouldn’t play Derting without getting some contact work in first. As such, it remains to be seen if the senior will take one ceremonial snap or get more significant action on Saturday. … WSU will be thin at wide receiver without Michael Bumpus, Brandon Gibson and Marty Martin. Jason Hill, Chris Jordan and Trandon Harvey start, but that leaves just Greg Prator and freshman Benny Ward behind them on the depth chart.