Cougars have some holes to fill
PULLMAN – OK, so the Cougars won another Apple Cup against a woeful Washington team. At this point a year ago, Washington State was talking about the positive effect beating the Huskies would have on the next season.
Didn’t work, however. Between now and next September the Cougars must do more than hope for added maturity. There are some important questions to answer, and here are three that could most dramatically affect how things shape up in 2006.
Who is going to play cornerback?
Make no mistake, for all you might hear about more glamorous spots on the field there may be nothing more important to a 2006 Cougars’ rebound than figuring out who will be the two starters here.
For two years – in 2004 with Karl Paymah and Alex Teems and then this year with Teems and Omowale Dada – the WSU secondary has struggled against high-powered Pac-10 offenses. Next year that can’t be the case unless the Cougars plan on outscoring every opponent 40-37. (See this season’s 4-7 record as evidence on how well that works.) Teems and Dada are both graduating, so that leaves juniors Don Turner, Lorenzo Bursey and Tyron Brackenridge, who was academically ineligible this season. Redshirt freshman Ian Bell could be in the mix if he can stay healthy.
Just as likely, the Cougars will comb the junior college ranks in hope of finding a quick fix. For now, Turner and Brackenridge are the favorites to start, but that could easily change by the time spring football starts up.
What about replacing Harrison?
Not-so-bold prediction: WSU will not have another 1,900-yard rusher in 2006. It’ll be almost impossible to replace the massive chunks of yardage that Jerome Harrison gained this year in breaking almost every single Cougars rushing record in existence.
That said, WSU may not be hurting here as much as some would have it. DeMaundray Woolridge showed some real talent as a true freshman in 2005 and will be the odds-on starter next season. At 5-foot-8 and 223 pounds, Woolridge dances much less than Harrison but runs north-south with more authority. That may mean fewer toss plays and more runs between the tackles.
Assuming no junior college transfers come in – and that is a significant possibility – the backups will be Dwight Tardy, another true freshman this season who redshirted but impressed the coaching staff in a big way, and Kevin McCall, who struggled with ankle injuries all season. Fullback Jed Collins might be the short-yardage option.
Where will Hill be playing?
It’s no guarantee, but most likely somewhere else and on a Sunday. Jason Hill, the record-setting wide receiver, is home in San Francisco this week deciding if he’ll forego his senior season for the NFL, and a remarkably weak crop of senior wideouts might make it prudent to do so.
Hill could probably use more seasoning in college – so dropped passes, especially over the middle, can be rectified – but he’s said he’ll leave if he’ll get drafted in the top two rounds. That looks probable because NFL teams love burners who can get down the field, and that’s what Hill does best.
Should Hill leave for the pros, then WSU will have just five scholarship wide receivers back, only three of them with playing experience.