Clocks tick off as WSU awaits first kickoff
PULLMAN – The clock counting down the days, hours, minutes and even seconds in the Washington State University locker room has been there for some time.
Only now, its significance starts to look a little bit different.
Whereas that clock, set to expire as the ball is kicked off to start the 2006 Cougars season, once showed that WSU had plenty of time left to prepare, it reflects a different reality today.
Less than one week to go before WSU has to take on the fourth-ranked team in the country, on the road and on national television.
“Seven days away, I just get excited,” safety Eric Frampton said Saturday evening.
Just four practices remain for the Cougars to polish up after what they hope was a successful fall camp. It’ll need to be as Auburn presents a stern test for a team coming off of two consecutive losing seasons.
WSU last opened the season against a ranked team in 1994, beating No. 21 Illinois 10-9 in Chicago. One would have to go back an additional year to find a more daunting opening opponent than Auburn – in 1993 the Cougars lost 41-14 at No. 3 Michigan to start the year.
Of course, the current Cougars aren’t too concerned with that history – and it’s likely that few of them are even aware of it.
For head coach Bill Doba, these last days of preparation are all about making sure his team has the details down.
“We want to make sure that we’re sharp, that we line up right, that the motions are right, that there aren’t any mental mistakes,” Doba said. “Now it’s a matter of fitting the gaps on defense, putting the assignments on offense and running good routes.”
The Cougars played a light scrimmage of sorts on Saturday, bringing in referees and playing in Martin Stadium instead of on the practice fields next to it. But it’s clear that the Cougars are entering game-preparation mode, as the full contact usually associated with scrimmages was nowhere to be found.
“We’ve got to work them enough so they’re in shape,” Doba said. “We’ve got to keep them fresh (too).”
From now until the team hops on the plane to Alabama, WSU players will tote milk jugs filled with water along with their playbooks, preparing for the heat and humidity of the South.
Regardless of how they get ready now, the Cougars can see the finish line, which in this case is the start of a new season.
“It’s coming quick,” wide receiver Jason Hill said. “It can’t get here fast enough for me.”
Notes
The Cougars survived a huge scare, even with no tackling involved, when X-rays on defensive end Mkristo Bruce’s hand were negative after the team captain was hurt in warm-ups. Bruce sat out the scrimmage, but he should be fine for the rest of the week. … The battle for place-kicking duties got another chapter, with Loren Langley hitting 2 of 4 kicks and Romeen Abdollmohammadi making 3 of 4. … Tight end Jason Price, out for all of camp because of academic issues, has not resolved those problems and will not join the team this season.