UI to challenge WSU’s superiority

PULLMAN – The contest for Palouse superiority in college football has been anything but in recent years.

Washington State has beaten Idaho five in a row, and last year’s 38-26 final was the closest in that stretch. Even there, the Cougars galloped out to a two-touchdown lead barely a minute into the game.

Have things changed this time around? That’s the question when the Cougars and Vandals meet at 12:45 this afternoon in the first game of the fall at Martin Stadium.

Idaho, of course, has reason to be optimistic after playing Michigan State tough on the road and with new head coach Dennis Erickson making believers out of his players.

“They just seemed to have a swagger or a little air about them, which is a good thing,” noted Erickson’s counterpart, WSU head coach Bill Doba, after watching the Michigan State tape. “It looked like they had more confidence.”

The rosters, however, don’t look all that different from a year ago. The Vandals may not get a better barometer on how much improvement they’ve made than the result of today’s game.

It won’t hurt that the Cougars are coming off of an iffy performance, outmatched against No. 4 Auburn a week ago.

The Tigers found a number of chinks in the Cougars armor, and most everyone at WSU is expecting to see Idaho explore the same things today.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Idaho took something from the Auburn tape and used it,” Cougars quarterback Alex Brink said.

Auburn had a number of big plays on offense against WSU, while Idaho failed to do the same against the Spartans.

Erickson said that might be the key for his team in this regional tussle.

“For us to score points, even if we run it successfully we have to get some big plays,” he said. “We didn’t get that (against Michigan State). We have to find some ways to get bigger chunks of yardage.”

If they do, then the Vandals might just find that they’ve made significant progress since 2005. Otherwise, Washington State superiority may go unchallenged for another year.