Cougars wonder if size matters
SEATTLE – On the surface, the form of today’s football game between a Pacific-10 team and a Big 12 team should be easy to predict.
Normally, the Pac-10 team would be preoccupied with the opponent’s strength, the Big 12 team with the opponent’s speed.
Not so this time, when Washington State (1-1) and Baylor (1-1) meet at 2 p.m. in Qwest Field.
“They’re a big, strong football team, but I really believe we’ll have a speed advantage … and we’ll try to take advantage of that,” Baylor coach Guy Morriss said.
The Cougars, meanwhile, look at their size on the offensive and defensive lines as their edge. While using that size to try and wear down the Bears, WSU will have to make sure Baylor’s speed doesn’t force it into mistakes.
“Hopefully, we can take advantage of the front,” Cougars coach Bill Doba said. “We can’t give up the big play. And I know the whole offense is predicated on little dink passes.
“And then you start cheating up and they have enough speed where they can burn us on the outside and get a cheap touchdown.”
Baylor has gone to a Texas Tech-style offense, which could pose a problem for a Cougars defense accustomed to wide-open Pac-10 offenses but not this system, which some have called the wishbone of aerial attacks.
“Defensively, they are big and strong so we are going to have to sustain drives to keep their offense off the field,” Baylor quarterback Shawn Bell said. “They are a team we think we can match up well with. We like our athleticism against their defense, but we will have to see what happens.”
Although the opponent may not be familiar – these schools last met in the 1994 Alamo Bowl – the venue will be for WSU. The Cougars are returning to Qwest Field for the fifth consecutive year in what has fast become an annual tradition.
Although this year’s opponent will be tougher than the Grambling State team that visited the Seattle Seahawks’ home last year, the Cougars are heavily favored to add a fourth Qwest Field win to their resume – even if it doesn’t look exactly as one would expect.