Coming together
PULLMAN – The months following last season were long ones in the offices of Washington State’s defensive staff. “As a football coach, the minute you think you have all the answers, you’re done,” coordinator Robb Akey said. “Every off-season you’re trying to look at what you need to improve upon.”
And in those winter months, Cougar coaches had plenty to think about. In 2005 the WSU defense, once proud, was sliced and diced by any number of opponents throughout the course of the season. A top-10 offense wasn’t enough to save the Cougars from a 4-7 season, and not surprisingly much of the blame went the defenders’ way.
Some felt 2006 would be more of the same, with legitimate question marks in every individual defensive unit. And a season-opening loss at Auburn where the Cougars gave up 40 points and got outmuscled in the second half didn’t ease those concerns.
Things could be difficult again Saturday when WSU hosts No. 3 USC in Martin Stadium. But the situation has most certainly changed since that first game this month. After allowing 40 in the opener, the Cougars have yielded only 35 points in the three games since. Opponents’ yardage totals have been cut on a weekly basis. And, for the first time in what seems like years, the Cougar defense seems to be thinking of itself as more than just a foil for its own offense.
“It’s what we’ve been waiting on,” defensive line coach Mike Walker said. “We wanted to get that aggressiveness back. We’re trying to get that swagger back, and I think it’s coming.”
The story of WSU’s defensive improvement thus far reads longer than just one chapter.
As a unit, the Cougars can finally claim starting experience at most positions, especially up front where WSU has consistently lost battles in the trenches in recent years. At the same time, though, the WSU staff made some significant changes that, while seemingly subtle on the outside, have made a big difference through four games. And, as a reality check, the Cougars have been fortunate to run into three struggling offenses in the last three weeks.
Most important of those factors, however, is the personnel. WSU has players on the line, at linebacker and in the secondary with at least a year’s worth of starts in hand, and that experience is proving invaluable. It also doesn’t hurt that some of those players, like defensive tackle Ropati Pitoitua, have matured into stronger, more physical players in that time.
“This defense has been together for basically the last three years,” tackle Aaron Johnson said. “We’re not there yet, but we’re getting better every week.”
Since last season, the coaching staff gambled by altering its schemes, especially in the secondary. Akey and the Cougar defense has always enjoyed a gambling, aggressive style that isolates cornerbacks and puts pressure on quarterbacks. That worked well when the Cougars had NFL-caliber corners, but for the last two years they’ve watched DBs get burned.
This year figured to be more of the same, but WSU has gone away from man-to-man coverage in favor of a lot more two-deep zone (also known as cover-2), which allows cornerbacks to be physical on the line of scrimmage without having to worry about getting beat deep.
And through four games no team has thrown a single pass over the top of the WSU defense successfully.
“We’ve had an opportunity to make them earn what they get,” linebackers coach Leon Burtnett said. “Our people are more rollup-type people. Especially in passing situations, I think we have to do that. Don’t put them on an island so much.
“The package isn’t going to save you, but when you’re in a game where you’ve got a chance to win, I think allowing your players to do what they do best will allow you an opportunity to win.”
WSU has also shown a willingness to try different personnel, not just different schemes, this season. The 3-4 has become a useful change of pace from WSU’s normal 4-3 look, especially on passing downs.
That’s been all well and good against the likes of Idaho, Baylor and Stanford, but no one knows for sure just how much better the Cougars have gotten. The Pac-10 is sure to make it known, and no team is better equipped to clear things up in a hurry for this unit than the Trojans.
“This is a hell of an opponent,” Burtnett said. “There are very few elite teams in the country any more. That’s the good news. The bad news is, one of them is coming in here Saturday.”
Or, as Johnson said: “This is our test.”
Notes
Head coach Bill Doba confirmed that center Josh Duin (knee) is out and tight end Jesse Taylor (knee) is unlikely to play more than a play or two on special teams. … Defensive linemen Feveae’i Ahmu and Lance Broadus could see limited snaps as well.