Cougars go back to basics
PULLMAN – Vanilla is the flavor of the day for Washington State football this spring, especially on defense.
With their ranks thinned and their experience level low, the Cougars are keeping it basic on defense. That was the case in their first spring scrimmage last week, and WSU coaches indicate that it won’t be any different in today’s second outing, either.
“We’re not going to have a package in defensively,” head coach Bill Doba said earlier this week. “I think offensively we’re right on course. They’ve got enough tools there to do it. But defensively we’ll finish up the package in the preseason.”
The concern on defense continues to rest largely in the secondary, and not just for one reason. Doba, having taken over defensive coordinator duties, is trying to re-teach the cover-4 man-to-man coverages that have historically been a staple of his defenses. And with a number of expected contributors not expected to arrive in Pullman until the fall, the Cougars aren’t playing with a full deck.
“We’ve been very, very, very, very simple,” said Leon Burtnett, now coaching the team’s safeties. “I think right now the corners – that’s our big concern. Matter of fact, the whole secondary is a concern at this point, I think. They’ve got to pick it up. We’ve got to start doing things better.
“They’re trying hard. They just have some basic fundamentals they’ve got to make sure they’re right on. When you don’t play with a lot of make-up speed in the secondary, that’ll make it more important that you do everything right. Your little mistakes are magnified, and I think that’s what we’re seeing.”
It’s possible that the Cougars could experiment with more exotic options on both sides of the football next week – the last before spring practices come to an end – but it may be more unlikely than previously thought given the health of the team.
In fact, the WSU offense may do less today than once expected because of its own injury concerns. Offensive coordinator Mike Levenseller said he expects just four scholarship linemen to suit up and play on that side of the ball, and the Cougars were briefly down to two running backs in uniform during practice on Thursday when Kevin McCall dislocated a finger before returning to drills.
“We’re not trying to scheme the defense and they’re not trying to scheme us. We’re just trying to get better,” Levenseller explained. “Spring football … one side’s a headline one week, the other side the next week.
“You’ve got to be able to see past all that. You have to have the ability to say, ‘Here’s what would have happened.’ “