WSU football hobbles as spring drills grind on
PULLMAN – Maybe the real winners were the handful of fans who came out to watch Washington State’s second football scrimmage of the spring Friday afternoon in Martin Stadium, getting to bask in the sunshine all the while.
On the field, though, the wins and losses weren’t so important – at least not in the big picture.
“We’ve got 15 practices, four of them left, and then 29 come the fall,” head coach Bill Doba said. “The spring basically, I think, is just to emphasize fundamentals and deal with some base things.”
The Cougars did that, largely with players who may see little time when things kick off in the fall. Injuries have whittled the WSU roster down significantly, and an assortment of walk-ons mingled with the remaining scholarship players and starters during the scrimmage, creating some odd-looking lineups that Cougars coaches can only hope are a temporary fix.
“We’ve only got about eight or nine healthy offensive linemen, so we’ve done more kicking this spring than we’ve ever done, and we did a lot of that just to give those guys a break between series,” Doba said. “It’s kind of a fun time, really, because nobody wins and nobody loses. We try and experiment with some things, play a lot of young kids and see what they can do.”
Those who are left on the field did get plenty of playing time, largely because the numbers around them are down. With starting running back Dwight Tardy getting four carries, backups Kevin McCall and Marcus Richmond got 29, with McCall breaking off a 42-yard scoring dash at one point.
On defense, the Cougars threw some odd looks on the field just to get them on film, yet another sign that no Cougars coach is about to judge whether wins are in their future based on the exact result from Friday.
“A lot of people are nicked up, but it’s fun,” said linebacker Cory Evans, who if healthy this fall is in line to become a significant factor on the team’s defense. “It’s tiring (playing so much) but you just maintain that competitive spirit to play and actually tackle because during practice we don’t get the practice to tackle.”
Evans was just one Cougars defender who found his way into the backfield on occasion thanks in part to the patchwork taking place on the offensive line. WSU quarterbacks often found themselves throwing under duress – even if they can’t actually be hit in the scrimmage situation – and Doba said WSU tried to emphasize the running game.
When they did throw the ball, the Cougars had their most success heaving it toward Brandon Gibson, who reeled in a touchdown from Gary Rogers and nearly pulled in another impressive catch along a sideline.
“It’s tough with (four) scholarship offensive linemen,” Gibson said. “It’s hard. We’re not going to do the usual things we do. We’re not going to get as much time to put it downfield. But what we can do is make sure we do everything right up front, take our time with our normal stuff, our regular stuff.”
Notes
Rogers also threw a touchdown pass to Jed Collins, and the WSU offense added a fourth score when Cole Morgan found Anthony Houston in the end zone. … Defensive tackle Aaron Johnson remains sidelined to protect the back he injured last season, although his time off the field now is more of a precaution than a necessity. … Cornerback Brian Williams, a potential starter, missed the scrimmage with a bruised tailbone. … Offensive lineman Joe Eppele is out for the time being with a staph infection, further reducing the team’s numbers up front.