WSU linebackers study for Aztecs’ aspects

PULLMAN – They are not the first line of defense, nor the last.

Linebackers are in the middle of everything and come Saturday, Washington State’s are going to be tested.

In week two of the 2007 season, the opponent, San Diego State, offers a different challenge than that offered by the season-opening foe, Wisconsin.

The Badgers played Big Ten offense: mean, strong and potentially overpowering. But WSU went mask to mask with the UW force and didn’t break.

The Aztecs play new-age spread offense: wide, fast and possibly confusing. In Saturday’s case, WSU’s linebackers must keep the defense from breaking.

”(Linebacking play is) always important,” said WSU head coach Bill Doba, who also happens to coach the backers. “We have to help the secondary, we have to gain more depth on crossing patterns, those kind of things.

“They also have to make some checks that are pretty important and they always have to make the right reads.”

Against the Badgers it was the mental aspect that proved the most difficult for Cougars linebackers, according to Andy Mattingly, who played more than half the Wisconsin game off the bench.

“Last week we had a lot of mental mistakes,” the sophomore from Mead High said. “We made up for it by all of us running to the ball. As weeks go on, we can’t have those mental mistakes. If we can get rid of them this next game, it should help a lot.”

It might also be mandatory to stop a San Diego State offense that averaged more than 180 yards a game rushing and 170 passing last season, despite injuries that hit more than half the starters.

Starting quarterback Kevin O’Connell is healthy, as are last year’s fullback, Brandon Bornes, now the starting tailback, and Tyler Campbell, son of 1977 Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell, now the starting fullback.

Throw in three receivers 6-foot-4 or taller, add an offense that spreads the field and throws multiple looks and varying snap counts at a defense, and you have trouble for the guys in the middle of it all.

“You have to know what they are doing to get to the ball and stop them,” starting strongside linebacker Cory Evans said. “They run kind of a West Virginia look, with a double shotgun set. They run a little bit of option. Yeah, they make you think about what they’re doing and that’s a mistake you can’t make. You have to know what they are doing.

“This team may pull a few tricks out of their bag.”

When WSU stymied the Wisconsin running game last week, the Badgers attacked the raw Cougars secondary, and it worked, with 304 yards passing. To avoid a sequel Saturday, WSU made some adjustments.

“We worked on drops to get our linebackers more involved in pass coverage,” Doba said.

But one part of pass defense that failed last week was up front, with a nearly nonexistent pass rush.

“Our main job on Saturday is to get a better pass rush then we did against Wisconsin,” said defensive end Mike Graise, who will start. “Then we have to contain everything, make sure there are not any wide gaps where they can run wherever they want to.

“On the option, everyone has an assignment. Our job is to stop the quarterback, to contain him.”

With Graise starting and Ropati Pitoitua moving back inside to tackle – A’i Ahmu will come off the bench to give Pitoitua or Aaron Johnson a rest – the Cougars expect to get a better rush without opening holes for SDSU to exploit with draw plays, an Aztec staple.

“We have to get to the ball,” Evans said. “We had a couple of missteps in the game last weekend and they hurt. It’s important for the linebackers to get where they need to be in order to make plays.”

And where they need to be is in the middle of the action.