Special place to start

Editor’s note: This is the last of nine position outlooks on the 2008 Washington State Cougars. Today we examine the special teams.

PULLMAN – Steve Broussard knew the risks involved.

When he walked into coach Paul Wulff’s office last winter and asked to be Washington State’s special teams coordinator, he knew he was taking over a thankless job.

The Cougars’ special teams the past few years have been anything but special, finishing in the bottom third of Pac-10 statistics in almost every category.

Wulff was aware of the history as well, and accepted Broussard’s offer, but added a caveat.

“He said, ‘OK, but you’re not going to be alone – we’ve got a whole staff of guys that have some experience in doing things like this,’ ” said Broussard, noting just about every staff member has some special-teams role.

Experience, yes. Help, yes. Responsibility? That will be all Broussard’s.

“It just so happens my name is behind it, so when things don’t go well then it’s going to go to me,” he said. “But I’m OK with that.”

The kickers: This is the fiercest position battle in camp. With the graduation of Romeen Abduollmohammadi – a revelation as a senior, connecting on 14 of 19 field-goal attempts and all but one of his 35 extra points – Wulff’s staff added two junior college transfers, Nico Grasu and Patrick Rooney, to battle last year’s kickoff specialist Wade Penner for the job.

No one has solidified a hold on the spot.

“We’re still working on that,” Broussard said. “That’s still kind of up in the air. But they’re working real well.

“Field goal, PAT-wise, I think Penner has a little edge, he’s been the most consistent. Potential-wise, Grasu has a strong leg but hasn’t been very consistent.”

Rooney seemed to be out of the derby early, but he was given another shot and was perfect in a recent practice. Penner and Grasu have shown moments, but have had streaks of misses.

“I think it’s good for all three of them to give each other a challenge,” said returning punter Reid Forrest. “It’s stepped up each one of their games. It will be that much better for the team.”

Punting: Forrest would be a lock – if he were healthy.

But a fractured left ankle suffered over the summer is still in a boot – “I think the second game is a possibility,” he recently said of his return – so Rooney and redshirt freshman quarterback Dan Wagner are auditioning to fill the role, with Rooney slightly ahead.

But unless something spectacular happens, Forrest will step in as soon as he’s able. Which is appropriate, considering the redshirt sophomore averaged 40.5 yards a punt last season operating out of an unconventional rugby-style set – he would run to the right before punting the ball.

Long snapping: The Cougars have experience in what is possibly the most overlooked position on the field, until something goes wrong.

Redshirt sophomore Zack Enyeart filled in last year when Tony Thompson was injured. He did well enough that Thompson is concentrating on his tight end duties this fall.

Enyeart worked with Forrest all summer, even traveling at times and working on his upside-down skill. It seems to have paid off.

“Enyeart’s been doing a good job,” Broussard said. “We’re just trying to stay consistent with that and he’s been doing a fairly good job.”

Kickoff return: This is an area in which WSU has nowhere to go but up, after having finished last in the Pac-10 last season. But Chris Ivory, slated to be the Cougars’ No. 1 threat, has been slowed by a hamstring problem most of the fall, and track star Jeshua Anderson, who also would have been given a shot, is out after hernia surgery.

Junior college transfer Chantz Staden and returnees Alfonso Jackson and Romeo Pellum have stepped in, but Broussard called this area “a work in progress.”

Kickoff coverage: Penner did the kickoffs last season, but either Rooney, who has boomed most of his practice tries into the end zone, or Grasu will take over the role.

Whoever kicks, Broussard is looking for a few good – read wild – men to make the tackles.

“You have to find those guys who can run, one, and are just going to go down there with a reckless abandon,” he said. “We’re just trying to find the best unit of guys who are going to gel, be able to read the front line, make moves on the run.

“We’re working at it. As long as we get a good kick, get good hang time that helps the cover team also.”

Punt return: Brandon Gibson is WSU’s No. 1 threat on offense. The senior is also the Cougars’ No. 1 punt returner.

“We think that’s an offensive play also,” Broussard said of asking WSU’s top offensive threat to return punts. “I’m comfortable with it. The head man is good with it also. So we’re going to roll with it until anything is told differently.”

Wulff concurs, but admits using starters in special-team roles is something he would like to get away from.

“We want to play the best players who are going to help us have success on that particular special team,” he said. “If some of our backups aren’t capable of helping us do well, we’ve got to play starters.

“Ideally and eventually – I don’t know how long it’s going to take – our program will be as such where our backups will be major contributors on all the special teams. Our depth does not allow that right now.”

Gibson won’t be alone. Broussard mentioned Staden, cornerback Tyrone Justin and freshman receiver Kevin Norrell as others with a feel for the role.

“We have nice group of guys there that can field the ball, that’s the main thing,” he said. “We’ll see, when 60,000 is in Qwest Field and see how that goes.”

The outlook: Wulff sees special teams as an area in which WSU can take strides, but maybe not early in the season.

“We have to do everything well and special teams is a huge part of it,” said Wulff, before adding he expects to see improvement throughout the year. “We’re doing our best to get ourselves better in that area.”