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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

‘Wulff’s team’ takes field against Cowboys

But Cougars still work in progress

Paul Wulff directs the Cougars in a game for the first time today.  (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

PULLMAN – A new age of Cougar football starts today, in Seattle of all places.

Paul Wulff, former Washington State University lineman, ex-Eastern Washington University coach and now the 31st head coach in WSU history, travels across the state to Qwest Field, where his Cougars will face the Big 12’s Oklahoma State in a non-conference game.

The “his” part of the last sentence is what is going to get to Wulff.

“I really feel like a fan, a big fan,” the 41-year-old coach said earlier this week. “Not only am I the coach, but I’m a fan out there. I want to see Washington State win every game like every fan does.

“There’s no question I have that passion and fire about every game.”

As a fan, he’s hoping for the best. But as a coach, he hopes other fans will be patient.

“We’ve made progress,” Wulff said of his first fall camp as WSU’s coach. “But we’ve tried to set the bar really high in how we work and what our expectations are on the field. They’re trying to get to that bar, they’re working at it. … It’s just going to take time.”

Wulff, 53-40 in eight seasons at Eastern, was named to replace Bill Dobalast December. Since then, he and his staff have revamped the offense, switched the defense and are in the process of changing the culture of a team that was 5-7 last season.

But earlier this week it finally hit him the first game was upon him, and there was no more time to fine-tune the changes.

“I woke up this morning,” Wulff said Tuesday, “and had kind of a 3-second flash of excitement in my gut. That definitely stood out. It was, ‘All right, we’re finally here,’ and anxious to get that benchmark of where we’re at.

“Let’s go out and play, then take it from there.”

The Cowboys will bring in 14 returning starters off last year’s 7-6, Insight Bowl-winning team. Quarterback Zac Robinson leads OSU’s no-huddle, spread-option offense that averaged 34.6 points per game last year, and scored more than 45 in two of its final three games.

“It gives us an opportunity to be more of a fast-break offense,” coach Mike Gundy said.