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

Cougars improving, but still haven’t turned in complete game

PULLMAN – As far as small victories go, giving a scare to the Golden Bears ought to rank somewhere between finding a funny phrase in one’s fortune cookie and having classes canceled thanks to heavy snowfall on quiz day. For a Washington State football team that has led at halftime of each of its games yet has won only half of them, the proof that the Cougars are improving relative to their competition is a reason to be confident heading into this week’s road game against an uncharacteristically vulnerable Oregon team. “We still haven’t had a complete game of just doing our job and pushing it down the field,” receiver Gabe Marks said. “We pushed it down the field a lot this game and that’s good to see, because Cal’s a pretty good team.” The Cal game would have been the ideal time for the Cougars to finally put a complete game together. But, the next one would suffice. With the Ducks and their issues on tap, followed by a homecoming game against Oregon State that will likely be the easiest remaining on the schedule, WSU must play with fewer errors now or risk rounding into form just in time to see bowl eligibility become a mathematical impossibility. “We need to take a look at the film, the things we did right, and the things we can get better at,” quarterback Luke Falk said. The Cougars played their best football game of the season in Saturday’s loss. They’ll have to do it again to have any hope in Eugene. Although the Ducks may be wounded – starting quarterback Vernon Adams is unlikely to play – they are not flightless. Adams’ absence would be a boon for a WSU pass defense that ranks 112th in the country, but Oregon has a powerful running game, too. UO running back Royce Freeman’s 32 plays from scrimmage of 10 yards or more are the most of any FBS player. UO will be heavily favored at home, but so were the Golden Bears, and WSU has played its best two games to date away from Pullman. If the Cougars once again put themselves in position to win by leading in the second half, they have to avoid the foibles that foiled their chances on Saturday. Gabe Marks was sublime through three quarters at Cal, but his fumble on the Golden Bears 20-yard line early in the fourth ruined WSU’s best chance to retake the lead. Falk was at his most dangerous this season in Berkeley, but the seven sacks given up by he and the offensive line (more than WSU gave up in the first three games combined) neutered an otherwise effective attack. Not giving up touchdowns or changes of possession on special teams is so obvious it barely warrants mentioning. The Cougars have moved past lethargy, and at 2-2 are not so far off track as long as they play at a level consistent with their potential and make those momentum-swinging mistakes more rare. “It’s motivating to know that once we put our A-game together and once we finalize and see our potential, we can be a great defense,” linebacker Peyton Pelluer said. “But it’s also disappointing to see we’re not quite there. We’ve got a lot to work on but we need to figure it out soon.”