Crimson and Gray Game showed importance of speed for defensive line

Even with certain scrimmage restrictions making evaluation difficult, the Washington State defensive line showed itself to be a fast, tenacious unit during the Cougars’ Crimson and Gray game on Saturday.

Since defensive coordinator Alex Grinch was hired after the 2014 season, his trademark has been his ability to adapt the defense to suit his players’ strengths rather than try to force players into positions where they do not fit.

To that end, more and more he is emphasizing speed among the front seven, in part since the 2017 Cougars will be smaller than most teams along the defensive line. In Grinch’s “Speed D,” players who would normally play defensive end will slide inside on the defensive line, and potential linebackers will play the end positions.

For Grinch’s strategy to work, 280-pound Garrett McBroom and 297-pound Daniel Ekuale will have to play with the strength of much heavier players. For it to really pay off, the new interior lineman should be able to do so while also putting extra pressure on quarterbacks because of their superior speed.

On Saturday they succeeded, occupying multiple blocks and showing the ability to handle the responsibilities of a tackle.

“I think it’s a good idea to move me inside,” Ekuale said. “I feel comfortable with it.”

Furthermore, Ekulae had two sacks, indicating that Grinch’s emphasis on speed will be a boon to the WSU pass rush with more athletic players on the interior of the defensive line.

“Production is the name of the game, and we need a more productive defensive unit,” Grinch said. “Daniel’s an experienced player up front and we need our nose tackle to make plays. He can’t just be disruptive. It’s not OK to just be in the backfield. He’s got to bring quarterbacks to the ground, and running backs to the ground.”

His production came despite limitations placed on the WSU defense, which often rushed just three players during the spring game.

“They had to battle,” Grinch said. “How do we react to scrambles and those things? So there’s always something to get out of it.”

While Mike Leach has been head coach, the WSU defenses have often coalesced around a clear leader, such as Destiny Vaeao and Robert Barber. Because Ekuale is a fifth-year senior, it is a natural role for him to assume, if he can.

Because of his importance to WSU’s defensive scheme, his leadership will come by example, if nothing else.

Other than Ekuale and McBroom, Ngalu Tapa is the only interior defensive lineman with any experience coming into this season. Because of the physical toil battling with multiple offensive linemen on every play takes, the position typically substitutes liberally.

Ekuale though will probably get few breathers in the coming year. The Cougars need him on the field, and he needs to be effective when he’s there. The scrimmage game was a great sign for WSU fans that Ekuale and the other defensive linemen are up to the challenge.

“I’ve got to make plays this year,” Ekuale said. “It’s my last year. I’ve got to make it count.”