A Grip on Sports: The Cougars’ quarterback position seems to be in good hands with Cameron Ward

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Yes, the Super Bowl is coming. And we have some thoughts on that – and the Rams top star, who first began to shine in Yakima and Cheney. But first we want to spend some time peering into the Pullman firmament, where another star is bursting into view.

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• A couple years ago, Cameron Ward was trying to get someone, anyone, to give him a chance as a college quarterback. He didn’t have much luck. Only one coach was willing to take the leap.

And, folks, that’s all it takes. One.

Eric Morris, who once was an overlooked receiver in Mike Leach’s Texas Tech offense, saw something he liked in Ward, who ran a run-oriented offense in high school. Morris, the head coach at FCS Incarnate Word, thought there was potential there.

There was. And Ward exhibited in 2021, first in Incarnate Word’s spring season, in which Ward earned the starting spot as a freshman, and then in the fall, in which Ward was one of the FCS’ leading passers.

Suddenly, coaches that hadn’t even acknowledged Ward’s existence were interested in him in the new world of transfer eligibility.

But Morris had the inside track. When Jake Dickert was named Washington State’s head coach, following his interim tryout period, he needed an offensive coordinator. And Morris was just the right guy. After all, he knew Pullman – he worked for Leach here – and he knew an offense that was familiar – Leach’s Air Raid.

Perfect match? It would be with the right quarterback, that’s for sure. Jayden de Laura, the incumbent, may not have been. But Ward certainly is. Last month the match was made, Ward became a Cougar and de Laura left for Arizona.

This area of the country is one that understands the difference between the FCS and FBS. And how the margin is small for the best players. Vernon Adams shined at Eastern Washington and then, when healthy, did the same with Oregon. Multiple Eagles, including Cooper Kupp, torched Pac-12 schools over the years. There is little reason to doubt Ward’s ability to thrive in the conference.

Not with his familiarity with Morris’ concepts, the returning receivers and, hopefully, a rebuilt but productive offensive line.

• There is no better receiver in the NFL right now than Kupp. He came close to wiping out multiple regular-season receiving marks even before the Rams hit their 17th game, one more than played while most were set.

And, like all super heroes, Kupp has an origin story. It starts in Yakima, where he grew up in a family with deep football roots. That’s where our Jim Allen begins his three-part series on Kupp’s journey from 5-foot-5, 115-pound high school freshman to the Rams’ focal point in Sunday’s Super Bowl.

The journey, of course, led him from Davis High to Eastern Washington and then to Los Angeles, a path that ticked off about 93 percent of Seahawk fans east of the Cascades. (The other seven percent were asleep while the 2017 draft was going on.)

We were in that larger group, wondering what the heck John Schneider and Pete Carroll missed. We still are. The history of the NFL is packed with receivers who were so precise in their routes and so meticulous in their preparation, they overcame their physical limitations. (We’re looking at you Jerry Rice.) It was obvious to anyone who watched the Eagles when he was in Cheney that Kupp was one of those guys.

Well, not obvious to everyone. And so Sunday he’ll play for one of the Seahawks’ rivals. On the biggest stage in the sport.

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Gonzaga: USC’s struggles Tuesday night against the Pacific Tigers is GU’s alarm bell. And the Zags seem fully aware of the danger. Theo Lawson has a preview of tonight’s game, the only one with UOP this season. … Theo also has the key matchup. … The Zags are atop these power rankings, propelled by Chet Holmgren’s strong play. … Ken Pomeroy wrote something about the Bulldogs and their “weak” competition. It’s hard to argue with the numbers but some will. … Around the WCC, can BYU still make the NCAA tournament? The Cougars have to play better from now on.

WSU: We wrote about Ward above – and linked Colton Clark’s story, which we do again here. That’s the future. The recent past? Three Cougars, Abraham Lucas, Jaylen Watson and Max Borghi, all were invited to the NFL combine. Colton has more on that as well. … Arizona presents challenges to Washington State tonight, not the least of which is Azuolas and Tautvilas Tubelis. … Oregon came to Pullman and blasted the Cougar women, winning 83-30. That result set multiple records for the series. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and college basketball, there was one game last night. California held off Oregon State in Corvallis as the Beavers suited up just eight scholarship players. … Washington will be tested with Daejon Davis out. … Arizona State is headed to our state. … Offensive rebounding has become more important for Colorado. … Why did Utah wait so long to retire Tom Chambers’ number? … In women’s hoops, Arizona has moved into the second spot in these power rankings. … In football news, we linked Jon Wilner’s piece on the transfer portal yesterday but it ran in the S-R today, so we link it again. … Wilner also takes a look in the Mercury News at the financial hole the conference will be digging over the next few years. … Oregon has defensive holes to fill up front and at linebacker. … There are a lot of holes that need filling in Colorado’s defense. … Washington’s new staff features an off-the-field assistant with a story to tell. … Arizona State’s new offensive coordinator has one as well. … The Sun Devils also made another hire.

EWU: Jim’s Kupp story is not to be missed, so we make sure to link it once more. … The men’s basketball team is back at home, which is good. The opponent? First-place Weber State, which isn’t. Dan Thompson has a preview of tonight’s game. … Around the Big Sky, Northern Arizona invades Missoula to face a Montana team still in rebound mode.

Preps: Wednesday’s spirit game at the Arena featured two more Valley rivals, West Valley and East Valley playing for the Golden Throne. Dave Nichols was there to witness the Eagles sweep both games. Dan Pelle also has a series of photographs. … Dave also has a roundup of other action last night. … Looking ahead, Dave sets out the schedule for the upcoming district playoff games in 4A and 3A.

Chiefs: The word rout may not be strong enough. Portland handed visiting Spokane a 9-0 defeat last night. The teams will meet again Friday in the Arena.

Indians: Former Spokane player Jeremy Giambi, who attended my wife’s high school alma mater in Southern California, died Wednesday at his parent’s home. He was 47. Jason Shoot has this story on his time in Spokane.

Seahawks: The defensive staff has been rebuilt. And may have to be rebuilt again. … Where does Russell Wilson stand among the pantheon of quarterbacks?

Kraken: The lowly Coyotes defeated the host Kraken 5-2 in Seattle’s first game back after the All-Star break.

Sounders: Despite all its stars, Seattle still has a spot or two with playing time up in the air.

Mariners: Mitch Haniger is the M’s rightfielder. For now. … What are the immediate prospects for the M’s top four prospects?

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• One of the toughest lessons to learn as life rolls by? Everything we do has its high points and low points. It’s how we react to them that matters. I’ve always envied people who could follow John Wooden’s mantra of not getting too high or too low. Of being happy with staying calm and taking things as they come. We’ve never been that way. Even now, six-and-a-half decades in, we wish we were better at it. Oh well, there is still time to change. Right? Until later …