A closer look at WSU DT David Gusta’s monster impact, freeing up the Cougs’ defense to make key plays

PULLMAN – Somewhere along the line, David Gusta grew more comfortable keeping his celebrations to himself.

Growing up a little outside Los Angeles, years before he became a staple on Washington State’s defensive line, he never felt right showing his excitement on the outside.

“I could have the biggest play ever. I could go to the Super Bowl,” Gusta said. “But I’ve never really shown excitement.”

It should come as no surprise that even during No. 19 WSU’s 49-28 win over Utah State last weekend, when Gusta had his first career sack in his second full year starting, he didn’t show much emotion. He didn’t do much more than drag USU QB Spencer Petras down by his feet, get up and move on to the next play.

But if anyone on the WSU’s defense has earned the right to let loose a little bit, it’s Gusta. He’s been doing thankless work all season, piling up pressures from the interior of the defensive line, altering plays in ways that rarely show up in the box score. As he accepts double-teams, he’s freed up his teammates to get to the quarterback.

In his 30th career game, though, Gusta finally had a sack. It’s a chance to explore the way he’s impacted the game. He has 23 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus data, second on the team. He has five QB hits, tops on the team, and 15 hurries, second on the team. He’s also batted down three passes at the line of scrimmage, a team high, all of which has helped him earn a PFF pass-rush grade of 82.6 – tops in the country among qualified defensive linemen.

Anyone who has followed the Cougars closely this fall has seen that Gusta is a gamebreaker on the interior, using his strength and speed to move the pocket, winning his matchups and forcing opposing ball carriers to veer into waiting WSU defenders. Remember linebacker Keith Brown’s fourth-down stop against San Diego State last month? Gusta generated a push to prompt running back Marquez Cooper to bounce it outside.

Once a Fresno State commit, Gusta is simultaneously invaluable and invisible. The better he gets, however, the fewer numbers he collects. As he transforms himself into a force of nature, he forces offensive lines to double-team him, so his impact isn’t apparent in the stats, with only 15 tackles, two for loss. Instead, it’s felt in the way he opens things up for his teammates, who are free to make plays behind the line of scrimmage.

So indispensable has Gusta been that last month, a few days after WSU cornerback Ethan O’Connor had an interception return for touchdown to help beat Fresno State 25-17 on the road, head coach Jake Dickert thought about whom he might call the Cougars’ defensive MVP to that point in the season. He didn’t have to ponder it long.

“I think it’s pretty clear that it’s been David Gusta, even though everyone probably wants me to say Ethan,” Dickert said. “But David has been a wrecking ball in there, and continues to elevate his game.”

Gusta has done that, too. Last season, his first starting, he totaled 16 pressures, all on quarterback hurries. He totaled 17 tackles. He recorded a half-sack in a win over Colorado – “but I don’t really consider that a sack,” Gusta said.

A year later, Gusta has become a force on the inside of WSU’s defensive line, and his teammates continue to reap the benefits. Fellow defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh had three sacks against San Diego State, in part because the Aztecs had to double-team Gusta.

It was the same story against Hawaii, when the Cougars had three sacks, unlocking their pass rush by mixing up blitz packages – and by Gusta drawing so much attention.

Count WSU’s secondary among another of the position groups reaping the benefits of Gusta’s play.

After the Cougs had their only loss of the season, 45-24 against Boise State on Sept. 28, they were giving up an average of 292 passing yards per game, No. 127 of 133 FBS teams. They were doing well to limit points in the red zone, but not before giving up many yards through the air.

In their past three games, the Cougars (8-1) have turned that around . In his past few games, for example, Utah State quarterback Spencer Petras had registered passing totals of 194, 360, 461, 372 and 293 yards. Against WSU, he finished with 208, including tossing an interception to WSU nickelback Kapena Gushiken in the red zone.

“We were in a Cover 4, and they tried running a Cover 4 beater,” Gushiken said. “The running back had flared out to the flat, so I had to keep leverage on him, while also keeping my eyes downfield and realizing that there was a deeper sail, 10 yard out on top, and I just hinged out. The QB didn’t see me, and I just went and got the ball.”

“The front and back end are always working together. It correlates,” Gusta said. “If we can get the pressure in his face – the quarterback is always looking at us. They’re so worried about us, it makes it easy on the back end to get those pick-sixes, those picks, in crucial moments.”

Much of it traces back to Gusta, who rarely gets the acclaim he deserves for impacting the game the way he does. It seems to suit his personality: He’s a quieter guy who doesn’t mind if he gets the credit. Before games, he likes to read manga and watch anime, even when defensive tackles coach Pete Kaligis gives him a hard time for it.

Following Saturday’s game, after Gusta had his first career sack, he got a call from his parents, who encouraged him to celebrate more after his best moments.

“I’m like, ‘Nah,’ ” Gusta said. “I don’t really celebrate anything I do. That’s just really who I am. It’s something I gotta work on as a person. I’m not really good at showing excitement. That’s stuff I really try to work on with myself.”

Excited or not, Gusta is showing no signs of letting up on the interior of WSU’s defensive line.

The Cougars like it that way, and Gusta likes it his way, staying quiet as he forces opponents to rethink their entire approach up front.