QUICK RECAP: USC 50, WSU 16
by Jeff Nusser on Sep 25, 2010 3:30 PM PDT
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PrintBrian will be along with a full report from Pullman later, but I'll offer my initial, brief thoughts from watching at home.
Since I wasn't on the game thread because I had a bunch of stuff to do around the house, I don't know what the mood was there as the game spun out of control. But I did glance at Twitter a few times, and it seemed people were not real happy. So I'll just say this.
Remember the first half. At least for the offense.
Todd Sturdy put together a game plan that pretty much mirrored what we've been asking for. Spread them out, get the ball to the perimeter quickly. Screens. Draws. It was so good, the Cougs ended up with 230 yards at halftime. Doesn't sound impressive? Consider that eight times last year, WSU failed to exceed that total for an entire game.
So, for as much as we've hammered this staff, the offensive coaches deserve a heck of a lot of credit. They implemented something completely different, and it was successful for a half. Yes, it caught up with them in the second half as USC adjusted, but it's important to remember that first half.
The defense ... let's just say I wish I could go back and revise my grades. Some of it was youth, but some of it was just downright poor play. The tackling was atrocious. The linebackers ... well, let's just say Brian's got something special in store for them, especially one Alex Hoffman-Ellis. This was a major, MAJOR step back for them. They cannot blame this one on the offense.
The special teams was a mixed bag. I think you saw the effects of too much respect for USC's return game on that block. But, hey -- Nico Grasu! A field goal!
Again, I know we're all tired of getting whipped. But there were some seriously positive things in here. This team is getting closer. I know this is something that will get me mocked by some, but I don't care: Our first teamers were fine against their second teamers. Why does that matter? First of all, that didn't happen the last two years. And second, most of our guys -- with their youth -- would be second teamers on most other Pac-10 squads.
We're getting there, ever so slowly.
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The linebackers were bad but
its awful tough to be a linebacker when the D-line is getting pushed back to their feet on every play. USC owned our front 7. That said our secondary looks to be in good hands for years to come. Big step forward can’t fault the coaches for the front being physically dominated.
I think it is important to note that I actually enjoyed watching the first half of this game.
I also enjoyed watching the first half of the SMU game. It has been a very, very long time since I have enjoyed watching the first half of Cougar Football. I am hoping someday that I will enjoy watching the whole game. The offense is certainly improved. But why can’t the Cougs stay in the game in the second half? Are they worn down? Poor adjustments? Or, the obvious answer, youth? I get confused in the third quarter (which is certainly an improvement considering I used to be confused during the whole game).
USC made good halftime adjustments.
They saw that Barkley was making bad decisions and forcing throws, so they gave him a bunch of gimme plays to rebuild his confidence. Meanwhile, they were continuing to rack up 10+ per play rushing the ball. The game was over then. As long as we couldn’t force turnovers, we had no chance. We couldn’t stop a sustained USC drive and we were never going to win a shootout.
The K is special
Half Time Adjustments
…So what were our half time adjustments?
Fun Fact:
In the 4th quarter when Tom Glasgow complemented the statician in the booth, that was me…
Spent the entire game feeding stats to Glasgow and Gesser in the booth and had a blast, a whole lot more fun than you guys probably had watching it.
This game just leaves me to wonder, when are we going to put a complete game together? It’s bound to happen eventually, and when it does, we’ll shock some people.
Cougar Football 2010: *FOCUSTENSITY!*
@JeffDCollier - PSN-Colltrain
Are you comparing me to Tony Reali?
I take GREAT offense to that….
Cougar Football 2010: *FOCUSTENSITY!*
@JeffDCollier - PSN-Colltrain
Haha
I really thought about saying that but I didn’t know how it would go over so I decided not to
Cougar999 version 2.0. Now with a shorter name!
It's only right now that I realize
Out of those two shows, PTI and ATH, there is a total of 0 likable personalities. I’ll be Wilbon… I guess…
Cougar Football 2010: *FOCUSTENSITY!*
@JeffDCollier - PSN-Colltrain
I was mostly in the broadcast booth sitting right next to Glasgow
But I did walk around the box a little during half and before the game.
Cougar Football 2010: *FOCUSTENSITY!*
@JeffDCollier - PSN-Colltrain
I was sitting in the third row right in front of Glenn.
Saw Gesser wandering around quite a bit before the game.
Writers on this blog get to be in the press box?
Thats awesome
Cougar999 version 2.0. Now with a shorter name!
Our athletic department really is great
Very nice and accommodating. Can’t thank Bill Stevens enough.
Thats awesome that this blog has taken off
We will call him Zatara.....sounds fearsome....It means driftwood.
So does this mean
that when we complain about FSN, then we are complaining about GoCougs?
Cougar999 version 2.0. Now with a shorter name!
Only a little
But he wasn’t producing the broadcast or running a camera, and those are really where the problems lie. And the broadcasters clearly had superior stats today.
And UCLA beating Texas
could not have come at a worse time
Cougar999 version 2.0. Now with a shorter name!
Things we learned today.
1. Pistol = awesome
2. WR’s = really good…oh wait we already knew this. Today confirmed it.
3. We have to ability to hang with a ranked team for a half of a game
4. Jeff Tuel’s decision making isn’t great. All three interceptions, I could see from the stands what was coming.
5. While his decision making isn’t great, he sure is a step up from #2. Lobster stared down his receivers on both passes and completely missed.
Problem with all of this is that it still doesn’t make me feel good about the team. Fact is, even though we hung with them, we still ended up getting our butts kicked.
Cougar999 version 2.0. Now with a shorter name!
I will say though
that that was arguably the best half of football we’ve played in the last three years
Cougar999 version 2.0. Now with a shorter name!
Amen!
And my pride as a Cougar Football has been so stripped down in the past years that this makes feel like we actually won the game even though we did not cover the spread or compete in the second half. When we win a game against a good BCS team again, I will likely pass out with joy.
Build on the first half, eliminate the turnovers, and who knows.
That may come sooner than we think. But if our Dline continues to get blown off the line of scrimmage like this, we’ll be 1-11 quicker than a Colfax speeding ticket.
The K is special
Interceptions
I thought that the 2nd and 3rd interceptions were just bad throws (as in execution) rather then bad reads. The first one was terrible (bad read). I also remember Gesser and Leaf throwing passes as bad or worse when they were sophomores. I am not ready to write off Tuel as a bad decision maker.
We will call him Zatara.....sounds fearsome....It means driftwood.
I don't think I was writing off Tuel at all.
Like I said, he’s the best option we have, and time will tell how good he actually is. What I was saying is that the interceptions were due to him throwing the ball to someone that he shouldn’t have. The first one, the corner had the read the entire way. The second or third (I don’t remember which), he tried to air it out to Wilson, when the coverage was actually a half step ahead of him.
Cougar999 version 2.0. Now with a shorter name!
He was fine on the last two picks
The second, Wilson had 2 steps on the DB. The Third, the throw got away from him but he had Blackledge.
The 3rd should have set up points for us right before the half
He had the receiver (blackledge I believe) the ball just flew on him. I just like that he is making mistakes attacking rather then being passive and trying not to lose.
We will call him Zatara.....sounds fearsome....It means driftwood.
It seems pretty clear now losing players like
Turpin and Luapu at DT, Bland at LB and Daniels at S has really hurt this defense.
Whew. Rankin and Wulfy got owned
along with the other DT’s. Top that off with some seriously lazy head down tackling and you have a recipe for some frustrating football. You can’t bump guys like Havili with your shoulder pads and hope he’ll fall over… head up wrap up- fundamental.
The pick six was brutal Everyone knew it was coming. Tuel really needs to learn the pump fake. Sturdy needs to not have Tuel throw the ball 25 yards across the field… physical domination on the fronts was pretty obvious. Loved the moving of the pocket early and felt it should have been tried more in the 2nd half. Tough days Cougs… but you gotta like the outburst of O in the 1st half.
Offense- 1 step forward, defense, two steps back.
If you can't Go Cougs... don't go.
Also,
Reid Forrest > Everyone (Including USC’s Punter)
Cougar Football 2010: *FOCUSTENSITY!*
@JeffDCollier - PSN-Colltrain
That blocked punt
was bound to happen at some point with that weird formation
Cougar999 version 2.0. Now with a shorter name!
Yeah, after the first punt I saw that block coming a mile away.
Reid is so awesome he could’ve just ran through those guys en route to a TD, but he probably saw it as an opportunity for the rest of the team to learn a lesson in blocking.
The K is special
And that's why he didn't run.
He wants the team to be better in the future in case we aren’t able to make a clone of him with 4 more years of eligibility.
The K is special
Rumor is...
That formation was designed so the awesomeness called Reid Forrest can both block and punt at the same time.
by Gonzougar Fan on Sep 26, 2010 8:31 PM PDT up reply actions
i know the about the desire to seek out silver linings...
… But a little bit of execution over part of a game does not constitute irreversible progress. I watched the game and came away feeling that USC still got 50 even after trying to give the game away in the first half.
I’m really getting frustrated with the lack of relevant football in WA state. This is not just a Coug issue.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
by Gekko Mojo on Sep 25, 2010 5:48 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
I know you've been around here enough
To know that a little bit of execution resembles substantial progress. No amount of “frustration” in the world is going to all of a sudden make everything all better. This is what fans who want people fired don’t understand. I’m not saying that’s you, but we have to evaluate this team and this program where it’s at.
Sigh.
i hope you take my comments in the spirit they were intended ...
… Because WA state football (cougs, dawgs, hawks) is in such a sad state. Obviously, I don’t think Wulff is the right guy, but I certainly can’t state I’m excited about anything else going on around the state.
We are all better off when our respective franchises/programs are in serviceable shape.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
by Gekko Mojo on Sep 25, 2010 7:13 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Yes.
But the implication that we should ignore positive steps because the overall result was so bad just strikes a bad nerve with us right now.
yeah - I hear you
I was really irritated watching that Coug game today. I want more respect for all of us.
I’ll go away now.
Damn, my eyeball tastes good.
by Gekko Mojo on Sep 25, 2010 7:33 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Another bright spot:
I was digging the all crimson uni combo.
Cougar999 version 2.0. Now with a shorter name!
Youth or talent level?
I must say, that opening drive was the most amazing performance our offense has produced in 3 years. Very exciting. The defense, however, was ridiculous. I don’t think it was an issue of youth or even missed assignments. Our defensive talent level is just not Pac-10 caliber (with maybe 1 or 2 exceptions).
by Mikegun on Sep 25, 2010 6:29 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Guess we’ll see over the next few weeks. Today, however, the cougs were smaller, woefully slower, and not able to out muscle a single position vs. SC. (I will add my opinion may be changing now that I’m watching OSU get manhandled by BS).
by Mikegun on Sep 25, 2010 6:53 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Woefully slower
No. The last two years we were woefully slower. We weren’t even on the screen when passes were being completed. Now, it’s mostly a matter of being out of position.
Fortunately, I didn’t have the Direct TV package I have now so I wasn’t able to actually see much of the last two years. But, from what I’ve read, yes, we have upgraded significantly. My question is whether it is going to be enough to truly hang with other Pac-10 teams.
by Mikegun on Sep 25, 2010 7:10 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I really agree with you
Being at the game it shows, we are not outmatched at the skill and speed spots(we are a little bit on the lines against USC, but we are going to be that is just life). For this team its going to be about small steps gaining experience and working on execution.
We will call him Zatara.....sounds fearsome....It means driftwood.
Just got back home from Pullman
I was really upbeat at half time, I told people that I thought even if we lost 42-28 I would be happy. The offense didn’t come through in the second half. I thought Kiffen (papa) made a good adjustment. He seemed like he stopped blitzing in 2nd quarter and Tuel wasn’t sharp enough to pick them apart. I thought that offensively this game was on Tuel. He just wasn’t sharp, I am not down in any way, he is just a very young quarterback who was a little off this game. He did make some big plays tough and that first pick was unacceptable. The defense was just outmatched by their bigs up front I thought. I remember back the 10 win seasons when we finally looked like we matched up with USC on the lines, we didn’t look like that today. We have great young talent who made some big mistakes on D today
We will call him Zatara.....sounds fearsome....It means driftwood.
Attention all
I love my cougars and I always will but I am sick of hearing “hey we lost but at least were getting better and improving” blah blah blah that’s crap. No one should be okay with losing. EVER. I’m a coug till’ I die, but this ridiculous. Something has to change.
1. Cougar fans – win or lose you should be at the stadium, support your team because the only part of home field advantage is the fans, get off the band wagon and get in the stands. 2. “Coug’d it” doesnt exist anymore, get it out of your head and out of your vocabulary. 3. – Get off the fire Paul Wulff band wagon, he’s our coach right now and you should want him to do as well as he can. 4. – No fan, coach, or player should be okay with losing a game under any circumstance. We should go into every game expecting to win. 5. – Put up or shut up – This goes out to Coaches, Players, and all you Fans. Stop talkin about it and start doing it. Until than take your at leasts, almosts, maybe’s, couldvs, wouldvs, shouldvs, might be’s, wasn’t if’s, and shove them up your ass!
I don't think anyone is okay with losing.
Nobody wants to lose or produce a bad product. We all want to see victories and lots of points but right now both are going to be tough to come by. The team is young and inexperienced, there are going to be growing pains that occur with the maturation process. Even good, well established programs go through it (see Texas yesterday, Michigan the previous couple years, Notre Dame to name a few). However those programs 1) don’t have as great a talent gap as we have had to overcome and are still trying to (that was made readily apparent yesterday) and 2) their budgets dwarf ours and its not even close.
I’m not trying to make excuses for anyone. The defense played poorly yesterday and didn’t really show up. We were only in the game because of some gift turnovers. But I am not going to get bent out of shape when we lose because, I would go crazy. I’m still not happy with losing but I understand that its going to be part of the process of this team getting better. If the results don’t change next year then there is something to worry about but until then, I will be pleased with improvement every week and hopefully both units click for a full game.
When did anyone say we were OK with losing?
I’ll wait.
(Still waiting.)
I’ll also wait for when you can show us that somebody around here used the phrase that constitutes immediate banning from the site, and I’ll also wait for evidence that we’re on the “fire Paul Wulff bandwagon,” and I’ll also wait for evidence that the players or coaches are OK with losing.
(Still waiting.)
Bring something more to the table, dude.
Oh please. Not talking about people on here. I’m talking about people I talk to and who I have heard say those things. People on the radio, other fans, TV, etc. There is a non stop mentality this season of “okay we lost but we are improving”. It’s horrible. Not talking to anyone on this site. And yes there is a huge fire Paul Wulff band wagon, if you don’t think there is your kidding yourself. Did not mean to offend anyone, and if I did, cowboy up, but really to everyone out there who is on the win or nothing at all band wagon, you know what you can do and where to go.
The problem you had
Is putting up a random rant that had very little to do with the story you posted it on. It should be no surprise that the authors took it as an attack.
If you would have read the community guidelines, which are linked right there when you sign up to the site, you would know that as a general rule we like to keep the threads on topic. This site offers plenty of outlets to start your own discussion threads where you provide context for your rant.
CougCenter In Reid We Trust
Twitter!
by Craig Powers on Sep 27, 2010 7:30 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Though if you have good LOLcats,
anything goes.
by TiltingRight on Sep 27, 2010 10:34 AM PDT up reply actions
Of course.
CougCenter In Reid We Trust
Twitter!
by Craig Powers on Sep 27, 2010 11:06 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
So you're saying you would spend time going to a site
where the depth of the analysis by the writers was:
Post-game wrap upWe lost. Not good enough. We suck, but Go Cougs, anyways.
I wouldn’t. Which is why the authors don’t. And why I come here.
by TiltingRight on Sep 27, 2010 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions
wow
Okay, First of all. Was not talking to every cougar fan. I know most of you are loyal or else why would you be taking time out of your life to talk on here. Second, who ever issued me a warning. Go F yourself. I’m speaking the way a loyal coug should. If your reading my last comment and your a real fan, you shouldn’t be offended, you should agree with me. Don’t care if I get kicked off this site because of this post. Because if that’s the case, than freedom of speech is really dead. Point I’m tryin to make, Go Cougs forever! win or lose.
Let's just stop this "Real Coug" and "True fan" rhetoric right now.
Not every person is the same. They all handle things differently. For many people, winning four games in three years is extremely depressing. I don’t blame them if they take a step back and follow the team more casually for the sake of their own sanity. We follow sports for enjoyment, and watching your team lose by four touchdowns every week is not enjoyable.
You mentioned in an above comment that a true fan needs to “get in the stands.” Again, the problem is much deeper than that. People don’t have much money right now, and a Cougar Football weekend is pretty dang expensive, especially since most of the alums live on the west side of the mountains. Add that to the fact that there is a very real possibility you will not even see a competitive football game, and you see emptier stands.
Additionally, freedom of speech doesn’t really apply when you start attacking people.
CougCenter In Reid We Trust
Twitter!
by Craig Powers on Sep 27, 2010 7:48 AM PDT up reply actions
Huh
Yeah, telling me to “go eff” myself isn’t really a good strategy. And, sadly, this isn’t about the First Amendment. This is about community guidelines, which you clearly have not taken the time to try to understand. If you’d like to exercise your First Amendment rights, I suggest you start your own website, where you can write whatever you want. Wordpress is great. However, I think you’ll find it challenging generating any kind of a readership with your pointless rhetoric.
by Jeff Nusser on Sep 27, 2010 10:42 AM PDT up reply actions
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