HOT COUGAR ACTION: Can The Cougars Stop The Run?

I believe it was the great John R. Wooden who once said, "The only things certain in life are death and taxes." Over the last few years I've realized there is one more certainty Wooden forgot. A California running back will always run for 100 yards against Washington State.

Since 2005, the Bears and Cougars have played six times, and in those six games seven California running backs have crossed the century mark. No other team has more than five 100 yard games during that span. California has averaged 6.1 yards per carry as a team against WSU since 2005. That number spikes to 7.5 YPC during the Paul Wulff era, the highest of any Pac-12 schools.

So while the talk centers on which quarterback will start for the Bears, I'm more concerned with not letting another running back join this list.

2005: Marshawn Lynch (25-160-1), Justin Forsett (12-111-0)

2006: Marshawn Lynch (25-152-2)

2007: Justin Forsett (31-129-2)

2008: Jahvid Best (14-200-3)

2009: Jahvid Best (13-159-2)

2010: Shane Vereen (25-112-2)

WSU turns up the intensity - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Nov. 1, 2011
Sitting out at practice this evening I was thinking about the Nov. 12 Arizona State game. It wasn't 7:30 yet (still isn't as I write this) but it was getting awfully cold out there. And it's still 11 days yet until the Sun Devils come to Pullman. Eleven days closer to winter. As for the practice Tuesday and Paul Wulff comments on his press conferences (and a special video added attraction), read on.

Pac-12 teams adjust to tougher rules on secondaries - Spokesman.com - Nov. 1, 2011
PULLMAN – A receiver comes over the middle. The ball and a safety arrive at nearly the same time. Contact is made, the receiver’s head snaps back, the ball flies free. Clean hit or penalty?

Karstetter having standout year for WSU
Wide receiver Jared Karstetter is having another standout season for Washington State.

Scout.com: Bone preaching team-first message to Cougars
THERE ARE FEW similarities between Ken Bone’s preferred style of basketball compared with his direct predecessors at Washington State. But the Cougars’ third-year men’s coach sounded a bit like Dick and Tony Bennett during his Wednesday teleconference when his theme was that WSU has no stars and has to embrace a team-first concept to be successful.

Pac-12 notes: Washington State hung tough with Oregon
The game of the week no doubt was Saturday's Stanford triple-overtime win at USC. But the surprise might have been Washington State's performance at Oregon.

Washington State Cougars' opponent this week: California | WSU Cougars - The News Tribune
Against the Cougars: California leads, 42-25-5. The Golden Bears won last year in Pullman, 20-13. Washington connections: Starting defensive end Trevor Guyton starred at Redmond High School, and backup defensive end Deandre Coleman played at Garfield in Seattle. Jed Barnett, the backup kicker and punter, attended Union in Camas. Offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Jim Michalczik graduated from Port Angeles High and played on WSU’s 1988 Aloha Bowl team with Cougars coach Paul Wulff.