Cougars make depth chart changes heading into Portland State matchup

Washington State is breaking in a lot of inexperience in the secondary this season and it appears the Cougars will go with a full youth movement in the back end. Three true freshmen were added to the projected depth chart against Portland State, making the secondary even more green.

The staters remain the same as last week with Daquawn Brown and Charleston White at corner with Darius Lemora and Taylor Taliulu at safety. The changes come in the backups. True freshman Marcellus Pippins is now the No. 2 corner behind White with fellow freshman Pat Porter subbing in for Tracy Clark as Brown's backup. True freshman Sulaiman Hameed replaces Teondray Caldwell as the backup strong safety. Of the eight secondary players listed in the two deep, you have five freshmen, two sophomores and a junior.

There were some tweaks to the linebacker depth chart. Jeremiah Allison moves from the backup MIKE to the No. 2 WILL linebacker. Allison got some playing time against Nevada and played well. He could see more time, possibly in place of Tana Pritchard, moving forward. Peyton Pueller takes over as the backup MIKE behind Darryl Monroe. Paris Taylor claims the backup job at the SAM, at least for this week.

There was an offensive change this year as well with Robert Lewis claiming the starting Y receiver spot ahead of River Cracraft. Cracraft missed the Nevada game due to an injury. Lewis played well in what was essentially his debut game -- he played just four snaps against Rutgers -- but I'd expect Cracraft to take that job back if he's healthy.

Quentin Breshears takes over as the starting kicker.

You can find the full depth chart and much more in the game notes for Week 3.

Football:

ESPN To Televise Home Game Against Oregon - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Washington State’s home football game against Oregon next Saturday, Sept. 20, will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. This week the Cougars host Portland State at 5 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks.

WSU Cougars, WSU Football, Mike Leach - Spokesman.com - Sept. 9, 2014
Despite an unexpectedly poor start to the 2014 season, the Washington State football team is afflicted with an air of positivity that prevents it from realizing its flaws, according to coach Mike Leach.

Gabe Marks will redshirt - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Sept. 8, 2014
For the past two weeks the Washington State football coaches have considered the idea of having junior Gabe Marks, last year's leading receiver, redshirt and sit out this season.

SportsLink - Spokesman.com
Washington State just sent out its game notes for its week-three matchup against Portland State, and as always there is an updated depth chart. There was some movement in the WSU two-deeps, including:

Cougars need to focus - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Sept. 8, 2014
Washington State coach Mike Leach held his weekly Monday press conference today, and addressed the team's poor play of late. The biggest concern in Leach's mind appears to be focus. He said that the team needs to isolate outside distractions — particularly the positive ones — and focus on doing what he's seen it do in practice.

Jason Gesser Special Guest on Cougar Calls With Bill Moos - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Cougar quarterback great and Assistant Director of Development Jason Gesser was a special guest during Monday's Cougar Calls With Bill Moos show at The Swinging Doors restaurant in Spokane.

WSU 'splatter plays' helped Nevada cruise past Coug's | Sports | KLEW CBS 3 - News, Weather and Sports - Lewiston, ID
It was a white out in Reno as the Washington State Cougars took on Nevada Friday night.

A late night trip to the beach - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Sept. 7, 2014
Washington State practiced for about an hour on Sunday night to prepare for their Pullman home-opener against Portland State this weekend. Prior to the official start of practice, however, the team took a quick roll through Leach Beach, the sand pit the Cougars use for conditioning.

Basketball:

Klay Thompson and USA Advance at World Cup - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Former Washington State University men’s basketball student-athlete, Klay Thompson, and the United States advanced to the quarterfinals at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, while Aron Baynes and Brock Motum of Australia and Thomas Abercrombie of New Zealand were eliminated in the Round of 16.

Volleyball:

Volleyball Travels to Tennessee for Tourney Trio - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
The Washington State University volleyball team, 5-1 overall, hits the road for the third straight weekend.