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Washington State redshirt Junior defensive lineman, Hercules Mata’afa is listed as the top returning Pac-12 defensive player according to Pro Football Focus. Following his 2016 campaign he was named All-Pac-12 Conference Second Team and was named All-Pac-12 Second Team by AP as well as Phil Steele. He sits atop the list with two Huskies below him.
Defensive lineman from @wsucougfb - Hercules Mata'afa leads all returning Pac-12 defensive players as the highest graded player from 2016. pic.twitter.com/qr7XVtphGy
— PFF College Football (@PFF_College) June 5, 2017
Mata’afa finished his Sophomore year leading the team and was 16th in conference for sacks with a total of 5. He finished at seventh on the team with 47 tackles. With 16 tackles for a loss he found himself at 5th in the conference. All four players in front of him on that list have graduated or moved on to the NFL.
During this past season he was named to the Lombardi Award, Bednarik Award, and the Polynesian Player of the Year watch-lists.
As the top-3 of the list is full of redshirt Juniors, Mata’afa sits above two of Washington’s defensive tackles in Vita Vea and Greg Gaines. Both Vea and Gaines were named to a Pac-12 team after this past season.
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Football:
WSU football adds home-and-home series with Houston | The Spokesman-Review
Washington State and the University of Houston have agreed to a two-year series between the football teams that will begin in 2019. WSU will visit Houston on Sept. 14, 2019, with the other Cougars making the return trip on Sept. 12, 2020.
Way-too-early 2018 NFL Mock Draft: It's all about the franchise quarterbacks - CBSSports.com
Luke Falk, QB, Washington State: There was some speculation that the Cardinals might address the quarterback position in 2017. It didn't happen, but with Carson Palmer's career winding down, Falk makes a lot of sense.
It’ll be Cougar vs. Cougar as WSU football announces home-and-home series with Houston starting 2019 | The Seattle Times
WSU is 2-1 all-time against Houston, but the two teams haven't met each other since 1988
Baseball:
AppleSox’ bats spoil HarbourCats’ party
Six-foot-three Wenatchee pitcher Collin Maier, who redshirted this season with the NCAA Pac-12 Washington State Cougars, gave up just three hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts over 52Ú3 innings.