WSU Cougars camp in Lewiston winds down

The Washington State Cougars wrapped up day five of six of the Lewiston portion of preseason camp, and as befitting yet another day in triple-digit heat — this one reaching a balmy 106 degrees — things weren’t as precise as head coach Mike Leach would have wanted.

“I thought we were competitive — we were sloppy — but we were competitive,” Leach said.

He didn’t seem overly concerned; Leach is always most concerned with effort, and he appeared satisfied on that front. Leach did introduce a little competition at the end of practice to try and pick up the focus a bit, but it didn’t quite get all the way where he wanted it to be.

This is usually a sign that a change of venue probably will pay dividends, and that’s exactly what’s in store: After one more truncated practice today in Idaho that will more resemble a walk-through than a full-fledged workout, the Cougs will move back to Pullman for a Friday night scrimmage in Martin Stadium. If you just happen to be in town, that will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Oh, and as for the QB battle: Not a lot to report. Anthony Gordon and Trey Tinsley got the reps yesterday, and reports suggest Gordon was probably a little better. But it’s still very early, and there’s likely at least one more week of the current setup where two quarterbacks take the bulk of the reps while the other watches. The scrimmage might give us a little insight, but it probably won’t be until after the second scrimmage that we have a sense of which way this is heading.

One other small note: Backup offensive lineman Christian Haangana has been mysteriously missing from camp. It appears we now know why — he has a warrant out for his arrest after failing to show up for court dates stemming from a vandalism charge. Linebacker Fa’avae Fa’avae was also involved in the incident, but he has been an active participant in practices.

Highlights

Interviews

Gardner Minshew’s NFL debut

WSU hero/legend Gardner Minshew II will likely be starting the Jacksonville Jaguars’ preseason opener tonight. As near as I can tell, the only way to (legally) watch it out here on the west coast is to wait for the NFL Network replay on Saturday at 2:30 a.m. There should be plenty of highlights, though.

Fast forward to 2:05:00 for Minshew talk on this video:

Ten things: ’19 preseason opener - Jaguars.com
Gardner Minshew: A sixth-round selection in the ’19 draft, Minshew has worked with the second team throughout much of camp. The Jaguars clearly want him to earn the backup job behind Foles. He figures to get a long, long, long look Thursday.

Jaguars open preseason against Ravens: Six players to watch - Sports - The Florida Times-Union - Jacksonville, FL
Minshew, a rookie, took all the second-team snaps against the Ravens in practices this week and he could start in his NFL debut game. If Minshew has a strong game, there’s probably little chance for McGough or Lee to overtake him for the top backup job in the preseason.

Links

Practice report from Day 6 of Washington State preseason camp: Travell Harris combines energy with consistency as Cougars wind down in Lewiston | The Spokesman-Review
Junior college transfer Daniel Isom is still running with the first team defense, at free safety, and spoke to the media about making a transition from cornerback, which had been his natural position up until this fall.

Report: After missed court hearings, arrest warrant issued for Washington State’s Christian Haangana | The Spokesman-Review
An arrest warrant has been issued for Washington State offensive lineman Christian Haangana, who’s reportedly missed multiple court hearings since being charged with misdemeanor vandalism charges in late April.

Bonner County Daily Bee - Sports, WSU receiver Patmon learning to ‘play to his size’
It’s almost a sure bet. If you ask Mike Leach about the progress of Dezmon Patmon, he’ll call him a receiver w

FBS football: it’s a whole new game for Gubrud, and at the same time not – Cougar Sports Network
LEWISTON - It's hard to believe Gage Gubrud avoided the media for all of spring football upon his graduation transfer to Washington State.

Passing of the torch: the WSU defense's new-look leadership - Cougfan.com
There won't be just one leader for WSU's defense in 2019

Jalen Thompson is no longer part of Washington State’s secondary, but Cougars haven’t lost his essence | The Spokesman-Review
Jalen Thompson’s No. 34 is no longer lurking in Washington State’s secondary and even if they’d rather have the player than his spirit, the Cougars are glad to see their former safety’s attitude and impeccable work ethic ever-present in the defensive backfield.

Cougars will replace LB Pelluer by committee | Sports | lmtribune.com
It’s not a stretch to say Washington State’s new linebackers coach, Roc Bellantoni, is filling not one role but two.

Women's Basketball Non-Conference, Pac-12 Pairings Released - Washington State University Athletics
The Cougars 2019-20 schedule is taking shape in preparation of the new season.