3 questions heading into USC

Despite the fact they've played eight games already this season, Washington State remains a week-to-week mystery, at least for me. There are some basics we know. The Cougars are going to put the ball in the air and they are an inherently flawed team. At the same time, however, they are also a team that's proven it can stick a temporary bandage on those flaws, you just never know which will be fixed and for how long.

With that in mind, here are three questions I have heading into the game against the Trojans.

1. Can the WSU defense keep up with USC's superior athletes?

The Cougar secondary is obviously an issue. Whether it's problems of youth and inexperience or just talent remains a question, but either way the Cougars go into every game with an obvious weakness to exploit. When that happens, the scoreboard starts going in the wrong direction like it did against Cal and Arizona. The deficiency can be hidden against teams with a sub-par passing attack, but that's not the Trojans. USC averages 8.0 yards per pass attempt and will likely challenge the Cougars down the field. If WSU is going to have any hope other than to win a 60-59 game, it will need to find a way to get stops.

Gut feeling: Hide your kids, hide your spouse, they are scoring touchdowns every drive.

2. Will the Cougar offense be able to keep pace?

At this point WSU's best shot of winning is try to score at least 50 points and hope the other team has to kick a field goal or two. That's a lot to put on the offense and so far this season, it's struggled to reach that level. The Cougars scored 37 points against Arizona which is a lot of points, but at least a touchdown or two shy of where they need to be. The matchup is an interesting one. Stanford has always been a challenge for the Cougars, but USC and Washington also stifled Connor Halliday and the passing attack last year. USC has a lot of the same athletes from a year ago -- including Leonard Williams -- and former Washington defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox is running the defense. If Halliday tops 400 yards, the Cougar offense will have come a long way.

Gut feeling: The passing attack will be better because Halliday is simply a better player. It won't be efficient enough, however, to really rack up points. I can't see the Cougars topping 40.

3. Can WSU wear down USC?

That seems like an odd question to ask about this Washington State team. When you think of a team wearing another down, it's probably a Stanford-like team. WSU's biggest advantage on Saturday may simply be depth. The Trojans have superior athletes in a number of spots, but a short depth chart. With only 45 scholarship athletes, USC is not deep. The Cougars' best bet may be to pick up the tempo a touch and try to run as many plays as possible. Maybe eventually they will wear the Trojans down -- at least in the secondary -- and be able to hit some explosives.

Gut feeling: Yes but not enough. If this were earlier in the season, I'd like WSU's chances better based on the sheer number of routes. WSU isn't exactly healthy at receiver right now, however, so I'm not sure it will get the wear down advantage. The Cougars have been forced to dip way into receiver depth in recent weeks and the drop off has been drastic. It's great if Vince Mayle or River Cracraft can go against a tired corner, but when it's a walk-on on the field, it's still not a mismatch.

Those are three areas I'll be watching on Saturday, what burning questions do you have heading into the game?

Football:

Former walk-on Simone ASU's big surprise on defense | FOX Sports
When Arizona State safeties coach Chris Ball talked to coach Todd Graham about adding Jordan Simone, Graham didn't think too much about it. Ball had coached Simone Washington State and the offer was to be a walk-on.

#4Pac Question of the Week - ESPN
One of the best things about watching Washington State is there's always a chance you get to see something that's never happened before.

Preparing for USC's defense - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Oct. 29, 2014

Three WSU coaches were asked about USC's defense and all three uttered the word "athletic" shortly thereafter. The Cougars hope that the work they put in during Wednesday's practice can combat all that athleticism. How did it go? Our practice report is after the jump.

Halliday has records, but not wins he really desires - Spokesman.com - Oct. 29, 2014

George Washington could have used some truth-telling lessons from Connor Halliday. The Washington State quarterback is honest to a fault, even when his coaches and the WSU communications staff would probably rather he fib.

Love, belief from home fuels WSU walk-on Glover | From the Bullpen | The Peninsula Gateway

There were times when being a preferred walk-on at Washington State University was tough for Beau Glover. While scholarship players develop relationships with the coaches who recruit them, walk-on football players are somewhat ignored.

USC defense must be patient against Washington State's Air Raid - ESPN

The USC Trojans took part in a two-hour practice session on Wednesday in shorts, shoulder pads and helmets, following which USC head coach Steve Sarkisian said that he was pleased with the way that his players have worked this week coming off a crushing loss at Utah, where they struggled down the stretch – a common theme for the team this season that he hopes to see corrected.

Cougar football to host USC Trojans Saturday - WSU News Washington State University

It’s another home football weekend at Washington State University, where the Cougars will play host to the Trojans of the University of Southern California Saturday in a Pac-12 conference game at Martin Stadium beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Men's Basketball:

Washington State Cougars begin Ernie Kent era

New Washington State coach Ernie Kent says he feels like a waking bear, and that could be good news for the downtrodden Cougars.

Soccer:

Kaitlyn Johnson Earns Second Weekly Award - Washington State University Official Athletic Site

Washington State forward Kaitlyn Johnson was named a Primetime Performer by CollegeSoccer360.com for Oct. 20-26.