The end of the week is almost here which means we can almost wash the bitter taste of the Rutgers game out of our mouths and replace it with something that might taste only slightly bad.
Here is a look back at the good, bad and the so-so from Thursday.
The Good!
When Mike Leach lured Jim Mastro to Pullman, it was seen as a major coup. Mastro turned down NFL inquiries to come to Pullman. He's a good recruiter, a great offensive mind and although the running game hasn't proven it, a really good assistant coach. He's also the type who could draw attention from other teams, but it doesn't sound like you have to worry about him leaving anytime soon. Via Jacob Thorpe:
"You have an athletic director who gets it, we're here for the long haul and we're going to build this thing the right way," Mastro said. "For an assistant coach, there probably isn't a better job in America. I wouldn't leave this place for anything."
The Bad ...
I know you are all shocked to hear this, but after losing to Rutgers, WSU isn't a strong contender for the college football playoffs. Via Mark Schlabach of ESPN:
The Cougars' hopes of becoming relevant under coach Mike Leach were dealt a blow with an opening 41-38 loss to Rutgers. But with quarterback Connor Halliday running Leach's Air Raid offense, the Cougars still have a chance to turn things around.
The So-So
River Cracraft missed practice again on Wednesday, adding to the practice he missed on Monday. He is far and away WSU's best inside receiver and a very important piece of the offense. Him missing practice is not good news. It may not all be doom and gloom, however, as Clay McGuire not only said he thinks Cracraft will play, but that "we'll see a lot of him" according to Thorpe's practice report.
Football:
River Cracraft sits out practice, still expected to play - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Sept. 3, 2014
Receiver River Cracraft hasn't done much work this week. He sat out Monday's practice and, after getting a little work in yesterday, the receiver was again a bystander during every drill on Wednesday despite putting on a helmet at one point.
WSU's Mastro once assisted Nevada's leader of the Pack - Spokesman.com - Sept. 3, 2014
The setting will be familiar but the perspective will be alien when Jim Mastro paces the visiting sideline during his return to Nevada’s Mackay Stadium for Friday night’s game.
Eliminator -- College football's Week 1 victims and survivors - ESPN
Washington State: The Cougars' hopes of becoming relevant under coach Mike Leach were dealt a blow with an opening 41-38 loss to Rutgers. But with quarterback Connor Halliday running Leach's Air Raid offense, the Cougars still have a chance to turn things around.
Father battles son when Wolf Pack hosts Wazzu
Wolf Pack long snapper Tyler Wilson usually talks to his father, Ken, on the phone every day, one man in Reno and the other in Pullman, Wash. They chat about how the family's doing or how the weather is or how Tyler's classes are going.
Bad blood? Not here, former Pack assistant Mastro says
If you're looking to Jim Mastro to stir the pot in this Washington State-Nevada football game — a game that pits the Wolf Pack's new coaching staff against two former assistants who were "Chris Ault guys" — look somewhere else.
The Washington State Wolf Pack?
With each passing day, the Washington State football team gets a little more Nevada-like. The Cougars have added walk-on linebacker Reggie Coates, the Spokesman-Review reported Wednesday. He's the second former Wolf Pack player to join the Cougars, and one of at least eight people with the WSU program who have ties to the Wolf Pack.
Up Close With Cyrus Coen and Mitch Peterson - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
An unwavering competitive spirit, a selfless disposition, and a value of higher education are revealed in the choices of Washington State University linebackers Cyrus Coen and Mitchell Peterson.