2nd in north, 4th overall....pretty good considering the start
- Thread starter ttowncoug
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Minnesota in the Holiday Bowl should be a lot of fun and a game that could easily get us to 9-4. I can definitely live with 9-4 for two years in a row.
We are who I thought we were. Last weeks game is more frustrating in retrospect, because Colorado is a team we can beat. UW is a legit top-5 team. Our defense can't hang with good offenses.
If the coug fans are happy with the "pretty good, considering" label hanging around their necks, then yes, that's what they are. Someone said "best of the rest" tag, and I think that's accurate. So if that is the consensus expectation of the fan base: congratulations. But make no mistake: last night was not just a "loss," that was a beatdown in the cougs' own stadium. It was a message. What Moos and Leach DO with that message, well, that's a whole other animal. If all we get are the usual platitudes, with no coaching personnel changes, then....get used to this. As I said elsewhere, assuming Leach is here for the long haul, there is no better bargain right now then for him and Moos to go shopping for a proven & tough DC, checkbook in hand. Let Grinch go back to learning his craft somewhere else. He'd make a good graduate assistant somewhere. But when you see guys who simply cannot do the fundamentals (tackle, cover, attack, assignments) at this stage of the season, that's coaching. Dump Grinch. Get a winner in there. Look at what Clancy did for the SC defense. They were laughable under old man kiffin (who is worshiped in the NFL but who was clueless for the college game), but under Clancy they are solid. Cougs could get huge bang for their buck with a new DC
Cougs really need to win their bowl game now. Need to get the positive vibes back for the start of spring ball.
Clancy also has plenty of NFL caliber clay to mold, which Grinch does not. Look, he was outcached yesterday, UW seemed to know exactly what we were going to do on defense every play and they countered with all the right plays. That said, Grinch has made this defense better overall the last couple of years, and Im not sure we can do much better
Crazy, but I couldn't agree with you more. Your traits as a player begins with your coach. At this level if you don't improve daily in tackling that's on your coach. Luani played a decent game. He had a hard hitting tackle that jarred the ball from the ball carrier for a turnover after Pippins spun the ball carrier around. Overall, I thought Luani had a good year at the safety position. I also thought Jalen Thompson and Pippins did some good things in coverage yesterday. On the year Pippins is the only starting PAC 12 CB to not give up a receiving TD all season. So to say WSU doesn't have good players on the defense side of the ball is just ridiculous to say. At this level of play you are, who your coach is.
You need to be honest about which WSU CB Washington OC targeted yesterday. Pippins came out one year before his HS teammate Adarius Pickett over at ucla. Pickett is now considered ucla's best DB. Both were star players on their El Cerrito football team but Pippins was the player that had recruiters coming to the school on game day. Pippins was recruited by ucla and other PAC 12 schools but in the end he choose WSU. So to say Clancy has plenty of NFL caliber players to work with is a big excuse for Grinch. Grinch needs to get his stuff together not the players.
USC is an NFL factory, we are not...and its not because of coaching, it's because their school sits in the Mecca of west coast football talent. Not to say WSU can't attract NFL talent too, and not to say Grinch is doing a fantastic job, because yesterday he was out coached no question.
But if you think Clancy is coming in here and turning this group of players into the Palouse Posse part two, you are mistaken. Grinch may have been out coached yesterday but our guys were losing one in one position battles all over the field. Thats either a talent or effort problem, or a little bit of both.
Agree. It's talent. Grinch would be fine if we had UW's secondary, their corners, Buda Baker, etc. SC says it's coaching. I say it's mainly talent.
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I'm pretty damn sure Clancy's success and Grinch's struggles hinge mostly on the five star lineman the one has and the other doesn't, d-backing being equal or not. And by the way, no one suggests WSU has anyone close to Adoree Jackson's pedigree. Your hotshot analysis is mostly shot.
Speaking of Pippins, I found his post game quote amusing:
“They actually weren’t that fast,” cornerback Marcellus Pippins said. “John Ross is kind of fast but they weren’t really moving the ball well down field. They had to use trick plays, which is kind of their thing. They’re just a regular team.”
Yes, they used a couple of trick plays but didn't need to. They could easily line up and move the ball at will. The reason they didn't do much in that 3rd quarter is that WSU kept the ball on long drives for most of the quarter. Otherwise, I felt UW could do just about anything it wanted. In that first quarter, our DBs seem to have no clue. (Yes, Molten was picked on as usual). But with no pass rush, poor tackling, and inability to stick with the receivers, it was a defensive mess. Not really moving the ball well downfield? Sorry Marcellus, but nearly 400 yards in offense in that first half suggests it was more than trick plays...and the UW is not just a regular team. They are damn good. (Pains me to say it!)
Glad Cougar
“They actually weren’t that fast,” cornerback Marcellus Pippins said. “John Ross is kind of fast but they weren’t really moving the ball well down field. They had to use trick plays, which is kind of their thing. They’re just a regular team.”
Yes, they used a couple of trick plays but didn't need to. They could easily line up and move the ball at will. The reason they didn't do much in that 3rd quarter is that WSU kept the ball on long drives for most of the quarter. Otherwise, I felt UW could do just about anything it wanted. In that first quarter, our DBs seem to have no clue. (Yes, Molten was picked on as usual). But with no pass rush, poor tackling, and inability to stick with the receivers, it was a defensive mess. Not really moving the ball well downfield? Sorry Marcellus, but nearly 400 yards in offense in that first half suggests it was more than trick plays...and the UW is not just a regular team. They are damn good. (Pains me to say it!)
Glad Cougar
Sounds like sour grapes from Pippins. Juvenile comment. He's not responsible for the beatdown, but you're supposed to take them down a few pegs verbally BEFORE they tear you from stem to stern, not AFTER.
Who brought up AJax? That being said, AJax hasn't been the best corner in the PAC12 and I don't believe he's the best corner on USC's football team. AJax has given up plenty of TD's this year and crucial first down receptions. And let's not talk about his tackling skills. Trust me, I've watch every USC game Ajax has played in. So you comparing Ajax to a WSU CB isn't a smart or effective way to gauge players. Now AJax in my opinion is possibly the best all around Utility player in the PAC 12. His playmaking ability on the offense side of the ball is what sets him apart from most players. He does a very good job returning punts and kickoffs on our ST. I think AJax will have a better NFL career as a slot receiver and a punt returner. That being said, WSU has a very special player that was superb on offense and returning kickoffs and punts prior to college.
Honestly? I know it comes off as sour grapes, but damn, I want dudes that aren't "buddy-buddy." I'm glad Pippins said that. I want dudes that want to come out and smack someone in the mouth. Hell, I'd lived with a few penalties knocking WR over at the LOS to at least let them know they're there. Don't let up on a soft hit on the QB.
Remember the CJ Mizell hit at OSU? Was it super late - you bet. Did it change the tone of the game - you bet.
I agree with Chip's point that the time to bring the attitude is before and during the game. Looks kind of silly to me to say a one-loss team that just rolled you is a regular team.
Glad Cougar
Glad Cougar
Did you ever consider that maybe Ross wasn't that fast to him? Pippins has covered players that are now in the NFL so to him maybe, just maybe Ross and them boys wasn't as fast as other players he's defended. That's what I took from his comment. Now I agree with you that they were moving the ball on WSU but they did so by picking on a certain player. I'm sure you'll agree with that.
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You think he don't? He's ready to dance all over his opponents before, during and after the game. You do know one of your all time best player which played CB was his coach in HS? And the main reason why he's there. Didn't they have a gag order on the team prior to the game? Coach Leach didn't allow any access to the players all week. Both coaches including Petersen said it won't be any trash talking prior to the Apple Cup. Did you hear anything differently?? Please share....... And btw, Pippins is not in aw of these guys that played for Washington. Those guys are not from Florida, Texas or Georgia. A lot of those guys for Washington that played yesterday he's played against since high school. That includes, all-star games, 7 on 7, camps and regular season games. Players like Jake Browning, John Ross, Dante Pettis, Darrell Daniels, Joe Dotson, Ben Burr-Kirven, Kevin King and a host of others. Let's take last year's game for example. Pippins 70 yard interception return in last years game setup Wazzu's only TD. He's not disrespecting them, he just see's them as a regular team. He's seen them before so why would he view them as something that they're not from his experiences against them? What's different about them this year from last year? I guess their defense is better than last year. Even Though WSU played without their starting QB and one of their best WR in the Apple Cup.
I have no reason to doubt that Marcellus has the fight and attitude before, during, and after the game. It just rings a bit hollow in post game comments....my take on what he said is that if it wasn't for trick plays, UW really didn't do much on offense ("They weren't really moving the ball well downfield, they had to use trick plays") I saw 386 yard of offense for UW in the first half. They didn't get all of those on trick plays. How many trick plays did you count in that game? Maybe 2 or 3? They really moved the ball at will against that defense...both on the ground and in the air. If Marcellus saw it differently, good for him.
Glad Cougar
Glad Cougar
That's a beauty. So what else do you want to talk about? So why don't we talk about the ease they moved the ball on his side of the field. So what did you want Marcellus to say? Did you want him to throw his team mates under the bus or throw UW under the bus? Because to him he felt he did his job. He probably feels he could have done better but he didn't get exposed. He probably see things a little different then you because of the game experience from playing it. And you have to also remember there was a lot of trash talk going on in that game yesterday. As we speak, Adoree Jackson for USC just got roasted for a double move TD against ND. Wow!!! And then on the K.O. return he takes it back for a 98 yard TD!!! Wow... I said in an earlier post above that AJax will be a better Slot Receiver and Special team returner than a CB in the NFL.
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Since you asked the question....let's discuss GMOs. I personally think all the fear and hysteria about genetically modified or engineered foods is not warranted. Science has not proven them to be harmful in any way and, in fact, we are able to produce seeds that don't require as much water, very important with climate change. What do you think?
Glad Cougar
Our out of control population growth damn near requires us to depend on GMO's. But good deflect from my original question in regards to who Pippins should throw under the bus.
Thanks for the compliment. I deflected the way Marcellus would deflect a pass thrown in his direction!
Glad Cougar
Wrong! Teams fear Pippins so much they don't even throw when he's on the field.
Since you are avoiding the question I'll take that as you agree with him throwing UW under the bus and not his teammates. Great, now we agree on something.
It's pretty simple. I have no problem with MP swagger. We need more guys that look at UW that way, and show up ready to slap them all over the field.
Problem is Pippens doesn't play DLine. They were manhandled. Wouldn't matter if Deion Sanders and Richard Sherman were covering their guys, Browning would have found them with all the time he had. Also easier to pass when you can run at will. That game was lost in the trenches.
Problem is Pippens doesn't play DLine. They were manhandled. Wouldn't matter if Deion Sanders and Richard Sherman were covering their guys, Browning would have found them with all the time he had. Also easier to pass when you can run at will. That game was lost in the trenches.
We all agree we like people playing with Pippins' intensity, and we like the "don't doubt me" Sherman-esque drama. But what some people are overlooking is that this kind of trash-talking came AFTER the team was beaten down in front of their own fans in their own stadium. Getting blown out is not the right time to diminish the humiliation the other team just dealt you. I love the attitude, but let me see it before and during the game - not after your school was just deflowered against its will by another.
BTW, I assume CaliTrojan is Marcellus Pippins' father? It's the only workable explanation.
BTW, I assume CaliTrojan is Marcellus Pippins' father? It's the only workable explanation.
First of all, I appreciate your respect for a part of the young man's game. Don't get that here too often other than yourself, poster how_did_this_happen and CougSinceBirth. But like I said before in an earlier post, I don't think Pippins viewed it as trash talk. I believe he doesn't respect them as a superior team because he knows most of those kids via All-star games, camps, combines, 7 on 7 and regular season games. He's never respected UW as being the superior team so to blame him for answering the questions as honest as he can doesn't feel right to me. Had he said UW has great players and they're just better than us he'd been ridiculed for saying that as well. Someone here would have said they're not better than Wazzu, we need better players.
Here's the questions and answers:
Q-What made UW so tough in the first quarter?
A- "We" didn't execute. (He put his teammates first).
Q-How much of a factor was a lack of Wazzu's D-front pressure?
A-It wasn't really that bad. They did what they could. (Once again, he puts his teammates first).
Q-How much was it you guys not doing your jobs vs them just being good?
A-It was a lot "us", not doing our jobs. (Again, he supported his teammates first).
Q-How did they stack up from a speed standpoint?
A-They actually weren't that fast. John Ross is kinda fast. They used a lot of trick plays to move the ball down field which is their thing. (Again, he had his teammates back).
No, no, no, I'm not Pippins father for the umpteenth time here. I'm a well known high school and Nike SPARQ's coach here in NorCal that knows the Pippins family very well. Pippins played on my sons youth football team and they were rivals in high school here in the Bay Area. I have a lot of respect for Pippins game as well as his El Cerrito high school teammates Adarius Pickett (Ucla), DJ Calhoun (Arizona St.) and Jalen Harvey (Arizona St.). All of these kids were taught to compete at the highest level and never lose your swag doing it. So maybe you guys should blame one of your best players in school history for that. I dropped the mic.
