Offense

[BiggsCoug]

The uw gave WSU two things... the outside pass to the RBs and the inside run game. Going so far as to remove their interior linemen and dare WSU to run the ball. Didnt happen.

What has been great about MB and JW this year is their ability to break a tackle or make a guy miss on their swing passes. They took a routine play and made the defense have to step up and defend it. In the snow? Not able to make the same cuts. It was right back to defenses giving them everything underneath, WSU taking it.

What you saw was the uw DC calling WSUs plays. He knows WSU qb will throw to his backs and let his DBs off the hook. He knows WSU wont run the ball. Do a great job defending anything down field, turn the WSU offense into the Air Backs not the Air Raid.

What you saw is the flaw in Leach’s offense.

He can attack all areas of the field except one. The line of scrimmage. The inside run. He has either no answer or refuses to coach running the ball against 2 or 3 man rush. What is mind numbing, is how the impact of running the ball inside would change the defense GM sees. You have to play another big body, removing a smaller body. You remove 1 pass defender. Now instead of 4 receivers on 8 DBs its 4 on 7. So youre a little better. You add a play action series and you impact the eyes of the defense. That helps routes.

Im not advocating that the offense is 50/50 run/pass. Im pointing out that if you claim your offensive goal is to attack the entire field and distribute the ball all over, youre missing the two things that can really slam your foot on the gas. Youre not attacking the LOS and forcing the defense to remove a pass defender and youre not taking what the defense gives you.

Would you give Alabama the inside run? How bout SC? How bout Clemson? No way. Give Leach the inside run? Sure!

 

[Flatlandcoug]

You're doing a great job of showing why Leach is never going to be a fit for an "elite" program. I'll counter by saying that I think Leach feels that we don't have the athletes to make inside runs work consistently enough to move the chains. I'll agree that Leach is infatuated with the forward pass to the point where it's to his detriment at times. I'll finish by saying that he's gotten us to where he has by ignoring your advice and he's satisfied with a 10-2 team and doesn't give a crap if you're unhappy about it.

I don't disagree with you.....but you're pissing in the wind if you think that Leach is going to change. You just have to ask yourself if you can live with that.

 

[random soul]

Attacking between the guards is something Baylor did really well when they were rolling. Track stars lined up practically against the sideline, then slam the ball right up the gut. It's not what Leach does, but if he left I'd love to see a coach move that direction to keep the stable of quality receivers as a primary resource

 

[BiggsCoug]

Attacking between the guards is something Baylor did really well when they were rolling. Track stars lined up practically against the sideline, then slam the ball right up the gut. It's not what Leach does, but if he left I'd love to see a coach move that direction to keep the stable of quality receivers as a primary resource

Even if you dont gain yards, you make them defend it. Instead of an incomplete pass, call it an incomplete run.

You dont expect to connect on every deep ball you throw but you throw it to make the defense defend it.

If you dont attempt it at all it allows the defense to better defend where you do attack.

 

[Coug90]

You're doing a great job of showing why Leach is never going to be a fit for an "elite" program. I'll counter by saying that I think Leach feels that we don't have the athletes to make inside runs work consistently enough to move the chains. I'll agree that Leach is infatuated with the forward pass to the point where it's to his detriment at times. I'll finish by saying that he's gotten us to where he has by ignoring your advice and he's satisfied with a 10-2 team and doesn't give a crap if you're unhappy about it.

I don't disagree with you.....but you're pissing in the wind if you think that Leach is going to change. You just have to ask yourself if you can live with that.

Definitely could have seen more Borghi slams up the gut, I think he carried it like 3 times. Also have to think it would have only been a matter of time before they packed the box more and Minshew just couldn’t throw the ball downfield. I’m not sure there was any recipe for us to win that game in that shit, unless Bledsoe came in and lit it up...but that was t going to happen.

Bottom line, we were a bogus call and a freak blizzard away from being undefeated doing it Leach’s way. With a young undersized D and a first year QB. Some of the stuff he does drives me nuts but that is impressive.

 

[BiggsCoug]

Definitely could have seen more Borghi slams up the gut, I think he carried it like 3 times. Also have to think it would have only been a matter of time before they packed the box more and Minshew just couldn’t throw the ball downfield. I’m not sure there was any recipe for us to win that game in that shit, unless Bledsoe came in and lit it up...but that was t going to happen.

Bottom line, we were a bogus call and a freak blizzard away from being undefeated doing it Leach’s way. With a young undersized D and a first year QB. Some of the stuff he does drives me nuts but that is impressive.

I dont know if he’s an idiot for running 4 receivers into 8 defenders or a genius because he won 10 games doing it.

He is essentially seeing the same defense every week. Maybe some variation in coverage.

So my question is, now that youve gotten every team in the league to play 3 down linemen, when are you gonna add the lead draw, draw, lead run plays to the offense to capitalize on it?

 

[Coug1990]

Definitely could have seen more Borghi slams up the gut, I think he carried it like 3 times. Also have to think it would have only been a matter of time before they packed the box more and Minshew just couldn’t throw the ball downfield. I’m not sure there was any recipe for us to win that game in that shit, unless Bledsoe came in and lit it up...but that was t going to happen.

Bottom line, we were a bogus call and a freak blizzard away from being undefeated doing it Leach’s way. With a young undersized D and a first year QB. Some of the stuff he does drives me nuts but that is impressive.

I have attended both Seahawk games and Cougar games forever. That was the worst weather for a game that I have ever attended. It was even worse than the game a few years ago when it was around zero degrees.

When it snowed in the past for games, it had always snowed in Pullman a few times before, so they were already used to the snow when it snowed on game day. The snow on Saturday was not an advantage to WSU like it had been in the past. It did favor the running team.

The bad thing was, by morning, most of the snow had melted. We were surprised when we left Pullman yesterday, only Pullman itself had been hit with snow. There was almost no snow outside the city limits of Pullman.

 

[Coug95man2]

I have attended both Seahawk games and Cougar games forever. That was the worst weather for a game that I have ever attended. It was even worse than the game a few years ago when it was around zero degrees.

When it snowed in the past for games, it had always snowed in Pullman a few times before, so they were already used to the snow when it snowed on game day. The snow on Saturday was not an advantage to WSU like it had been in the past. It did favor the running team.

The bad thing was, by morning, most of the snow had melted. We were surprised when we left Pullman yesterday, only Pullman itself had been hit with snow. There was almost no snow outside the city limits of Pullman.

It favored the running game. And we have a decent running game. But our Oline compared their D. THEIR Oline compared to our D... It just didn't favor us. It was the great equalizer. For all the reasons the AirRaid helps us, the weather took that away.
Regarding the weather, I live North of Spokane. Like, people joke they think we're in Canada. If Spokane gets 1" of snow, we get 2". Meaning if Spokane gets 1 foot of snow, we get 2 feet of snow. We got no snow. Craziest weather pattern.

 

[Coug1990]

I dont know if he’s an idiot for running 4 receivers into 8 defenders or a genius because he won 10 games doing it.

He is essentially seeing the same defense every week. Maybe some variation in coverage.

So my question is, now that youve gotten every team in the league to play 3 down linemen, when are you gonna add the lead draw, draw, lead run plays to the offense to capitalize on it?

You are what you are. WSU has the second best record in the conference the last four years. What Leach does, works.

Pete Carroll wrote a book about not having great success until he stopped deferring to everyone else and started building a program around his convictions. That is what Coach Leach has done at WSU.

Frankly, I do not believe that the uw and Petersen has some magic potion to win against Leach. The first four games, the uw was clearly a more talented team. This season was the first time that WSU was the better team. Unfortunately, a freak weatherstorm changed the game.

As we all have seen, WSU has gotten better and better because they have recruited better and better. That will continue.

Remember, Mike Price didn't win 10 games and win the conference until his 9th year and he took over a program in much better shape and coming off a bowl.

 

[Loyal Coug]

The uw gave WSU two things... the outside pass to the RBs and the inside run game. Going so far as to remove their interior linemen and dare WSU to run the ball. Didnt happen.

What has been great about MB and JW this year is their ability to break a tackle or make a guy miss on their swing passes. They took a routine play and made the defense have to step up and defend it. In the snow? Not able to make the same cuts. It was right back to defenses giving them everything underneath, WSU taking it.

What you saw was the uw DC calling WSUs plays. He knows WSU qb will throw to his backs and let his DBs off the hook. He knows WSU wont run the ball. Do a great job defending anything down field, turn the WSU offense into the Air Backs not the Air Raid.

What you saw is the flaw in Leach’s offense.

He can attack all areas of the field except one. The line of scrimmage. The inside run. He has either no answer or refuses to coach running the ball against 2 or 3 man rush. What is mind numbing, is how the impact of running the ball inside would change the defense GM sees. You have to play another big body, removing a smaller body. You remove 1 pass defender. Now instead of 4 receivers on 8 DBs its 4 on 7. So youre a little better. You add a play action series and you impact the eyes of the defense. That helps routes.

Im not advocating that the offense is 50/50 run/pass. Im pointing out that if you claim your offensive goal is to attack the entire field and distribute the ball all over, youre missing the two things that can really slam your foot on the gas. Youre not attacking the LOS and forcing the defense to remove a pass defender and youre not taking what the defense gives you.

Would you give Alabama the inside run? How bout SC? How bout Clemson? No way. Give Leach the inside run? Sure!

Well I believe that the QB has the option to run the ball on any play call except the open backfield. So let's not blame CML for that. MB and JW did run it 16 times (GM 7, but I think only 2? were designed runs). In any event, they averaged 5.3/carry. So yeah we should have just run them more. And run quick dives on that no nose guard lineup.

And, Minshew could have gone under center and run a quick snap a few times. He did that once or twice earlier in the year. Assjab as we called it. Jab the center in the ass and he snaps it. Could have gotten 5 yards a pop easy. Or hand it to the RB on a quick dive. Don't let the DE's have time to get there, which our slow developing runs did.

 

[kougkurt]

It favored the running game. And we have a decent running game. But our Oline compared their D. THEIR Oline compared to our D... It just didn't favor us. It was the great equalizer. For all the reasons the AirRaid helps us, the weather took that away.
Regarding the weather, I live North of Spokane. Like, people joke they think we're in Canada. If Spokane gets 1" of snow, we get 2". Meaning if Spokane gets 1 foot of snow, we get 2 feet of snow. We got no snow. Craziest weather pattern.

Never seen anything like it. Only during the game too.

 

[Coug1990]

It favored the running game. And we have a decent running game. But our Oline compared their D. THEIR Oline compared to our D... It just didn't favor us. It was the great equalizer. For all the reasons the AirRaid helps us, the weather took that away.
Regarding the weather, I live North of Spokane. Like, people joke they think we're in Canada. If Spokane gets 1" of snow, we get 2". Meaning if Spokane gets 1 foot of snow, we get 2 feet of snow. We got no snow. Craziest weather pattern.

It was a different type of snow as well. Usually, the snow is dry. It rained hard before the game and when it started snowing, it was a wet snow. It was much sloppier than normal.

 

[Coug1990]

Never seen anything like it. Only during the game too.

When we left yesterday morning and we saw there was no snow anywhere except the city limits of Pullman, we joked that Chis Petersen must have made a deal with the devil to have it snow only on Pullman.

 

[BiggsCoug]

Well I believe that the QB has the option to run the ball on any play call except the open backfield. So let's not blame CML for that. MB and JW did run it 16 times (GM 7, but I think only 2? were designed runs). In any event, they averaged 5.3/carry. So yeah we should have just run them more. And run quick dives on that no nose guard lineup.

And, Minshew could have gone under center and run a quick snap a few times. He did that once or twice earlier in the year. Assjab as we called it. Jab the center in the ass and he snaps it. Could have gotten 5 yards a pop easy. Or hand it to the RB on a quick dive. Don't let the DE's have time to get there, which our slow developing runs did.

Leach is 100% responsible for the plays called. Dont pass the buck or believe the BS story he tells you. If Leach wants the ball run he grabs Minshew by he facemask amd screams at him to run the ball. Message sent, run play called.

You are either coaching it or allowing it to happen. Either way its on Leach.

 

[dgibbons]

I dont know if he’s an idiot for running 4 receivers into 8 defenders or a genius because he won 10 games doing it.

He is essentially seeing the same defense every week. Maybe some variation in coverage.

So my question is, now that youve gotten every team in the league to play 3 down linemen, when are you gonna add the lead draw, draw, lead run plays to the offense to capitalize on it?

They’ve been running the draw and the shovel pass. The lead draw disappeared after the first year or two.

 

[Coug95man2]

And I can recall a shuffle pass, at least once, that got completely blown up. Was hit about the time the ball got there. And the way it developed, it was for a loss of yards as I recall.

 

[CougEd]

The uw gave WSU two things... the outside pass to the RBs and the inside run game. Going so far as to remove their interior linemen and dare WSU to run the ball. Didnt happen.

What has been great about MB and JW this year is their ability to break a tackle or make a guy miss on their swing passes. They took a routine play and made the defense have to step up and defend it. In the snow? Not able to make the same cuts. It was right back to defenses giving them everything underneath, WSU taking it.

What you saw was the uw DC calling WSUs plays. He knows WSU qb will throw to his backs and let his DBs off the hook. He knows WSU wont run the ball. Do a great job defending anything down field, turn the WSU offense into the Air Backs not the Air Raid.

What you saw is the flaw in Leach’s offense.

He can attack all areas of the field except one. The line of scrimmage. The inside run. He has either no answer or refuses to coach running the ball against 2 or 3 man rush. What is mind numbing, is how the impact of running the ball inside would change the defense GM sees. You have to play another big body, removing a smaller body. You remove 1 pass defender. Now instead of 4 receivers on 8 DBs its 4 on 7. So youre a little better. You add a play action series and you impact the eyes of the defense. That helps routes.

Im not advocating that the offense is 50/50 run/pass. Im pointing out that if you claim your offensive goal is to attack the entire field and distribute the ball all over, youre missing the two things that can really slam your foot on the gas. Youre not attacking the LOS and forcing the defense to remove a pass defender and youre not taking what the defense gives you.

Would you give Alabama the inside run? How bout SC? How bout Clemson? No way. Give Leach the inside run? Sure!

A couple of thoughts. Here is where Peterson differs from Leach. Leach may always have problems in snow games not because of the snow necessarily but how he combats the snow. Leach values accuracy above everything else in a QB. A QB could be 5 5 and if he can be accurate that ranks first on Leach's must have list.

When Gardner goes to the combine they will down grade him for his hand size. The reason he couldn't get the ball down field is cause he couldn't grip it. His throws were shot puts. Take Bledsoe, with those meat hooks he could grip it and rip it.

Leach will trot out the same game plan cause against like competition it works. So that will get you 8-10 wins.

Peterson while doesn't have the QB's Leach has had, he has owned us. He has more variety in his offense, so he can go three TE's. If I see the double pass for a TD one more time against these guys. Peterson knows when to call it. Why bang your head against the wall, he makes it easier for the players?

We can talk about the snow, the fact is we got beat up front. UW has the blue print. Beat up the Wr's at the line of scrimmage. Put someone over our center and he gets beat like a drum. Because of center guard gap GAines or Via V just split the gap.

Leach will not change. He won't run a trick play. He won't game plan for UW. Walden, Erickson, and Price all circled that game. Erickson said there will not be a day in the next year he wouldn't think how he was going to beat the Huskies.

Because I don't see as long as Peterson is at UW when the Cougs will make it a rivalry again. They lose two OT's that dominated our Dline, they lose probably 3/4's of their back end, and they will be favored going into the game in Husky stadium.

 

[jarvis1981]

The next Apple Cup is 12 months away so who cares who is favored going into that game as of today. Let's think about that in 364 days.
What is important is the Cougs get ready for a big time bowl game and then focus on recruiting and who is going to be the next QB.
The Cougs are going to be good again next year with CML at the top.

 

[BSpike76]

A couple of thoughts. Here is where Peterson differs from Leach. Leach may always have problems in snow games not because of the snow necessarily but how he combats the snow. Leach values accuracy above everything else in a QB. A QB could be 5 5 and if he can be accurate that ranks first on Leach's must have list.

When Gardner goes to the combine they will down grade him for his hand size. The reason he couldn't get the ball down field is cause he couldn't grip it. His throws were shot puts. Take Bledsoe, with those meat hooks he could grip it and rip it.

Leach will trot out the same game plan cause against like competition it works. So that will get you 8-10 wins.

Peterson while doesn't have the QB's Leach has had, he has owned us. He has more variety in his offense, so he can go three TE's. If I see the double pass for a TD one more time against these guys. Peterson knows when to call it. Why bang your head against the wall, he makes it easier for the players?

We can talk about the snow, the fact is we got beat up front. UW has the blue print. Beat up the Wr's at the line of scrimmage. Put someone over our center and he gets beat like a drum. Because of center guard gap GAines or Via V just split the gap.

Leach will not change. He won't run a trick play. He won't game plan for UW. Walden, Erickson, and Price all circled that game. Erickson said there will not be a day in the next year he wouldn't think how he was going to beat the Huskies.

Because I don't see as long as Peterson is at UW when teh Cougs will make it a rivalry again. They lose two OT's that dominated our Dline, they lose probably 3/4's of their back end, and they will be favored going into the game in Husky stadium.

The Swinging Gate says hi.

I was wonder if we could get that guy to design something that use our big receivers like TE, but still call them z or whatever. Maybe call them gateposts.

 

[dgibbons]

The Swinging Gate says hi.

I was wonder if we could get that guy to design something that use our big receivers like TE, but still call them z or whatever. Maybe call them gateposts.

And friendly hello from the halfback pass against Arizona too.

 

[Cougatron]

A couple of thoughts. Here is where Peterson differs from Leach. Leach may always have problems in snow games not because of the snow necessarily but how he combats the snow. Leach values accuracy above everything else in a QB. A QB could be 5 5 and if he can be accurate that ranks first on Leach's must have list.

When Gardner goes to the combine they will down grade him for his hand size. The reason he couldn't get the ball down field is cause he couldn't grip it. His throws were shot puts. Take Bledsoe, with those meat hooks he could grip it and rip it.

Leach will trot out the same game plan cause against like competition it works. So that will get you 8-10 wins.

Peterson while doesn't have the QB's Leach has had, he has owned us. He has more variety in his offense, so he can go three TE's. If I see the double pass for a TD one more time against these guys. Peterson knows when to call it. Why bang your head against the wall, he makes it easier for the players?

We can talk about the snow, the fact is we got beat up front. UW has the blue print. Beat up the Wr's at the line of scrimmage. Put someone over our center and he gets beat like a drum. Because of center guard gap GAines or Via V just split the gap.

Leach will not change. He won't run a trick play. He won't game plan for UW. Walden, Erickson, and Price all circled that game. Erickson said there will not be a day in the next year he wouldn't think how he was going to beat the Huskies.

Because I don't see as long as Peterson is at UW when teh Cougs will make it a rivalry again. They lose two OT's that dominated our Dline, they lose probably 3/4's of their back end, and they will be favored going into the game in Husky stadium.

This is all full of lies.

“He won’t run a trick play.” This is a lie James Williams threw a pass this year as well as the “Big Gulp” formation.

“Walden Price Erickson all circles this game” none of them had a winning record against UW, and the two that coaches for more than 3 years only won 1/3 of the time. So if they “circled this game” they are failures, and those two also had more losing seasons than winning ones.

Petersen has owned us for some very simple reasons. Better players, playing a disciplined defense combined with Running the ball with a superior line to our front 7. That’s it. That’s the plan. It works because it is a very basic approach. He can get pressure with his line drop his guys stay disciplined and on offense eat up clock and grind down the defense.

There is also more to the Apple Cup than Petersen or Leach which I will be talking about in another post, but all this talk about the offense or Leach this Leach that is nonsense.

The weather played to the advantage of Petersen today and I do not think in normal conditions UW would have won. It’s a different world when there is visibility and the receivers can cut.

 

[Loyal Coug]

When Gardner goes to the combine they will down grade him for his hand size. The reason he couldn't get the ball down field is cause he couldn't grip it.

If I see the double pass for a TD one more time against these guys. Peterson knows when to call it.
.

I will be interested to see the hand size measurement. Had not thought of that vis a vis the game.

And you beat me to it on the double pass play. I am relatively sure that the mutts have run that play every year. Heck maybe every one of their games since he got their..

And we bit like a shark on a hook with a chunk of meat on it. I saw that replay - like 3 guys downfield swarming to the ball - and watching the duck sail over their heads.

 

[kougkurt]

And I can recall a shuffle pass, at least once, that got completely blown up. Was hit about the time the ball got there. And the way it developed, it was for a loss of yards as I recall.

Just lucky by the dogs. The defender spun into the tackle.

 

[Coug1990]

This is all full of lies.

“He won’t run a trick play.” This is a lie James Williams threw a pass this year as well as the “Big Gulp” formation.

“Walden Price Erickson all circles this game” none of them had a winning record against UW, and the two that coaches for more than 3 years only won 1/3 of the time. So if they “circled this game” they are failures, and those two also had more losing seasons than winning ones.

Petersen has owned us for some very simple reasons. Better players, playing a disciplined defense combined with Running the ball with a superior line to our front 7. That’s it. That’s the plan. It works because it is a very basic approach. He can get pressure with his line drop his guys stay disciplined and on offense eat up clock and grind down the defense.

There is also more to the Apple Cup than Petersen or Leach which I will be talking about in another post, but all this talk about the offense or Leach this Leach that is nonsense.

The weather played to the advantage of Petersen today and I do not think in normal conditions UW would have won. It’s a different world when there is visibility and the receivers can cut.

Yes, this is exactly right and I wrote a little about this earlier today. The key to beating the uw is to continue to upgrade the entire roster. The uw has had much better players that have played their best game in the Apple Cup. Saturday was the first time that that I really thought that WSU had the better team. For reasons, they outplayed us and deservedly so.

Things eventually will change. When? Hopefully next season.

 

[CougEd]

This is all full of lies.

“He won’t run a trick play.” This is a lie James Williams threw a pass this year as well as the “Big Gulp” formation.

“Walden Price Erickson all circles this game” none of them had a winning record against UW, and the two that coaches for more than 3 years only won 1/3 of the time. So if they “circled this game” they are failures, and those two also had more losing seasons than winning ones.

Petersen has owned us for some very simple reasons. Better players, playing a disciplined defense combined with Running the ball with a superior line to our front 7. That’s it. That’s the plan. It works because it is a very basic approach. He can get pressure with his line drop his guys stay disciplined and on offense eat up clock and grind down the defense.

There is also more to the Apple Cup than Petersen or Leach which I will be talking about in another post, but all this talk about the offense or Leach this Leach that is nonsense.

The weather played to the advantage of Petersen today and I do not think in normal conditions UW would have won. It’s a different world when there is visibility and the receivers can cut.

I’ll take it one at a time as in airport cell parking lot waiting to pick up my daughter. Les start with the biggest lie, he won’t run a trick play . uW in 2010 ran a fake punt to change the momentum and won the game with a pass to Kearse with a minute left .

How many easy scores has uw had in the apple cup or plays that changed momentum ? How many trick or unexpected plays has WSU run. Leach has not once run a trick play in the apple cup. Leach has run how many trick or surprise plays in the last six seasons . How many has uw run in the Apple Cup alone.

They scored easily with the double pass . I think I was closer to Hunter than our DBs

 

[chipdouglas]

Frankly, I do not believe that the uw and Petersen has some magic potion to win against Leach. The first four games, the uw was clearly a more talented team. This season was the first time that WSU was the better team. Unfortunately, a freak weatherstorm changed the game.

Totally agree, and interesting to hear the weather was every bit as bad as it looked. This rivalry has not been pretty enough for us for me to talk trash, so I held my tongue before the game with Husky fans, but downgraded my "85% chance of a win" prediction to about 40% when we flipped over and saw Minshew taking practice reps in that disgusting wet torrent. But truly:

• Year 1: non-Air Raid QB (Tuel)
• Year 2: non-air Raid QB (Halliday)
• Year 3: backup QB with 2 prior starts (Falk)
• Year 4: lost straight up (Falk)
• Year 5: freak weather blows up gameplan

5 losses, but 4 are situations we can expect to become rare: non-Air Raid QB, backup still getting his sea legs, freak weather, whatever. We will always have a talent gap, and we won't have home field on half of these, but I believe - freak weather excepted - Year 5 is more indicative of what we can expect of the Cougs than any other.

 

[How_did_this_happen?]

A couple of thoughts. Here is where Peterson differs from Leach. Leach may always have problems in snow games not because of the snow necessarily but how he combats the snow. Leach values accuracy above everything else in a QB. A QB could be 5 5 and if he can be accurate that ranks first on Leach's must have list.

When Gardner goes to the combine they will down grade him for his hand size. The reason he couldn't get the ball down field is cause he couldn't grip it. His throws were shot puts. Take Bledsoe, with those meat hooks he could grip it and rip it.

Leach will trot out the same game plan cause against like competition it works. So that will get you 8-10 wins.

Peterson while doesn't have the QB's Leach has had, he has owned us. He has more variety in his offense, so he can go three TE's. If I see the double pass for a TD one more time against these guys. Peterson knows when to call it. Why bang your head against the wall, he makes it easier for the players?

We can talk about the snow, the fact is we got beat up front. UW has the blue print. Beat up the Wr's at the line of scrimmage. Put someone over our center and he gets beat like a drum. Because of center guard gap GAines or Via V just split the gap.

Leach will not change. He won't run a trick play. He won't game plan for UW. Walden, Erickson, and Price all circled that game. Erickson said there will not be a day in the next year he wouldn't think how he was going to beat the Huskies.

Because I don't see as long as Peterson is at UW when teh Cougs will make it a rivalry again. They lose two OT's that dominated our Dline, they lose probably 3/4's of their back end, and they will be favored going into the game in Husky stadium.

Then why doesn't Utah, with a similarly tough defense get it? That never makes sense to me.

 

[dgibbons]

Then why doesn't Utah, with a similarly tough defense get it? That never makes sense to me.

Utah hasn't had Vea, Shelton, Qualls, King, Jones, Baker, etc., and Utah's offense generally blows cheese.

 

[Coug95man2]

Totally agree, and interesting to hear the weather was every bit as bad as it looked. This rivalry has not been pretty enough for us for me to talk trash, so I held my tongue before the game with Husky fans, but downgraded my "85% chance of a win" prediction to about 40% when we flipped over and saw Minshew taking practice reps in that disgusting wet torrent. But truly:

• Year 1: non-Air Raid QB (Tuel)
• Year 2: non-air Raid QB (Halliday)
• Year 3: backup QB with 2 prior starts (Falk)
• Year 4: lost straight up (Falk)
• Year 5: freak weather blows up gameplan

5 losses, but 4 are situations we can expect to become rare: non-Air Raid QB, backup still getting his sea legs, freak weather, whatever. We will always have a talent gap, and we won't have home field on half of these, but I believe - freak weather excepted - Year 5 is more indicative of what we can expect of the Cougs than any other.

I agree with everything you and 1990 have been saying. But here's my thing. I'm so tired of excuses. I just am. If what I believe, and what you/1990 are saying, is true... Then we should have zero excuses from this point out.

And I'll be honest, if we don't have any excuses for UW, I don't know that we have excuses for anyone, at any point, anymore.

 

[CougPatrol]

There’s also the fact that, if UW beats Utah this week, they’ll lead the P12 in conference wins over the past 4 years. They’ve had our number. They’ve had a lot of teams number. We’re right there with Stanford and USC the past 4 years. That’s pretty good.

 

[Coug1990]

I agree with everything you and 1990 have been saying. But here's my thing. I'm so tired of excuses. I just am. If what I believe, and what you/1990 are saying, is true... Then we should have zero excuses from this point out.

And I'll be honest, if we don't have any excuses for UW, I don't know that we have excuses for anyone, at any point, anymore.

While I have said there were valid reasons, I also have wrote that they adjusted to the conditions. If a better team beats you, is it an excuse to point out why? There is a reason why the uw has the conferences best record the last four years.

While the two teams have had nearly identical records, the point differential has been decidedly in favor of the uw, As has been written in the last few days, the uw has had numerous high draft picks. The Cougars have and two or three low round picks.

Look at it this way, for the first time in our history, the Cougars are going to their fourth straight bowl and with most of the players returning next season. Recruiting is getting better every year. I don't know when WSU will beat the uw, but it will happen.

 

[cr8zyncalif]

While I have said there were valid reasons, I also have wrote that they adjusted to the conditions. If a better team beats you, is it an excuse to point out why? There is a reason why the uw has the conferences best record the last four years.

While the two teams have had nearly identical records, the point differential has been decidedly in favor of the uw, As has been written in the last few days, the uw has had numerous high draft picks. The Cougars have and two or three low round picks.

Look at it this way, for the first time in our history, the Cougars are going to their fourth straight bowl and with most of the players returning next season. Recruiting is getting better every year. I don't know when WSU will beat the uw, but it will happen.

1990, I'll add this to your excellent post: And when it happens, it will happen repeatedly.

 

[chipdouglas]

I agree with everything you and 1990 have been saying. But here's my thing. I'm so tired of excuses. I just am. If what I believe, and what you/1990 are saying, is true... Then we should have zero excuses from this point out.

And I'll be honest, if we don't have any excuses for UW, I don't know that we have excuses for anyone, at any point, anymore.

My point is more about looking forward and less about making excuses for past performance. 4 of 5 years are situations you would not much expect to see in a typical CML year.

 

[Coug90]

1990, I'll add this to your excellent post: And when it happens, it will happen repeatedly.

Bingo. UW has been talented and they’ve also had the fortune of playing us in less than ideal situations for us. Backup QBs, ridiculous weather. This team is getting to a point where all of a sudden we could reel off 3, 4, 5 wins in a row too, be in their head every year, etc. sick of the whoa is me bullshit, it’s gonna happen...soon...and often.

 

[CougPatrol]

For whatever reason, Ohio State has been punking Michigan every year for almost 2 decades. Why? That rivalry, unlike the Apple Cup, has been competitive for over 80 years prior to this streak.

 

[Coug95man2]

While I have said there were valid reasons, I also have wrote that they adjusted to the conditions. If a better team beats you, is it an excuse to point out why? There is a reason why the uw has the conferences best record the last four years.

While the two teams have had nearly identical records, the point differential has been decidedly in favor of the uw, As has been written in the last few days, the uw has had numerous high draft picks. The Cougars have and two or three low round picks.

Look at it this way, for the first time in our history, the Cougars are going to their fourth straight bowl and with most of the players returning next season. Recruiting is getting better every year. I don't know when WSU will beat the uw, but it will happen.

I'm with you but to clarify, you are completely correct that pointing out why your team/program lost is not an excuse, per se. And the difference between what you are saying and what an "excuse" is, is a very thin thread. I guess it's as subtle as how you present it. When you are logical, calm, factual... it could be argued that it isn't an excuse. But when you go off the handle, deal in hyperbole, rant instead of being concise, it is an excuse. I think it also goes to owning the results.

I will say this... CML's first/only AC win and this years game... were the only games I felt like we were battling in the same arena as the UW. Was it our adjustments? Was it our recruiting? Was it our upgrade in D? Emotions? I don't know but I'd probably say it's a mixture of all of the above.

But one thing I don't ever want WSU to be, is some entitled, pansy-ass, spoiled brats that lose a game and make stupid excuses. We lost. Give them, whomever they are, credit. And then hopefully our team will use that as fuel. Because here's the thing. When you make excuses, you are negating responsibility. When you have responsibility, you have ownership of the problem and in this case, the team can use that to improve and honestly to get pissed. Use it as fuel.

I'll use the ref PI calls and the other objectionable calls we've had, the whole conference has had over the past year or so. To me, those kinds of things are out of our players hands. That means those boys need to be even BETTER at coverage. They can only control themselves. Don't use the refs as excuses. Just be better. THAT you can control.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

I'm with you but to clarify, you are completely correct that pointing out why your team/program lost is not an excuse, per se. And the difference between what you are saying and what an "excuse" is, is a very thin thread. I guess it's as subtle as how you present it. When you are logical, calm, factual... it could be argued that it isn't an excuse. But when you go off the handle, deal in hyperbole, rant instead of being concise, it is an excuse. I think it also goes to owning the results.

I will say this... CML's first/only AC win and this years game... where the only games I felt like we were battling in the same arena as the UW. Was it our adjustments? Was it our recruiting? Was it our upgrade in D? Emotions? I don't know but I'd probably say it's a mixture of all of the above.

But one thing I don't ever want WSU to be, is some entitled, pansy-ass, spoiled brats that lose a game and make stupid excuses. We lost. Give them, whomever they are, credit. And then hopefully our team will use that as fuel. Because here's the thing. When you make excuses, you are negating responsibility. When you have responsibility, you have ownership of the problem and in this case, the team can use that to improve and honestly to get pissed. Use it as fuel.

I'll use the ref PI calls and the other objectionable calls we've had, the whole conference has had. To me, those kinds of things are out of our players hands. That means those boys need to be even BETTER at coverage. They can only control themselves. Don't use the refs as excuses. Just be better. THAT you can control.

Agree 100%. I'm flat out tired of the whining about the non-call at the end of the USC game and the griping about the PI's. Yeah, it was BS that Gustin wasn't ejected and the PI's were weak but we had a number of other opportunities to keep the game from coming down to that final drive and we didn't get it done. On the Apple Cup, Leach's mantra has always been "one game at a time" and he's always made it clear that you don't look back and focus on the past and try to make excuses for it or because of it. His rant after the Baylor game when he was at Tech is classic Mike Leach ripping on his players for thinking that the past matters when it comes to performance today.

 

[chipdouglas]

I'm sick of hearing complaining about complaining.

People who say the weather essentially had no impact on the Apple Cup, or who suggest all griping about officiating is completely invalid, are putting their personal preference for a "stiff upper lip" over intellectual honesty. I understand you don't want any asterisks on your wins - that doesn't mean they don't exist.

AC: credit to the Dawgs for having the more versatile gameplan but they don't win without weather. Yes it affected both of us, but WE THROW 50+ TIMES A GAME. Browning attempted 14 (!) in the AC; he hasn't attempted more than 27 except for @Auburn (32). People saying "their receivers and DBs had to make the same cuts/blocks/routes" don't realize it's pretty forgiving when that only affects you on 14 attempts rather than 35+. Not to mention, it doesn't matter if their DB is slipping in pursuit if WR1 slips and misses his block, WR2 slips on his route, and the slippery duck Minshew throws slips through WR3's hands.

Officiating: those moaning about the refs understand it's wildly unpopular, so you'd better believe the people who do it anyway are either clueless or serious. The Cal game felt to me like borderline corruption, and they played too big an adversarial part in a number of our other games in unjustifiable ways. But I'm fair: I felt like we came out on top vs Zona, I wish they would have called it closer in the AC but it was fine, and as the Cougs became the PAC's lone playoff shot, I felt our fortunes change and you didn't hear complaining from me or [hopefully] others. But saying it had no impact on outcomes and didn't unjustly jeopardize games this team was fortunately good enough to win anyway says more about you and your tastes than the balance of officiating.

To the sentiment of "win and you won't need excuses," that'd be great wouldn't it? But again, that's your fantasy world, and it's not the one any of us lives in. WSU will never achieve that level of dominance. Manny Pacquiao didn't "leave it up to the judges" in 2012 vs Tim Bradley but he still lost; it was a huge boxing scandal. Any advice here for Manny? As we saw this year, there is so much parity in the PAC: the South winner will finish the season with 4-5 losses, UW beat us even though we vanquished 2 of their foes... saying "don't leave it up to the judges" (a) like it means something and (b) like it's POSSIBLE is next level Dr Phil.

 

[Coug95man2]

I'm sick of hearing complaining about complaining.

 

[CougEd]

I'm sick of hearing complaining about complaining.

People who say the weather essentially had no impact on the Apple Cup, or who suggest all griping about officiating is completely invalid, are putting their personal preference for a "stiff upper lip" over intellectual honesty. I understand you don't want any asterisks on your wins - that doesn't mean they don't exist.

AC: credit to the Dawgs for having the more versatile gameplan but they don't win without weather. Yes it affected both of us, but WE THROW 50+ TIMES A GAME. Browning attempted 14 (!) in the AC; he hasn't attempted more than 27 except for @Auburn (32). People saying "their receivers and DBs had to make the same cuts/blocks/routes" don't realize it's pretty forgiving when that only affects you on 14 attempts rather than 35+. Not to mention, it doesn't matter if their DB is slipping in pursuit if WR1 slips and misses his block, WR2 slips on his route, and the slippery duck Minshew throws slips through WR3's hands.

Officiating: those moaning about the refs understand it's wildly unpopular, so you'd better believe the people who do it anyway are either clueless or serious. The Cal game felt to me like borderline corruption, and they played too big an adversarial part in a number of our other games in unjustifiable ways. But I'm fair: I felt like we came out on top vs Zona, I wish they would have called it closer in the AC but it was fine, and as the Cougs became the PAC's lone playoff shot, I felt our fortunes change and you didn't hear complaining from me or [hopefully] others. But saying it had no impact on outcomes and didn't unjustly jeopardize games this team was fortunately good enough to win anyway says more about you and your tastes than the balance of officiating.

To the sentiment of "win and you won't need excuses," that'd be great wouldn't it? But again, that's your fantasy world, and it's not the one any of us lives in. WSU will never achieve that level of dominance. Manny Pacquiao didn't "leave it up to the judges" in 2012 vs Tim Bradley but he still lost; it was a huge boxing scandal. Any advice here for Manny? As we saw this year, there is so much parity in the PAC: the South winner will finish the season with 4-5 losses, UW beat us even though we vanquished 2 of their foes... saying "don't leave it up to the judges" (a) like it means something and (b) like it's POSSIBLE is next level Dr Phil.

Why "without" the weather does the UW not win? There was no weather last year and the play Gaskin went untouched for 80 yards they scored from the 10 yard line and if they played two hand touch they would still have scored, last year and this year.

Our dline was over matched. They ran the clock out with I believe over 5 minutes left in the game. It is just a bad match up. They do stuff to confuse our QB's.