Which is worse — falling behind 40-0 at the half or getting pasted 56-0 in the last four third quarters? That’s the choice we have between the Cougars and Huskies.
Saturday probably sealed the fate of Bill Doba at WSU. No D-1 team gets blasted that badly in the first half — I don’t care who it is. The Cougs weren’t ready to play. That’s on the coaching staff. That Alex Brink is the school’s all-time leading passer is a mathematical crime against Drew Bledsoe and Ryan Leaf. The Cougs let Arizona State off the hook and didn’t show up at Oregon. I hate firings, but there has to be a change here.
I don’t know that I feel the same about Tyrone Willingham, but it would help to see some week-by-week consistency. Look at the running game. See any improvement? I’m not ready to bail on Jake Locker (as some already have) because he’s a redshirt freshman. He’ll be good. He’s not now, but he has tools. He needs time and coaching, which makes me nervous.
Trouble is, where will the help come from? Is this the high point of this staff’s recruiting? Three years, and talent still is at Big Sky level, with few exceptions. Not only that, but we’re seeing the same mistakes week after week. Linebackers are consistently out of position and don’t wrap up when they are. The front four provides little pass rush. And the secondary … don’t get me started.
Saw the LSU-Kentucky game Saturday and remember thinking, “Geez, these guys are on a different planet.” It’s a different game down there than what we’re used to seeing and suffering through.
I’m getting the same feeling now as when I covered Bob Bender’s last two UW basketball teams. I dread writing about these guys. I dreaded watching bad basketball. It’s the same now with UW football. Yuck!
Oregon’s here next week. Maybe I’ll catch pneumonia and can’t get out of bed.
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