WSU Friday: The Offense Strikes Back?

So a lot has been made about the defense outplaying the offense so far in WSU's fall camp.  The majority of the recaps, from the official sources as well as our own Longball, have reported that the defense looks bigger-stronger-faster, and especially up front, they are wrecking some havoc for the O.  We asked this a few days ago, but, at the time it was determined that you know, it really does seem too early to worry.  Give it some time, we said, and as is traditionally the case with timing-style offenses, it will take a few weeks before things start to click. 

Well, whaddaya know but hey, the offense has picked it up the last few days!  It's true, per the reports at least from the last couple of days.  Joe Nickell at the official site had this to say after yesterday's practice:

Up to this point in camp the defense has been the story, but if the offense continues to move the ball like they did today, Cougar fans should be getting excited.

I think a big thing to remember here is that yes, offenses typically do take a couple of weeks - at least - to get into another gear.  And sometimes, it can take the entire fall camp and even into the first couple of games to really get it started!  It's just part of the deal. You think about how there are so many moving parts that need to be in synch, from the offense line and the adjustments made up front with a new coach in Steve Morton, to the backs, receivers and yes, the QB's, all making the correct decisions based on what they see out of the D.  But if anything, I think many of us should feel encouraged by the reports of how strong the defense has been looking so far, and that there is a real feeling that things are about to change.

That said, it's probably a good idea to remember where things used to be.  In the last couple of fall camp sessions under coach Wulff, the themes have been far different compared to this year.  For example, in '08 the theme was the "walking wounded", where several practices were spied where almost half the team on the sidelines, nursing various bumps-n-bruises.  Wulff openly lamented the lack of toughness and fundamentals with many of the players he inherited, that they just weren't equipped to compete in the Pac-10.  The warning signs were loud and clear, and we know what happened - apart from the Apple Cup victory in '08, the season was generally a disaster, with epic losses that severely wounded a fanbase wondering what the heck was going on.

Last year, there was some hope that things were going to turn around, but there were still some big questions that never really seem to get answered during camp.  Remember the QB situation a year ago?  Yes, Kevin Lopina had a decent fall camp, but he wasn't exactly in the Drew Bledsoe/Ryan Leaf/Jason Gesser mold of blowing you away with his prowess at the position.  Bless Lopina's crimson heart for busting his behind as a Coug, powering through injuries in his two years in Pullman, but it was pretty clear that he was the choice last fall based on 1) an inexperienced QB struggling to find himself after major knee surgery (Marshall Lobbestael), and 2) a shining true frosh who at the time was deemed far too "green" to take the reins in Jeff Tuel.  Combine the two guys who weren't quite there with the solid camp from Lopina, and they pretty much had to roll with the senior as the starter to kick off the season. 

Of course, things unraveled quickly, and the Lopina experience was pretty much done after the week two loss to Hawaii.

So, here we are.  Today, the theme of Fall Camp 2010 has been improved defense that has opened a lot of eyes based on their new-found size, strength and speed, but an offense that has shown flashes, yet still hasn't arrived.  But maybe, just maybe, things are starting to click on O as they close out week two?  It will be interesting to see how this next round of scrimmages go this weekend.  I don't think we should be shocked if the offense strikes back! 

Continue on for the links on yesterday's action, as well as some other points of interest on a Friday.....

• An EXCELLENT read from Howie Stalwick about Alex Hoffman-Ellis, who might be the most talented starter returning on defense for '10. 
  
  
  
  
  

  Hoffman-Ellis is really an interesting story.  I thought I knew he was inexperienced, but per Stalwick's article, Hoffman-Ellis didn't even start playing football until his SENIOR year in high school? To go from where he was to logging 85 tackles last year in his first year in Pullman is just amazing.  He reportedly looks great this year in camp, using his 4.5 40-time speed attacking from the weakside as he has now moved outside.  There may not be a better candidate for all-conference honors on WSU's defense in Hoffman-Ellis, and it will be fun to watch them cut him loose and use that speed and athleticism on defense this year! 
  
  Also part of Stalwick's story is that the Montana State game has been set for a 4 PM kickoff.  While TV seems unlikely, still, a 4 PM start does at least leave open the possibility of the game being picked up?  The thing is, if you see the 2 PM start at home, then TV is out the window.  But 4 PM is at least a possibility.
  
  
  
• Cougfan's recap of yesterday is a premium story, but we can tell you that the general theme is the progress of the offense from yesterday, some solid depth at running back, and the new offensive line combo coming together and making progress.
  
  
• Cougfan has a couple of other articles, in the freebie department - this one touches on why in the world Wulff is listed as a hot seat candidate, and this one on Coug QB commit Cody Clements and his rating in SoCal.   Maybe in a bit of a surprise, Clements is actually rated ahead of USC QB commit Max Wittek.....yet Wittek is the one with four stars next to his name, while Clements is still just a two-star recruit.  There should be a re-rating ahead for Clements, so stay tuned there (if you actually care about recruiting rankings that is!).
  
  And the hot-seat talk?  Well, that's not really a surprise when the view is from a distance - 3-22, and some horrible losses in the last couple of years, so it would make some sense to put Wulff's name on the list.  But the Cougfan article goes through all the reasons why it may not be such a slam-dunk type thing to have Wulff on these lists, based on a variety of factors.  It's a good read to remind you all where things were when Wulff took over (yeah, I know, YET ANOTHER story about the crap sandwich served up to Wulff on a platter the day he took the job.  But it still has to be a reminder of where things used to be when you try and keep it all in perspective?).
  
  
• Finally, this story from the Spokesman on the running backs.  And a good quote from Logwone Mitz, in regards to the new quality of play up front:
  

  “Our O-line has really come a long way,” said the two-year letterwinner, who rushed for 173 yards a touchdown as a sophomore last fall. “They’re 20 to 25 pounds, on average, bigger than they were last year, and they look good.

  “It’s nice to run behind somebody who’s bigger than I am, finally.”

  
  You can appreciate where Mitz is coming from.  He's been here since day one of the Wulff regime, so a bigger, stronger, better line must be a real sight for sore eyes!

   

That's it for now.  GO COUGS!