I know people aren’t thrilled with Lopey, but what the hell. It can’t get any WORSE, can it? With Tuel still not able to go (and it sounds ominous that he may not be back next week either), this is the best choice. And has Lopey been THAT bad? Not great, but not a complete trainwreck either. 56% completion percentage, a couple of TD passes, and a rushing TD, but he’s barely played this year. I guess it could be worse? And hey, one of his starts this year was when the team had the second-most total offense yardage, 403 vs. Hawaii. And at least he’s not hurt anymore, per Wulff:
“He’s throwing the ball well, he’s fresh, his body feels good, and it’s very refreshing actually. He feels good physically. He’s given us a great spark.”
Cool. Maybe he’ll get us into the endzone a couple of times? And remember, he IS 1-0 in APPLE CUPS! If he survives this game vs. the angry Beavs, there is little doubt he’ll get the call next week as well.
Meanwhile, I know Wulff mentioned this on the radio show on Tuesday, but Grippi points out that Jason Stripling is officially “suspended indefinitely”. Bud Nameck asked Wulff about Stripling, and the reported quarter suspension, and while Wulff didn’t correct him, he did say Stripling was “suspended indefinitely.” Who knows what that means this Saturday, but maybe Stripling is done?
Moving on, I know there is some buzz about this, but Paul Sorensen came out with at STFU article for all those who DARE to doubt this coaching staff! I’m surprised he didn’t USE ALL CAPS when hammering this thing out.
Read on for more…..
I love Sorensen. He’s got more passion for the Cougar football program in his pinky than most of us have in our entire bodies. The guy put his ass on the line every week as a former hard-hitting defensive back, and did color commentary for years and years on the WSU radio broadcasts. He flippin’ loves the Cougs, top to bottom, so it’s not a surprise. He’s done this before as well, writing an article where he yells at the message board critics a year or so ago. But he raises some great points, including:
So here we are with the facts.
• Of the 25 kids signed in WSU’s 2005 recruiting class — kids that would be fifth-year seniors now — only four remain and only five exhausted their eligibility. That means 16 players never made it to campus or washed out after arriving.
• Of the 25 kids signed in the 2006 class, only seven remain on the team and only three exhausted their eligibility. That means 14 washed out.
• Of the 27 kids signed in the 2007 class, four exhausted their eligibility and 16 remain in the program. That means 10 washed out.
Add up those three classes — the classes that should be carrying this team right now — and you have 40 players who aren’t here. I’ll say it again: 40 PLAYERS who aren’t here.
Look, we all know it’s bad right now. It’s been a weekly beating of the drum, and the facts have been floated for weeks and weeks. We’re young, we’re injured. We know the way Wulff is trying to build this thing, the “right” way with going young and taking lumps with an eye towards tomorrow, all the while avoiding the JC quick-fix. We get it. Reading the tea leaves and hearing some rumors here and there, it’s pretty clear now that this coaching staff is going to get an opportunity to keep digging out of this mess. The question is, do we have the patience to wait this thing out? Do YOU? Or is it a situation where, given the “instant gratification” society we live in today, that Wulff doesn’t get that luxury of time to get it figured out?
Wulff raised an interesting point on the radio show, about the ’97 Rose Bowl team, and the three consecutive last-place finishes that followed as Price and company went young. Ultimately, the kids grew up and you saw something special from ’01-’03. But in thinking back to the ’98-’99-’00 seasons, well, the world has changed just a little bit since then, hasn’t it? Blogs weren’t even out there like they are today. Cougfan and Cougzone were in their infancy, nothing like they are today. And while there was a Vince Grippi (reportedly), there was no Sportlink. And of course, nobody had an iPhone or Blackberry, nobody texted each other, in fact not many kids had cell phones back in the day.
On that same tone, can you imagine what it would have been like for Price if he had those awful seasons in today’s day and age? After winning the Pac-10 title, then following it up with three awful years? Can you imagine the angst?? The poop island quotes, the three straight last-place finishes with some horrible performances, wow. He would have been tarred, feathered and run out on a rail!
The point? Price got a bit of a pass in that time, for a couple of reasons. First, his track record. The man did win the Pac-10 in 1997, so when he sat there and said they will turn things around eventually, you had to at least give him some credit. He had developed a winner in ’92 and ’94, both bowl-winning teams. And in the span of just five years, his system, his coaches, his offense, it had produced a #1 draft pick and a #2 draft pick at QB in Drew Bledsoe and Ryan Leaf. Seriously, think about that for a second. In five years, the ’93 NFL draft and the ’98 NFL draft, Mike Price produced a #1 pick and a #2 overall pick in the draft at QB!? That is, simply, amazing. And not just the QB position either. Price had a wonderful, legendary defense in the ’94 Palouse Posse, a defense that we still look back at and marvel today at the bad-ass level they brought it every Saturday!
But the other reason I think Price got a pass? Simply because we, as a fan base, just weren’t that dialed in like we are today. We didn’t have access to the technology to stay on top of things like we can now. The Cougs weren’t on TV as often back then, and while it’s not much better today with the sucky Pac-10 TV deal, still, it’s a lot better than it used to be. But the message boards, the blogs, the outlet to vent, it just wasn’t what it is today. But it’s there now, and whether the coaches or players or anyone else likes it or hates it, it is part of the equation now. The fan base at every school in the country is now connected to what’s going on, with a ton of options to follow along and, most of all, vent their frustration if things aren’t going their way. Technology has changed things, and with it, a sense of fans and donors wanting it now, not 3-4 years down the line.
So when you look at the lousy play on the field, staring at three wins in two seasons, combined with where we are today as a fan base, like it or not you are going to get criticism! And as long as the losses continue to pile up, well, the criticism isn’t going to just disappear. I guess the only way to make it all go away? WIN.
That’s it for now. Enjoy your Thursday, and Go COUGS!
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