Happy Humpday morning Cougs, as we reach the middle of the week and yet find ourselves just two days away from another WSU football game! Can’t wait for Friday night. So it’s on to the morning links and such…..
Christian Caple’s post from last night has a rundown of practice on Tuesday, as well as details on Deone Bucannon’s suspension and the QB situation at this point. If you haven’t heard by now, Bucannon was suspended for the 1st half of the UNLV game by the Pac-12 for this hit on an EWU receiver, which was awfully late and pretty high on an overthrown pass that really had no chance of being caught (gif courtesy of Cougcenter). Bucannon has owned this so far, he’s been quoted as feeling bad about it after the incident and all that so you believe he wasn’t trying to “thug it up” out there. Did he screw up? Absolutely. Was it a headhunter’s type play, where he was trying to put someone in the hospital? I would seriously doubt it.
The thing is, it’s a fine line with these big hitting safeties. Fear of getting blown up over the middle is part of the game for wide receivers, and even with the emphasis on proper tackling and not using your helmet as a weapon these days, fear is still part of the game. As a defensive player in the secondary, you want to deny the opponent from catching the ball first and foremost. Beyond that, if they do catch it, you want to make them pay the price for it and have them think twice about coming back into your area to catch the ball. It’s really that simple. I mean our secondary isn’t out there just to run around and look cool in crimson-n-gray, they have a job to either deny the catch or punish the pass catcher! And while Bucannon’s play was unfortunate, I would have to admit that if I had to choose, I would rather that these guys make an error on the side of aggressiveness vs. being passive, know what I mean? It was a terrible decision in the play itself that could have seriously injured someone, and it was a costly play at that as it gave EWU a critical first down late in the game that ultimately led to a TD. But if the secondary is going to make mistakes, I guess I would prefer that it is on the side of trying to make a play instead of just standing there while receivers run free across the secondary.
I do like the way that Mike Leach has reacted to it, taking some ownership of it as well:
“It was a late hit and I can see where action was justified. We shouldn’t have done it. We addressed it Sunday so it’s over from here, but the Pac-12’s reaction doesn’t surprise me and it’s our fault. All that’s our fault.”
Anyway, Caple also has the news on the QB’s. Turns out Tuel did some light jogging out on to the field and participated in some throwing drills, but once 7-on-7 started it was all Connor Halliday and David Gilbertson while Tuel watched from the sidelines. Let’s see, we’re two days away from the game and Tuel hasn’t really had a practice rep beyond some throwing drills? You can probably feel safe at this point to take Halliday as your starter on Friday. And I’m excited what the tall, lanky sophomore can do with what, his 2nd start ever (came off the bench vs. ASU really early, then started vs Utah, so yeah, this would be his 2nd start).
You know, on Monday I was definitely more in the “give this some time” camp. But after Sutra’s post on Monday afternoon, about points and all that with Jeff Tuel, I started to wonder about it all. Then I went back and watched the rewind of the game, and this time just only watched the offensive passing plays from Tuel and Halliday. And you know what? I’m starting to wonder about the bigger picture here, and what could be best for tomorrow. Halliday has the tools, there is no doubt about it. That long completion to Gabe Marks, I mean that ball was ON Marks so quickly that I think it even caught him by surprise that it came in “HOT” like that.
But I also thought about another program in the conference with 1) a brand new coach, 2) an oft-injured senior QB, and 3) a talented youngster QB who people are excited about. This other program went with the talented youngster at QB, and right now they are ON FIRE after just two games…..
That’s right, UCLA was faced with a similar QB situation compared to WSU coming in to 2012. Jim Mora as the new coach; Kevin Prince as the UCLA senior QB who has started a bunch at UCLA (26 starts) but is known more for his game manager-type skills and being hurt – A LOT; and of course, the young talent at QB in Brett Hundley.
What does it have to do with WSU? Well, they are/were faced with a similar situation – do you go with the known quantity, the established senior QB who has seen a lot in his three+ years and 19 starts coming in? Or do you go with the younger QB who, while still awfully inexperienced, has what many believe is the higher upside between the two? Do you go the safe route, or do you roll the dice and take your chances? UCLA went with the younger “upside” guy, and it’s already paying off huge just two games in. But what was some fall camp drama as to who would be the guy has turned into “WOW is Hundley a star or what??” and nobody in Westwood is looking back right now!
We’ll see what happens on Friday. Maybe Halliday goes out and just, well, sucks, firing INT’s left and right. Or maybe he throws for 400 and 4 TD’s while moving the team up and down the field, ala NCAA Football 13 and the “Four Verticals” money play! But we’re already up to game 3 in 2012, which amounts to the preseason if you want to look at it that way. Conference play begins in another week and these first three games of evaluation will be in the rearview. At that point, we can probably all be assured that Leach will go with the guy who is going to give them the best chance to win – PERIOD. And that might just be Connor Halliday, this Friday and beyond.
That’s it for this morning. Enjoy your Wednesday, and GO COUGS!
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