Paul Wulff had a chat at WSUCougars.com, and beyond some of the vanilla-type answers, there were some good nuggets to take from the whole thing. You can see the full transcript here. But among the things to take:
Jim (kirkland): How’s the Offensive Line coming together? Are you working on establishing a running game this year to take the pressure off the Quarterback? I think the Cougs would be much better off in the long run establshing the running game than trying to go for the long bomb all the time. What do you think?
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Paul Wulff: Jim, our offensive line has improved. We still have a ways to go, but with our three seniors at running back, we must establish a running game. That falls on the shoulders of ALL 11 on offense. |
Fair enough. But from where we sit, clearly the O-line has been a big problem with the offense, and the inability to do pretty much anything consistently the last couple of years. I don’t care if you have 17 seniors at running back, if the big uglies up front aren’t doing their thing, then it won’t matter. It’s hard to make plays as a running back when you are getting nailed about a second after you take the handoff!
This response to a question on the chat, as well as an interview yesterday, made Cougfan.com wonder what was up…..
Tory, Lake Tapps: First I’d like to say how excited I am about the upcoming season. Who’s in the running to start at QB, or is it wide open?
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Paul Wulff: Tory, Jeff Tuel and Marshall Lobbestael are the leading candidates. |
Really? I think we can all agree, competition is absolutely fantastic, and something the most successful programs in the country preach on a weekly basis. Pete Carroll lived and died by the whole mantra of open competition, and literally had starters fighting for their job every single week. But is Marshall Lobbestael actually making a run at the QB job over a bright youngster like Jeff Tuel? Per the Cougfan article:
WULFF, WHEN ASKED IF junior Marshall Lobbestael has a chance to unseat presumptive starter Jeff Tuel as the main man behind center, wouldn’t bite. He said the competition is open.
In two scrimmages this spring, the two QBs have put up similar numbers. Tuel has completed 14 of 25 passes for 168 yards, two TDs and one INT, while Lobbestael has completed 13 of 21 for 138 yards, two TDs and two INTs.
Last season, as a true freshman, Tuel took over the starting spot and completed 71 of 121 passes for 789 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions. One fan asked Wulff how Tuel compares with some of the standout quarterbacks Wulff coached at Eastern Washington.
“Jeff did not have the luxury to redshirt like past quarterbacks that I coached,” Wulff said. “But from an age standpoint – based on his playing experience – he is progressing very well. Marshall continues to improve and our hope is that we have two quarterbacks that can lead us to victories.”
Hmmm. I guess if Wulff wants to follow that competition-RULES mantra, ala Pete Carroll, he pretty much has to say that right now? But I think we have all thought that the “hay is in the barn”, so to speak, and that Jeff Tuel had this sucker locked up, 100%, no doubt about it. I guess that isn’t exactly the case from where we are today. Maybe the spring game tomorrow evening will shed some light on this?
Moving on…..
Per the Evergreen, the defense had their way yet again in Thursday’s practice. It sounds as though drops were an issue at WR…again….but Daniel Blackledge at least looked good, with several nice receptions from Jeff Tuel…..GREAT read from Bud Withers in the Seattle Times, on new o-line coach Steve Morton. I love this part:
On Steve Morton’s office wall is a photo display summarizing the best of 35 years coaching offensive linemen: five Pac-10 winners of the Morris Trophy.
There’s Dan Lynch of WSU (1984); Lincoln Kennedy (1992), Bob Sapp (1996) and Olin Kreutz (1997) of Washington; and Kwame Harris of Stanford (2002). Nobody has coached more Morris winners than Morton.
And in a corner of a large dry-erase board is another window into Steve Morton: four sets of digits.
“Eleven spring-practice days left,” Morton explained one day last week. “And then, 115 days to fall camp, 141 days to the Oklahoma State game. And 233 days to the Apple Cup.
“I got that from Don James.”
I know, I know. Don’t freak out about it! The best coaches always take something that they learned from a prior job with them to the next destination. Don’t forget how many jobs this guy has had in his career (Morton’s worked for an amazing ELEVEN different head coaches!). But if you had any doubt, it sounds like Morton couldn’t be happier with his return “home” to Pullman:
“I drive down Greek Row when I go back home and I smile,” says Morton. “I love the place. This is really and truly a pure, pure gift. It’s a treasure, and I’m going to treat it that way.”
Welcome home coach…..Meanwhile, some good stuff on the ever-feisty Wade Jacobson, the JC transfer tackle who is in the mix to protect the QB’s BLIND SIDE at left tackle:
Jacobson, who came from Gavilan College, near Morton’s last port of call in San Jose, Calif., seems to have taken that message to heart. He has been the undisputed leader in practice scuffles this spring.
“What’s football without knocking heads around, you know?” Jacobson said after a recent practice. “My goal is to hit somebody on every play. If I don’t, I get mad about it.
“I’m going to be the dirtiest player in the Pac-10. That’s my goal.”
Jacobson visited WSU, Arizona, San Diego State, Nevada and San Jose State. Ironically, Morton was one of the chief reasons Jacobson was considering San Jose State before head coach Dick Tomey retired.
“I got lucky,” Jacobson says.
Nothing like having a guy to GOON it up, if needed? Not that we would ever condone dirty play at this here blog….but still….hey, if some serious stuff is going down, he’s not going to be the guy who will run off and hide, know what I mean? I think it’s clear that he’ll at least be in the mix, ready to get his teammates’ backs!…..So, how about that NFL Draft last night? Were you surprised by any of the goings-on? What a day for the Big 12, wow, five of the first six picks were all from that conference? And Oklahoma, whoa, three of the first four players in Sam Bradford, Gerald McCoy and Trent Williams? How, exactly, did you NOT win a National Championship, with that type of grade-A talent?……Steve Kelley of the Times loves what the Seahawks did yesterday, and as a Hawks fan myself, I am PUMPED AND JACKED for having Russell Okung fall into their laps at #6!
Okung has widely been considered the top tackle in the draft, even though Williams had a more impressive personal workout in terms of the combine-type stuff. Okung only allowed two QB hurries and just one sack as a senior, and was a four-year starter as well as All-Conference/All-American as a senior, and named the lineman of the year in the Big 12. Salty old o-line coach Alex Gibbs, known as the absolute zone blocking guru of the NFL, just couldn’t stop gushing about Okung. If you had any doubts, yes, per the Gibbs gushing, Okung will be thrown to the wolves from day one…..I loved getting Earl Thomas at 14 as well. The talking heads at NFL Network kept saying that the number one name they were hearing teams talk about leading up to the draft was Thomas, who they proclaimed as the hottest, fastest rising name in the draft. His highlights are impressive, a strong, fast, versatile free safety who could even play some corner if need be. It’s pretty early obviously, but it’s hard not to be excited for what the Hawks just did on day one!…..What did you think of the draft’s new format overall? I was surprised at how fast things moved, as they wrapped up the entire first round in about 3.5 hours, a contrast to some prior years where the first round could take all day. I liked it, but it seemed weird to just stop after the first round. I would bet phones were ringing like crazy late last night, as teams jockey for positioning in round two and beyond, and the action will be non-stop all day today as well….Probably a long night for Jimmy Clausen, the poster boy this year for the falling star. You knew once they got past the Hawks at #14, and nobody traded up to grab him, that he was in for a long night…..What about Tebow to Denver? I know Josh McDaniels has a great rep for developing QB talent, but is that really how they wanted to spend the #25 pick in the first round? I love THE Tebow, always have, and what an amazing college player.
But as an NFL QB, he has a long way to go. I guess he can come in and hold the clipboard for a few years as Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn take first first and second slots in the pecking order, and they will probably put in some Wildcat-type stuff for Tebow, but still, that was a stunner…..
That’s it for now. Remember, the spring game is tomorrow, 5:30 PM. If you can’t get to Pullman, it will be on TV in at least some places in Eastern WA, on that SWX channel, the Sports-n-Weather sister station of KHQ. And our own Longball will be there, ready to report back on all the action. We hope to have a recap posted sometime on Sunday, or somewhere in there.
Enjoy your Friday, and GO COUGS!
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