Happy Friday Cougs, and as always we wish the best for you and yours as we wind down another week. So tomorrow afternoon, the Cougs invade Corvallis and try to knock off the favored Beavs. And this is really nothing new for little ‘ol WAZZU, as the Cougs have been the underdog to Oregon State for four of the last five times they’ve played. Hard as it is to believe now, but the Cougs were a 3-pt fav last year in the Seattle game, and we all know what a train wreck that turned out to be! For what it’s worth, last year’s game was also the only Pac-10/12 conference game in Paul Wulff’s four year tenure where WSU was actually favored.
Anyway, with WSU set to hit the Willamette Valley tomorrow, I thought it would be kinda/sorta interesting to look back, video-style, the last time WSU made the trip? Check it out…..
Part one:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl356GaI6HM&w=420&h=315]
Part two:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u4aWUwpPqg&w=420&h=315]
The FSN Weekly show, Cougars All Access, with sideline highlights:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM_WhTuW8Ro&w=420&h=315]
Some points of interest (at least to me?) from this game:
1) Jeff Tuel threw completed just 10 passes the entire game. It was an efficient performance from Tuel, 10-for-15 on the day, but he only totaled 157 yards and one TD pass through the air over the course of four quarters. But where Tuel did his most damage was on the ground, with a season/career high 79 net yards rushing on 18 carries (including sacks).
2) The Cougs had possession of the ball for almost 40 minutes (39:07), compared to just over 19 minutes for Oregon State (19:05). People talk about taking the air out of the ball and all that against spread offenses, but I cannot fathom WSU ever again having a time advantage like that under Mike Leach! Overall WSU had 61 rushing attempts, and the 221 yards rushing were the most in a Pac-10/12 conference game under Paul Wulff. Meanwhile Oregon State ran only 48 offensive plays, their fewest in 17 years.
3) WSU had a 14-0 lead at the half. It was the first time under Paul Wulff that WSU had a shutout in the first half of any game, and the first time since 2007 they held someone scoreless at intermission.
4) Jeff Tuel was nearly knocked out cold, and had his helmet break on a dive near the endzone. You can see it in the part one video, but Tuel was knocked out of the game towards the end of the second quarter. He came back in the second half and led them to the win, but it was a scary moment for a little while!
Above all else, I think what’s most striking to me is the difference in the Jeff Tuel that was in 2010, and the Jeff Tuel we see today. But I think part of it is simply the new offensive system, compared to what was back in the Wulff/Todd Sturdy offense.
When you watch the highlights, you can see something very different. Back then Jeff Tuel would make one, maybe two reads on any given pass play. If it was covered, he threw it away or RAN THE BALL! There looked to be very little “thinking” or reading going on, it was just get the snap, look around a little bit, and if the first couple of reads are covered then take off or chuck it away. It wasn’t just the Oregon State game either, I mean you can go back and look at the Apple Cup from 2010 and see him doing the same kinds of things:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgCrbYDnsEE&w=420&h=315]
I’m no offensive guru or anything like that, nor will I pretend to be something I’m not on this blog. I’m just like anyone else looking at video and comparing Tuel from back then, his finest moments at WSU, compared to what we see today. Back then you didn’t see much hesitation or over-thinking the moment like we see today, know what I mean? You saw a sophomore QB get the snap, make some quick reads, and then it’s throw the damn thing or take off. Simple enough! But you think about the struggles Tuel has had in this new offense, all the reading and hesitating while he waits for things to happen down the field and get in synch with the WR corps, and it’s easy to look back and see all the promise and excitement over why WSU was geeked on Tuel.
That said, I do look forward to the day when the WSU QB – whoever it is – is playing at that fast tempo and those up to five reads per pass play just come second nature. It’s fun to watch a QB just go out and execute like it’s second nature without overthinking the moment, and Tuel towards the end of 2010 was starting to enter that “zone”. Just looking at how things have taken off at Baylor or West Virginia under Art Briles and Dana Holgerson, you can see how much fun this offense can be once everyone is on the same page. The good moments are coming!
By the way, check out the flag WSU brought out on to the field as they ran out of the tunnel for the Apple Cup….granted, this was 2010, a year+ BEFORE Swing Your Sword and all that!
Hmmm.
That’s it for now. Enjoy your Friday and of course, GO COUGS!
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