Weekly WSU chat (Transcript)
srchat: Thanks for stopping by our live chat. I'll start answering questions in a few minutes, but feel free to submit them now and we'll use those to get started.
Sep 16 2015, 11:01 AM
srchat: Alright, let's get started.
Sep 16 2015, 11:01 AM
Guest8741 (guest): Is Hameed actually hurt, or are they trying to steal a red-shirt back for him after he was forced into the fire last year?
Sep 16 2015, 11:02 AM
srchat: Well, he pretty clearly got hurt last season and again in spring. I'm sure he's at least a little banged up. That Leach refused to say whether or not he'd redshirt -- last year he acknowledged that Isaac Dotson wouldn't play -- seems to indicate that they're still hoping to get him on the field.
Sep 16 2015, 11:02 AM
PrinceDeavitt (guest): Do you expect to see WSU switch up the Nickel and safety spots after this game when preparing for Cal? Would you be shocked to see Lemora at Nickel and Dotson/Luani as the two deep safetys starting?
Sep 16 2015, 11:03 AM
srchat: I'm sure they'll bring back that Dime package we saw against Rutgers, in which Charleston White, Marcellus Pippins and Darrien Molton were all on the field. I wouldn't be surprised if they do some stuff with the front seven to create a pass rush as well.
Sep 16 2015, 11:03 AM
Guest5222 (guest): Did you find Jim Maestro's comment (in a CFC article yesterday) about how we don't want Powell to get touch backs as shocking as I did? Our staff would rather have him kick it high and between the 0-5 yard line and tackle the returner before the 25 than have him kick a touch back? I 100% disagree with that kickoff philosophy. We should especially try and kick touch backs since we have given up 4 kick return TD's in the last 10 games. Please explain this one to me, Jacob. Thanks for your hard work!
Sep 16 2015, 11:04 AM
srchat: I didn't read the article, nor was I present for that interview so I can't comment on what Mastro said or the context. I imagine he was saying "well, the perfect scenario is ..." butI know the Cougars spent a lot of time this summer trying to get a kicker who could produce touchbacks.
Sep 16 2015, 11:05 AM
srchat: Another possibility is that what he was saying was, "Because we don't have a kicker who can regularly produce touchbacks, we need to work on getting it high and to the five-yard line so we can get a better result than a touchback."
Sep 16 2015, 11:05 AM
Guest8604 (guest): Think we'll see some Ngalu Tapa this week with a run heavy opponent? (and considering our struggles last week)
Sep 16 2015, 11:05 AM
srchat: Yep, I think we'll see more of Tapa. He's been running with the twos quite a bit.
Sep 16 2015, 11:05 AM
Guest1940 (guest): What do you think of Tago backing up Dotson at the nickel? Has Lemora not been playing well in practice lately?
Sep 16 2015, 11:07 AM
srchat: I'm not sure I would classify Tago as a backup nickel. It's more the Cougars putting more size on the field and going back to a 3-4 look with Tago as the SAM linebacker. That said, Leach has said Tago could play safety, and they've used him in coverage a fair amount, so all those terms are just semantics, really.
Sep 16 2015, 11:07 AM
srchat: He's big and a good athlete, but he's only a couple weeks into his college football career, so a lot of basic coverage principles are still foreign to him.
Sep 16 2015, 11:08 AM
Guest2436 (guest): I seem to remember WSU bringing in the baseball coach to help Jason Gesser with his sliding. Have you seen the coaching staff talk or train Falk on sliding? I swear I've seen him slide successfully before, but he has dove head-first in each of the two games this season, and it's giving me an unhealthy pulse each time.
Sep 16 2015, 11:09 AM
srchat: I haven't seen them do any specific work on it. Keep in mind that in both of those situations he was trying to get a critical first down on a potential game-winning drive, so he was throwing caution to the wind a bit.
Sep 16 2015, 11:09 AM
Guest7277 (guest): How has Broughton looked? Do you expect him to push the starters by the time we play Cal?
Sep 16 2015, 11:09 AM
srchat: He's been OK, I haven't seen anything yet that makes me thing he's going to take Molton or White's spots, but it's early. He got an interception yesterday and is seeing more time with the twos.
Sep 16 2015, 11:10 AM
Guest5222 (guest): Here is Maestro's quote, via a CFC article: Mastro was asked about the kicking game – specifically why the Cougars don’t try more often to kick the ball deep or even out of the opponents’ end zone with big-legged Erik Powell. “We don’t want him to do that,” he said. “For one thing, if you kick it out of the end zone, they get the ball on the 25-yard line now. If we can get hang time and have them field the ball at the three-yard line every time, we’re going to be just fine.
Sep 16 2015, 11:10 AM
srchat: Well, that's pretty clear. I guess they don't want touchbacks.
Sep 16 2015, 11:10 AM
Guest5614 (guest): Are you ready to see us win four more games and miss a bowl because of PSU?
Sep 16 2015, 11:10 AM
srchat: Yes, very ready. I've spent all week five-win proofing my house.
Sep 16 2015, 11:11 AM
Guest8741 (guest): With the bye next week, any players you'd predict to emerge after the week off that might surprise us against Cal?
Sep 16 2015, 11:12 AM
srchat: I wouldn't be shocked if Treshon Broughton and Hunter Dale start playing after the bye week. Maybe things start clicking for a guy like Aaron Porter, not against Cal but later on.
Sep 16 2015, 11:12 AM
Guest5222 (guest): that philosophy is absolutely mind-boggling to me. what are your thoughts on that kickoff philosophy?
Sep 16 2015, 11:13 AM
srchat: Given all the kick returns for touchdowns lately, I'd take the touchback every time. It seems to me even if you took out the returns for scores, the times the other team runs it out to the 30 would make the times you get them at the 15-20 pretty moot.
Sep 16 2015, 11:13 AM
Guest7606 (guest): I know everybody is "healthy," but does it look like there are fewer injuries compared to the same time last year?
Sep 16 2015, 11:14 AM
srchat: No, not really. There are currently around eight players in yellow jerseys each week. Only three or so are regular contributors, though.
Sep 16 2015, 11:16 AM
Guest4059 (guest): Noticed defense wearing wrist bands with play calls on them against Rutgers. Are those a new addition to help with communication, or did they wear those against PSU as well? I could go watch the PSU game again but I'm trying to clean that from my memory.
Sep 16 2015, 11:16 AM
srchat: They wore them against PSU as well. It's just a new thing under Alex Grinch.
Sep 16 2015, 11:16 AM
Guest6345 (guest): Is it a lack of practice time for special teams, coaching schemes or the players? Really have to hold our breath when any "special" team is out there.
Sep 16 2015, 11:17 AM
srchat: They devote quite a bit of time to special teams, practice. The scheme really broke down on the kickoff return with a bunch of players losing leverage. The punt was supposed to go out of bounds, so I think the cover team got suprised.
Sep 16 2015, 11:18 AM
Guest8741 (guest): Have you heard any rumors on a potential kickoff time for OSU yet?
Sep 16 2015, 11:18 AM
srchat: The Pac-12 won't decide that for a couple weeks. Any rumors are going to just be guesses.
Sep 16 2015, 11:18 AM
Guest8604 (guest): Is Falk as slow and deliberate in practice as he is in games at times?
Sep 16 2015, 11:18 AM
srchat: No, but the practices are a lot easier.
Sep 16 2015, 11:19 AM
Michael Heald: Who's your early pick for POTW on offense and defense against Wyoming?
Sep 16 2015, 11:19 AM
srchat: I'll say Dom Williams on offense, feels like we're due for a big game from him. On defense I wouldn't be surprised to see Peyton Pelluer finish with 12-15 tackles, given that Wyoming will be running the ball right at him.
Sep 16 2015, 11:20 AM
Guest6345 (guest): What is weather outlook for game time? Prediction on attendance?
Sep 16 2015, 11:21 AM
srchat: The weather is supposed to be mostly sunny and about 70 degrees. I would think the announced attendance will be around 30,000 or so, with maybe 25,000 in the seats at kickoff.
Sep 16 2015, 11:22 AM
Michael Heald: I apologize if I missed this but we saw a heavy dose of Wicks and Harrington against Rutgers. Is that due to them having better weeks in practice than Morrow or do you expect that to continue through the season?
Sep 16 2015, 11:22 AM
Guest1065 (guest): Where was Morrow last Saturday
Sep 16 2015, 11:23 AM
srchat: I noticed that too, guests. I think Morrow's issue is that he's not as shifty on those screen plays as Harrington, and he's not as powerful a runner as Wicks. He's the most well-rounded back, but it looks like the Cougars are preferring the specialists for their specific plays.
Sep 16 2015, 11:23 AM
Guest6345 (guest): Who to watch on Wyoming?
Sep 16 2015, 11:23 AM
srchat: Running backs Brian Hill and Shaun Wick are going to be the two Cowboys to watch.
Sep 16 2015, 11:23 AM
Guest7606 (guest): You indicated that you saw your 1st fist fight (3 actually) during a football game at Rutgers. Were any of those fights with WSU fans?
Sep 16 2015, 11:24 AM
srchat: No. Scarlet Knight-on-Scarlet Knight crime, only.
Sep 16 2015, 11:24 AM
Guest3833 (guest): i heard Priester isn't returning punts this week, any idea who is? Maybe Marks?
Sep 16 2015, 11:25 AM
srchat: Hmm, must have missed that yesterday but I'll keep an eye out.
Sep 16 2015, 11:25 AM
Guest3139 (guest): Joining late, my apologies if this was already asked. Have you noticed the defense working on setting the edge in practice this week? Also, by your estimation, is our d-line behind or ahead of schedule? Thanks.
Sep 16 2015, 11:25 AM
srchat: Mostly yesterday I noticed the defenders working on getting off blocks and moving in traffic, both of which will be pretty important this week. Maybe they'll work on setting the edge today.
Sep 16 2015, 11:25 AM
Michael Heald: Kyle Sweet was thought to have a shot this year at PT. Going to take an injury to get him on the field now or do you still see him working in eventually?
Sep 16 2015, 11:27 AM
srchat: I would be a little surprised at this point if he plays without an injury occurring. That speaks more to how well John Thompson has played than anything wrong with Sweet.
Sep 16 2015, 11:27 AM
Tony LaRose: How can our special teams be that poor? Are there no athletes outside of the starters?
Sep 16 2015, 11:27 AM
srchat: They've got some starters on special teams. I think the athletes are certainly good enough to get the job done, for some reason they just aren't.
Sep 16 2015, 11:27 AM
Guest1065 (guest): How does Hameed seem to be doing to you?
Sep 16 2015, 11:28 AM
srchat: Hameed has been limited since the start of the year, so all I've seen him do is stand and watch practice.
Sep 16 2015, 11:28 AM
Guest2294 (guest): If Marks was a cat he may be out if lives with many times he was destroyed on Saturday. That said does he look healthy and recovered in practice?
Sep 16 2015, 11:28 AM
srchat: Yeah, Marks looks totally fine. If he'd been hurt in any serious way I doubt he'd have been sent out for postgame interviews.
Sep 16 2015, 11:29 AM
Guest7277 (guest): Is the lack of production from the H concerning?
Sep 16 2015, 11:29 AM
srchat: Oh, not really. I suspect teams will start to key on different parts of the field to take away the Y and Z and all of a sudden you'll see the X and H get more catches.
Sep 16 2015, 11:30 AM
PrinceDeavitt (guest): What have you been most surprised about so far this season?
Sep 16 2015, 11:30 AM
srchat: The team losing to an FCS opponent.
Sep 16 2015, 11:30 AM
Guest8604 (guest): Do you see Taliulu finishing the year as a starter?
Sep 16 2015, 11:30 AM
srchat: Yes. Unless Hunter Dale really comes on or Suli Hameed somehow gets back to full strength, there aren't many options at safety now that Dotson is a nickel.
Sep 16 2015, 11:30 AM
Michael Heald: What's your take on the White/Pippins battle? Any clear reason Pippins saw the majority of snaps against Rutgers?
Sep 16 2015, 11:31 AM
srchat: That may have simply been a matchup deal, or maybe Pippins had a couple really good practices. White has been ahead in practice this week.
Sep 16 2015, 11:31 AM
Guest6683 (guest): A chance to soph luke ever getting the ball out as guide as senior connor? (Without the interceptions)
Sep 16 2015, 11:31 AM
srchat: Does "guide" = "quick"? If so, he can get the ball out quickly, but that's going to mean shorter passes than Connor was attempting.
Sep 16 2015, 11:32 AM
radninjaskills (guest): We're heading into week 3, and this team seems like it still isn't running as efficiently as it should. With the Pac12 north a bit down this year, how good do you think the Cougs can be if they are able to find a way to execute at a high level?
Sep 16 2015, 11:35 AM
srchat: If this team plays to its full capability, I can still see them beating Wyoming, Cal, OSU, Colorado and UW pretty easily. That's six wins. I could even see them beating Stanford and/or ASU, neither of whom has been very impressive. But I also don't think the Cougars are playing anywhere close to maxing out their ability, and think it's more likely they finish with around five wins.
Sep 16 2015, 11:35 AM
Guest8604 (guest): Do you get the sense the coaches are confident with taliulu back there? He just seems lost on the field sometimes
Sep 16 2015, 11:35 AM
srchat: I mean, I think they'd be more confident if he was Deone Bucannon, sure. But he's the guy they have that they are the most confident in. For what it's worth, Grinch makes a lot of corrections during practice and it's rarely Taliulu who he needs to correct.
Sep 16 2015, 11:36 AM
Ryan Rylee: Do you think Broughton could slide in to possibly play safety if Taliulu can't get it done?
Sep 16 2015, 11:36 AM
srchat: Maybe he could, but if that was going to happen I think we'd have already seen it.
Sep 16 2015, 11:36 AM
Guest6345 (guest): Do you think that since beating the PSU or Wyomings really means nothing to WSU and their is only a downside in losing, Cougs start scheduling more meaningful games?
Sep 16 2015, 11:37 AM
srchat: I think those are the most meaningful games because they are the (theoretically) guaranteed wins. Those are the games you have to schedule so you don't have to beat a bunch of UCLAs and Oregons to play in a bowl.
Sep 16 2015, 11:37 AM
srchat: So, I think they will always schedule those games.
Sep 16 2015, 11:37 AM
radninjaskills (guest): After we lose most of our DL at the end of the year, who is going to step up next year? Will we have to find some JC guys to fill in?
Sep 16 2015, 11:38 AM
srchat: Next year guys like Ngalu Tapa, Hercules Mata'afa, Kingston Fernandez will all be in their third year in the system and the Cougars are counting on them to be ready to start.
Sep 16 2015, 11:39 AM
Guest8741 (guest): Any new restaurants in Pullman open this year that you'd reccomend?
Sep 16 2015, 11:40 AM
srchat: There is a new cocktail lounge called Etsi Bravo that's a lot of fun, but it's also my secret and I don't want the students to find out about it so please don't tell any.
Sep 16 2015, 11:42 AM
Guest7277 (guest): Wyoming plays a lot of Tampa 2. Do you think the air raid works better against a zone team or a man to man team?
Sep 16 2015, 11:42 AM
srchat: I think the Air Raid is a really good matchup against Tampa 2. Tampa gives up a lot of quick passes underneath, and the Cougars do a lot of that, anyways.
Sep 16 2015, 11:42 AM
Guest8604 (guest): What do you see as the cougs biggest problem on defense right now?
Sep 16 2015, 11:43 AM
srchat: Not being able to get a hand on running backs until they're five-yards downfield. Then tackling.
Sep 16 2015, 11:43 AM
Guest6345 (guest): Really liked the way the team battled last week. Hoping PSU was a wake up call and not the norm. I wasn't ready either. Forgot to put my Coug Flag on the house until the Sunday after the game.
Sep 16 2015, 11:43 AM
srchat: IT'S THIS GUY'S FAULT THEY LOST BLAME THIS GUY! ^^
Sep 16 2015, 11:43 AM
PrinceDeavitt (guest): Are you going to be doing any Q and A session's with the opposing beat writer for the visitiors? It would be interesting to get their perspective leading up to a game.
Sep 16 2015, 11:44 AM
srchat: If that's something people are interested in, I can start that for Pac-12 play since I have relationships with most of the teams' beat writers.
Sep 16 2015, 11:44 AM
Guest1065 (guest): Erik Powell one game wonder or can he perform consistently?
Sep 16 2015, 11:44 AM
srchat: He's been kicking well since camp started so no reason to think that won't continue.
Sep 16 2015, 11:46 AM
Guest9357 (guest): Does Abramo have the bigger leg for kickoffs / punts when healthy?
Sep 16 2015, 11:46 AM
srchat: Allegedly. We haven't really had a chance to see it.
Sep 16 2015, 11:46 AM
Guest6345 (guest): Is the punter as bad as the stats. 2 - 31 yard punts?
Sep 16 2015, 11:47 AM
srchat: Charme has a good leg, but he's a true freshman and it's showing.
Sep 16 2015, 11:47 AM
Guest8604 (guest): Besides the passing attack is there anything about this team that you'd consider a real strength right now
Sep 16 2015, 11:47 AM
srchat: The offensive line is playing very well, in my opinion.
Sep 16 2015, 11:49 AM
Guest1065 (guest): Is Peyton up for the challenge on Saturday?
Sep 16 2015, 11:49 AM
srchat: He's definitely willing. And I think Wyoming plays to his strengths.
ep 16 2015, 11:51 AM
Guest8604 (guest): If you were King of the Pac-12 would POTW gone to Falk?
Sep 16 2015, 11:51 AM
srchat: Well, I did vote for Falk, although Nick Wilson of Arizona and Colorado "offensive line" were tempting nominees. That said, if I was King of the Pac-12, players of the week would be pretty far down my to-do list.
Sep 16 2015, 11:51 AM
Guest6345 (guest): score?
Sep 16 2015, 11:52 AM
srchat: what?
Sep 16 2015, 11:52 AM
PrinceDeavitt (guest): Do you expect the Cougs to run more this week? Wicks has looked impressive so far.
Sep 16 2015, 11:52 AM
srchat: I've learned that it's basically impossible to predict when/where and how much the Cougars will run.
Sep 16 2015, 11:53 AM
Guest6345 (guest): Really glad to see powell do a good job place kicking. Score prediction for this week.
Sep 16 2015, 11:54 AM
srchat: I should just tell you to read my Pac-12 Picks tomorrow and support your local newspaper. But I'm sure you do, anyways. So I'm picking the Cougars, 42-17.
Sep 16 2015, 11:55 AM
Guest6345 (guest): Which other PAC12 game to watch this week other than SC Stanford?
Sep 16 2015, 11:56 AM
srchat: Definitely Cal at Texas. The Golden Bears have a very old score to settle with Texas.
Sep 16 2015, 11:56 AM
Guest8604 (guest): You mentioned there were quite a few scouts at practice, any other names coming up as potential draftees besides Dahl
Sep 16 2015, 11:57 AM
srchat: I have heard from various NFL draft types that Dahl is probably the only one who gets drafted, unless Marks has a big year and leaves early, which I think is definitely possible. But it sounds like Gunnar Eklund should get his shot in a camp somewhere, as should Dom Williams and maybe Jeremiah Allison.
Sep 16 2015, 11:57 AM
Guest1065 (guest): Since you are giving out sneak peeks how much do you have Utah State winning by??
Sep 16 2015, 11:59 AM
srchat: Utah State is going to score so much the scoreboard looks like this famous Looney Tunes affair
Sep 16 2015, 11:59 AM
srchat: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vdhftriXIrk/hqdefault.jpg
i.ytimg.com/vi/vdhftriXIrk/hqdefault.jpg
Sep 16 2015, 11:59 AM
Guest6345 (guest): What teams do you pick to go Undefeated until the plaoffs?
Sep 16 2015, 12:00 PM
srchat: I would be surprised if Ohio State lost a game and I would be surprised if any other teams do not lose a game.
Sep 16 2015, 12:01 PM
Guest8604 (guest): whats the one game that all bowl hopes ride on?
Sep 16 2015, 12:01 PM
srchat: The Apple Cup, probably.
Sep 16 2015, 12:01 PM
srchat: Alright, everybody. That's the hour and the conclusion of today's live chat. Thanks for all the great questions. The transcript will be available shortly.
