Cougars look to get back on track

PULLMAN — A week ago, Oregon came to the Palouse desperate for a win to dig out of an early 1-3 hole. A fourth-quarter comeback gave the Ducks that win at Washington State’s expense.

Now the Cougars are home for a second consecutive game, but it is they who probably need the win. WSU is 3-2, and with three road games still on the schedule, a loss this week to Stanford would make bowl eligibility an uphill battle.

That prospect has WSU — a team that was much noticeably looser in practice this week than after its previous loss to Colorado — ready to defend Martin Stadium for its homecoming game at 7:15 p.m. tonight.

But head coach Bill Doba, not wanting to set his team up for failure, wouldn’t go so far as to call this game a make-or-break match.

“If we had to, we could win the last three. They’re all must-wins, really. For our kids, the goal was to win the Pac-10. And we still have to keep thinking that way.”

It is true that the Cougars would claim at least a share of the conference title should they win out. But in order to do that, they’ll have to handle a Stanford team that is significantly improved from seasons past.

Last year, the Cardinal dropped seven of their last nine games, including three losses by at least 35 points. But Stanford opened this year looking like a different team, and sports a 3-2 record that includes a Pac-10 win against Washington. The Cardinal also led No. 1 USC by 11 at the half before losing 31-28 in a game that could have been the upset of the college football season.

“We can’t think of them finishing at the bottom of the pack the last couple of years,” WSU middle linebacker Will Derting said. “Every Pac-10 team is a good team, and you can’t take any team lightly.”

Part of the reason for Stanford’s improvement is a defense that boasts as much experience as any in the Pac-10. Six seniors and four juniors populate the starting lineup, and most of those veterans have plenty of starts under their belts from earlier in their careers as well.

“I think those guys have been starting for two or three years, some of them,” Doba said. “And they haven’t had great success, they’ve taken their lumps. And I really think they’re on a mission to prove that they can play and this is their last go-round.”

One possible edge for the Cougars stems from a scheduling quirk. Though Stanford has plenty of seniors and juniors on defense, none has been to Pullman to play a collegiate game.

The Cougars have gone to Palo Alto the last three seasons, so today’s venue will be new for every single player in uniform for the Cardinal.

It’s a factor that Stanford head coach Buddy Teevens said could be somewhat unnerving at first, but one he hopes won’t be a factor once the game starts.

“To me, it’s a neat football environment. … It’s a wild crowd, and I know it’s their homecoming,” Teevens said. “The current team is a squad that’s never been to Pullman, so it’ll be a bit of an adventure.”