Washington State gets senior linebacker Isaac Dotson back for Utah game

SALT LAKE CITY – Washington State middle linebacker Isaac Dotson returned to the field for the Cougars Saturday against Utah after missing the last four games with an undisclosed injury.

Dotson started for the Cougars at Mike linebacker and appeared on both the punt and kickoff teams. The Bellevue, Washington, native hadn’t played since the first half of the Oct. 7 game at Oregon.

The Cougars haven’t been particularly deep at either of the middle linebacker positions since Dotson and fellow seniors Peyton Pelluer and Nate DeRider all sustained injuries during the first six weeks of the season. Pelluer suffered a season-ending foot fracture in the game against Oregon State and DeRider left the Oregon game with a lower-body injury. DeRider’s injury was also season-ending.

Dotson logged plenty of field time in his return. The linebacker registered four tackles – all of them assisted.

“It’s kind of like losing all your older brothers and a month later, one of them comes back,” fellow linebacker Justus Rogers said. “It’s exciting, it just elevates the whole defense. Just him being there.”

Rogers and Jahad Woods, both redshirt freshmen, have been the starting linebackers for WSU since Dotson’s injury. Woods started alongside Dotson at Will linebacker versus Utah.