WSU RB Dylan Paine stands out as Cougs work on rushing plays on Day 3 of fall camp

PULLMAN – Earlier this summer, Washington State offensive linemen Devin Kylany and Landon Roaten went to the Snake River to go camping.

During one moment, the redshirt junior Kylany turned to the redshirt sophomore Roaten with a message.

“I was like, ‘Landon, you’re so strong. You’re so fast. And you know the plays. You just gotta be mean.’ ”

Kylany would know. Headed into fifth season in Pullman, he’s in line to become the Cougars’ starting center this fall, replacing former center Konner Gomness. He’s waited his turn, redshirting in 2021, then playing as a reserve the following two seasons. Now as his time comes, he’s fired up about what his teammates on the offensive line can do.

When Aug. 31 arrives and WSU kicks off the season with a home matchup against FCS Portland State, Kylany might not line up next to Roaten – as fall camp unfolds, the latter is filling in at left guard while redshirt junior Rod Tialavea recovers from a foot injury – but no matter the personnel, Kylany’s leadership is paying dividends for the Cougars up front.

Perhaps most important, he’s taken stock of what worked for the linemen who came before him, and he’s aware of where this group can improve. When he played behind Gomness, a staple at the position for the past several seasons, Kylany learned one thing above all.

“Strain,” Kylany said. “Don’t let anyone strain harder than you.”

He also knows that if there’s any area where this bunch needs to improve, it’s in the run-blocking department. Last season, WSU finished second to last in the Pac-12 in PFF’s grades – and 115th of 133 FBS schools. The Cougars’ promising 4-0 start cratered with six straight losses in large part because they couldn’t establish a credible running game. The more opponents caught on to that reality, the worse the problem got.

To solve that problem, WSU hired offensive line coach Jared Caster to replace Clay McGuire, who left over the offseason for the same job at Texas Tech. Caster knew about the issue when the took the job – “Everything that you do has got to have an intent about being physical,” he said during spring practices – and in Friday’s fall camp practice, he spent time with the offensive linemen working on inside run plays.

“And so that’s when he’s really preaching, just come off the ball and smoke them,” Kylany said. “Play on their side of the ball. … He is all about fundamentals. He is preaching that more than anything else, and he just knows that when we know what we’re doing and how we’re supposed to do it, that’s when we’re gonna play fast and free. Come off the ball, attack defenses and be able to control what we wanna do.”

The Cougars certainly spent much of Friday’s practice trying to succeed on that front. They spent much of their team period sessions practicing inside run plays, quarterbacks John Mateer and Zevi Eckhaus handing off to the group of running backs vying for the starting role – Leo Pulalasi, Djouvensky Schlenbaker, Dylan Paine and true freshman Wayshawn Parker – and watching them surge into lanes.

At times, they were stacked up, at least as much as they can be on the first day of shoulder pads. At others, they zoomed past mimed tackles and into open space. Whatever the result, the approach was clear: WSU is making a concerted effort to leave last season’s rushing issues in the past.

At the running back position, the candidate leading the charge at the moment is Paine, according to WSU coach Jake Dickert.

“He’s looked the best. He’s hit it the hardest,” Dickert said. “A running back really has his merit when the live bullets come flying, you know come next Saturday (in a scrimmage). He’s done the best job of hitting things downhill and running the way we want it done. But it’s gonna be a fierce competition. I know that going forward.”

Payne might be a smaller back – 5-foot-9, 196 pounds, according to the team roster – but before a midseason ankle injury put him on the shelf for some time last season, he was making some waves. He recorded 71 rushing yards and a touchdown against FCS Northern Colorado, and in a blowout loss to Arizona, he had three carries for 23 yards, his longest rush covering 13 yards.

Pedestrian numbers, perhaps, but he’s looked quick and physical in both spring practices and now in fall camp.

Whether he parlays that into a productive season might depend on how well Kylany and the Cougars’ offensive line paves the way.