Inside WSU RG Brock Dieu’s emergence and how he’s managing the Cougs’ instability up front
PULLMAN – Brock Dieu might make a good trapeze artist.
Through eight games this fall, Washington State’s right guard has provided some sterling pass protection, yielding only four pressures, none in the past three games.
To accomplish that, he’s turned into a sturdy presence on the interior of WSU’s offensive line, perhaps the Cougars’ most versatile offensive lineman. On the field, he’s aggressive and attacking, using his lower center of gravity to move opposing linemen in pass protection and run blocking.
But off the field, he might be WSU’s nicest guy. He’s gentle and unassuming, soft-spoken and thoughtful, providing a real dichotomy. How does he strike the balance?
“I treat it as a job when I step between the lines,” the 6-foot-2 Dieu said, “when you flip that switch and you’re there to do your job and to compete. Really, it helps to know that you’re protecting the guys behind you, and what you do helps the people around you. So that goes a long way to try to help push that switch and help me push through.”
As WSU goes for its fourth consecutive win on Saturday, hosting Utah State, Dieu has emerged as a key force up front. In 324 pass-blocking snaps, he has earned a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade of 81.7, second on the team behind left tackle Esa Pole, and his four pressures are the fewest of the Cougs’ starters. He’s had five games of zero pressures allowed.
On the run-blocking front, Dieu has collected the best PFF grade on the team, a figure of 73.8. Just a year ago, when he took over the Cougs’ starting right guard job midway through the season, he totaled a run-blocking grade of 54.7. He’s turned things around in a huge way – and quickly.
All season, Dieu has been a bastion of consistency. He hasn’t enjoyed the same around him. WSU is deciding on its best option at left guard, incumbent starter Christian Hilborn or Rod Tialavea, who took Hilborn’s place for the second half of WSU’s win over San Diego State on Oct. 26.
It’s the latest round of inconsistency on the Cougars’ offensive line, which was missing right tackle Fa’alili Fa’amoe for the first three games of the season with a knee injury. Fa’amoe then began rotating in for the next two games, a win over San Jose State (25 snaps) and a loss to Boise State (46 snaps). When Fa’amoe was out, Hilborn played right tackle, and when he was in, Hilborn went out and Tialavea played left guard.
But even when Fa’amoe resumed his full-time role, in WSU’s win over Fresno State, the Cougs’ front five didn’t enjoy the stability for long.
They played two full games, beating FSU and Hawaii, before coaches decided to swap Hilborn for Tialavea in the second half against SDSU.
Has that disrupted Dieu’s rhythm at all, at least early in the season, when the tackle to his right was changing by the drive?
“There’s different nuances to guys who play next to you and that sort of thing,” Dieu said. “But what’s nice is we do a really good job in the offseason, especially our strength staff, we mix up lifting and racks. We’ll lift with different guys every day of the week, so you get to know everybody really well.
“It’s always gonna be a little bit different, but we’ve done a good job of preparing, and I know everybody on the line really well enough that it just kind of keeps flowing.”
Whatever the personnel around him, Dieu has done his part, flourishing in just his first full season as WSU’s starter at right guard.
Last season, Dieu allowed 12 pressures and three sacks. In a road loss to Arizona State, he gave up five pressures and one sack, and in a setback against Cal, he was dinged for four pressures and two sacks.
One year later, Dieu has had five clean sheets, blossoming under new offensive line coach Jared Kaster and his instruction. If he’s bothered by the changing personnel around him, he isn’t showing it.