TV take: With familiar faces like Micheal Bumpus, Washington State feels at home on The CW

From the first snap Washington State took in August on The CW Network, there was something familiar about the broadcast.

The faces? Sure. That was part of it, as many of the Pac-12 Network alums, like Pre-Kick Show host Mike Yam, and Saturday’s play-by-play voice Ted Robinson, found a new home. But there was more to it. What was it?

It finally hit me the third time I watched the network present a Cougars game in what would become a 42-10 homecoming victory over Hawaii at Gesa Field.

The CW, the two-team Pac-12’s broadcast partner, is a doppelgänger for Root Sports and its Mariners broadcasts.

What they saw

• Part of the resemblance revolves around the use of WSU alumni in key analyst roles. Erik Coleman, one of the best defensive back in school history, joined Yam before the game and during halftime. Robinson was joined by Micheal Bumpus, certainly one of the school’s top receivers.

There is a difference, especially in Bumpus’ case. He works in the Seattle media on a daily basis and that experience showed as he described a Cougars offense that emphasized John Mateer’s passing more against the Warriors than it has most of the season. At least early.

Although The CW crew spent most of its time focused on Washington State, neither Robinson nor Bumpus took it easy when the Cougars (6-1) made mistakes. That’s different than most Root games.

A good example came in the third quarter, as WSU overcame four penalties on a 13-play, 60-yard touchdown drive. When another Cougars receiver was called for holding – costing Mateer his fourth touchdown throw – Bumpus’ analysis was succinct.

“Here’s the problem, Ted,” Bumpus said as the replay of Tre Shackleford’s penalty showed on the screen. “You can’t hug.”

Funny. We don’t remember a Root analyst follow up a Luis Castillo gopher ball with, “Here’s the problem, Dave. You can’t hang a breaking ball.”

• Yes, the focus was the Cougars. In many ways, that’s great for the WSU faithful watching at home. (For the viewers in Hawaii, maybe not so much.) It makes the presentation comfortable, almost like an old friend’s visit.

One place the Cougars visited often in this one was Hawaii’s red zone.

“You have to get points when you take the ball away,” Bumpus said, before explaining how offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle featured Mateer’s legs in the second half – 45 yards on five carries with two touchdowns – after focusing on his passing before halftie – 15 of 17 for 212 yards and three touchdowns.

Mateer finished 23 of 27 for 302 yards, those three TDs and no picks.

• Nigel Burton is not only a Pac-12 Network alum, he is also a former University of Washington defensive back and a longtime defensive coach. Which is why, as the sideline reporter, when he chimed in early in the fourth quarter, with WSU leading 35-3, viewers listened carefully.

Burton turned the broadcast’s gaze away from the on-going offensive explosion. He highlighted the takeaways – not turnovers, as he emphasized with Robinson earlier – but didn’t dwell on them. Instead, he talked about improvement. And how, since the debacle in Boise, the WSU defense has tightened up. The missed tackles, though not gone, showed up less often. The execution was also better.

Hawaii, home of the run-and-shoot offense, didn’t do all that much of either. The Rainbow Warriors (2-5) finished with 300 yards and, after their first two drives ended deep in WSU territory, only got past midfield on the third quarter’s first possession and their final one. The Cougars sacked quarterback Brayden Schager three times and hit him numerous others.

What we saw

• It’s rare a game pivots away from one team on one of their positive plays.

But Hawaii’s chances to pull the road upset – WSU was favored by 18.5 points – may have disappeared on a completed pass by Schager. With most of the second quarter remaining, Schager was picking the Washington State defense apart between the 20s.

As Schager was completing his 11th pass in 12 attempts, a 9-yard throw over the middle that gave him 116 yards, the Cougars’ Keith Brown crushed him on a just-a-few-seconds late blitz up the middle. The hit jarred Schager enough the broadcast showed him trying to shake it off.

It certainly seemed to throw him off. His next two passes missed. The third missed his receiver but found defensive back Tony Freeman. The interception led to Mateer’s third touchdown pass.

Before halftime, after Brown’s hit, Schager had missed six consecutive throws, completed a modified shovel pass to his running back, then missed another attempt. By the time the teams left Gesa Field for the locker rooms at halftime, the Cougars led 21-3.

Schager finished 20 of 30 for 196 yards, but he also threw the interception and fumbled when sacked in the third quarter.

Add in another fumble and Hawaii’s three turnovers led to 21 Washington State points.