How WSU LB Buddah Al-Uqdah is leading Cougs’ effort to improve on defense

PULLMAN — Earlier in his career, Buddha Al-Uqdah felt more comfortable staying quiet as his teammates took the lead around him. He had yet to establish himself in Washington State’s linebacker corps, and with veterans like Kyle Thornton already in the room, he didn’t want to overstep his bounds.

It was 2022, and even with the way Al-Uqdah showed promise as a true freshman, ranking as a top-50 linebacker in the country in his class, he took a redshirt season. It was clear he wasn’t ready yet, so he stayed quieter.

“I felt like that’s something, personally, I needed to really work on this year,” Al-Uqdah said.

That’s a key reason Al-Uqdah vaulted into the Cougars’ starting lineup last season, bolstering WSU’s 4-2-5 look with athleticism and ranginess, and he’s back in that spot this fall. He may be a tad undersized — his official listing of 6-foot-even may be a little generous — but coaches trust him because of his football IQ, because of his maturity.

As the Cougs reflect on their season-opener and prepare for their next challenge, a home showdown with the Big 12’s Texas Tech on Saturday evening, Al-Uqdah is showing that in spades. He recognizes he isn’t just a starter. He’s also a leader, and he’s thoughtful enough to know he has to be better for his WSU club to top Texas Tech.

Mostly, Al-Uqdah said, he needs to improve as a communicator. When he looked back on his tape from last weekend’s game, a 70-30 win over FCS Portland State, he saw himself make mistakes he could have avoided by talking with his teammates more.

“We just gotta be more vocal, be on the same page,” Al-Uqdah said. “As long as we’re on the same page, everything should be OK. Myself, I had a few plays where I caught myself leaving my feet and just launching, instead of running through and keeping my feet motored up through tackles. That’s just some that we’re working on now.”

The receipt was in the numbers. Al-Uqdah totaled four tackles, including 0.5 for loss, but he also missed a pair of his team’s 17 total missed tackles, the Cougs’ most against an FCS opponent in five years. He finished with a Pro Football Focus defense grade of 56.6, including a tackling grade of 41.5, both below average.

It bothered Al-Uqdah because he knows he can be better. Has to be better. All the Cougs’ defenders know they have lots to improve on from allowing 30 points to an FCS team picked to finish 10th in its conference — “It’s execution, it’s being on the same page, it’s jumping off-sides on third and eight,” WSU coach Jake Dickert said — but with a power-conference foe coming to town this weekend, the Cougars are also training their lens on Texas Tech.

The Red Raiders are a few days removed from yielding 51 points to Abilene Christian, which was picked to finish sixth of nine teams in the newly-formed United Athletic Conference. Wildcats quarterback Maverick McIvor shredded Texas Tech’s defense to the tune of 36-of-51 passing for 506 yards and three touchdowns, averaging a shade under 10 yards per completion.

But Texas Tech’s offense kept pace. Quarterback Behren Morton hit on 30 of 42 passes for 378 yards and five touchdowns, two to receiver Coy Eakin and one to former Cougar Josh Kelly, who transferred from WSU to Texas Tech over the offseason. It was PFF’s third-best passing outing in the Big 12 last week, and the top pass-blocking effort of all 16 teams.

It’s certainly a challenge for WSU’s defense, particularly coming off a shaky showing. Cornerback Jamorri Colson will be out for the next few games as he recovers from a broken jaw, leaving redshirt freshman Ethan O’Connor to take his place, same as he did in Week 1.

It’s also an opportunity for the Cougs. It’s their only time playing on Fox this season. It’s possible this game will draw the most eyeballs of any of WSU’s contests this fall. Playing to the Cougs’ advantage on defense might be that linebackers Al-Uqdah and Thornton will be rested, playing only around 40 snaps last week — “The best availability is availability,” Al-Uqdah said — but also in their favor is their mentality.

“There’s definitely something to prove,” Al-Uqdah said. “Do I feel like we’re underdogs? No. I would never feel like that. Yeah, no, heck no.”