How does WSU’s defensive line stack up against UW’s new-look offensive line?

PULLMAN – Turns out, Washington State edge Nusi Malani might know a little more than his teammates about the Washington offensive line his team will face this weekend.

Malani went to high school with UW’s starting right tackle, Drew Azzopardi, at Juniperro Serra in the Bay Area San Mateo, California. Malani is two years older than Azzopardi, though, so they never shared the field together.

Malani also knows a little about Huskies starting left tackle Soane Faasolo, who hails from East Palo Alto, California, about a 25-minute drive from Malani’s hometown of San Bruno.

“So it’ll be cool playing people who are from where I’m from,” Malani said.

Ahead of this weekend’s Apple Cup in Seattle, where WSU and UW will face off in a nonconference game, any scouting tips Malani has for those two might go a long way.

The Huskies’ offensive line is entirely new, much like the rest of their offense, making their protection against the Cougars’ pass rush an intriguing storyline.

For WSU to get pressure on UW quarterback Will Rogers, the best way might be around the 6-foot-8 Faasolo, who has yielded five pressures this season, according to Pro Football Focus, the most of the Huskies’ offensive line. A redshirt freshman, Faasolo allowed three hits and two hurries, resulting in a PFF pass-blocking grade of 32.1 – far below average.

He hasn’t allowed a sack in Washington’s first two games of the season, routs over FCS Weber State and FBS Eastern Michigan.

The only sack UW’s offensive line has allowed has gone against center D’Angalo Titialli, a 6-2, 325-pound senior from Auburn, Washington, who let a Weber State edge get to Rogers and bring him down in Week 1. He’s permitted three totalpressures this season.

That might make him a target for WSU defensive tackle David Gusta, who played one of his best game as a Cougar last week, in his team’s win over Texas Tech.

An interior lineman, Gusta totaled five pressures against the Red Raiders, including three hurries and two hits. On one play, he got a hand in the face of Tech QB Behren Morton, who threw an interception to WSU cornerback Ethan O’Connor.

“You don’t get stats for a lot of things that David does,” WSU head coach Jake Dickert said after that game.

“It’s grimy, it’s dirty, it’s tough. But he is as physical and demanding of presence inside as we’ve seen here. So to see David go out and play that way, with heart and passion and physicality and with an edge – and David plays with an edge.”

Around the rest of UW’s offensive line, left guard Gaard Memmelaar is the only starter who hasn’t given up a single pressure, earning a PFF pass-blocking grade of 81.6, tops on the offensive line. A junior from the Boise area, Memmelaar missed last season with an injury he suffered during fall camp.

The Huskies’ starter at right guard, 6-4 senior Enokk Vihami, has also mostly kept Rogers upright. In 67 pass-blocking snaps, he has permitted just one pressure, a hurry against Weber State. A week later, he was perfect in 30 pass-blocking snaps.

That leaves the 6-7 Azzopardi, who followed a slow season -opener with a sharp outing in Week 2. Against Weber State, Azzopardi allowed two pressures and two hurries.

That earned him a PFF pass-blocking grade of just 45.1. But against Eastern Michigan, he was flawless in 30 pass-blocking snaps.

It puts the onus on WSU edges such as Syrus Webster and Raam Stevenson, who lead the Cougars in pressures with nine and six, respectively. Stevenson had his team’s only sack last week, which came late in the fourth quarter, and sophomore defensive tackle Khalil Laufau earned WSU’s one sack in Week 1.

The Cougars might have an advantage in the experience department, rotating in seven pass-rushers with experience at this level, guys who have played in the rivalry tilt game.

“Usually on the QB, having a body in their face, or just having some type of pressure, it means something to them,” Malani said. “So just having just some presence, or even a little hit, getting them off their spot, just pressuring and confusing them, will do the job.”