PAC 10 Preview: Washington State Cougars
July 16th, 2008 by Alex English
Remember the dynasty that Paul Wulff created at Eastern Washington? Me neither. Which is why it was somewhat curious when the program that posted 3 consecutive 10-win seasons as recently as 2003, amidst a resurgence of the Pac-10, hired a young (41 years old) coach from the lower collegiate level who was not really on any ‘top coaching prospects’ radars.
The upshot is that Wulff’s youth and style brings some intensity and excitement that has been lacking for Washington St. That excitement (for Cougar fans and fantasy players alike) starts with a pass-heavy spread offensive attack. An attack that hangs its hat on a no-huddle tempo that could be very fantasy friendly once implemented and infused with the right talent. The question is how much of that talent is there now and how long will it take for the implementation of that offense to be useful.
Wulff doesn’t get the luxury of entrusting his new system to a seasoned QB like the departed Alex Brink but he does get a mature and physically capable (6-6, 234) signal caller in 5th year senior Gary Rogers . Rogers has been labeled the clear-cut starter but many believe his average mobility in the spread may allow Kansas State transfer Kevin Lopina (Jr.) to push for playing time. Even as the every snap starter, despite his big arm and ideal size, Rogers lack of experience and mobility combined with the new system learning curve will likely keep him from reaching fantasy worthy production this season.
The RB situation is a bit of a mess here despite returning last years feature starter, Dwight Tardy. Tardy missed all of Spring with a torn ACL. Tardy’s backup, Jr. Chris Ivory , has breakaway spread and an impressive 6.3 yard per carry average. However, he failed (pun sort-of intended) to take advantage of the opportunity by missing Spring himself for academic reasons. Chantz Staden , the top Juco rusher in California, could be a sleeper for carries if the injuries and academics continue to plague Tardy and Ivory respectively.
The bigger fantasy key to Gary Rogers is if he will be productive enough to get the ball in fantasy stud WR Brandon Gibson ’s hands early and often. He had a tremendous 2007 as he tallied 1,180 yards. It was as a season where he was the only player in the Pac-10 to average over 100 yards per game (103.7). There were many who thought the 6-1 202 lb Gibson was NFL-ready, especially in a weak 2007 WR class. However, he decided to stick around for his senior campaign despite the loss of his QB and the obvious rebuilding label on the program with it’s new regime this season. On the bright side of that decision awaits a spread attack that is sure to feature Gibson heavily in the passing game. The good news for Gibson is that Wulff’s offense should have enough balance to keep teams from over-committing exclusively to stopping him. The supporting crew of wide outs that will be keeping secondaries honest are a young but talented group led by sophomores Jeshua Anderson and Daniel Blackledge . Sr Benny Ward and Jr. Michael Willis also figure into the rotation but all figure to act as nothing more than moderately productive diversions for Gibson as the fantasy gem of this team. The TE position is led by a pair of talented seniors, Devin Frischkencht and Ben Woodard whose already moderate fantasy values are diminished by their time share.
This defense is full of holes and question marks with the added burden of being in a new scheme (3-4) for only the second year. The STs boast nothing spectacular either although Gibson may add to his already giant role as a return man this season. This is a unit to be avoided.
Summary
Despite low expectations and a new relatively unheralded head coach, the Cougars could contribute some fantasy relevance with the combination of a new no-huddle spread offense and the talent of Brandon Gibson at WR. With the NCAA continuing to tweak clock rules, the value of extra offensive snaps and potential production with a guy like Gibson makes him an attractive option this year on a team otherwise void of much fantasy value. He is just reliant on his QB Rogers to grasp the new offense and be good enough not to limit his top 20 national WR upside this season.
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