Leach returns key players on offense
Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel ranked all 128 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country entering the 2016 season. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 128 to our projected No. 1 team. Today at No. 30:
Washington State
Coach: Mike Leach (21-29, entering fifth season; 105-72 overall)
2015 record: 9-4 overall, 6-3 Pac-12; third in North Division
Look back: Mike Leach continued to shake things up at Washington State, helping lead the Cougars to a key stretch of Pac-12 wins. The team upset Oregon before defeating Oregon State and Arizona. After a close loss to then-No. 8 Stanford, Washington State claimed wins over Arizona State, then-No. 18 UCLA and Colorado. It was a banner year for the program, capped by a 20-14 victory against Miami at the Sun Bowl.
Offensive starters returning: 8
Offensive starters lost: 3
Defensive starters returning: 6
Defensive starters lost: 5
Key losses: WR Dom Williams, WR Tyler Baker, OL Gunnar Eklund, OL Joe Dahl, OL Sam Flor, OL Jacob Seydel, DL Darryl Paulo, DL Destiny Vaeao, DL Reggie Coates
Top returnees: QB Luke Falk, RB Gerard Wicks, WR Gabe Marks, DB Marcellus Pippins, DB Darrien Molton
Strengths: Washington State is the secondmost experienced team in
the Pac-12 and has a relatively favorable schedule, hosting five league games.
Mike Leach is known for fielding elite offenses, but his early numbers at Washington State didn’t necessarily match what most would expect from the former Texas Tech coach who developed a prolific Air Raid attack. This might be a breakout season for the Cougars, who return a strong QB in Luke Falk, a strong group of running backs led by Gerard Wicks and a talented WR in Gabe Marks.
When Leach was asked at Pac-12 media days what was next in Falk’s development, the coach responded, “Steady improvement. I guess one of his best qualities is he
doesn’t have a glaring weakness, but like anybody, he needs to improve. Just overall improvement, and he’s pretty diligent about that. He’s one of those guys that is always working at it, and I also think that steadiness and dedication helps our team.”
Weaknesses: The Cougars lost considerable experience on the offense line, with OL Gunnar Eklund, OL Joe Dahl, OL Sam Flor and OL Jacob Seydel all departing the program. While Washington State rotated offensive linemen heavily, the player exits still could be a significant challenge.
The defense has improved, but five of the team’s top 10 tacklers from last season are gone. Washington State likely will need to average at least 30 points a game in order to score wins.
Outlook: The Cougars return enough talent and experience to avoid taking a step back in 2016. Washington State should earn a bowl bid and could shake up the Pac-12 North Division.