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WSU Football | Execution key to a victory over No. 18 Arizona for Cougs
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When the Washington State Cougars travel to Tucson, AZ to take on No. 18 Arizona this Saturday, they will be seeking their first Pac-10 win of this season.
How can Coach Paul Wulff's young team defeat a veteran Wildcat squad?
Knowing the answer to what may seem like a mind-boggling question is simple and basic. If the Cougs block better and tackle better than the Wildcats, victory will be theirs.
Two days into preparing for Arizona, WSU coaches and players are familiar with the game plan designed to win Saturday.
Thursday will offer a final full practice before packing up and heading down to Tucson, AZ.
Packing is something the Cougs are very accustomed to. This will be the sixth time they have traveled over the last eight games. That's some serious frequent flyer mileage. It's also something this young team is now very familiar with, minimizing the distractions which come with away games.
Let me try to muck things up and make the simple complex.
Coach Mike Stoops is in the sixth year of his tenure as the leader of the Arizona football program. It's been a long road traveled by Stoops to bring his team to the top of the Pac-10. The patience extended to him is paying off big time.
Arizona is 5-2 overall this season, just a win away from becoming bowl-eligible. More importantly, Coach Stoop's team is still in the running for a conference championship with their 3-1 record against Pac-10 rivals.
What many might not have noticed about the record of Arizona is the fact they have achieved their record without some of their best offensive weapons on the field. All-American tight end Rob Gronkowski was lost for this season with a back injury. Nic Grigsby, one of the premier conference running backs, has been dogged by injuries this year. He's questionable for the game this week because of a shoulder injury. Nick Foles has emerged as one of the top Pac-10 quarterbacks, yet he didn't start until the fourth game of the season.
Despite missing key players who can contribute to the 'Cats offense at full strength, Coach Stoops' team leads the conference in total offense. A team that is well coached for six years can do that. The Wildcats have a roster filled with players who know the system and have matured physically.
Don't mistake maturity for a sign of old age. Arizona has tremendous team speed at every position, an attribute other opponents have used to full advantage against Washington State this season.
You might not know it from the score last week, but the Cougs were very close to turning things around against Notre Dame. There were a few too many breakdowns by the offensive line, but there were also some very good things done by that same unit. Another week of preparation together and the gap should close between missing an assignment and getting the job done.
For the past two weeks there has been steady improvement in the Washington State running game. Last week Dwight Tardy looked his best all season. When Tardy is on his game, he's an outstanding running back. Both Logwone Mitz and Carl Winston look very, very close to having good games.
If there is a weakness in the Arizona defense, it might be in their secondary. If there's a unit that 's coming on strong for WSU it's the receiving corps of Jared Karstetter, Gino Simone, Johnny Forzani and Jeffrey Solomon.
Wildcat quarterback Nick Foles draws praise from everyone who's seen him play. He is a very accurate passer. Washington State has a very accurate young passer of their own in Jeff Tuel. If given time, he's got all the tools, all the passes and is an effective runner.
Where Arizona holds an edge over Washington State is depth and experience. Where WSU may hold an edge over Arizona is team chemistry. The Cougs are a group of student/athletes who have shown remarkable poise while acting like sponges soaking up as much coaching and on-the-job training they can.
Now that I've muddied the waters, let's try to right the ship.
Coach Wulff was interviewed by KREM 2 Spokane earlier this week. Take a look at their video and see the strength of a leader who has Cougar football improving and moving forward.
There are four games left on the WSU schedule. Four opportunities to earn victories. If WSU players can stay healthy the rest of the way, the basics will lead them to four wins.
Execute blocking and tackling better than the other guys.
It all comes down to the simplicity of execution.
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