The Washington State Cougars take on the Montana State Bobcats in Pullman this Saturday at 4 p.m.
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It looks like starting middle linebacker Mike Ledgerwood won’t be able to go today, forcing the Cougars to decide who takes over today against Montana State. Will it be highly-touted freshman C.J. Mizell — whose flaws are well-documented — or senior Hallston Higgins.
Over at CougCenter, Jeff Nusser examined the question and came up with a plan.
Here’s how I think it should shake out: Higgins starts, but Mizell gets some pretty significant playing time — maybe picking up some series in the second quarter, and then more into the second half before finishing the game.
The reason for keeping Mizell out of the starting spot doesn’t stem from a lack of talent, but instead is more of a mental decision. By keeping him from starting, it keeps him motivated to continue making strides in practice and film.
The Cougs take the field at Martin Stadium today at 4 p.m.
The USA Today notes in its weekly update about the Washington State Cougars that the team’s youthful wide receivers were the bright spot in last Saturday’s loss to the Oklahoma State University Cowboys.
LOOKING GOOD: Hard to find much after a 65-17 loss, but the play of WSU’s young receivers was a bright spot as freshman Marquess Wilson had four catches for 108 yards and junior college transfer Isiah Barton caught four passes for 69 yards. Add them to holdovers such as Jared Karstetter and Gino Simone and receiver appears the one position where the Cougars are Pac-10 caliber.
With the home-opener against Montana State two days away, the Cougars have a few players questionable, in addition to the two that suffered season-ending injuries last weekend.
Vince Grippi, of the Spokesman-Review, passes on his notes on the injuries.
A couple of players sat out, including starting middle linebacker Mike Ledgerwood (stinger) and defensive tackle Bernard Wulfgramm. Wulff said they both would be questionable for Saturday
Wide receiver Jared Karstetter participated, but was still in a non-contact jersey yesterday. He’ll need to be cleared to play after the vicious hit he took during Saturday's game against OSU.
The Cougs take the field Saturday at 4 p.m. against the Montana State Bobcats.
The Cougars opened their season on the road against Oklahoma State, suffering an embarrassing loss to the Cowboys at T. Boone Pickins Stadium in Stillwater. Cougar fans came into the game expecting to see improvement, but instead saw another blowout. The young Cougs weren't ready for the Cowboys and the defense was exploited by talented running back Kendall Hunter.
The Cougs didn't just lose the game, they also lost two players for the season. Promising freshman Rickey Galvin and fullback Jared Byers both went down with serious injuries that required season-ending surgery. Galvin, an explosive running back, fell awkwardly on his first carry of the game, fracturing his forearm. Byers caught a pass in the flat and took a helmet right to the knee, coming dangerously close to having his career ended.
This week, WSU tries to rebound against FCS-opponent Montana State. Montana State is coming off a convincing win against NCAA Division II Fort Lewis, defeating the Skyhawks 59-10. The Bobcats bring a talented, dual-threat quarterback to Pullman in Denarius McGhee. McGhee was 11-18 with 178 yards and two touchdowns through the air last week. He's not afraid to scramble, but always has an eye downfield for the open man. The Cougars must contain McGhee and play disciplined defense this week.
Over at CougCenter, I made the case for starting C.J. Mizell, a talented freshman linebacker who hasn't yet grasped the scheme despite all his physical abilities. In response, Spokesman-Review writer Vince Grippi addressed why Mizell should not see the field, filling in the blanks with the knowledge he's gained seeing the Cougs' in practice every day.
If you were at practice every day you would see a player who still hasn't learned to work ethic needed to be an every down player at WSU - or any college for that matter. Mizell just doesn't work hard enough at practice. Let me amend that. He hasn't worked hard enough yet. No matter how talented he is - and wow, he's got talents, you saw just a glimpse of them on Saturday - he can't be handed a starting spot. He has to earn it.
The Cougars are also starting a new tradition this weekend, getting the fans involved with the team's pregame routine. Before the game, the athletic department is asking fans to gather at the Cougar Pride statue to form a human tunnel to Hollingberry Fieldhouse, which the team typically passes through before pregame warmups.
Washington State takes on Montana State Saturday at 4 p.m. in Pullman.
For more on the Cougs, check out SB Nation's CougCenter.
WSU Cougars Come Back To Top MSU Bobcats, 23-22
The Washington State University Cougars came back in the fourth quarter to defeat the Montana State University Bobcats 23-22 on Saturday.
Here’s a snapshot look from the Associated Press.
Sep 11 8:22p by Ben Golliver - 0 comments