The Washington St. Cougars didn't have a particularly good defense in 2010. Or 2009, or 2008. Oh, there were moments were they looked like they could do something, but then you woke up.
Washington State head coach Paul Wulff seems a little bit more confident that the Cougars will be better this season. Vince Grippi recaps his presser.
- Damante Horton is looking a solid number one corner for the Cougars, and has been consistent throughout the fall practices. His tackling ability could come in handy when the front seven hiccups, which it most definitely will do from time to time.
- Daniel Simmons is not as consistent. Expect offenses to pick on him a lot on the other side of the field opposite from Horton. Nolan Washington is not healthy but is probable for Saturday; if he's on the field, expect them to throw to him, run at him, do everything unkosher.
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Adam Coerper is physical but inconsistent. Travis Long is definitely consistent, but he's also struggling with a knee sprain and might not be ready for Saturday.
- Wulff really likes his linebackers. C.J. Mizell is the best player on the defensive unit, and both Darryl Monroe and Chester Su'a should provide much needed depth behind Sekope Kaufusi and Alex Hoffman-Ellis. Then again, the corps has been pretty horrid the past few years, so if they play even semi-average, it's a step up from where the Cougars second-level defense used to be.
All in all, the Washington State outlook appears better than it ever has been. But there is still a lot of work to get the Cougars to where they want to be as ad efense.
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