With a relatively unknown team comes unknown expectations.  The Washington State Cougars, returning just two starters from last season, are a team that many have predicted to struggle with a vastly improved Pac-12 schedule.  The losses of seniors Marcus Capers, Abe Lodwick, and Charlie Enquist, coupled with the dismissal of senior point guard Reggie Moore, has resulted in a serious lack of depth at several key positions.

The media has pegged the Cougars to finish 10th in the Pac-12 this season, due largely in part to the previously mentioned unknowns.

Who is going to run the point?  Outside of Brock Motum, where is the scoring going to come from?  Can the Cougars effectively work the paint with no true center and the absence of quality big men?

All of these are valid questions, but the Cougars can, and in my honest opinion will be, a team that is going to surprise a lot of people.

Ken Bone — like him or not — has a method to his madness.  His offenses have always found ways to produce within a guard heavy system lacking true playmakers, and he has shown a knack for executing exotic defensive techniques to stall opposing offenses.

Head Coach Ken Bone—like him or not—has a method to his madness.

Believe it or not, there is reason to be excited for this Washington State basketball team.  They may not have the experience and talent to make a serious run at the Pac-12 title this season, but they will pick and claw their way into the conversation.

Royce Woolridge Will Emerge As a Top-Flight PG

The position receiving the most concern heading into the season is at point guard, where the Cougars have a serious void to replace.

Filling the shoes of Moore, last season’s Pac-12 assists champion, is Kansas transfer Royce Woolridge, who played his first game in over two years in a win against Eastern Washington.  Against the Eagles in his Cougars debut, Woolridge recorded seven points and two assists, a modest output from your starting point guard, but his performance goes far and beyond the stat sheet.

Woolridge has embraced his role as point guard despite Bone’s proclamation that the Cougars would be orchestrating the position by committee.

He attempted just five shots and was a key part in creating for his teammates, regardless of the lack of assists.  He has a knack for getting in the lane and, when called upon, can finish at the rack. But he’s already showed during this young season that he wants to be a pass-first point guard—something the Cougars desperately need.

The redshirt sophomore followed up his debut against Utah Valley on Wednesday night with a career-high six assists and, once again, proved he is ripe for a breakout year as the Cougars starting point guard.

When you look at effective point guards, it’s easy to look directly at their average assists and judge them. However, the most important statistic to look at when grading your floor general is turnovers.  In two games, Woolridge has just three turnovers to his eight assists in 56 minutes of play.

I expect Woolridge to be a breakout performer on the Pac-12 scene, putting to rest the concern that the Cougars don’t have a bonafide point.

Brock Motum will win Pac-12 POY

The Cougars return the Pac-12′s leading scorer from last season, Brock Motum, a senior who is easily the engine that makes their train go.  Motum, who averaged 18.0 points per game last season, was beat out for last year’s Pac-12 Player of the Year by California’s Jorge Gutierrez—something that was expected and certainly deserving.

Although, the honor typically goes hand-in-hand with team performance, and because the Cougars were so sub-par compared to their competition last year, the award went to the player that was most valuable on the best team.  That’s typically how those types of awards go, so it’s hard arguing in Motum’s favor.

However, this season the load weighs squarely on Motum’s shoulders.

The Aussie erupted in style to begin the year against Eastern Washington with 23 points and 10 rebounds.  It was just his fourth double-double of his career, but he looks primed to back up his Most Improved Player award with some more hardware on his mantle after his senior season.

Whether the Cougars have the win-loss record to validate a Player of the Year award by recent trends is up for discussion, but Motum will most likely improve his numbers vastly, making it tough for voters to snub the big man two years in a row.

Motum has a chance to win Pac-12 Player of the Year, and the WSU Cougars have a chance to sweep the Huskies in 2013. (Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty)

Motum’s scoring numbers will be hard-pressed to exceed 20 points on average, but his rebounding numbers will inflate from last season’s 6.4 rebounds-per-game output due to the Cougars lack of height in the post.

If 19 points and around eight rebounds a contest isn’t deserving of Pac-12 Player of the Year recognition, I’ll be damned.

The Cougars will sweep the Huskies

Now, let me begin by saying that I’m not going to poke fun at the Huskies for losing to the Albany Great Danes.  I mean, come on, it’s no big deal losing to a team that has never beat a Division-I school.  Not to mention, lose to that same team on your head coach’s birthday.

The Huskies’ loss puts a dent in the Pac-12 as a whole, but who am I kidding?  I’m still chuckling inside that they lost to a team no one has ever heard of on their home court.

Poor puppies.

As we approach Apple Cup, it’s easy to get into rivalry mode, and I won’t sway from that mood during this ensemble.  The Huskies aren’t a good basketball team.  C.J. Wilcox is an absolute stud, and he reminds me of a young Ray Allen, but outside C.J. Wilcox, who is going to step up and make that team a dangerous threat?

Aziz N’Daiye is hands-down my favorite Husky to play any sport of all-time, but he’s easily defended — if you even have to defend him — and he is prone to the hack-a-Aziz strategy due to his horrid free throw shooting.

Washington State plays as a team on both ends of the court, something the Huskies have failed to do on a consistent basis under Lorenzo Romar. The Cougars have had their fair share of success against the Huskies in recent memory, and I expect that trend to continue this season.

Team play beats individual play, and the Huskies don’t look like they’ll have either one this season with the losses of Tony Wroten and Terrance Ross.

Chalk up two wins for the Cougars.

DaVonte Lacy Earns Pac-12 All Second Team honors

DaVonte Lacy came on strong to end last season after senior guard Faisal Aden went down with a knee injury.  Lacy was depended upon to pick up the scoring slack that was diminished when Aden went down, and he did just that.

As a true freshman, the Curtis High School alum averaged 8.5 points per game and earned Honorable Mention All Freshman team honors.

It wasn’t the honor the guard was shooting for, but he has a chance to make his mark on the Pac-12 this season with a defined role in the Cougars offense: score points.

Lacy looks to have slimmed down from last season and it has shown with his quickness and off-the-ball movement to create open shots early in the year.  In two games thus far, Lacy has averaged 13.0 points, and against Utah Valley, he recorded a career-high six assists.

The Wazzu student section will have something to celebrate if the team can qualify for postseason play. (Photo: WSUCougars.com)

The sophomore will be asked to handle the ball more this season at the point guard position, and he showed that he’s more than capable of being, not only a scorer, but a valuable asset distributing the basketball.

The Cougars will be playing in the postseason

At first, I wanted to fearlessly predict that the Cougars would make the NCAA tournament, but after watching the Huskies fall flat on their face against who-know’s, and No. 12 UCLA struggle with UC Irvine, I honestly don’t believe the Pac-12 will be good enough to get more than two or three teams in the tournament.

With that said, I think the Cougars cut their preseason pegging in half and finish fifth in the Pac-12, earning themselves the dreaded NIT bid.  That’s obviously not where this team wants to go, but given how young they truly are, they’re a year or two away from making a serious run at a legitimate NCAA bid.

Senior Mike Ladd will provide much-needed experience and is expected to become a vital component not only on the offensive end, but on the boards where he has excelled in season’s past.  Also, D.J. Shelton is coming into his own at the center position and the uber-athletic big man is showing life of becoming a force in the paint.

With hyped four-star guard Demarquise Johnson eagerly waiting in the wings, in addition to inking four-star point guard Ikenna Iroegbu from the prestigious Oak Hill Academy, Bone is setting this team up for serious success.

It’s taken awhile to build this team into the winner that it was during the Tony Bennett days, but the pieces are starting to fall in place.  If the first two games of the 2012-2013 season are any measure, this Cougars basketball team could be the cinderella of the Pac-12 and create headaches for the rest of the league.

Patience is a virtue—a virtue that Washington State fans have become rather accustomed to over many sports—butt our time is coming.  There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and it’s getting brighter each week.

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After a brutal week for the Washington State Cougars, embroiled in war of words and accusations with departed star wide receiver Marquess Wilson, there was still a game to play against the No. 18 UCLA Bruins on a frigid Saturday night.

Marquess Wilson’s Agenda

Just hours before the nationally televised game, however, Wilson released a statement to the media saying farewell to Cougar Nation and not-so-literally spit in the coaches’ faces on his way out the door to who-knows-where.

Wilson accused Leach and his staff of “verbal, emotional and physical abuse,” creating a media firestorm much hotter than the sub-freezing temperatures of the Palouse.

But before answering to the — for now — baseless claims by their former disgruntled receiver, the Cougars took on the Bruins and came out playing well before an injury sidelined starting quarterback Jeff Tuel.  At the time, it looked serious, but as the second quarter rolled around, it became the least of their concerns.

Behind a pitiful performance from their special teams the Cougars had four of their first five kicks blocked — two field goals.  What resulted was a 30-point drubbing during the second quarter thanks to a starting field position at the Cougars’ 46-yard line for the Bruins.

At halftime, the Bruins led 37-7 and it looked as though the Cougars had all but packed up for the offseason.

With Tuel sidelined, Connor Halliday came on in relief and played fantastic, completing 26-of-43 passes for 330 yards and a career high five touchdowns.  The redshirt sophomore led a spirited offense down the field for four second half touchdowns, eventually cutting the lead to just eight points with 1:30 left in the game.

Wilson accused Leach and his staff of “verbal, emotional and physical abuse,”

In addition to Halliday’s only interception of the game deep in Bruins territory, the Cougars’ committed many mistakes on the night en route to a 44-36 defeat at the hands of Jim Mora’s Bruins.  

A Leach-esque comeback attempt was all for naught as the Cougars (2-8, 0-7 Pac-12) dropped their seventh consecutive game and remained winless in conference play.

Special Teams’ Blunders

When you look at the box score, you could say that the Cougars completely dominated this game and, for the most part, you’d be correct.  However, there’s always two sides to a story and the box score only tells one side of it.

The Cougars had four kicks blocked in the first half, one that resulted in a touchdown on an Andrew Furney blocked field goal.

Another field goal and two punts negated what could have been six points, taken six points off the board for the Bruins, and changed the field position in dramatic ways.  

But, the offensive line woes continued and the Cougars were brutally manhandled in the trenches every time they snapped the ball on special teams — essentially the difference in the game.

Snowing Yellow

There was no frozen precipitation in the air on Saturday night, but you wouldn’t be ridiculed if you mistook the alarming amount of yellow flags thrown for pissed-on snowfall.

The Cougars were penalized nine times for 103 yards behind a rash of personal fouls — most likely frustration fouls for their terrible first half performance.

It’s been a theme for this Washington State football team to ruin positives with boneheaded mistakes and, on Saturday night, those mistakes amounted to a football fields worth of yards and negated several scoring opportunities.

They Fought Back

Enough with the negatives.  I’m so tired of continually writing about how bad this team has played, how poorly they’ve been coached and the win-loss column.

This is supposed to be a ‘What Went Wrong’ column, but there were so many more ‘What Went Right’ moments during the course of this game that it would be a shame not to highlight.

When you’re 2-7 and you enter the locker room down 30 points at halftime, it would have been so easy for this team to crawl into a hole and hibernate for the rest of the game.

But they didn’t.

To say this team is a locker room divided was a pretty easy thing to say.

What they did do, however, was come back with a vengeance — a sense of pride and will to fight for a coaching staff that is being labeled as a “dumpster fire,” amid the turmoil that has unfolded over the course of the week.

They clawed back into that game behind a solid defensive performance — Hey! Look what happens when you aren’t backed up on your own endzone to start every drive! — and showed that the Air Raid is something that is still a thing, apparently.

The offense was firing, the defense was getting off the field and I’ll be damned if coach Mora wasn’t pissing his pants a little bit as the Cougars outscored the Bruins 29-7 in the second half.

To say this team is a locker room divided was a pretty easy thing to say coming into this game.  Rightfully so, they looked like they were on the brink of disaster heading into the contest, but they showed that they’re a true team willing to fight for one another and this coaching staff, as well.

I’m over the moral victories and the slight improvements.  I don’t condone losing, I don’t embrace it, and I’m tired of constantly witnessing it.  But, what was fun was watching a team play their asses off for 60 minutes.

They aren’t the most talented team in the conference by a long shot, but they have proven that they can play with the best of them, and for those 60 minutes — well mostly the final 30 minutes — I was proud to be a Washington State Cougar despite the loss.

I think Saturday shows a lot about the events of this week and how getting rid of the rotten apples, no matter whom they shall be, is essential towards turning this program around.

It’s been a long year, but the effort that this team showed on Saturday night makes me rest a little better at night knowing that this staff still has the team’s respect and is capable of getting them ready to perform after all they’ve been through.

So that’s ‘What Went Wrong,’ but really, there was more that went right when you look at it deeply.

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Facing a 4th-and-17 with under a minute left, the Seattle Seahawks needed just one more stop to send the New England Patriots home wet and battered.  Tom Brady, who managed to throw for 395 yards on the day, came up three yards short of extending the Patriots’ chances to upend an emotional Seahawks comeback with some last minute magic of his own.

However, that comeback bid was halted by none other than rookie middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, when he tackled Wes Welker short of the first down — his team leading 14th tackle of the game.

As Wagner got up from the tackle, he sprinted towards the Patriots’ endzone, waving his hands in the air to the loud roar of the 12th man whose voices, at this point, were most likely running on empty.

Watching the Seahawks sprint up and down the sidelines, run all over the field, and bask in the glory that the 12th man provides, epitomized the emotion that this team showed during a gutsy, never-say-die performance against the three-time World Champions.

And who better to seal the comeback, 24-23 victory over the Patriots than Wagner, the second round pick out of Utah State, who set the Seahawks’ rookie record for tackles in a game.

Flying Under The Radar

The last time the Seahawks invested an early round draft pick on a linebacker they produced one of the biggest busts in recent draft memory.  Aaron Curry, the butt of nearly every recent Seahawks joke, was ran out of town last season and sent to Oakland for a late round draft pick that actually turned into J.R. Sweezy.

Wagner is putting up better numbers than Tatupu did in his rookie season!

Each and every week, we heard Curry’s name on every telecast, radio broadcast, and national publication, and not because his results were positive — it was because he was God awful.  Blown coverages, a serious lack of motivation, and countless missed tackles made his time in Seattle short-lived.

But this time around, we’re not hearing about the uber-athletic, speedy, tackle machine hailing out the lesser-known WAC.  Which, at this point in his career, is a good thing.

When you ask someone to rattle off names on the Seahawks defense, one of the last one’s you’ll hear is Wagner name.

Why?

Because he’s doing everything he’s supposed to do on nearly every play.  He flies around, makes the game look effortless, and doesn’t do anything that will make fans, broadcasters, or the coaches to single him out in negative ways.

Wagner is quietly becoming a force on this defense, a rookie leader, and a guy that everyone can count on to make the big tackle at the most important junctions of the game.

That’s what he did last week against Cam Newton, and he continued his superb play on Sunday, capping it off by sending the Patriots home with their heads drooped as he buried Welker into the turf on 4th-and-game.

Gaining Confidence, Providing Results

When Pete Carroll made the decision to punt the ball away facing a 4th-and-3 in their own territory with just 3:20 left in the game it put a lot of pressure on a defense that had been pushed down the field all day.

Yet, with three timeouts and the two-minute warning to go, Carroll had faith in his defense to come up big one final time.    Wagner was asked about that decision to rely on the defense after the game:

“I wasn’t surprised.  As a defense, we want the game on our shoulders,” Wagner said.  ”We have the confidence in us; We know Pete has the confidence in us.”

That confidence paid off and it’s becoming more and more apparent that this Seahawks defense is special, and on Sunday, we may have seen another budding star emerge at the middle linebacker position.

As previously mentioned, Wagner recorded 14 tackles against the Patriots, setting a Seahawks rookie record for tackles in a game.  To put that in perspective, no other rookie in Seahawks history has recorded more than 10 tackles in a game according to this tweet by @HawkBlogger:

Bobby Wagner’s 14 tackles breaks a Seahawks rookie record for tackles. No other Seahawks rookie has had as many as 10 in a game.

— Brian Nemhauser (@hawkblogger) October 15, 2012

Through six games, Wagner has 43 tackles (27 solo), 1.5 sacks, 4 stuffs, and countless plays that statistics can’t begin to acknowledge.

Thrust Into a Leadership Role

As young as the Seahawks’ defense is, it’s still uncommon to have a rookie at the center of it all and expecting him to act as a leader on a consistent basis.

Wagner’s progression is product of his own preparation (Photo Seattle Times)

Wagner is reversing that notion.

Sure, he’s not the clear cut captain on the league’s number one defense, but for a linebacking core that was a mild question mark heading into the season with the loss of David Hawthorne, he’s erased concerns about a relying on a rookie at the middle linebacker position.

His speed on the edge is out-of-this-world but he’s played a vital role stopping the run, as well.

Wagner’s progression is product of his own preparation and his knack for the game of football.  It seems as though he has already acclimated to the speed of the NFL, and he’s reinforcing the genius draft tactics of Carroll and general manager John Schneider.

We’re just six weeks into the season and it’s too early to make bold predictions about the development of a rookie player but what we’ve seen out of Wagner is something special in it’s self.

In a defense stock-piled with Pro Bowl-caliber players, you aren’t going to hear Wagner’s name among the NFL’s elite, but in time, remember this performance against the New England Patriots — because Bobby Wagner might have just threw his own coming out party.

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The Washington State Cougars and the California Golden Bears have each endured various bumps along the road throughout the first half of the 2012 season.  With both teams sitting at 2-4, Saturday’s matchup at Martin Stadium is basically a must-win situation if either team wants to make a serious push at a bowl bid.

Matchup: California Golden Bears (-7) at Washington St. Cougars (+7)
Venue: Martin Stadium (Pullman, WA)
Game Time, TV: 7:30 PM (PDT), Pac-12 Networks
Date: Saturday, October 12, 2012
Weather: 64 High, 40 Low, Few Showers
Team Records: Cal (2-4, 1-2 Pac-12) WSU (2-4, 0-3 Pac-12)

On none other than Mike Leach bobblehead day, the Cougars will look to get back on the right track after an encouraging defensive performance against nationally ranked Oregon State, while the Bears are coming into Pullman confident after handling #25 UCLA.

With showers and cold weather expected, the Cougars find themselves with their first “real” home game since the devastating defeat to Colorado.

And the Cougars are in a desperate need some home cookin’.

Game Notes / How They Matchup

As we head into the second half of the season, there is a sense of urgency, not only for Washington State, but for California as well.

For Washington State, the wheels started falling off the Leach-hype wagon after the devastating loss to Colorado during Homecoming but the Cougars have followed up with two encouraging performances — albeit losses — against the Oregon schools.

The Cougars are looking for Halliday to have a much better performance than last week at OSU.

On the other hand, California and head coach Jeff Tedford have, in recent years, been as inconsistent as any program in the country and this season is no different.

And this weekend, Tedford could, more than likely, be coaching for his job.

California’s winningest coach has been walking a thin line, and a loss against the Cougars would require the Bears to win four of their final five games to become bowl-eligible — the assumed minimun standard for Cal this season under Tedford.

Despite being a matchup of two teams at the bottom of the Pac-12 North, this is a game that could have huge implications moving forward.

The Bears, however, have won seven straight meetings against the Cougars, including a 30-7 drubbing last year in Berkeley.  California has also won their last three meetings in Pullman.

What to Watch: Washington St.

First and foremost, can Connor Halliday learn from his awful performance against Oregon State last weekend and get this offense on the right track?

Last week, Halliday was just 9-of-20 for 81 yards and three interceptions.  He was able to spread the ball around to seven different receivers but was unable to find any rhythm throughout the game.

Whether it has been Halliday or Jeff Tuel under center, both seem to be trying to do too much.  The two gunslingers have combined for 12 interceptions this season, the most interceptions of any team in the country.

For the Cougars, it comes down to protecting the football and sustaining drives.

Three-and-out’s have plagued the offense all season due to a combination of things – receivers not getting open, offensive line lapses and poor quarterbacking decisions.

On a positive note, can the Cougars’ defense build off of their impressive performance from last week?

The defense was on the field for nearly 40 minutes and were constantly backed up against their own endzone, but relinquished just one touchdown against a potent Beavers offense.

It’s hard to depend on the defense to replicate that type of performance, so the offense will need to improve — and improve drastically to keep up with a quick strike Bears offense.

What to Watch: California

The Bears are a hard team to read.  Will the Bears team that nearly pulled off the upset against Ohio State in Columbus and upended #25 UCLA 43-17? Or the Bears team that lost to Nevada, was routed against USC and lost at home to Arizona State?

This team goes as far as quarterback Zach Maynard.  When he’s good, the Bears are good. When he’s bad — and he can be really bad — the Bears are bad.

So with that said, the Maynard that shows up to Pullman on Saturday night will, most likely, determine Cal’s performance.

Maynard has plenty of weapons at his arsenal including All Pac-12 WR Keenan Allen who can completely dominate any secondary on a given night.

The Cougars are hoping Mike Leach Bobblehead Night will tip the scales this week against Cal.

The Bears also boast a trio of capable running backs including Isi Sofele, C.J Anderson and Brandon Bigelow, who ran wild against the Buckeyes to the tune of 160 yards on just four carries and two touchdowns.

The defense has been up and down this year, as well.

Giving up an average of 28 points a game, the Cal defense can be scored on but it will take a solid offensive game plan to beat their excellent secondary.  Led by cornerback Steve Williams, the Bears’ secondary will pose is significant test against the Air Raid.

Washington St. Offense vs. California Defense

Last week, the Cougars failed to score a touchdown for the second time this season and just the 5th time in Leach’s head coaching career.  WSU totaled just 227 yards and struggled running the ball, once again, with just 20 yards on the ground.

California ranks 72nd in the country against the run, giving up 167-yards a game, so expect the Cougars to at least attempt to run the ball and establish a running game.  I expect the Bears to follow the trend of previous defenses and drop seven and eight men in coverage opening up chances to run the ball, but it’s been a struggle this season, thus far.

Despite being ranked 87th in total passing defense, the Bears boast one of the top secondaries, personnel wise, in the country.  Led by the previously mentioned Williams, the Cougars will have their hands full.

The most intriguing matchup will be Marquess Wilson vs. Williams.  Williams is a step down from Jordan Poyer, who locked down Wilson last week and intercepted three passes, so Wilson should be able to have chances to make plays downfield.

The Cougars are going to need to establish the run and, most importantly, limit the interceptions while sustaining drives.

That all begins with Halliday not trying to fit balls into tight spaces on nearly every play.  He needs to be smart and realize that if things aren’t open down field, use his safety check down — something that has been absent in his drop backs so far.

California Offense vs. Washington State Defense

Zach Maynard can be dynamic in the passing game, but if he’s pressured, he has a tendency to turn the ball over.

Pressing the receivers and blitzing Maynard off the edge will be the Cougars’ best chance of stopping the California offense.  The Bears have been susceptible to giving up sacks this season.  Through six games, they have yielded 28 quarterback sacks amounting to the most in the nation.

Cal is 53rd in the country in rushing offense

Travis Long, who has recorded 7.5 sacks already this year, could be in line for another big day against a skeptical Bears offensive line.

Cal is 53rd in the country in rushing offense and will be led by Anderson, who has averaged 6.8 yards per carry after taking over the majority of snaps from Sofele, who has struggled to gain 4.0 yards a tote.

The Cougars will attempt to stop the run and force Cal into passing situations where they can apply pressure, while jamming the receivers, hoping to disrupt Maynard.

If the Cougars can get to Maynard, the should be able to translate those opportunities into turnovers in the passing game.

Prediction and Analysis

Vegas is predicting this game to be a close matchup and that’s entirely what should occur.  The teams matchup well, but Cal holds a decided advantage in nearly every facet but with the game being played in Pullman, which should be wet and cold, it changes the dynamics of the game.

It’s always tough coming into Pullman this time of year as the weather creates a Cougars advantage, for the most part.

If the Cougars can play solid defense, limit the big plays like they have in recent weeks, and hold on to the football they’ll have a chance.

Getting to the quarterback is going to be imperative and sustaining offensive drives are what this game is going to come down to.

WSU is desperately in need of a win and I think that the Mike Leach bobblehead gives them the edge in this one.

California 20 Washington State 24

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In part one of our four part series, NWSB examined the first four games of the Seattle Seahawks‘ 2012 schedule.  Fearlessly, I predicted that the Seahawks would find themselves sitting with a record of 3-1 at this point in the season and, needless to say, I was wrong.

It’s been a frustrating campaign so far — to say the least.

With seven chances inside the red zone to steal a victory from Arizona in week one, a gift from the replacement referees on the infamous ‘Inaccurate Reception’ in week three, and a frustrating loss, littered with miscues in St. Louis; the Seahawks are both lucky to be 2-2 and oh-so-close to being 4-0 to start the season.

The Seahawks’ inevitable quarterback controversy has reared its ugly head after several sub-par performances from rookie Russell Wilson and questionable play calling has turned a once promising season into one that is filled with anxiety and a sense of urgency.

How will the Seahawks respond?

In part two of this four part series, I examine contests against Carolina, New England, San Francisco and Detroit.

Game by Game Predictions

Episode 5: Sun, October 7 @ Carolina

With a fire lit under his lazy eyes after a week of ridicule from media and fans alike, Russell Wilson leads the Seahawks into Carolina to face Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers.

In what seems to be a must-win for Seattle, Wilson rallies the troops like a young veteran and out-duels his opposing field general.

Can Seattle slow down Cam Newton and the Panthers offense in Week 5?

Cam Newton is forced to scramble nearly every other play and is unable to break the Seahawks’ edge containment.

The run defense continues its superb play and Newton throws three interceptions — one returned for a touchdown by Kam Chancellor who actually fumbles the ball as he heads into the endzone but it is recovered by Brandon Mebane for a ‘Fat Guy TD’.

The Seahawks would never look back.

Wilson has another underwhelming game in the passing department, throwing for just 183 yards and a touchdown, but doesn’t turn the ball over.  Marshawn Lynch torches the Panthers’ suspect run defense to the tune of 134 yards and two touchdowns with another touchdown through the air.

Seahawks roll to a Cowboys-esque victory and get back on track heading back home to host the Patriots.

Seahawks 28 Panthers 17

Episode 6: Sun, October 14 vs. New England

After two consecutive road games, the Seahawks get to come home to a 12th man that is hungry to destroy the ear drums of Tom Brady.  And that is exactly what they do.

The run game keeps on rolling and the Seahawks jump out to an early 17-3 lead midway through the second quarter when the Patriots begin their collapse.  Catapulted by five first half false starts, the Patriots punt six times and are unable to find any rhythm.

But, in true Bill Belichick fashion, the Patriots make several halftime adjustments and expose the Seahawks’ secondary on their first drive of the second half, narrowing the score to 17-10 while silencing the home crowd.

Thank god for Leon Washington.

The return specialist erupts for his first special teams touchdown of the season on the ensuing kickoff and puts the game out of reach.  The Seahawks would tack on two more field goals and the defense abuses the Patriots offense, leading Belichick to bench Brady with 6 minutes left in the game to prevent injury.

Wilson, however, has yet another down game, throwing two interceptions and fumbling once, but also threw for  two touchdowns.  Despite the win, Carroll continues to defend his rookie starter.

The rivalry continues

Seahawks 30 Patriots 13

Episode 7: Thurs, October 18 @ San Francisco

The rivalry continues as Pete Carroll takes the Seahawks into San Francisco to face Jim Harbaugh and the NFC West leading 49ers.

The two coaches attempt to exchange words of encouragement prior to kickoff but, Harbaugh being Harbaugh, attempts to throw punches at Carroll as he’s jumping around high-fiving the offensive line.

Breno Giacomini jumps in to the defense of his head coach and is immediately flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.  Mind you, the game hasn’t even started and Giacomini has already been flagged 15 yards on the kickoff.

Following suit of their head coaches, the Seahawks and 49ers play to a 3-3 tie at halftime in a bruising defensive battle.

Both running games find signs of life in the second half as Frank Gore and Lynch exchange third quarter touchdowns to head into the final 15 minutes tied at 10-10.

With just under three minutes to go, the Seahawks hold the ball in 49ers territory when Wilson rolls out to pass on third down and one, but throws an interception into the chest of Patrick Willis — his second of the game.

The 49ers eventually drive 59 yards to set up a David Akers 38-yard game winning field goal.  The win pushes the 49ers record to 6-1 and the Seahawks fall to 4-3 heading into Detroit.

Seahawks 10 49ers 13

Episode 8: Sun, October 28 @ Detroit

For the fourth time in the last five weeks, the Seahawks go on the road to face a tough opponent.  This time however, they’re led by Matt Flynn who was named the starter on Friday after Wilson continued to struggle on third down and consistently stalled drives with turnovers or errant passes.

Flynn comes out firing on all cylinders as if he hadn’t lost a beat since his record breaking performance against Detroit in 2011.  The Seahawks rally behind Flynn and the passing game becomes electric as the Lions phase Lynch out of the game with eight men in the box.

After 8 games, the Seahawks should — fearlessly — find themselves with a record of 5-3

Flynn completes 21-29 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns and the defense continues its dominance, taking the ball away three times and holding Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson in check.

In their most complete performance since beating the Cowboys 27-7, the Seahawks improve to 5-3 and right in the thick of the NFC Wild Card race halfway through the 2012 season.

Seahawks 24 Lions 6

Part Two Schedule Prediction Analysis

In part one, I correctly predicted just one of the three games — the Cowboys home opener.  But, as we saw, all of those games could have gone either way.

In the second installment of this four part series I, once again, predict that the Seahawks will go 3-1, beating the Panthers, Patriots, and Lions.

The most likely scenario would be a a 2-2 outlook over the next four games, but I think that the Seahawks and Carroll understand the urgency of the next four contests and will rise to the occasion  even if that means inserting Flynn for Wilson.

After 8 games, the Seahawks should — fearlessly — find themselves with a record of 5-3 and sitting just fine in the NFC playoff picture.

Next four weeks: vs. Minnesota, vs. New York Jets, BYE, @ Miami

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As the Oregon Ducks and Washington State Cougars headed to their respective locker rooms at halftime on Saturday night, there was a noticeable buzz building within CenturLink field in Seattle.

After falling behind 20-3 in the first quarter, the Cougars settled down and played toe-to-toe with the #2 team in the country.

Two touchdowns and field goal later, the Ducks found themselves in the peculiar position of a competitive 23-19 football game heading into half.

But, as all dominant football teams do, the Ducks made the necessary halftime adjustments to put Cougars away for good and effectively eliminate the buzz of a potential upset.

And once again, a traditionally dominant second half performance by Oregon resulted in a 51-26 victory to improve their record to 4-0 (2-0), sending the Cougars to 2-3 (0-2).

Love ‘Em

Playing Motivated, Competitive Football

After giving up a touchdown on the Ducks’ opening drive in under two minutes, the Cougars could have easily folded and accepted the fact that the Ducks were just the superior football team and the route would have been on.

But they didn’t.

The Oregon Ducks used an impressive effort by Kenjon Barner to dispel any talk of an upset in Seattle. (Photo: Oregonlive.com)

Despite the fact that their ensuing drive stalled inside the red zone, Connor Halliday rallied the troops valiantly, not succumbing to the perceived notion that the Ducks were going to punch them in the mouth on their way to a blowout victory.

Sure, the final score leaves one to think that this was a dominating three-and-a-half touchdown victory for the Ducks — and for the most part, you’d be right.  There is just too much speed, athleticism, and talent to play with the Ducks for four quarters at a high level.

What the Cougars didn’t do, however, was quit.  In so many games this year — BYU, Eastern Washington, UNLV, and Colorado — they have either pouted because they were behind or quit playing because they were up a touchdown or two, allowing the opposing team to climb back in the game.

There was no let down after that opening drive.  Trailing 13-0, the Cougars played inspired football and showed that, at times, they can play with anyone in the country.

If WSU can build upon, what Mike Leach called their “most complete game of the season,” we’re going to see quality football come out of an otherwise disappointing result.

Marquess Wilson

Everyone is going to key on his tendency to drop the football, which has definitely been the only weak spot in his game all season, yet there’s no denying the competitor that Marquess Wilson is.

Wilson finished the game with 12 receptions for 182 yards and a touchdown despite being draped in double- and triple-coverage.

His physicality at the line of scrimmage is something we haven’t seen out of Wilson in his previous two seasons.  It’s allowing him to create space on the corner which is vital considering the amount of attention that is being directed his way.

Wilson’s 182-yards moved him into first place on the Cougars’ all time receiving yardage list (2,759 yards), passing current St. Louis Rams WR Brandon Gibson.  Not to mention, Wilson is still just a junior, whereas Gibson set the previous record of 2,756 in four years of service in a Cougars uniform.

Hate ‘Em

Red Zone Offense

After yielding a touchdown on the Ducks’ opening drive, the Cougars countered with an impressive 15 play, 79 yard drive but couldn’t capitalize after three shots from inside the five yard line.  After going for it on fourth down earlier in the drive, the Leach insisted on taking the field goal rather than go for it on fourth and goal with the chance to take the lead.

Trailing 20-3, the Cougars’ surprising freshman RB Teondray Caldwell returned the kickoff for 92-yards down to the Ducks’ six yard line.  Carl Winston capped the scoring drive with a six-yard touchdown run, but it would be the only touchdown they would score inside the Ducks’ red zone.

After a Marcus Mariota interception thrown to Cougars FS Deone Bucannon, the Cougars found themselves inside the red zone, once again but were unable to capitalize, resulting in another Andrew Furney 20-yard field goal.

Their inability to run the ball effectively has been a cause for concern, especially in goal-to-go situations and it bit them again against the Ducks.

When attempting to pull off an upset of that magnitude, it becomes imperative to capitalize on the precious opportunities in the opponents red zone.  The Cougars ended up settling for field goals rather than touchdowns — something you can’t do and expect to win a football game.

Marquess Wilson, despite a few drops, had a very impressive night against the Oregon Ducks in a losing effort.

Mental Mistakes

I thought the defense did a good job of not blatantly blowing coverages at the rate they have been all season.  But they still had their moments.

The only instance I saw where the defense lapsed completely, was the Kenjon Barner 30-yard swing pass for a touchdown in the first quarter.  He was left wide open, running free down the sideline.  That’s something that you just can’t allow to happen in close football games.

Other than that, though, the Cougars did a good job of keeping the play in front of them.  There were missed tackles but that can be attributed to the Ducks’ speed more than a lack of containment.

Dropped footballs continued to plague the offense once again.

Wilson and Isiah Myers dropped notable passes, something that has continued to plague this receiving core — a group that was expected to be one of the better core’s in the conference.

The penalties weren’t as bad as they have been — seven penalties for 66 yards — but they can, and should be, diminished.  That all comes down to focus.

Overall, the turnovers, dropped passes, red zone inefficiency, and stupid penalties were the catalyst towards the Ducks’ rampant second half dominance.

These are all things that can be alleviated but overall the positives of this game far outweighed the negatives and I think the Cougars can hold their head high heading into a tough contest next week against the Oregon State Beavers.

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No matter how you want to analyze it, pick it apart, or complain about it, the Seattle Seahawks beat the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football to improve to 2-1 on the season heading into a divisional tilt with the St. Louis Rams.

As ESPN and other national media outlets continue to ridicule the Seahawks‘ improbable win — for whatever reason that might be — their suffocating defensive efforts the past two weeks have been an implausible afterthought.

Regardless, one sack and punishing hit at a time, this defense is becoming the bruising unit that Pete Carroll and company envisioned when they arrived in Seattle just two seasons ago.

And the rest of the team is feeding off their fiery performances as they steamroll into St. Louis.

The Rams, who sit at 1-2 on the season and last in the NFC West, are coming off of a demoralizing 23-6 loss to the Chicago Bears that saw quarterback Sam Bradford get sacked six times.

Not a welcoming sign for the recently anemic Rams offense after seeing the Seahawks harass reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers to the tune of eight sacks in the first half alone.

Riding a three game win streak, and winning 13 of their last 14 against the Rams dating back to 2005, the Seahawks will look to establish themselves on the road, something they haven’t been able to do in recent years.

Stuff the run and the sacks will come

Following suit from last week, if the Seahawks can stop Steven Jackson and the Rams running game, like they have been against opposing rushing attacks all season, it will force Bradford to drop back to pass — something this defense will gladly encourage.

The Rams have given up 12 sacks through three games — the second highest total in the NFL — presenting the opportunity for the defensive front four to plow through a skeptical Rams offensive line en route to putting Bradford on his back.

James Carpenter could make his season debut this week against the Rams

Led by Chris Clemons and Bruce Irvin, the defensive line has a chance to put up a sack total that rivals that of last week.

Jackson has had trouble running against the Seahawks throughout his career.

In 16 games, Jackson has never eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark against a Seahawks defense and has just eight touchdowns, without a single multiple touchdown game to his name.

Going up against the Seahawks’ run defense that has given up average of just 58.7 rushing yards per game, coupled with a nagging groin injury, Jackson could be in for a long day with very few touches.

Bradford is going to have to beat the Seahawks with his arm, opening up chances to create pressure off the edges.

Shuffling the big boys up front

The Seahawks got great news this week with the announcement that last year’s first round pick James Carpenter would be available after recovering from a torn ACL suffered late in the season.

Carpenter, who has been practicing aside left tackle Russell Okung, figures to start at left guard which will shuffle up the rest of the line.

Paul McQuistan, the regular starter at left guard for the first three games, will most likely shift over to right guard in place of J.R. Sweezy.

Carroll has said that McQuistan is capable of playing both guard positions and would likely be an improvement at right guard ahead of Sweezy, who will be lined up against the Rams’ stud defensive lineman Chris Long.

Can Chris Clemons do it again against the Rams this week? (Sport PR Photos)

A huge void — literally — will need to be filled as John Moffitt is listed as doubtful for Sunday with an undisclosed knee injury he suffered against the Packers.

Obviously nothing is set in stone, but there could be a lot of shuffling throughout the game. We don’t know how much Carpenter will play — if he plays at all — but it’s something to watch for as the game unfolds.

As a run first team, the offensive line play is going to be crucial this week in run blocking, but also in pass blocking.

Russell Wilson found himself running for his life on multiple plays last week, which attributed to his porous completion percentage and inability to stretch the defense down the field.

If the offensive line isn’t supplying protection or is ineffective in the run game, the Seahawks have several options, thanks to the return of Carpenter.

Don’t be so conservative in the passing game

As the offensive line goes, so will the passing game.

Darrell Bevell has been fairly conservative in the passing game, letting Wilson acclimate to the offense and the speed of opposing defenses.

Carroll has reinforced the notion that they’re going to do whatever they can to limit the chances of giving the ball up as much as possible, but this week would be a good time to see what the kids arm can do.

The Seahawks rank dead last in passing and Wilson has yet to throw for over 153 yards in a game.

Granted, that has drastically limited his interceptions on the season (1), but with Marshawn Lynch being able to run the ball so effectively, the play-action pass is going to create opportunities down the field.

The most impressive throw that I’ve seen out of Wilson this season came on the last drive against the Packers when he stepped up into the pocket and fired a dart to Sidney Rice for a 24-yard completion.

It’s those types of throws that can, and will be, open up this offense in time.

It’ll be interesting to see how the offense progresses in week four.

After three weeks to read, understand and react to opposing defenses, it’s time for Bevell to open up the playbook a bit and let Wilson show off his arm.

This offense has been dreadfully stagnant thus far and is famished for some life in the passing game.

Keep the laundry off the field

The replacement referees are gone and with that goes the ability to make excuses for penalties throughout the game. The Seahawks committed 14 penalties last week and 13 in week one against the Cardinals.

Mix in a five penalty game against the Cowboys and they lead the league in penalties with 32.

There was a large majority of those penalties that could have gone either way, but it’s the jumping offsides, the inexcusable false starts, and blatant holding penalties that have plagued this team in critical aspects of the games all season.

Hopefully Pete Carroll and company finally open up the playbook for Russell Wilson

As previously mentioned, there is no room for excuses any longer. They need to be smart and focused or these penalties are going to come back and bite them at the most inopportune time.

No room for a letdown

Its an old omen that after a dramatic win, such as the one on Monday night, teams come out flat in their next game.

When traveling on the road, to an earlier time zone, it becomes imperative that the Seahawks don’t let the high of the Packers win result in a lackluster performance this Sunday.

This is a game that the Seahawks need as they head into the toughest stretch of their schedule.

After back-to-back road games against the Rams and the Carolina Panthers, the New England Patriots come to town followed by another two game road trip to San Francisco and Detroit.

This is a game that the Seahawks have to win, not only to gain confidence heading into this tough stretch, but it’s a game that playoff teams are supposed to win.

And I do believe that the Seahawks are a playoff caliber football team.

The Rams are still rebuilding and, even though they are young and talented on both sides of the ball, they’re still the doormat of the NFC West however you write it.

Every game is important throughout an NFL season but this game is especially important sitting at 2-1 and looking for their first victory within the division.

The pieces are in place for this to be a special season in Seattle and the Seahawks have an opportunity to quiet the naysayers this weekend with a dominating performance against the hapless Lambs.

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After on epic collapse of monumental proportions against the hapless Colorado Buffaloes, the Washington State Cougars attempt to salvage any sense of pride against the Oregon Ducks this Saturday at CenturyLink Field in Seattle.

Matchup: Oregon Ducks (-30.5) at Washington St.(+30.5)
Venue: CenturyLink Field (Seattle, WA)
Game Time, TV: 7:30 PM (PDT), ESPN
Date: Saturday, September 29, 2012
Weather: 70 High, 50 Low, Cloudy
Team Records: #2 UO (4-0) WSU (2-2)

Washington State’s annual Seattle Game has created a stir in recent years among Cougar faithful because of it’s designation as a home game, but is it really a home game?

The easy answer is no.

The game is vital for recruiting, alumni, and representing the university, but for a football team struggling to find itself on it’s home turf — let alone a home-away-from-home turf — facing the Ducks in Seattle feels an awful lot like a road game destined for disaster.

Game Notes / How They Matchup

The Ducks and Cougars enter their second Pac-12 contest coming off of very different results.

What can the Cougars do to slow down Kenyon Barner?

Last week, the Ducks handled No. 22 Arizona 49-0 and continued to show their dominance while the Cougars gave up a 31-14 lead in the fourth quarter, to previously defeated Colorado, eventually falling in the waning seconds to the Buffaloes 35-34.

Last season the Cougars played with the Ducks late into the second half, trailing just 15-10 at halftime in Eugene.  But, After cutting the lead to 29-20 on a Marshall Lobbestael 24-yard touchdown pass to Jared Karstetter late in the third quarter, the human highlight reel, De’Anthony Thomas immediately answered with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and the route was on.

The Ducks eventually won the game 43-28 behind Thomas’ 262 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.

Thomas will, once again, create havoc on a Cougars defense that has had trouble stopping anyone this season.  The Cougars will attempt to counter the Ducks’ vaunted attack with an offense that showed evident signs of life last week, but faltered down the stretch against Colorado.

In a Savannah State-type spread, the Ducks are favored by 30.5, a staggering margin considering many people had this game circled on their schedule before the season began.

The Mike Leach versus Chip Kelly matchup was intended to create national attention with their high scoring offenses, but in 2012, the hype has died down as the Cougars have failed to scratch the high expectations that came with their high profile head coaching hire.

What to Watch: Washington St.

When a team scores 30-plus points and loses, all eyes point towards the defense.  Last week, that was exactly the case as the Cougars were finally able to move the football and put sizable points on the board, but the defense was unable to handle a very mediocre Buffaloes offense that doesn’t have a single notable playmaker.

How will defensive coordinator Mike Breske alleviate the big plays against a Ducks offense known for just that?  The good sign is that the Cougars, before last week, had been relatively stout against opposing rushing attacks but they’ll be facing a ground-game giant in the form of Kenyon Barner and the previously mentioned Thomas.

The defense is going to have to make considerable strides in a short amount of time if it wants to hold Oregon to any sort of respectable offensive output.

On offense, Connor Halliday will most likely make his third consecutive start at QB as Jeff Tuel has been reported to still be taking second team reps this week.  Halliday was up and down last week, throwing for 401 yards and four touchdowns but only completed 32-of-60 passes and was intercepted two times.

For the offense to be effective against a swarming Oregon defense, Halliday has to make better decisions in the passing department and considerably improve his completion percentage.

What to Watch: Oregon

Oregon hasn’t missed a stride from last season despite losing starting QB Darren Thomas and Heisman candidate RB LaMichael James.  The Ducks have put up at least 42-points in each of their four contests including a 63-point  output against Tennessee Tech and a 57-point crushing of Arkansas State.

Meager opponents, but the fact that they dropped 49-points on a nationally ranked Arizona team shows how dominant this team really is.  Led by freshman QB Marcus Mariota, who has thrown for 10 touchdowns already this season, the offense is, once again, on tops in the nation.

The offense was never a question heading into the season and if the Ducks had concerns it was on the defensive side of the ball.  So much for that.

Last week against Arizona, the Ducks shutout a Rich Rodriguez offense that is known for it’s explosiveness, holding them to just 323 yards — most of them garbage time yards — and forced five turnovers.

The game is vital for recruiting, alumni, and representing the university

A suffocating effort for the 36th ranked defense in the country.

The Ducks are as sound on both sides of the ball as you’ll see in the country and will pose a significant test for the Cougars who have yet to impress in any facet of the game for a consistent amount of time this season.

Washington St. Offense vs. Oregon Defense

Throw the ball. Throw the ball. Throw the damn ball.

The Cougars are going to find themselves losing sooner or later in this game and, if they weren’t a pass-happy offense already, wait til Halliday slings the rock 70 times against the Ducks.

Undoubtedly, they’ll try to establish the run, but that can only go so far if you’re behind early.

Gabe Marks and Marquess Wilson continued to be the most consistent receivers for the Cougars last week.  Marks finished with 7 receptions for 107 yards with a score and Wilson ended up with 99 yards and two touchdowns to his name.  The two will be vital against an Oregon secondary that ranks 42nd in passing defense.

For the Cougars to have any success, however, the receivers are going to need to hold onto the football.  On several occasions, a handful of Cougars receivers dropped critical passes resulting in fourth down and ultimately contributing to Halliday’s miserable 53% completion rate.

Though, they won’t rush the ball extensively, if the Ducks decide to drop seven and eight men in coverage, Leach has showed he isn’t afraid to run the ball.  Freshman RB Teondray Caldwell had 10 carries for 72 yards, which begs the question why Leach was so hesitant to continue running the ball with a late lead against Colorado.

Regardless, if the offensive line can find some success up front, the running game will be there — maybe.

Oregon Offense vs. Washington St. Defense

Oregon is going to do Oregon things on offense.  Run the ball.  Run the ball. Beat you on a deep pass over the middle. Run the ball in for a score.  Six points.  That will all most likely happen in under two minutes.

The Ducks’ quick strike offense spells problems for the Cougars’ defense due to their inability to get off the field.  Make no mistake about it, the Cougars have been the victim of big play after big play, including a 84-yard touchdown run and a 70-yard touchdown pass last week — something Oregon excels at.

Thomas, as we saw last year, already has success running rampant against the Cougars and Barner will, whether the Cougars want to stop it or not, find the edges.  Corner containment is going to need to on point because the Ducks have so much speed on the edges.

The Cougars’ secondary, the weakest part of the Cougars defense this season, will be stretched out from sideline to sideline in the secondary but will also be asked to handle the majority of the tackling duties.

The good thing for the Cougars? They have Travis Long. (Photo: AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)

The good thing for the Cougars? They have Travis Long.

The senior BUCK LB leads the nation in sacks with 6.5 and will likely be all over the field again, spying Thomas and Mariota for the majority of the game.  Oregon is going to live and die by the run game and if the Cougars want to have any microscopic chance this week, Long and the Cougars’ defense will need to stop the run or they could be in for a long, long night.

Prediction and Analysis

I don’t think anyone will argue with the mammoth 30.5 point spread based on recent performances but I find it hard to believe that the Cougars will come into this game moping their heads after their heartbreaking defeat last week.

The Ducks can’t overlook the Cougars because their offense is bound to explode at some point, but if Oregon comes in focused, this could very well be the route that everyone is expecting.

Barring an epic collapse, the Ducks should win this game handily, but I wouldn’t necessarily sleep on the Cougars.  After an embarrassment, you never know how a team will respond and based on Leach’s postgame comments last week, the Cougars have no choice not to come out motivated.

The Cougars are due for a huge upset, just sayin’.

But, to be honest, I don’t think it’s coming this week. Ducks in a route.

Oregon 56 Washington State 31

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When Pete Carroll took over as the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks the mantra painted on the wall was “Always Compete.”  With that competing philosophy in place, it has opened the doors for the young guys to leap up the depth charts during the offseason.

Last season we witnessed the arrival of undrafted free agent Doug Baldwin, who led the Seahawks in receiving.  It’s that type of underdog story that the Seahawks have relished — if you compete, you’ll play, and a certain third round pick in the 2012 draft has embodied all that is, Pete Carroll.

Russell Wilson has been the epitome of what Carroll wants out of this team on a daily basis.  Wilson outworked Matt Flynn throughout the preseason and it showed in his on-field play, which earned him the starting spot.

While Wilson has been a pleasant surprise this season, leading the Seahawks to a 2-1 record, the guy that is seemingly being overlooked for his spectacular play is controversial first round pick, Bruce Irvin.

In a new series that we’ll feature here at NWSB, I’ll examine the Seahawks’ most outstanding rookie on a week-to-week basis.  

Hopefully its not the same guy each week…

With the 15th pick in the first round Seattle selected…. (photo seahawks.com)

Arriving on the Scene

With the 15th pick in the first round, Roger Goodell announced that the Seahawks had selected: Bruce Irvin, Defensive End, West Virginia.

Mel Kiper, ESPN’s so-called draft expert, called the pick “mind boggling” and ridiculed the team’s selection.  Kiper insisted that the Seahawks, for the second year in a row, took a play way too high.

After the draft however, several teams just behind the Seahawks admitted that they really liked Irvin and considered taking the uber-talented pass rusher.

Just hours after becoming the newest Seattle Seahawk, Irvin posted this on Twitter:

“@BIrvin_WVU11: I will work my butt off and the rest will take care itself #12thman I wont let you down I promise!”

It wasn’t until the final game of the preseason against the Raiders that Irvin recorded his first sack but against the Arizona Cardinals he made his presence felt by creating constant pressure off the edges.

Then the Dallas Cowboys came to town and Irvin began destroying right tackle Doug Free.  Constantly in Romo’s face, Irvin showed how much hard work he has put in and got his first sack in his young and promising career.

Coming out Party

In arguably the wildest and most controversial Monday Night Football games in NFL history, the Green Bay Packers fell victim to the Seattle Seahawks on a last second hail mary.  Whether it was a touchdown or an interception, or whatever it was, it doesn’t matter, the Seahawks won and the Packers lost.

The guy who started first obliterated Mr. Discount Double Check was the Seahawks’ rookie defensive end, Bruce Irvin.

What the national media has yet to acknowledge, however, is how dominating the Seahawks defense played especially in the first half.

Not only did the defense hold a potent Packers offense off the scoreboard in the first half, they sacked Aaron Rodgers an impressive eight times in the first half — the second most sacks in a half in NFL history. 

Chris Clemons, the Seahawks’ sacks leader the past two seasons with 22, had four sacks and Brandon Mebane added two of his own.

But, the guy who started first obliterated Mr. Discount Double Check was the Seahawks’ rookie defensive end, Bruce Irvin.  He quickly followed suit with another sack in the second quarter to bring his season total to 2.5 sacks which leads all rookies.

The Future Looks Promising

His speed is unquestionable but there is no doubt that his mechanics are still raw.

The fact that he’s taken down two of the more mobile quarterbacks in the league against two of the strongest and biggest offensive lines he’ll see all season should speak volumes about the future that Irvin has as a pass rusher in this league.

When he was drafted, he was compared to Von Miller and Javon Kearse if he was able to put it all together.  It’s early — very early, but so far, so good.

Bruce Irvin is becoming the defensive end that no national media pundit wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt to be.  He was a drug dealing, gun yielding, high school dropout that was going to stumble at some point down the line and lose everything.

But as of right now, the only one stumbling is the tackle he’s lined up against on his way to punishing opposing quarterbacks, which is “mind boggling,” right?

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Homecoming is always a special time of the year on any college campus with alumni flocking to town, greek students indulging in excessive amounts of adult beverages, and proud displays of school colors on nearly every corner of town.

However, it’s all business this week for the Washington State Cougars as they open up Pac-12 play against the Colorado Buffaloes.  Despite entering the game with a record of 2-1, the Cougars have struggled to put forth any sense of consistency while the Buffaloes are just trying to stop the bleeding after a dismal winless non-conference slate.

Matchup: Colorado Buffaloes (+19) at Washington State Cougars (-19)
Venue: Martin Stadium (Pullman, WA)
Game Time, TV: 1:00 PM (PDT), FX
Date: Saturday, September 22, 2012
Weather: 88 High, 49 Low, Mostly Sunny
Team Records: CU (0-3) WSU (2-1) — Pac-12 Opener

Game Notes / How They Matchup

Saturday will mark the second time that the Cougars and Buffaloes have faced off as Pac-12 conference foes and the eighth time in the two schools’ history.  Colorado holds the series advantage with a record of 4-3.

The two teams opened up Pac-12 play against each other last season and the Cougars came out on top after a furious fourth quarter comeback.  The win was capped off by a 63-yard touchdown pass from Marshall Lobbestael to Marquess Wilson with just over a minute left in the game to shock the Buffaloes 31-27 in Boulder.

For Washington State, 2012 has been a mix of good and bad. Their record of 2-1 is what many expected after their three non-conference matchup’s but the Cougars’ inability to finish games and bury far less superior opponents has been a serious cause for concern.

It’s been a whole different story for the Buffs as their second season under head coach Jon Embree has got off to a very unforgettable start.  After losing to in-state rival Colorado St. to open the season, the Buffaloes were trounced at home by Sacramento St., an FCS opponent, on a last second field goal.  To make matters worse, Colorado traveled to Fresno St. last week and reached an all-time low for the football program.

For Washington State, 2012 has been a mix of good and bad.

The Bulldogs obliterated the CU 69-14.  Fresno led 35-0 after the first quarter and 55-7 at halftime while racking up 500-yards of total offense all in the first half.

Whether that hellish defeat will ignite a fire under the previously hapless Buffaloes is yet to be seen, but the Cougars find themselves with a very favorable matchup to begin Pac-12 play.

What to Watch: Washington State

The overarching theme throughout this young season out of Pullman has been the battle at quarterback between Connor Halliday and Jeff Tuel.  So, who is going to be starting under center come Saturday?

Mike Leach has been mum thus far — as you would expect — but signs are pointing towards Halliday taking the snaps this weekend.  Halliday, who took over for Tuel during the Eastern Washington game and started at UNLV, has looked rather impressive with his limited opportunities.  Last Friday, Halliday was 26-of-45 for 378-yards and four touchdowns and took several shots down the field, something we haven’t been accustomed to with Tuel at quarterback.

There’s an obvious rift between Halliday’s and Tuel’s respective supporters, with both sides clamoring for their respective favorite, but as we’ve seen so far, we’ll have to wait until game time before the starter is unveiled.

The depth chart has been shaken up a little bit this week with an apparent injury to WR Rickey Galvin and undisclosed circumstances surrounding OL Dan Spitz.  Isiah Myers leapfrogged Gabe Marks at the Z-WR, Bobby Ratliff is listed as the starter in place of Galvin at the H-WR, and Brett Bartolone is listed as the starting Y-WR.

On defense, Justin Sagote is listed as the starter at the WIL LB ahead of Chester Su’a, and Tyree Toomer will split time with Casey Locker at FS.  True freshman Taylor Taliulu, who didn’t play against UNLV after starting the first two games of the year, will back up Deone Bucannon at SS.

What to Watch: Colorado

Colorado is desperately trying to find an identity on both sides of the ball.  The Buffaloes have already cycled through three different quarterbacks with very little success.

Starting QB Jordan Webb, a transfer from Kansas, has completed just 50% of his passes for an average of 144 yards per game with four touchdowns and two interceptions.  Webb will most likely get the start for the Buffs, but Embree showed his short string when he inserted backup quarterbacks Connor Wood (6-of-15, 75 yards, 2 INT) and Nick Hirschman (1-of-3, 41 yards) who both underperformed when thrown into the fire.

After losing nearly every playmaker off of a decent offense last season, Webb and freshman RB Christian Powell have been relied upon to move the football with very little success.  Powell has rushed the ball 46 times for 199 yards and three touchdowns amounting to a glimmer of a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy offensive outlook.

On defense, the Buffaloes returned their top three tacklers including linebacker Jon Major, who had 65 tackles and three sacks last season, and All-Conference DT Will Pericak.  The defensive front seven is undersized and the secondary has had trouble being able to stop anyone with CB Greg Henderson and true freshman CB Yuri Wright struggling to maintain any coverage.

Washington St. Offense vs. Colorado Defense

Colorado is a bad football team with a very bad defense.  Think back to Washington State’s 2009 season where they gave up at least 58-points six times.  It’s that bad in Boulder right now.  It’s tough to watch, we know.

Regardless of who starts at quarterback for the Cougars, expect them to come out and throw the ball and mix in the run like they did against UNLV — about a 65-35 pass-to-run ratio.  Assuming Halliday is under center, he should be able to find many receivers open downfield without having to force it into tight spaces like he’s had tendency to do so far this season with three interceptions and a handful of close calls.

Hey don’t look now! The Cougars are favored to win a Pac-12 game…

Colorado ranks 106th-of-120 teams in total defense giving up 479.6 yards per game and have given up an average of 9.97 yards per pass completion.  For a team like Washington State, that is enamored with passing the football, there should be plenty of chances to put points on the board through the air.

Wilson, Marks, and Myers should be able to stretch the field against a Colorado secondary that has been brutally exposed by mid-major offenses.

WSU should be able to jump out to an early lead against a porous Buffaloes defense and then focus on running the ball, hoping to find a spark in the rushing department that has been absent through three games.  Expect the backfield of Teondray Caldwell, Leon Brooks, and Carl Winston to have a big second half  assuming the Cougars can jump out to an early lead.

Colorado Offense vs. Washington St. Defense

The Buffaloes have had limited success — if any — on offense this season.  Colorado ranks 113th in total offense, averaging just 291.3 yards per game and a dismal 4.28 yards per play through three games.  Mind you, they haven’t exactly faced any dominating defenses as Colorado St. ranks 67th and Fresno St. ranks 53rd in total defense.  Washington St. is 96th in total defense, however.

Because CU has been outscored 45-14 in the first quarter this season, they have been forced to abandon the running game early and been forced to throw the football.

Due to a season ending knee injury to promising WR Paul Richardson,  the Buffaloes have struggled to find any capable receivers to throw the ball to.  Redshirt freshman WR Nelson Spruce has been the go-to receiver in the Buffs offense so expect Damante Horton to attempt to lock down the promising freshman.

The Buffs are going to look to run the ball early but will most likely have to revert to passing the football assuming the Cougars jump out to an early lead.  This bodes well for the Cougars secondary as Fresno St. returned two interceptions for touchdowns last week as Webb made several questionable decisions in the passing game.

WSU’s defense should be able to handle Colorado’s anemic offense.

Prediction and Analysis

For the just the second time in the last four seasons, the Cougars are favored to win a Pac-12 game (OSU last season) and expect WSU to come out firing on all cylinders against a Colorado team that is being labeled as one of the worst teams in, not only Colorado history, but NCAA history.

Whether Halliday or Tuel starts, the QB play should be solid and the defense will have several opportunities to make plays resulting in turnovers.

In what should be another tune-up game for the Cougars — who really need to find consistency — Homecoming should result in a WSU victory and their second consecutive 3-1 start to the season.

Washington St. 49 Colorado 14

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