Coming off win over UCLA, Cougars will face Golden Bears without running back.
The WSU football team had few moments to bask in its first conference victory against UCLA on Saturday.
Although the Cougars played their best complete game of the season, bowl eligibility remains three victories away and a trip to California is looming at 7 p.m. Saturday. Also, the Cougars will face the Golden Bears without the services of Dwight Tardy. The sophomore will be out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. ?The [UCLA win] felt really good until Sunday afternoon when I started looking at Cal,? WSU head coach Bill Doba said. ?They are pretty good, too. It will be another challenge.? The Golden Bears reached No. 2 in the country after defeating Oregon a month ago.
But the team dropped from the AP top 25 for the first time since Dec. 22, 2005, after three consecutive losses to Oregon State, UCLA and Arizona State.
Quarterback Alex Brink said although the Golden Bears are on a slide, that is no reason to take them lightly.
?There is no doubt in my mind they deserved that No. 2 ranking at the time,? Brink said. ?They are a quality football team, so we have to study them just like we are going down to play one of the top five teams in the country.? Doba said it is ?that time of year? for injuries, and believes that to be part of the Golden Bears? demise. The team has nagging injuries at key positions.
Running back Justin Forsett is second in the conference in rushing, but has been playing through ankle and shoulder injuries.
Forsett averaged 122.5 yards his first six games, but his production has fallen to 76 and 78 yards in the past two games.
DeSean Jackson was a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate before he sprained his thumb in California?s season opener against Tennessee, significantly limiting his production.
And quarterback Nate Longshore sprained his right ankle against Oregon and has never fully recovered.
The Golden Bears have other injuries dotting the depth chart as well.
?A couple injuries in key spots [can hurt],? Doba said. ?It really wears on your team ? physically and mentally.? Despite the rut, the Golden Bears remain third in the league in scoring offense.
Jackson is still eighth in the conference for receiving yards despite the injury, and generally requires double teams in coverage. Lavelle Hawkins has emerged as the team?s leading receiver, ranking fourth in conference.
And even with the injuries to Forsett, the run game is still a concern with the team?s athletic offensive line.
?They?ve got a great offense,? linebacker Greg Trent said. ?Their offensive line is large, they can move ? and they?ve got a good running back and receivers.? If the UCLA game was an indication, the WSU defense could be set to stop the Golden Bears.
The Cougars had their best defensive effort last Saturday, holding the Bruins to 267 yards and recording two sacks and three tackles for loss.
The defense also held a strong ground game to 100 yards. What?s more, the Bruins completed just five of 16 third downs.
The WSU offense responded by controlling the clock by 16 minutes. The Cougars ran for a season-high 274 yards on 51 carries, creating an offensive balance. The passing attack complemented the run with 271 yards.
In all, the offense had 98 total plays, also a season best.
?It?s a team game, and when the defense is getting three-and-outs and getting the ball back it takes the pressure off the offense,? Doba said. ?That was key.? To win consecutive games for just the second time this year, the Cougars will need to find success on the road.
The team has lost all four of its road games by an average 32-point margin, the worst of which was a 53-7 loss against Oregon three weeks ago.
?We are just going to go play,? Trent said, ?and not worry about anything.?
The WSU football team had few moments to bask in its first conference victory against UCLA on Saturday.
Although the Cougars played their best complete game of the season, bowl eligibility remains three victories away and a trip to California is looming at 7 p.m. Saturday. Also, the Cougars will face the Golden Bears without the services of Dwight Tardy. The sophomore will be out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. ?The [UCLA win] felt really good until Sunday afternoon when I started looking at Cal,? WSU head coach Bill Doba said. ?They are pretty good, too. It will be another challenge.? The Golden Bears reached No. 2 in the country after defeating Oregon a month ago.
But the team dropped from the AP top 25 for the first time since Dec. 22, 2005, after three consecutive losses to Oregon State, UCLA and Arizona State.
Quarterback Alex Brink said although the Golden Bears are on a slide, that is no reason to take them lightly.
?There is no doubt in my mind they deserved that No. 2 ranking at the time,? Brink said. ?They are a quality football team, so we have to study them just like we are going down to play one of the top five teams in the country.? Doba said it is ?that time of year? for injuries, and believes that to be part of the Golden Bears? demise. The team has nagging injuries at key positions.
Running back Justin Forsett is second in the conference in rushing, but has been playing through ankle and shoulder injuries.
Forsett averaged 122.5 yards his first six games, but his production has fallen to 76 and 78 yards in the past two games.
DeSean Jackson was a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate before he sprained his thumb in California?s season opener against Tennessee, significantly limiting his production.
And quarterback Nate Longshore sprained his right ankle against Oregon and has never fully recovered.
The Golden Bears have other injuries dotting the depth chart as well.
?A couple injuries in key spots [can hurt],? Doba said. ?It really wears on your team ? physically and mentally.? Despite the rut, the Golden Bears remain third in the league in scoring offense.
Jackson is still eighth in the conference for receiving yards despite the injury, and generally requires double teams in coverage. Lavelle Hawkins has emerged as the team?s leading receiver, ranking fourth in conference.
And even with the injuries to Forsett, the run game is still a concern with the team?s athletic offensive line.
?They?ve got a great offense,? linebacker Greg Trent said. ?Their offensive line is large, they can move ? and they?ve got a good running back and receivers.? If the UCLA game was an indication, the WSU defense could be set to stop the Golden Bears.
The Cougars had their best defensive effort last Saturday, holding the Bruins to 267 yards and recording two sacks and three tackles for loss.
The defense also held a strong ground game to 100 yards. What?s more, the Bruins completed just five of 16 third downs.
The WSU offense responded by controlling the clock by 16 minutes. The Cougars ran for a season-high 274 yards on 51 carries, creating an offensive balance. The passing attack complemented the run with 271 yards.
In all, the offense had 98 total plays, also a season best.
?It?s a team game, and when the defense is getting three-and-outs and getting the ball back it takes the pressure off the offense,? Doba said. ?That was key.? To win consecutive games for just the second time this year, the Cougars will need to find success on the road.
The team has lost all four of its road games by an average 32-point margin, the worst of which was a 53-7 loss against Oregon three weeks ago.
?We are just going to go play,? Trent said, ?and not worry about anything.?
