2011 Washington State Football Predictions

Written by Steve Janus

It hasn’t been pretty for the Washington State Cougars of late. They went just 2-10 overall and 1-5 in conference play last year, and are just 5-32 overall and 2-25 in the PAC-12 over the last three years. While it remained a struggle to win games, Washington State was a lot more competitive in 2010 and should have one of their best teams under head coach Paul Wulff in 2011 with 15 starters back.

To get a better idea of what to expect from the Cougars in 2011, here is a closer look at who they will be sending to the field on both sides of the ball, plus my prediction on where they will finish the season in the PAC-12.

Offense:

One of the big surprises from the 2010 season was the play of sophomore quarterback Jeff Tuel, who completed just under 60% of his attempts for 2,780 yards and 18 touchdowns. While the numbers don’t blow you away, they are pretty impressive when you consider Washington State got just 91 yards a game on the ground. Tuel should continue to grow and put up even bigger numbers in his junior season, which is a big reason why Washington State figures to be in a lot more games this season.

The Cougars run game loses leading rusher James Montgomery, but considering he had just 478 yards and five touchdowns it will be hard for this unit to be as bad as they were a year ago. Redshirt freshman Rickey Galvin was suppose to be a big part of the attack last season, but broke his arm on his first carry of the season and was forced to use his medical redshirt. Galvin will be the starter coming in 2011, while senior Logwone Mitz returns as the primary backup.

While the running game will be a concern, the Cougars return their top two receiving threats from 2010 in senior Jared Karstetter and sophomore Marquess Wilson. Karstetter led the team with 62 receptions and seven touchdowns, but finished with just 658 yards. Wilson finished second on the team with 55 catches and six touchdowns, but had a team best 1,006 receiving yards, and figures to put up even bigger numbers in his second season.

Three starters return up front on the offensive line, and while there isn’t a ton of talent they make up for it with experience. Seniors David Gonzales and Wade Jacobson return at the two tackle spots, and they also bring back senior right guard B.J. Guerra. Added to the mix will be senior Adnrew Roxas at center and sophomore John Fullington at left guard. While Fullington is the only non-senior, he started six games as freshman and earned 3rd Team All-Conference honors.

Defense:

This side of the ball has absolutely killed the Cougars in recent years. Since allowing just 23.1 point per game in 2006, they have allowed 32 or more points a game over the last four years. There is some hope that they will show some improvements in 2011 with 8 starters back.

The biggest problem for Washington State has been stopping the run. They allowed opposing team to rush for 220 yards a game last season, and only return two starters on the defensive line in junior defensive end Travis Long and senior defensive tackle Brandon Rankin. Junior college transfer Ian Knight appears to have the edge at the other end spot, while junior Anthony Laurenzi is expected to take over at the other tackle slot. If teams continue to run all over them, it is going to be very difficult for Washington State to win many more games in 2011.

At linebacker the Cougars return senior weak-side linebacker Alex Hoffman-Ellis and sophomore middle linebacker C.J. Mizell. Hoffman-Ellis finished second on the team with 81 tackles and Mizell finished fourth with 57. Added to the mix will be sophomore Sekope Kaului at the open strong-side spot. With the lack of talent up front, the Cougars will rely on these three to make a lot of plays this season.

All four starters return in the secondary, and I look for the Cougars to have one of their best pass defenses in years. Junior Daniel Simmons and sophomore Nolan Washington return as the starting corner duo, while junior Tyree Tommer and sophomore Deone Bucannon are back at the two safety spots. The only concern is these four combined for just three interceptions last season, but that number should go up with the experience they gained from last year.

PAC-12 Prediction: 6th Pac-12 North – I don’t think there is any question that the Cougars will be a better team in 2011, but I don’t think it is going to result in many more wins, especially in conference play. The offense will keep them in games, but the defense is likely a year away from really making this team competitive in the PAC-12.

PAC-12 Football Predictions by Team
Oregon Football Predictions	Utah Football Predictions
Oregon State Football Predictions	USC Football Predictions
California Football Predictions	UCLA Football Predictions
Stanford Football Predictions	Colorado Football Predictions
Washington Football Predictions	Arizona Football Predictions
Washington State Football Predictions	Arizona State Football Predictions

College Football Predictions
ACC Football Predictions	Big 12 Football Predictions
Conference USA Football Predictions	Independents Football Predictions
PAC 12 Football Predictions	SEC Football Predictions
Big East Football Predictions	Big Ten Football Predictions
MAC Football Predictions	Mountain West Football Predictions
Sun Belt Football Predictions	WAC Football Predictions

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