SPOKANE — Trey Tinsley caught a shotgun snap, watched four receivers bolt downfield and quickly sensed one of them was heading toward open space. He launched the pass and found his man for a 62-yard gain.
A carefree kid on a playground couldn’t have done it better. Heck, Luke Falk couldn’t have done it better.
Tinsley and fellow Washington State quarterback Anthony Gordon have miles to go before either of them secures a starting role in September. But they reassured a few hundred fans in the annual Crimson and Gray football scrimmage at Albi Stadium that life goes on in the absence of Falk.
Tinsley, trying to retrace Falk’s journey from walk-on obscurity to game-day glory and beyond, passed for 213 yards and three touchdowns in windy conditions Saturday to lead the Crimson squad to a 34-24 win over the Gordon-led Gray.
The duel of colors was beside the point, especially since the first-unit offensive line spent extended time with each squad. And Tinsley vs. Gordon might have been irrelevant too, since both unseasoned quarterbacks played well, spent the entire second half on the sideline and realize the more important battles will come in preseason camp.
What the scrimmage suggested was that the club’s prideful Air Raid offense needn’t return to Square 1 just because Falk, the Pac-12 career passing leader, is now auditioning for the NFL.
For one thing, the Cougars still have receivers like Kyle Sweet, who made eight receptions for 138 yards, including that early 62-yard catch-and-run that demonstrated his mental connection to Tinsley.
“We motioned trips-right — it was just an all-vertical play,” Tinsley told a flock of reporters, looking as composed in that setting as he did on the field. “I looked up and saw he (Sweet) was moving to space. I was able to get it over the linebackers and he made a great catch and a great run.”
Tinsley completed 19 of 24 passes and looked almost interchangeable with Gordon, who went 15-for-21 for 174 yards and a TD. Neither of these junior-college transfers has taken an NCAA snap, but they obviously developed a rapport with receivers while understudying Falk last season. Neither threw anything close to an interception.
“Both of them play like they have a chip on their shoulder,” Sweet said. “And they should — they’re coming and taking over the offense. We don’t have any hiccups.”
Well, maybe a few by true freshman QB Camm Cooper, who played for both squads and directed five straight series in the second and third quarters. He eventually quelled his nerves and finished 12-for-18 for 120 yards and a score.
“I thought Tinsley and Gordon both played well,” seventh-year coach Mike Leach said. “A couple of guys I think had a little stage fright. Some of them got better as they shook that. ... It was better than most spring scrimmages I’ve been involved with.”
John Bledsoe, Connor Neville and Casey Brink also took turns at QB, and Neville fired a couple of beauties that reminded viewers that he, like Cooper, was a four-star recruit out of high school.
The Cougars’ run game was negligible but all three of the top quarterbacks received solid protection from the No. 1 offensive linemen, whom coaches declined to split up, citing a lack of depth. A busy Robert Valencia, who has overtaken the top role at left guard this spring, also played right tackle for the second unit.
Dezmon Patmon caught seven passes for 91 yards for the Gray, nailing down an end-zone toss from Gordon despite overzealous coverage by Deion Singleton, and freshman Kainoa Wilson stood out in the youngster-oriented second half to finish with five receptions for 57 yards.
The defenses weren’t awful.
“I think we could have covered some windows in the zones just a little bit better,” new defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said.
Crimson defensive end Nnamdi Oguayo, on the other hand, spent considerable time in the offensive backfield and was one of five players with touch-sacks. Freshman defensive back Armani Marsh dropped one Bledsoe misfire but intercepted a second.
The D even had the last word: Crimson cornerback Marcus Strong scooped up a fumble by Solomon Cooper and frolicked into the end zone to create the final score with two minutes left.
But the important images came early. And they evoked Luke Falk more than anyone could have reasonably expected.
PASSING — Trey Tinsley 19-24-0-213, Anthony Gordon 15-21-0-174, Camm Cooper 12-18-0-120, John Bledsoe 7-9-1-40, Connor Neville 3-7-0-67, Casey Brink 3-5-0-20.
RECEIVING — Kyle Sweet 8-138, Dezmon Patmon 7-91, James Williams 5- 35, Kainoa Wilson 5-57, Easop Winston Jr. 4-32 , Tay Martin 4-52, Brandon Arconado 4-61, Max Borghi 4-16, Travell Harris 3-54, Jamire Calvin 3-19, Keith Harrington 3-14, Renard Bell 3-19, Rodrick Fisher 3-36, Solomon Cooper 1-6, Riley Krenz 1-4, Jonathan Jung 1-0.
RUSHING — Clay Markoff 3-23, Max Borghi 4-10, James Williams 5-7, Keith Harrington 3-4, Trey Tinsley 1-3, Connor Neville 2-0, Casey Brink 1-5, Anthony Gordon 1 (-6), Solomon Cooper 4-11.
SCORING PLAYS — Bell 5 pass from Tinsley, Borghi 2 run, Fisher 3 pass from Tinsley, Jack Crane 39 field goal, Patmon 23 pass from Gordon, Harrington 10 pass from Tinsley, Martin 32 pass from Neville, Wilson 23 pass from Cooper, Strong 31 fumble return.
---
Grummert may be contacted at daleg@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2290.
