As Washington State reaches the halfway point on the schedule, it's time to give out midseason grades.
WSU is just 2-4 on the season and 0-3 in Pac-12 play. The Cougars rank 100th in the nation in points scored per game (21.8), lead the nation in interceptions thrown (12) and appear to have no answer at the quarterback position.
All of that is especially jarring considering how high the expectations were coming into the season with the hiring of Air Raid guru Mike Leach.
Despite those negatives, opportunities to win games have been there. The Cougars have simply failed to capitalize on them.
Asked to describe the first half of the season Monday, Leach didn't mince words.
"A lot of missed opportunities," he said. "I think we've improved as a team, but I think that we've had a lot of missed opportunities. If we were a more mature, mentally tougher team we could've capitalized on it."
Perhaps the biggest disappointment has been the way the Cougars have handled the bumpy road.
"We're a team that if it's not easy, we flinch and flounder," Leach said.
More than that, however, is the fact that Leach said he feels many of the seniors on the team don't seem to care.
"Some of them have been great and some of them have been very poor," he said. "Some of them have had this zombie-like, go through the motions, well, everything is how it's always been, that's how it will always be. Some of them, quite honestly, have an empty corpse quality, and that's not pleasant to say or pleasant to think about, but it's a fact."
As much as it pains Washington State to admit it, the lack of senior talent and leadership has already led to a young movement in Pullman.
"We haven't really had the strength from our senior class we should get there, so we've turned to our younger guys to develop them and there a ways off," Leach said.
That's not where the Cougars want to be, but that's the reality at the halfway point.
- Quarterbacks: C-
The Cougars are 15th in the nation in passing yards per game, but lead the nation interceptions thrown and are getting sacked in bunches.
The quarterback controversy between Connor Halliday and Jeff Tuel reached a boiling point Saturday in Corvallis, when Halliday was yanked twice during the game.
"The Oregon State game, offensively, was a disaster," Leach said. "We didn't play well at all."
On Sunday, Leach confirmed Halliday would likely be the starter this week against Cal and stood by that remark Monday.
"He'd been playing the best until he threw three interceptions, and we're at the point in the season where we have to invest the reps in somebody," Leach said. "We just have to make a choice."
That hardly sounds like a coach who is thrilled with his options.
- Running backs: D
Last year's top returning rusher, Rickey Galvin, was moved to wide receiver and has been hurt the past few weeks. That left Carl Winston and Teondray Caldwell as the top running back options. Neither guy has played well and the Cougars have had negative yards rushing twice this season.
Leach, a pass-first coach who many have speculated doesn't care about run statistics, was asked Monday if the inability to run the ball is a concern.
"Absolutely, It means we're not able to move their front around," he said.
- Wide receivers: B-
This group was electric in fall camp. Between All-American candidate Marquess Wilson and future all-league playmaker Gabe Marks, the wide receivers looked like the strongest group on the team.
Unfortunately, they've been wildly inconsistent - dropping passes, lacking focus and failing to get separation from cornerbacks on a consistent basis.
They have the talent to be among the best receiving corps in the Pac-12, but haven't produced like one.
- Offensive line: F
On a team full of holes, Leach said the offensive line was the No. 1 need in the next recruiting class. They have been abysmal - and that might be overly generous. Consistently giving up sacks against two and three-man fronts, Washington State has one of the least talented O-lines in the country, and have gotten down on themselves to the extent that the words "soft" and "lack toughness" have been floated around openly.
- Defensive line: B
Ioane Gauta has emerged as a playmaker, and Xavier Cooper has had his moments. The front seven should almost be taken as a group - and there grades will reflect that - because they work so closely together to stop the run and get pressure on the quarterback in passing situations.
- Linebackers: B
Travis Long has developed into an All-American pass rusher and Justin Sagote has been a blessing from the junior college ranks. This group is the youngest on the team, and performs like it at times, but they play hard, swarm to the football and make things happen.
They've also progressed more than any other group throughout the course of the season.
- Defensive backs: F
The No. 2 area of need for the next recruiting class is defensive backs, according to Leach. Washington State lacks depth, physicality and elite talent at the position. Each and every one of the cornerbacks has been embarrassed on the field at least once this season, whether they were turned around on a simple route, completely whiffed on a tackle or were stiff-armed 30 yards down the field by a receiver.
Safety Deone Bucannon collected 11 tackles last week and is a bright spot, but even he has been suspended for personal fouls this season.
- Special teams: A-
Lost in a the Cougars' poor start has been the dramatic improvement of the special teams play this season. Kicker Andrew Furney has played at an all-league level, Teondray Caldwell and Leon Brooks have been game-changers at the return spots, and Washington State has completely shored up its kickoff and punt coverage.
Last year, WSU was atrocious on special teams. This year, they are among the Pac-12's elite - and have built a reputation as a tough group, as pointed out by the Pac-12 Network on Saturday.
Andrew Nemec can be reached at (208) 882-5561 ext. 231, or by email at anemec@dnews.com.
