INSIDE SLANT

Statistically, the 2009 season couldn’t have been worse for the Cougars.

They never scored a touchdown in the first quarter, never led a game in regulation, and finished 1-11 (beating SMU in overtime after a late rally tied the game). They also finished 0-9 in Pac-10 play, the most conference losses in school history, and never came within 13 points.

It capped a two-year run under head coach Paul Wulff that is among the worst in school history—3-22 overall and 1-17 in conference play.

But Wulff said after a 30-0 loss at Washington that ended the season—a game in which the Cougars never got past UW’s 33-yard-line—that he sees hope for the future.

“We’ve got a chance to make a huge step as a team next year,” Wulff told The Spokesman-Review. “The pieces are there to make a big, big step. A lot of players will be back on this football team that are going to be a big, big difference next year.”

They’d likely better be as Wulff surely can’t survive a third straight season in which the Cougars are among the worst in the nation in just about every statistical category.

So far, Wulff has been able to point to a young and thin roster that he inherited from Bill Doba, who was fired after a 5-7 season in 2007 that ended with a 42-35 win over Washington and included two three-point losses—winning one or both of which would likely have put the Cougars in a bowl game.

But Wulff insists the drop-off from bowl contention to hapless program is the result of a young roster that is now beginning to mature a little bit.

The Cougars will return all but five players who started the Apple Cup—as well as freshman QB Jeff Tuel, who sat out the game due to an injury—and also have what in Wulff’s eyes are some promising redshirts or players returning from injury who will add immediate help.

Wulff also said the attitude has done a 180 since he arrived, with the players now working hard and buying into his program.

“I know people are goinig to look at the scores and records and that’s fine,” Wulff told The Spokesman-Review. “But when you’re inside on a daily basis and deal with these kids—that’s a huge difference in attitude and behavior and how positive they are. To a man, they’re ecstatic about the future of Cougar football. You ask them and they’ll tell you they’re going to bring the Cougars back to the Rose Bowl. Whether it’s cocky or not, there’s that kind of confidence in this team.”

For Wulff’s sake, there’d probably better be.

NOTES, QUOTES

• The Cougars were outscored 176-6 in the first quarter this season, getting field goals against Cal and Oregon State, but never leading a game all season in regulation.

• The Cougars scored just 144 points this season, 12 per game, lower even than the 12.7 of last season. They allowed 462, an average of 38.5, down just a bit from the 43.8 of last season.

Game Of The Year:   Not much to choose from, considering Washington State didn’t lead a single game in regulation.

The only game the Cougars had a chance of winning this year, they did, rallying from an early 17-0 deficit to beat SMU 30-27 in overtime. WSU had two interception returns for TDs in the final 17 minutes of the game to offset allowing 504 total yards by SMU. An 80-yard drive in the final two minutes then tied the game at 28 seconds left on a Marshall Lobbestael pass to Jared Karstetter and WSU won the game on a field goal in overtime after picking off yet another SMU pass to stop the Mustangs’ first possession.

Players Of The Year:   Sophomore receiver Jared Karstetter was the team’s main consistent offensive weapon, scoring a team-high six TDs—WSU had just 16 offensive scores overall. He had 38 catches for 540 yards for the season. Senior RB Dwight Tardy also had a decent year with 417 yards, leading the team for a school-record fourth-straight season. And senior safety Xavier Hicks was the most consistent playmaker on that side of the ball, finishing as the team’s leading interceptor with three and second-leading tackler with 81.

Fast Forward:   With 18 returning starters—nine on each side of the ball—the Cougars are hoping that experience will lead to vast improvement next season. The Cougars return all of their starting skill players except for TB Dwight Tardy, and every OL except center Kenny Alfred. Defensively, the lone starting losses are LB Andy Mattingly and safety Xavier Hicks. Injuries left WSU with just 13 scholarship defensive players available for the last two games. But the return to health of some key players as well as taking some promising freshmen off redshirt status will give the team more depth next year than it has had since 2007.

Recruiting Trail:   The Cougars have 17 commits for their Class of 2010, all from high school players as coach Paul Wulff is attempting to rebuild the program for the long-haul and not going the JC route for the quick fix. If there’s a down note, it’s that only one is from a lineman on either side of the ball, which is a particular weakness for the Cougars right now. The highest-rated of the commits is tight end Aaron Dunn of Mead High in Spokane, who also had a listed offer from Cal. The Cougars also have a commit from QB Connor Halliday from Ferris High in Spokane, who was beginning to draw some other Pac-10 interest before committing to the Cougars. The class is heavy on skill players so far with four receivers and four cornerbacks among the commits.

Quote To Note:   “Our players play hard and they are giving everything that they’ve got. All I can say is that we’re proud of their effort and what they do. They guys out there do a great job.”—WSU coach Paul Wulff saying effort was never an issue this season.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Players To Watch In 2010:   QB Jeff Tuel—He won the starting QB job this year as a true freshman after the fifth game and held on to it before suffering a kneecap injury in week nine. But he finished with the highest passing efficiency rating on the team (121.55) throwing for six touchdowns against five interceptions.

WR Jared Karstetter—The sophomore gives WSU one legit target with a 6-4 frame and athletic ability that also made him one of the better high school basketball players in the state a few years ago. He had 38 catches this season and a team-high six TDs.

LB Mike Ledgerwood—The sophomore emerged as a starter late in the season and also emerged as one of the team’s better playmakers on defense, leading all players with 14 tackles in the Apple Cup against Washington State. He finished with 51 for the season.

DE Kevin Kooyman—He was hurt early in the season and then made the decision to redshirt and come back next year, when he will be a fifth-year senior, and could team with sophomore-to-be Travis Long to give the Cougars a solid pair of tackles.

Pro Prospects:   Realistically, the Cougars may have just one player with a real chance to be drafted in center Kenny Alfred, who continued to impress opposing coaches and scouts despite the team’s tough season. He started all four seasons he played for the Cougars and has been picked to play in the East-West Shrine game Jan. 23 in Orlando, Fla., when he will have a better chance to impress NFL scouts.

RB Dwight Tardy, S Xavier Hicks and LB Andy Mattingly may also all have chances to land in camps as undrafted free agents. Mattingly was once regarded as a sure-fire draftee. But his career stalled two years ago when the staff of Paul Wulff decided to bulk him up and make him a lineman. He returned to LB this year but didn’t make the same impact as he had before.

Tardy is an LA native who was once highly thought of by the USC staff, though never offered a scholarship, before signing with WSU, and he led the Cougars in rushing all four years he played in Pullman.

Roster Report:  

• Head coach Paul Wulff revealed after the Apple Cup that RB James Montgomery, who suffered what was feared to be a career-ending leg injury after three games, is on track to return next season. He suffered acute compartment syndrome in his left leg and almost lost his leg. But he has made a quick recovery and may be able to return next season, though he won’t be available for the spring. A transfer from Cal, he would be a senior next season and in line to replace Dwight Tardy if he can make it back.

• Wulff also said that LB Louis Bland (knee), DT Josh Luapo (knee) and safety Jay Matthews (shoulder) will all miss spring ball, but that everyone else could be available.

• QB Jeff Tuel missed the last three games with a kneecap injury, but it’s not considered serious and he should be ready for winter conditioning.