DEPTH MAY BE the ultimate determining factor in whether Washington State can exact revenge over Oregon State and get a crucial sixth win to become bowl eligible. The Cougars are much healthier than they were earlier when the Beavers polled off the upset, and being at home should lend to more depth, says Cougar great Torey Hunter.
WSU should have at least four of its normal starting offensive linemen available, with the slim hope that center Brock Dieu can make it a fifth.
Here are Hunter’s five keys for the Cougars to keep things rolling.
1. ERASE THE MEMORIES OF CORVALLIS WITH AN EARLY SCORE
If the Cougars stumble out of the gate, the crowd could get antsy quickly, especially with an inconsistent offense and bowl eligibility on the line. Ideally, the Cougs come out and score on one of the first couple drives. In a perfect world, they strike immediately. Get the Beavers reeling and take their energy out early with the offseason nearly here for two-win OSU.
Hunter’s thoughts: “We’re close to being back to full strength up front. We must go prove it every play, from the first play of the game that the Beaver defense is in for a long night. They created a lot of momentum with sacks, we’ve got to shut that down this time.”
2. SEE WHAT MAXWELL WOODS CAN DO TO SPARK THE OFFENSE
Woods made a number of plays at James Madison and finished with 10 carries for 43 yards and caught three passes for 28 hashes. More than that, Woods created explosive plays with his agility and elusiveness. And for an offense that needs as many big plays as it can possibly get, Woods may be able to provide it.
Leo Pulalasi has been banged up lately and if last week is any indication, Woods has jumped Angel Johnson on the depth chart. He may be the perfect complement to the rugged style of Kirby Vorhees.
Hunter’s thoughts: “You have to find out what you’re working with. This time of year, you are going to exhaust all resources. He ran the ball well last week and created plays, let’s give him more opportunities to do just that and spark the offense.
3. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OREGON STATE’S POROUS SPECIAL TEAMS
Before the Beavers fired Trent Bray, the first to go was special teams coordinator Jamie Christian. OSU had bad snaps, poor coverage, you name it. It played clean against the Cougars in Corvallis, but there are opportunities to take advantage here.
OSU has given up 13.7 yards per punt return, 121st in the country. As for the kickoff return defense, the Beavers have given up 24.1 yards per kickoff return, 116th in the country. WSU doesn’t have a special teams touchdown this season, but Tony Freeman has had some big returns in the punt game, including a 57-yarder vs. Louisiana Tech.
Hunter’s thoughts: “This is where the dominant team flexes their depth. A lot of players have played a lot of reps. Teams without leadership, or turning over leadership usually show that lack of direction in special teams. The other side of the coin is we must be prepared for their best effort as this is a tryout for some for the staff coming in to OSU.”
4. BURY OREGON STATE AND ITS CONFIDENCE EARLY
The Beavers are going to come out with fire and intensity. Robb Akey’s comments earlier in the week made clear the Beavers are going to bring everything they have to try and claim the Pac-12 title. The Beavers have settled on Alabama co-OC Jamarcus Shephard as the new coach, and the Beavs will be trying hard to give Akey a last win.
The longer the Cougars allow the Beavers to hang around, the more they will use that as fuel and further their belief. Bury them early, often, and take away their hope.
Hunter’s thoughts: “Set the tone. We should be as close to full strength up front as we’ve been the last month, so we project to perform better on offense. Defense needs to finish. We’ve played games we coulda, shoulda, woulda won if we could have finished. Believe we can win on defense. If we take care of ourselves and our performance we will win.”
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5. TINKER WITH AS MUCH AS YOU NEED TO MAKE SOMETHING CLICK I THE SECOND HALF
The Cougars’ biggest enemy has been the halftime break this year, as Cougfan.com documented HERE. They’ve scored 98 points in the second quarter, but just 129 in the other three, and only 85 points in second halves. The Cougars could be easily locked into a bowl game with better second halves, and cannot leave Saturday to chance by not making the proper adjustments and finding what works.
Hunter’s thoughts: “It hasn’t been our strength. This is where the defense has a chance to show we’ve learned from our past experiences. This is where the offense shows that we’ve learned from our past experiences. We know what we’ve done and how we’ve played and how we’ve executed in second halves is not good enough. Coaches and players need to show growth. If we show growth, we will earn another opportunity to get better during bowl prep and a bowl game.”
WSU-OREGON STATE GAME DETAILS:
- WHERE: Martin Stadium
- KICKOFF: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. Pacific
- TV: The CW (Ted Robinson, Ryan Leaf, Nigel Burton)
- RADIO: Washington State IMG Radio Network
- WEATHER FORECAST: 37 degrees, light winds, cloudy, 20 percent chance snow showers
- RECORDS: WSU 5-6, OSU 2-9
- THE SERIES: WSU leads 57-49-3
- LAST TIME: WSU lost 10-7 on Nov. 1
- ESPN matchup predictor: 81.3 percent chance Cougs win
- RANKINGS: Neither team is ranked
- THE LINE: WSU by 13.5
- CF.C PREDICTION: WSU 27-10
ABOUT TOREY HUNTER: A standout cornerback for the Cougars from 1991-94 and part of WSU’s fabled Curtis (High) Connection, Hunter earned some form of all-conference recognition four-straight seasons and ranks No. 7 on the school’s career interceptions list, with 11. He was taken by Houston in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft and played in 12 games for the Oilers that season. He played in NFL Europe in 1996 and then spent six years in the CFL before wrapping up his playing career in the Arena Football League in 2002.
He went on to coach at Western Washington, Idaho State, Central Washington, Eastern Washington and Idaho before returning to the CFL as a scout with Edmonton and director of player personnel with the BC Lions. Today he lives in Tacoma and is the director of programs for RISE Football Academy and works for the University Place School District. Hunter hopes to get back into the personnel side of things in professional football in 2026.
