PULLMAN – The latest in a long line of blowout losses for Washington State seemed well on its way to fruition last September when Cougars coaches made a bold decision that outsiders were certain had disaster – not to mention panic – written all over it.
Trailing 20-0 midway through the second quarter and helpless to slow down USC’s ferocious pass rush, the Cougars decided it was time for Jeff Tuel to make his college debut in the fourth game of the season.
That would be 18-year-old Jeff Tuel. A true freshman. Playing quarterback. On national television. Against 12th-ranked USC. At revered Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
What happened next left 75,000 Trojans fans mumbling nervously and respectfully.
Tuel, displaying a strong arm, quick feet and almost eerie poise, immediately led the Cougars on a long, impressive drive.
The drive ended with a blown field goal, and the Cougars wound up losing, 27-6. Still, there was no question that WSU had found its quarterback of the future – and present.
Tuel finished the USC game with 134 yards passing and 34 on the ground, despite being sacked four times. He started the next five games before a knee injury ended his season.
Now that Tuel (pronounced “tool”) has returned to health, he’s determined to help the Cougars return to prominence.
“We have a bunch of guys who have put a lot of time, blood and sweat into the program over the last year or two because of these two hard seasons,” Tuel said. “They want to make a change.
“It’s kind of that time where we all feel it’s time to put our foot down saying, ‘Enough is enough.’
“The team has come together more than I could’ve asked for. We’re close. It can only lead to good things.”
Tuel had a long history of individual and team success in football and baseball while growing up in Tucson, Ariz., and Fresno, Calif. A 1-11 season in his first year of college wore on Tuel.
“It’s tough,” he said. “It’s not easy. It’s not fun. I guess, at times, it’s tough to stay positive. But that’s the only thing you can do.
“We all know this program was down and needed some rebuilding. We came in expecting that. You just have to stay positive and take every positive thing you can out of the games and keep moving forward and keep grinding.”
Tuel played behind current California Bears quarterback Beau Sweeney (grandson of former WSU coach Jim Sweeney) before taking over the starting job as a senior at Clovis West High in Fresno. The year before, Tuel was the No. 2 quarterback and a part-time starter at wide receiver.
Tuel said Todd Sturdy, WSU’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, was the first coach to recruit him. Tuel said he turned down scholarship offers from Fresno State, Hawaii and Nevada to sign with the Cougars.
The 6-foot-3, 214-pound Tuel, an avid fisherman in his spare time, has gained strength and size over the past year. Junior wide receiver Jared Karstetter said Tuel’s ability to read defenses also has improved since last year, when Tuel’s season peaked with a 354-yard passing day at California.
“We definitely thought he had the potential to play last year,” Karstetter said. “He did a good job.
“Everyone was behind him when he was in the game. I think he handled it real good, especially for a true freshman playing quarterback.”
Tuel said the Cougars’ improvement since last year is like “night and day.” The Cougars have lost 11 games each of the past two seasons and haven’t posted a winning record or gone to a bowl game since 2003, but Tuel – a business major – said he plans to take care of business at a bowl game this year.
“You’ve got to aim high,” the baby-faced quarterback said. “There’s no reason not to.
“We believe if we can pull it all together, we can do it.
“You never want to aim too low. You’ll never find one person in the locker room say, ‘I hope we just win a couple games this year.’ ”
It’s hardly a coincidence that Tuel lives with two other omni-optimistic Cougars: cornerback Nolan Washington and wide receiver Gino Simone. They share a condo owned by Simone’s parents.
“It’s going really well,” Tuel said. “I love those guys, my ‘brothers.’ We’re having a blast.”
Unlike most bachelors, Tuel and his roomies seem to be doing just fine when it comes to cooking. Washington is a whiz with fried chicken, Simone makes great eggs and potatoes for breakfast, and Tuel is pretty handy around the barbecue grill.
When it comes to cleaning, however, Tuel and his roommates plead guilty to being typical male college students.
“We don’t do too much cleaning,” Tuel admits.
Who has time when you’re busy cleaning up the mess left by recent WSU football teams?
INSIDE
Cougars two-deep and schedule. B4
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.