PULLMAN – Halfway through their season, the Washington State Cougars are halfway toward their goal of qualifying for a bowl game.
WSU’s bowl hopes – and, possibly, coach Paul Wulff’s job status beyond this season – might suffer irreparable damage if the Cougars lose to 1-5 Oregon State in Pacific-12 Conference action Saturday night at Seattle’s CenturyLink Field (Root Sports, 7:30).
Six wins are necessary to qualify for a bowl. Seven wins guarantees a bowl.
The 3-3 Cougars play three of their six remaining regular-season games against current Top 25 teams – No. 9 Oregon (5-1), No. 24 Arizona State (5-2) and No. 22 Washington (5-1). A pair of 3-3 teams, California and Utah, round out the schedule.
WULFF WATCH
Athletic director Bill Moos reiterated this week that he will wait until the end of the season – “That’s always been my practice” – to determine Wulff’s future at WSU. Wulff’s contract, which pays $600,000 annually, runs through next season.
“Paul and his staff are doing a fine job,” Moos said. “I continue to support them.”
GO WITH THE FLOW
The Cougars are coming off a 44-14 loss to No. 7 Stanford, in which quarterback Jeff Tuel and the entire offense struggled. It was Tuel’s first game since he broke his left collarbone Sept. 3.
“Jeff just needs to get back into the flow,” Wulff said. “In defense of Jeff, he comes off an injury and gets thrown in a game against the best defense in the conference. The 10 guys around him didn’t play very good, either.”
ANNUAL TRIP
Saturday’s game marks the ninth time in 10 years the Cougars will play a home game at CenturyLink (formerly Seahawks Stadium and Qwest Field). WSU intends to play Oregon State or Oregon annually at CenturyLink.
Most WSU alumni live in Western Washington. Crowds at all nine Seattle games (counting the 43,000 tickets sold for this week’s contest) have exceeded the capacity of WSU’s Martin Stadium. The Cougars did not play in Seattle last year.
RECORDS WATCH
The Cougars were threatening three school records set by Ryan Leaf’s 1997 squad – 40.3 points, 493.5 total yards and 343.3 passing yards a game – before posting season lows across the board against Stanford.
The Cougars still rank among the top teams in school history, and among the top four in the Pac-12 this year, with 36.2 points, 453.3 total yards and 326.7 passing yards.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
WSU’s defense isn’t setting any records, but the Cougars rank in the middle of the Pac-12 and the Football Bowl Subdivision in most key defensive statistics. Stanford’s 44 points were a season high against the Cougars.
Wulff said he expects at least two defensive players with starting experience, linebacker Sekope Kaufusi and end Lenard Williams, to return from injuries this week.
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