If the Apple Cup was Paul Wulff’s final chance to prove himself worthy of a fifth season in Pullman, the embattled Washington State coach got a mixed effort from his players Saturday.
Trailing 14-0, looking not especially motivated to produce convincing evidence on Wulff’s behalf for WSU athletic director Bill Moos, the Cougars rallied to briefly tie the game in the second quarter.
It took a while, but at least Wulff’s players decided to show up and compete, which is more than can be said of their Oct. 22 visit to CenturyLink Field. Oregon State ran off 20 unanswered points en route to a blowout victory that night, spoiling an opportunity for the Cougars to entertain the Puget Sound side of its fan base.
Whatever else the Apple Cup wasn’t, the 104th meeting between the intrastate rivals was riveting entertainment for the crowd of 64,559. (The game also answered concerns about a possible absence of electricity after the relocation from Husky Stadium. The Clink rocked.)
But when it was over, the result – Washington 38, Washington State 21 – was all too familiar for those fans to conclude anything other than Wulff is the wrong man to take the Cougars’ rebuilding project into Year Five.
His record at WSU dropped to 9-40 overall and 4-32 in the conference. Four league victories in four seasons isn’t going to cut it at many places, but at a school whose athletic director is embarking on a stadium renovation – a school relying on the privately funded donations of its alums to cover the $80 million face lift – the Cougars’ meandering trek toward respectability is ill-timed for a coach on the hot seat.
“We’re right on the cusp of being a really good football team,” insisted Wulff. “Not many teams can go through three quarterbacks and still be bowl eligible 11 games into the season.”
Perhaps. Then again, not many head coaches survive a .182 winning percentage in their conference games.
And while they picked themselves off the mat Saturday and gave the Huskies a fight, the Cougars’ early miscues were the sort a well-coached football team just doesn’t make.
On their first play, WSU center Matt Goetz moved prior to the snap.
Five yards backwards.
On their second offensive play, Goetz almost hiked the ball over the head of quarterback Marshall Lobbestael, who then was engulfed by a swarm of Huskies and was goaded into throwing a pass that was ruled intentionally grounded.
Nine additional yards backwards.
When a short completion was stuffed – 2 more yards in reverse – the Cougars’ Dan Wagner lined up for a punt on his 5-yard line. He never had a chance. The Huskies’ Thomas Tutogi shot through a gap and deflected the kick into the hands of teammate Jesse Callier, who ambled into the end zone.
The Apple Cup clock had been running for slightly less than three minutes and 30 seconds, and Wulff’s team already was guilty of two penalties, a bad snap and a blocked punt.
Those arguing for Wulff’s shot at another season will point out WSU’s determination to overcome an avalanche of adversity is a reflection of its likeable, earnest coach.
“The way he keeps the team’s spirit up, keeps guys fighting, he wants to be here,” said senior receiver Jared Karstetter, who finished his career with a nine-catch effort that included a touchdown.
“It’s not a stepping stone for him,” Karstetter said. “He’s a Coug and he loves this place. He’s a good coach, and it just takes time.”
True that. It’s taken four years to repair a recruiting operation that left the former Eastern Washington coach with a barren roster after he was hired to succeed Bill Doba in 2008. Wulff has weeded out the troublemakers and replaced them with playmakers.
And for what it’s worth, the Cougars seem to have an admiration for Wulff as a person.
But when Bill Moos assesses the coach’s work and renders a verdict – an announcement is expected Monday or Tuesday – the athletic director will be hard pressed to ignore Wulff’s four-season record of 40 defeats.
There’s a term to describe football coaches whose teams are beaten an average of 10 times a year:
Ex-coaches.
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