By Friday, first-year coach Paul Wulff compromised.

It was half practice, half game Saturday as the Cougars closed their month-long spring camp with a modified scrimmage.

“We finished good. We got a lot of things done,” Wulff said. “I thought both sides did good things. It’s always encouraging when one side doesn’t necessarily dominate the other and both sides do good things. We got that today.”

Who won?

The offense didn’t lose, put it that way.

Top quarterbacks Gary Rogers (12-of-19, 126 yards, two touchdowns) and Kevin Lopina (10-of-15, 154 yards, rushing TD) led a passing attack that totaled 350 yards and three scores.

Lincoln High graduate Michael Willis had his best showing, hauling in six passes for 129 yards, including a 13-yard TD strike from Rogers.

Wulff said his primary reason for changing to a controlled scrimmage was to get his defense more work.

“It needs to tackle,” Wulff said. And it got plenty of opportunities to do so.

Safety Chima Nwachukwu, linebacker Andrew Kreutz and defensive tackle Adam Hineline registered sacks.

From the start of spring camp to Saturday’s conclusion WSU’s offense took moderate steps in the right direction.

Rogers and Lopina separated themselves from the pack, and Wulff noted that Lopina will have every opportunity to win the starting job when fall camp opens in August.

Receiver Brandon Gibson had his best spring camp in a WSU uniform, even though the Rogers High graduate was held out Saturday for precautionary reasons.

“We’ve come a long ways this spring,” offensive coordinator Todd Sturdy said. “We were forced to play a lot of young guys. I’m pleased where Rogers and Lopina are at, especially in the last week. They did some real good things.”

Sturdy said WSU’s new quick-paced, no-huddle offense won’t look entirely like the one he established at Eastern Washington in 2007. He is keeping some of the Cougars’ past formations as well.

“There has been a lot of blending of the systems,” Sturdy said. “(Mike) Levenseller has been around the passing game a long time, so we kept a lot of the terminology for the plays the same so it would be easier. I mean, football is football ... and a lot of the things (from the two offenses) have married well.”

Other notes from Saturday:

 • WSU’s staff praised the effort of walk-on Joe Campbell, the only running back who participated in every workout. Dwight Tardy (knee) remains out after surgery. Backup Chris Ivory played, straining a left hamstring during a TD run, but he has been in and out because of academic issues.

“Joe took more reps than everybody. He did a great job,” Wulff said.

 • Wulff likes how his front seven on defense has developed. Andy Roof, out last season because of an alcohol-related suspension, made a smooth transition to defensive tackle, giving the Cougars better depth on the line.

 • The placekicking battle has not been sorted out, but Wulff said he’d name a starter by next week. It was thought to be Patrick Rooney after his stellar camp, but he missed three field goals Saturday while incumbent Wade Penner made four of five attempts, including two from 50 yards. Matt Myers is in the mix as well.

Todd Milles: 253-597-8442