Washington State-Auburn Preview
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by user The Beast
At least the Washington State won't get any criticism for scheduling any creampuffs early on this year.
Last year, The Cougs took all kinds of heat for a non-conference slate that was as soft as any in the country -- Idaho, Grambling and Nevada were the foes. Saturday, the Cougars take a different tack, opening the season at No. 4-ranked Auburn in a rare foray into SEC country.
The two teams have never met, and this game was a late addition to the schedule, with the Cougars making the deal in part for the national TV exposure, as it'll shown on ESPN2. It will also let the Cougars know immediately just how good they are. Last year, Wazu opened 3-0 against that soft slate, then lost seven in a row. Some felt the early schedule had misled the Cougars about their weaknesses, especially on defense. Obviously, Auburn will expose whatever holes WSU has in a hurry.
But WSU coach Bill Doba remains confident the Cougars can make a game of it -- despite being 14.5-point underdogs -- especially if a veteran offense can move the ball consistently. If the Cougars do stand a chance they must take the home crowd out of it. They must be able to count on big plays from wideouts Jason Hill and Michael Bumpus.
Defensively, the Cougars must contain Auburn RB Kenny Irons, regarded as a Heisman candidate after rushing for 1,293 yards last season. WSU's task got tougher last week when it lost projected starting DE Matt Mullennix to a season-ending knee injury forcing some shuffling up front. Junior Lance Broadus will replace Mullennix.
Date
Sat 09/02/06, 12:54 pm EST
