WSU catching that winning attitude

The pressing issue here Saturday afternoon - and it was a reach even to call it that - was whether California's chaos was going to rub off on Washington State.

That, and whether the sun's relentless glare off the 16,000 exposed seats was going to cause widespread retinal damage.

At Martin Stadium, you definitely have to wear shades - and some of the time, it's actually because the future's just so darned bright.

The Cougars are 3-0 for the 23rd time in their 106 years of football after Saturday's neo-traditional humiliation of Cal, this one penciling out at 51-20 with numerous adjustments to the Wazzu record book in front of another maddeningly puny turnout - the smallest, in fact, since 1993.

History tells us that only twice has a 3-0 Cougars start decomposed into a sub-.500 finish - in 1998 and 1978 - so make of it what you will. As usual, the Cougars' schedule is frightfully backloaded, not counting the hastily arranged bye against Montana State on Oct. 18.

"It's how we're 3-0," reasoned WSU coach Mike Price. "Remember, we were 3-0 in 1998 with (Steve) Birnbaum at quarterback. I remember leaving the Boise stadium that year and looking at Levy (assistant coach Mike Levenseller) and saying, `Oh, oh.' "We're a lot different 3-0 this year."

Yeah. Legitimate.

Now, the three victims of 2001 are not so much different than the three of 1998. Two, in fact, are identical - Idaho and Boise State - and, this pitiable Cal team can only aspire to the 3-8 record Illinois managed in '98. But the Cougars' aggregate margin of victory in those games three years ago was 27 points. In 2001, that's their average margin of victory.

The scoreboard does not always tell a forthright story, but it certainly did Saturday. Hitting sand after falling off a camel is problematic for Cal, and the proof was their immediate and constant desperation against WSU. The Bears' entire game plan was a gimmick - from the reverse flea-flicker that accounted for their only touchdown while the game was still a game, to their decision to blitz without regard for down, distance or their cornerbacks' general ineptitude. Over and over, the Bears were caught with either the wrong personnel on the field - or too many, or too few.

Cal's state of disarray was personified best by linebacker Chris Ball, who last week went on a 20-minute screed to reporters, among other things chastising the coaching staff for having broken the players' spirit and declaring himself the new leader of the defense. On Saturday, Ball didn't play a down - not because of his mouth, coach Tom Holmoe insisted, but because he missed a meeting Friday night.

Duh squared.

In light of all the turmoil on the other sideline Saturday, the Cougars came off as Zen masters by comparison.

"We don't feel like we can be beat, really," said linebacker Raonall Smith. "You can just feel it - it's a vibe you get off of everybody."

Well, vibes are all well and good. Superior talent is better, and the ability to execute and adjust is better still. The Cougars had all of that going for them against the Bears.

It manifested itself when Cal came out with its all-blitz-all-the- time format and inflicted a load of punishment on WSU quarterback Jason Gesser, who sustained more hits in the first quarter than he had in the previous eight.

"They came out and said they were going to do it," said Levenseller. "They plain told us."

But the Cougars staff hardly expected such single-mindedness.

After three brisk completions led to a field goal on the opening drive, the Bears slipped some sugar into the Wazzu gas tank. A blitz for a sack and an interception ended the Cougars' next possession, a sack for minus 19 yards snuffed another. WSU's running plays flowed right into Cal blitzes, and Gesser uncharacteristically missed his targets either due to intense pressure - or the expectation of same.

"I was getting tired of getting hit," Gesser admitted. "It got old. I got hit every play of the half. But that's football. I had to calm myself down, relax and put everything in slow motion. Because when they blitz so much, it's going to leave our receivers one on one, and I don't think teams are going to be able to cover them that way."

It didn't take long for his coaches to come to the same conclusion. Price and Levenseller tightened up the play mix, retreating more into more basic formations with two tight ends. That left seven blockers to protect Gesser - and when Cal continued to commit its safeties, receivers Nakoa McElrath, Mike Bush and Jerome Riley became very big cats pouncing on some very helpless mice.

The results were remarkable. Though he completed just 19 of 41 passes, Gesser threw for 432 yards - and the Cougars for a school- record 513. The three main targets each caught more than 100 yards worth - the first time that's ever happened in Wazzu history.

Not bad for the unit which, in the spring at least, seemed hands down the biggest question mark.

"We're better than I ever thought we'd be," said Levenseller, who coaches the receivers in addition to his offensive coordinator duties. "We were the sore spot on the offense. I really felt like we were going to be the weakest link."

You can't really say they've zoomed to the head of the class, because the Cougars aren't really underachieving anywhere.

"But these guys have really responded and we haven't done that for a couple of years," Levenseller said.

"We've been tough, physical. Mike Bush is a physical player. So is Nakoa. Jerome Riley's physical. Collin Henderson had some great crack blocks today."

Have they really been tested? Probably not. Levenseller had that discussion with them after the game - when, inevitably, the Fab Five, WSU's splendid receiver corps of 1997, was referenced.

"Those guys were pretty good," he said. "And they asked me today, `Did the Fab Five ever do this?' Well, they never did any better than this. But they did it against everybody. That's the difference right now, I told them: `You haven't done this against everybody.'

"Mike Bush looked at me and said, `We haven't played everybody.' He's a smart ass. But I like that confidence. That's a heck of a lot better than it's been for a couple of years."

Good enough, maybe, to cause a little chaos in the Pac-10.

Copyright 2001 Cowles Publishing Company
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