We went from among the worst facilities in America to now we have the best facilities in the Pac-12. – Mike Leach
Second in a 12-part series previewing the Pac-12 football season.
BURBANK, Calif. — Washington State coach Mike Leach is doing his best to sell folks on Pullman. He even mentioned it in a response to a Twitter follower seeking dating advice at Pac-12 Media Days.
“If you go to Washington State we’ve got five of America’s greatest rivers around there. That would be a great place. We’ve got dunes, mountains,” Leach said. “You can hunt rattlesnakes if you want to. You can fish for sturgeon. I tell you what, if you took her sturgeon fishing I don’t believe she’ll ever forget it.”
The same may hold true for recruits checking out the Cougars’ new $61 million football training center.
“Our facilities are the best in the conference,” said Leach, who noted that they were completed last August. “We went from among the worst facilities in America to now we have the best facilities in the Pac-12.”
Washington State, no doubt, is looking for that to translate into more victories. The Cougars are just 7-20 in conference play since Leach took over in 2012.
Luke Falk, sophomore quarterback
OFFENSE: These guys like to air it out. Washington State led the Pac-12 in passing offense last season with 479.7 yards per game, averaging more than 133 yards than any other team in the conference. On the flip side, however, the Cougars averaged only 39.8 yards running the ball.
Sophomore quarterback Luke Falk started the last three games last season in place of the injured Connor Halliday. Other returnees include all 18 scholarship linemen, junior receiver River Cracraft (66 catches) and sophomore running back Jamal Morrow (61 catches).
Taylor Taliulu, senior safety
DEFENSE: Despite giving up 31 or more points in nine games last season, the Cougars did play some defense. They ranked fourth in the Pac-12 against the run, giving up 145.7 yards per game.
Senior linebackers Jeremiah Allison and Kache Palacio had combined total totals of 135 tackles and 15 sacks last season. Senior safeties Taylor Taliulu and Darius Lemora each made 68 tackles in 2014. Senior Destiny Vaeao headlines the effort on the line.
EXTRA POINTS: Senior kicker Quentin Breshears made nine field goals and was 41-of-42 in PATs last season . . . Falk is a Logan High graduate . . . Washington State is no longer playing a “home” game each year at CenturyLink Field in Seattle . . . The Cougars haven’t had a winning season since going 10-3 in 2003.
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