SB Nation - Chantz Staden

Washington State University Roundtable

TwistNHook — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:00:19 -0000

TwistNHook: Don't laugh. Last time WSU came to Cal, we beat them by 3 points. 20-17. 3 points.

Ragnarok: Last time we heard from these guys, they were holding open tryouts on campus for quarterbacks. Open tryouts!!

Avinash: Is Pullman turning this into a reality TV show?

TwistNHook: We shouldn't mock WSU too much, because we were once like them.

WSU's only other scheduled TV game is the Oct. 31 game against Notre Dame in San Antonio (NBC, 4:30 p.m.).

I feel like there were years when even the Big Game wasn't televised live. Washington State has really fallen off, it is sad. What can they do to regain their former glory? Remember, they are the last non-USC team to go to the Rose Bowl. They've been to a Rose Bowl this decade, which is more than us Cal fans can say (by a magnitude of about 5).

HydroTech: Did you know that their QB last year (one of many who played), Kevin Lopina, had 0 TDs and 11 INTs on the season?!?!? Yikes.

Their top WR Brandon Gibson is gone now. I wonder who will step up and take his place?

Have you looked at WSU's away schedule? At USC, at Oregon, at Cal, at Notre Dame, at Arizona, and at Washington!!! BRUTAL. The easiest away game for them is at Washington, and given that WSU's level of talent isn't exactly far superior (if at all) to Washington, that's going to be a really tough game too.

TwistNHook: Firstly, I'm sure we are all excited about CougCenter Week coming up this week. I love those guys. I just went over to check up on them and they have a great article on their linebackers up.

via seattletimes.nwsource.com

Ah, but last year also was a testament to what these guys can do when the line in front of them is doing its job. One need look no further than the Apple Cup. With the defensive line turning in a yeoman's effort behind resurgent Toby Turpin, linebackers Greg Trent, Andy Mattingly (moved back to linebacker for the game) and Louis Bland combined for 23 tackles, including 4.5 for a loss. Bland, a converted safety, was particularly effective roaming free, repeatedly slicing into the backfield to disrupt plays. Additionally, these guys finally started to trust each other as the year wore on, and it showed in the results.

And there's the rub for this year. If there's one unit that could give the running backs a run for their money in terms of talent and depth, it's these guys. When a guy was a third team freshman all-American and the Apple Cup hero and isn't currently slated to start despite looking pretty healthy coming off a knee injury (Louis Bland) that says a lot about what the unit has going for it. Mattingly is back where he belongs at outside linebacker, Jason Stripling looks to finally be ready to fulfill the projections many had for him when he came north from Texas, and a trio of talented young guys in the middle are champing at the bit to fill the void left by Greg Trent.

LB appears to be a position of strength for them. Honestly, its not fun to just crush teams. I mean I guess its fun in one sense. The first 3 minutes of the WSU game were fun. But then after essentially the first play, the fun dissipated quickly. I mean I don't wanna lose or anything, but at least go up against teams that can put up a fight. So, I'm hoping for WSU to improve this year. And maybe the key is through their LB play. They have some young talent here and could be leaders for the team.

Do I believe that Cal will lose to WSU? No. Do I think it will be as lop-sided as last year? Even though the game is at home, no. I am actually looking forward to this one, oddly enough. Am I weird for looking forward to the WSU game?

Yellow Fever: When are you ever not weird?

TwistNHook: When I buy my Nets season tickets and attend all those WWE wrestling matches. That's when I'm MOST normal!

Yellow Fever: This coming from a guy who wrote a paper on Japanese puroresu.

TwistNHook: Hey, that got an A!

via www.pe.com

I think. Actually, I don't remember, it was so long ago. I hope it got an A!

HydroTech: How many yards do we all think Best is going to get against WSU? Last year he had 200 yards on 14 carries. If I recall correctly, Best was taken out of the game in the fourth quarter or so. Perhaps next time he needs to stay in the game and roll up 300 yards on them.

Yellow Fever: I say he stops around the 250 mark.

TwistNHook: According to the box score, he was taken out early early early in the 3rd quarter. Here are his last 2 plays:

California at 11:28		CAL	WSU
1st and 10 at CAL 11	California penalty 5 yard false start accepted.	42	3
1st and 15 at CAL 6	Jahvid Best rush for 8 yards to the Cal 14.
2nd and 7 at CAL 14	Jahvid Best rush for 86 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.	48	3
	David Seawright extra point GOOD.	49	3
	David Seawright kickoff for 60 yards returned by Chantz Staden for 27 yards to the WshSt 37.
DRIVE TOTALS: Cal drive: 2 plays 89 yards, 00:50 Cal TD

ME LIKEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That 8 yard run was actually lower than his average of 14.3. That happened with about 11 minutes left in the 3rd.

Speaking of which, for those of you who complained that Jahvid Best is a mediocre back who just racked up tons of garbage yards against terrible teams, like the Washingtons, he played about a total of 4 quarters against them. He rushed for like 450 yards in those 4 quarters. If he had played all 8 quarters, he maybe coulda gotten 1,000 yards! Kind of a toads redick argument, in my ever so humble opinion.

Avinash: I wonder who will be the tougher opponent, EWU or Wazzu?

TwistNHook: We could ask Paul Wulff about that one, I bet.

Ragnarok: Frankly, the only thing about this game I'm even remotely interested in is seeing James Montgomery facing his old team. He was a good backup for Forsett back in '07, though he never struck me as a star. While I remember reading articles at the time of his transfer stating that playing time wasn't the reason he left Berkeley, I gotta wonder where he'd fit into the Bears' current rotation of backs. He'd be behind Best; that's pretty obvious. Would be still be ahead of Shane Vereen?

Avinash: Funny thing is he isn't starting for Wazzu this season. It's still Dwight Tardy's role.

Coug Center:

This is one unit where Coug fans can proclaim to all that are listening, "We have Pac 10 depth there!" Dwight Tardy has proven he can gain yards and make plays if given the opportunity to advance to the line of scrimmage before getting gang-tackled. James Montgomery's biggest problem at Cal was that he wasn't as good as Jahvid Best, Marshawn Lynch, etc. Logwone Mitz has size and possesses the ability to break off a big gain (see: Apple Cup!).

Paul Wulff likes to run the football. He can do so with this group. There will not be anyone taking the ball 40 times a game a la Jerome Harrison, but a running back by committee approach seems like a very exciting option. The Cougs will have the luxury of a talented back with fresh legs in there on every play. Maybe, just maybe, Dwight or James or one of the other guys will get really hot one game and we will ride him to an upset over (insert Pac 10 team here.)

TwistNHook: Here's hoping that upset isn't over us!

Yellow Fever: I'm going to guess that since Dwight Tardy (who?) is starting over him, he'd probably be behind Vereen as well.

Avinash: Danzig did some of his own reporting on Monty for WSU Football Blog:

We saw Monty as more of a power back than a speedster. He got most of his reps during short-yardage situations for good reason. Monty cannot be taken down with arm tackles and he had a knack for always getting an extra three yards while being tackled. He would do this by twisting and torquing his body toward the first down marker. He almost never went down during first contact. He does have the speed to get to the edge and turn the corner but he never looked like he was moving that fast. We hardly ever passed to him, but when we did, he caught everything... no drops. While on campus, he was an ideal student and never got in trouble.

TwistNHook: We do not have a lot of information on Montgomery, because he did not play a lot. I think danzig's analysis is right on. More of a power back than a speedster. Ostensibly, he would have been the thunder to Best's lightening. Oh well.

Yellow Fever: For what it's worth, I think he also made some references to not really enjoying the environment around campus either. Berkeley isn't as crazy as its previous reputation so it's unclear as to what he was talking about, so who knows.

Avinash: Rent control maybe? Rent control sucks.

TwistNHook: So, who is gonna win this one? I say Cal Googleplex-0.

No, wait, make that Cal Googleplex-2. I see a garbage time safety here. Sorry Sweeney!

HydroTech: I think WSU can get a "moral victory" if they can only lose to us by 30. Did I just jinx us? Vegas Bowl here we come.....

Yellow Fever: Not that there's anything wrong with another excuse to go to Vegas.

Poll

How will Cal do against WSU?

Big win

145 votes

Close win

4 votes

Close loss

5 votes

Big loss

5 votes

159 votes | Poll has closed

UNIT PREVIEW: Running Backs

Dancing Football — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 03:00:10 -0000

Senior RB Dwight Tardy looks to return to his pre-injury form this season for the Cougars (AP).

View full size photo »

Part three in a seven-part series previewing the Cougs' offensive and defensive units.

Saturday: Offensive Line
Monday: Defensive Line
Today: Running Backs
Friday: Linebackers

Overview

This is one unit where Coug fans can proclaim to all that are listening, "We have Pac 10 depth there!" Dwight Tardy has proven he can gain yards and make plays if given the opportunity to advance to the line of scrimmage before getting gang-tackled. James Montgomery's biggest problem at Cal was that he wasn't as good as Jahvid Best, Marshawn Lynch, etc. Logwone Mitz has size and possesses the ability to break off a big gain (see: Apple Cup!).

Paul Wulff likes to run the football. He can do so with this group. There will not be anyone taking the ball 40 times a game a la Jerome Harrison, but a running back by committee approach seems like a very exciting option. The Cougs will have the luxury of a talented back with fresh legs in there on every play. Maybe, just maybe, Dwight or James or one of the other guys will get really hot one game and we will ride him to an upset over (insert Pac 10 team here.)

The success of the running game is contingent on the unit that lines up directly in front of them. If the offensive line cannot open up holes, the talent the Cougs have in the backfield will not matter one bit. On the flipside, if the offensive line does do its job, the Wazzu offensive could see a significant improvement over last year.

Depth Chart

String	Name
1	Dwight Tardy (5-10, 208, #Sr.)
2	James Montgomery (5-10, 202, #Jr.)
3	Marcus Richmond (6-1, 220, #Jr.)
4	Logwone Mitz (6-1, 224, #So.)
5	Chantz Staden (5-10, 202, #Sr.)

Key Player

We've seen what Dwight Tardy can do. We've seen what Logwone Mitz can do. We've even seen what Chantz Staden cannot do. The guy that could really shake things up is James Montgomery. If James shows some of that ability that got him a few carries in the crowded Cal backfield his sophomore year, we might see the next Cougar star at running back.

Montgomery could also be very average. That would give WSU a backfield full of average Pac 10 talent. That is not so bad compared to what can be seen across the rest of the depth chart, but it sure would be a lot more fun this year for Coug fans if James Montgomery would step up and be The Man.

Biggest Question Mark

Health. More specifically Dwight Tardy's health. Remember that play against USC three years ago when Dwight bounced it outside and dove for the goal line to score a key fourth quarter touchdown? Tardy's postgame celebration knee injury the next year against UCLA ensured that he would be doing nothing of the same in 2008. Dwight was almost exclusively a north-south runner last year and he was visibly slower in getting started. Will that extra bounce in his step return after being one more year removed from major knee surgery?

Best Case Scenario

Holes, holes, holes! The youthful Cougar offensive line is a pleasant surprise as Dwight, James, and company are able to make some big plays and move the chains. Because of this, Paul Wulff is able to implement his no-huddle offense and Washington State is once again an entertaining team to watch on the offensive side of the ball. Dwight is back to 100%, James is making Cal wish he never would have left, and the running game is able to take some pressure off of the struggling passing game. The Cougs' ability to pound the ball directly benefits the defense, as they are able to enjoy the game from the bench for a little bit longer. Several times throughout the season, Wazzu has more than one back go for 100 yards in a single game.

Worst Case Scenario

Dwight reinjures his knee against Stanford, James is a severe disappointment, and there is no room for the running backs to work as the offensive line of 2009 resembles the offensive line of 2008. For the second consecutive year, Paul Wulff is left with no choice but to abandon the no-huddle in an effort to make the inevitable 3-and-outs last a little bit longer. Opposing teams, left with no fear of the big play from the running game, are free to blitz the quarterback at will. Extra medical staff and ambulances are kept on the sidelines in anticapation of catastrophic injuries to Cougar quarterbacks.

Likely Scenario

This running back group is definitely talented. The offensive line will show some improvement this year and the three runs and punt strategy of last year will be gone. The ground game will be effective enough for the no-huddle to be used. Dwight Tardy will not be the same as he was before the surgery, but he should be improved over last year. He and James Montgomery will split carries and both make their fair share of plays. Logwone Mitz will be a nice change of pace back and break off a big one here and there. The Washington State offense will (gasp!) score some points and the 8+ touchdown slaughters will be kept to a minimum.

Poll

Will the running game make it exciting to watch the Cougar offense again?

Yes!

50 votes

Exciting is a strong word, I'd say watchable fits better.

84 votes

I just hope we can stay on the field long enough to keep the opposing offense under 60.

28 votes

162 votes | Poll has closed

THE EVENING PAPER: Witherill out, Anderson dominates again, budget and more

Nuss — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 04:15:56 -0000

You know, for it being firmly in the offseason of Cougar sports, it sure seems like the news just refuses to slow down. It was a busy weekend, which we haven't had the chance to catch up on until now, and there is some news breaking tonight.

We'll get to the news you're probably most interested in first. You know how we all have been wondering just how it is that the Cougs seem to have a ton of offers out there for the 2010 basketball recruiting class? Part of the mystery has been solved tonight, as guard Nick Witherill has been granted his release from the program.

It's not real surprising, given the glut we've got at guard right now, and Ken Bone's noted preference for faster guards who can push the tempo. What is surprising is this little tidbit from Vince Grippi:

During the waning days of Tony Bennett’s tenure in Pullman, the Cougar coach made it clear he was going to ask Witherill to look elsewhere.

This is the dirty side of collegiate sports, ladies and gentleman, and while we all wanted to think Bennett was above it -- long since disproven of course -- no program is immune.

I'm pissed about this. Not because I think this makes the Cougars worse; I think there were serious questions about whether he was ever going to be a meaningful contributor. No, I'm mad because Witherill deserved better.

By all accounts, Witherill is a great guy. He was the first player to commit to that amazing class of last year, a guy the Cougs were on a long time ago. You can read all about it in a story Grady wrote for Cougfan about a year ago. He believed in what Bennett was doing. He appeared to be the quintessential Cougar.

But he became a victim of circumstance. Klay Thompson and Mike Harthun committed. Then Marcus Capers committed extremely late after Taylor Rochestie ... well, you know. Suddenly, there was a glut in the backcourt, and as Jo-Jo pointed out multiple times last season, someone was probably going to have to go.

Turns out, it was Witherill -- the guy who believed in Bennett, only to see his redshirt burned for a handful of meaningless minutes and then shown the door. He'll land on his feet; even if he'd redshirted he'd still be sitting out a year wherever he went. But I guess that's the point -- Witherill wasted two years of his basketball career. It's terrible, and a shame.

Bone said he's not going to use the open scholarship this year -- no big surprise there.

OK, now that I'm off my high horse, let's move on to other news.

Jeshua Anderson continued his march to repeat as the NCAA 400-meter hurdles champ last weekend, winning the event in the West Regionals. His winning time of 50.31 seconds was nearly a second-and-a-half off his season best, but it still was almost a half-second better than the second-place finisher. Not bad, as Anderson simply has his eyes on the prize.

"I think the race went well today. It was pretty windy on the backstretch but I just cruised through and tried not to push it so I could get healthy for the NCAAs," Anderson said. "If you don't take these (regional) races seriously, it can be bad. I try to stay hungry, stay humble. I will do my best to defend the NCAA title. The Olympic Trials gave me experience and helped out with the rounds. I'm taking this is in stride, and hopefully I'll run smarter and faster."

Also winning a regional title was senior Justin Woods in the 200-meter sprint. Anderson and woods will be joined by nine other Cougs in the NCAA championships, next weekend at the University of Arkansas.

Now on to more mundane news. The athletic department was supposed to have its budget for the upcoming school year finalized by yesterday, but like everyone else, they received an extension from President Floyd. Freelancer Howie Stalwick checks in with this piece for Cougfan.com, notable because it's the first time (that I know of) that AD Jim Sterk has gone on record as saying no sports will be cut for next year, but that he can "never say never" about 2010-11.

The one sport we don't have to worry about?

"There’s been no talk of baseball at all as far as being cut," Sterk said.

That's welcome news.

Additionally, the athletic department is still exploring its options with Phase III of the remodel of Martin Stadium. It seems counter intuitive, until you note what's going on in the construction industry right now.

"Some of my alums have sent articles that Washington State DOT [Department of Transportation] projects in January, February and March have been 29 percent below estimate, 26 percent, 22 percent," Sterk says. "That's a pretty significant savings if you're talking about a $40 million project."

"We think there's an opportunity there," says John Johnson, WSU associate athletic director and its chief fundraiser. "It may be, oddly enough, a time when that project becomes more affordable."

Of course, the key is securing financing, something that will be tough to do without ... donations!

Speaking of football, do you realize training camp is now just two months away? That means it's time for meaningless preseason predictions and lists, kicking off today with Phil Steele's all-Pac-10 teams. Believe it or not, there are six Cougs in there, led by second-team center Kenny Alfred. It's a well-deserved honor for a guy who could be a big time pro sleeper come next April. Remember, he was on the fast track to becoming one of the league's dominant interior linemen until injuries sidetracked him. He's been playing through a lot of pain the last two years; seeing what he can really do this year would go a long way toward shoring up our o-line issues.

Also honored by the magazine on its fourth team are Anderson, kick returner Chantz Staden, linebacker Andy Mattingly, safety Chima Nwachukwu and punter Reid Forrest.

Last item. Cory Mackay has gone home from the hospital, and has a new goal in life: Returning to campus in the fall. It won't be easy.

"He has to wear this body cast for about two more months after he gets home," his father said. "Anytime he's up above 30 degrees [of body incline], he has to put that on first. That supports the spine so the weight of the upper body doesn't compress the repairs. "It's not a fun thing for him to wear. He says, 'I look like a Ninja turtle.' "

Once the swelling goes down, they'll be able to determine just what the actual damage is and what kinds of limitations (if any) he might have for the rest of his life.

That's it for tonight.