SB Nation - Brandon Gibson

What I'll be looking for today, and pregame notes

Nuss — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 18:35:46 -0000

As mentioned ad nauseam this week, there were a lot of reasons to feel like the Cougars have most definitely improved this year after watching a loss to Stanford that really was more closely contested than the final score would suggest.

But one thing that stood out to me more than anything was the reason the score wasn't as close as the game seemed to be: Stanford has playmakers, and we don't. At least not yet.

While Chris Owusu was bigger and faster than anyone we could match up with him, nobody on either side of the ball looked dominant for the Cougs. Yes, James Montgomery looked good when he got some space, Andy Mattingly made a nice play on that fourth-down pursuit of Andrew Luck, and Jared Karstetter looked like he's developing into a big, physical target.

But even in that, none of them -- or any of their teammates -- looked like guys who could take over a game, or break it open.

Now, there remains the strong possibility that some of that had to do with scheme. But one of the biggest things I was shocked by last week was just how hard it was for our receivers to get open against potentially one of the worst defensive secondaries we will face in Pac-10 play. Of the 18 passes completed by quarterbacks, only 10 were caught by wide receivers. The other eight went to running backs and tight ends.

I know this isn't necessarily an apples-to-apples comparison, given the differences in the offenses, but in 2006 Brandon Gibson, Jason Hill and Michael Bumpus were the team's top three pass catchers and combined for 150 of the Cougs' 260 total receptions. If we throw in the two other wide receivers who caught passes that year (Chris Jordan and Charles Dillon), that number goes up to 175 of 260 -- a robust 67.3 percent.

This team doesn't appear to have even one guy on the order of Gibson, Hill or Bumpus on offense -- a guy who can fly past a defender on a route or make a move and turn a five-yard gain into a 30-yard gain.

Like I said, I'm hoping some of it was scheme, or even to a lesser extent guys getting up to speed in the first game. Besides being young, much of our receiving corps missed significant time during camp with injuries. Because if that's not the case, and we simply don't have a receiver who can get open against a subpar secondary, I think this year could be more painful than we're hoping for.

Same thing goes for the defensive side of the ball. The Cougs forced just 13 turnovers in 13 games last year, and are off to a similar start this year after zero takeaways against Stanford. I just don't see a Will Derting, Mkristo Bruce, Rien Long, Marcus Trufant or Lamont Thompson out there.

So that's what I'll be looking for today. Granted, this is a bottom half WAC team, but do some guys start to flash some ability to make some plays? If we do, maybe it's a sign that these guys just need to get some experience for it to shine through. If not ... well, I kinda don't want to think about that today, because I want to enjoy my Saturday.

Game notes I've run across ...

We talked all week about how important it is to get pressure on a run-and-shoot quarterback. Well, that job just got a lot harder: Kevin Kooyman has a PCL injury to one of his knees, and is out three-to-four weeks, according to Grippi.

In his place will be Casey Hamlett and Jesse Feagin. If you're keeping score, our three defensive ends will be a true freshman, a transfer from a now-defunct Division II program and a senior who, before last week, had played a grand total of 10 games in his career (most recently two seasons ago after sitting out last year to concentrate on academics). Oh, and by the way, they had just one tackle between them in the opener. Cross your fingers.
Furthermore, defensive tackle Dan Spitz is out, and Grippi keeps hinting that Louis Bland might not play, either. I've said before that I'd be shocked if Bland doesn't play, given what a warrior he is (lowercase w) -- he also said on a local radio show this week that his knee is "100 percent" and he's going to play -- but when Grippi repeats something like this over and over, it's usually got legs and makes me think the coaches might not let him play to save him for the long haul.
Aire Justin is also out at corner. But I'm starting to wonder if that matters, as he doesn't look like he's improved one bit since last year. No wonder Daniel Simmons shot past him on the depth chart in camp.
Eric Block is out too after that monster hit. (Sense a theme here on defense?)
We talked on the podcast about how the Cougs should try to defend the run-and-shoot. Grippi gives us what might be a sneak preview:

"(Myron) Beck didn’t start against Stanford and only made one tackle. But the 6-foot, 209-pound former safety – he started the first three games there last season – may hold the key for the Cougars defensively. Beck should see plenty of action as a hybrid linebacker/safety, called upon to help in pass coverage and run support. The Cougars didn’t have him against Hawaii last year and he missed most of the offseason recovering from back surgery. But he’s run well the past two weeks and the former Ingraham High (Seattle) star is ready to play."
I talked to Stephen Tsai again yesterday, and he said the Warriors' regular backup QB is out. Why is that a problem? Because they had to fly their third-stringer in from the islands yesterday to take his place. Greg Alexander has had issues with knee soreness in the past -- one reason why his coaches want him to stay in the pocket more -- and if he has to leave the game for any reason, that would be a huge advantage to the Cougs, I would think.
I can't wait to watch LB Aaron Brown play for Hawaii. Why? Because he was a student at the school I taught at for his first two years. Even though he left us for the football factory in the valley, I'm interested to see how he looks.

Washington State University Roundtable

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

via img2.allposters.com

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: Wide Receivers

Grady. — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:14:24 -0000

With any luck, Jeshua Anderson will make the transition from jumping hurdles to hurdling defensive backs in 2009

View full size photo »

Unit Overview

Wide receiver: the position of pride for Cougar Football for the better part of this decade. We've seen Jason Hill catch his way into the WSU record books and the NFL. Michael Bumpus was an electric receiver and return man. Brandon Gibson was a bright spot in Doba's final year, hauling in a wide open Apple Cup-winning TD. Devard Darling, Nakoa McElrath... the list of notable wideouts in crimson and gray over the past several years is extensive. Even your not-so-big-names like Scott Lunde and Trandon Harvey had their moments of glory (bubble screens still count).

That all changed for the Cougar receiving corps in 2008, which, like every other unit on the WSU football team, had a down year. Even with the most talented player on offense being a receiver (Gibson), the Cougars ranked 114th nationally in yards per pass attempt with 5.3. Some of that fault lies with the quarterback position (and all the injuries it suffered), but some of it does not. Wazzu only hauled in six passing touchdowns all season. For comparison's sake, Jason Hill averaged 12.5 touchdowns during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Oh yeah, and the Cougars also had a total of 13 games last season to post that meager number.

Now, it's 2009, and Brandon Gibson is gone. The best remaining receiver is Jeshua Anderson, more of a track star than football star (not that there's anything wrong with that), and the rest of the crew is young. Really young. Fortunately, there are glimmers of hope all over the practice field this fall. Grippi reported an exceptional 62 straight receptions without a drop during a drill last week. Two of the CougCenter Elite Eight, our favorite prospects from the incoming recruiting class, were wide receivers: Gino Simone, and Johnny Forzani. The 5'11" Simone is already receiving high praise in practice for his abilities, as is the unofficial "pleasant surprise" award winner Kevin Norrell. Jared Karstetter, the talented kid out of Spokane, is looking good after making last year's catch of the year in the Apple Cup. You know which one I'm talking about.

As for tight end, Devin Frischknect is gone, but Tony Thompson appears poised for a breakout Senior year. Hopefully the whole group of TE's is prepared to block; Lopina/Lobbestael/etc. may need the extra protection. And if all else fails: we go to Skylar Stormo - because with a name like Stormo, he has to be some kind of a super hero.

Plus, you can bet all the wideouts have hit the weight room hard in the offseason, as we all know what the real secret to building muscle is.

Depth Chart

X 85 ** [11] Jeshua Anderson (6-2, 188, Jr.)
2 * [4] Daniel Blackledge (6-1, 182, Jr.)
80 [dnp] Johnny Forzani (6-1, 195, #Jr.)

F 4 * [6] Kevin Norrell (5-9, 199, So.)
12 [dnp] Jeffrey Solomon (6-0, 196, #Jr.)
81 * [0] Easton Johnson (5-11, 202, #Jr.)

TE 14 ** [1] Tony Thompson (6-2, 241, #Sr.)
83 [dnp] Zach Tatman (6-5, 245, #Sr.)
40 [dnp] Skylar Stormo (6-4, 253, #Fr.)
87 [dnp] Andrei Lintz (6-5, 251, #Fr.)
41 * [0] Aaron Gehring (6-5, 249, #Jr.)

Z 84 * [3] Jared Karstetter (6-4, 203, So.)
12 [dnp] Jeffrey Solomon (6-0, 196, #Jr.)
37 [dnp] Randy Johnson (6-5, 222, #Jr.)
42 [0] Andrew Kreutz (5-11, 208, #Jr.)

Key Player

Jeshua Anderson, of course. Ocho Speedo has done a lot for the Cougars in his first two years at WSU, as a lightning-fast option behind Brandon Gibson. Now, he has to adjust to being the guy, the number one option for the Cougars at wide receiver. Can he take pressure off his young and inexperienced teammates? Can he handle the physical pressure of the opponent's number one defensive back? Do we have a quarterback capable of hitting him with the deep ball in stride? All these question marks make for added pressure on Anderson. And as we've mentioned earlier, this could be Jeshua's final season in crimson, as he follows his dream of becoming a professional track and field star.

Biggest Question Mark

Health. While Blackledge made a triumphant return to practice last week, Anderson, Forzani and Jeffrey Solomon are all nursing injuries. However, all are expected to be available for the starter against Stanford on September 5th. Still - can the wideouts stay healthy all year? If Anderson or another key receiver goes down, who picks up the slack? There are a lot of candidates, and depth has certainly improved from 2008, but all the backups are largely new or untested.

Best Case

Opponents are mesmerized by Anderson's blazing fast speed, allowing Karstetter, Blackledge and Norrell to be effective number 2 and 3 options. The Cougar passing game comes alive and manages a more respectable 7.5 yards per passing attempt. They even score quite a few touchdowns along the way. The crew as a whole stays healthy, and ~~one or both of Forzani and~~ Simone gets to comfortably redshirt. Jeffrey Solomon and Randy Johnson (no, not that one) provide some added depth.

Worst Case

Jeshua gets hurt, or is just plain ineffective, leaving the Cougars without a reliable #1 target. The rest of the crew is average at best, and the receiving corps struggles every bit as much as last year. Tony Thompson doesn't have that breakout year we're expecting/hoping for, and the TE's fail in both the catching game and the blocking game.

Likely Case

Jeshua is a mildly effective, speedy lead receiver. Fortunately Blackledge, Norrell and Karstetter pick up some of the slack, and the result is a balanced if not exceptional pass attack. Forzani ~~has to burn his redshirt~~ doesn't have the opportunity to redshirt anyway, but adds some depth. Thompson is a great bonus option for us at Tight End, and even does some good blocking for the revamped Cougar running game. While the Cougars don't dominate everyone with their passing, they make some plays and a marked improvement from last year. WSU manages about 6.5 yards per pass attempt and finds the endzone 15 times - just getting beyond Jason Hill territory.

Poll

Poll time. Who's your favorite of the non-Jeshua receivers?

Norrell

12 votes

Blackledge

20 votes

Karstetter

73 votes

Forzani

17 votes

Solomon

1 votes

Other

23 votes

146 votes | Poll has closed

Eagles 2009 draft wrap-up

JasonB — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:22:32 -0000

More photos » by H. RUMPH JR - AP

7 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles draft picks wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, left, and running back LeSean McCoy Answers questions from reporters Sunday, April 26, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/H. Rumph, Jr.)

Browse more photos »

The 2009 draft is over. While it is the centerpiece of the NFL offseason and a great event... by the time it does end you find yourself very much grateful to see it go. It's two long, long days.

- The Eagles draft pretty much started with the mega trade that sent their #28 overall pick and a 4th rounder to the Bills for pro bowl LT Jason Peters.

- The Eagles first actual draft pick came after they traded up 3 2 spots to grab WR Jeremy Maclin 6'1, 200lbs from Missouri.

- The Eagles shored up a need in the second round with the selection of 5'11, 210lb RB Lesean "Shady" McCoy from Pittsburgh.

- The Eagles then made a series of trades that saw them drop down in the 3rd round and then out of it in a trade with the Saints. They picked up an extra fifth rounder and a third rounder next year in the process.

- The Eagles would then make yet another trade, but this time they netted an actual player by sending two 5th round picks for New England Patriots CB Ellis Hobbs.

- The Eagles would make three picks from #153 to #159 in the fifth round, the first being 6'4 245lb TE Cornelius Ingram from Florida. ESPN's Todd McShay called Ingram the "best pick of the fifth round."

- The first defensive player selected came at #157 overall, 5'11 CB Victor "Macho" Harris from Virgina Tech.

- At #159 the Eagles grabbed 6-6, 330lb OT Fenuki Tupou from the Oregon Ducks.

- The Eagles then traded their 164th overall pick to the Saints for a seventh rounder this year and the Saints fifth rounder next year.

- With the 194th overall pick the Eagles took their fourth skill position player, 6-1 WR Brandon Gibson from Washington State.

- In the 7th round the Eagles would turn their attention back to the offensive line with the selection of OG Paul Fanaika from Arizona St.

- The Eagles final pick would also be the second defensive player taken, 223lb OLB Moises Fokou.

With the 194th overall pick the Eagles select WR Brandon Gibson

JasonB — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:02:39 -0000

View full size photo »

The Eagles get yet another WR and their fourth offensive skill player with the pick of WR Brandon Gibson WR from Washington St. At 6'1 202 lbs he has a body very similar to Jeremy Maclin.

Mocking the draft scouting report

6'1, 200 pounds | Washington State | Wide receiver

Strengths: Known to have great work ethic. Continued to compete hard as a senior even as Washington State struggled and Gibson continually faced double teams or bracket coverage. Willing to go over the middle to make a play on the ball. Competes for the ball in the traffic very well. Does a good job adjusting to the ball in the air and making a play on poor passes. Catches the ball consistently at its highest point. Maintains good concentration when the ball is coming from over his shoulder and he knows a defender is bearing down on him. While Gibson is not the best blocker around, he gives a good effort. Strong enough to hold up a block for more than just a brief period of time.

Weaknesses: Only average hands. Had some struggles early during the 2008 season with dropped passes. Takes a while to get up to speed. Has a hard time breaking away in the open field. Could do a better job finding a hole in a zone and sitting in it. Below-average quickness and agility for a receiver. Not very slippery after the catch, Gibson won’t make many defenders miss on tackles. Has never gotten many yards after the catch. Benefited from playing Washington State’s spread, particularly his first three years with Alex Brink as his quarterback. Doesn’t have great agility or quick-twitch muscles. While Gibson has been mostly healthy his entire college career, he’s had some injuries linger on him.

Final word: Gibson opted to return for his senior season after considering the NFL following a productive junior season. Worked with Washington State’s younger receivers as a senior. Started more than 30 games during his career. Learned a more complex, no-huddle offense as a senior after playing his first three years in a standard spread. Production dipped greatly from his junior to senior season. Gibson finished his career as the Cougars' all-time receiving yardage leader with 2,756 yards.

Round projection: 5

BREAKING: Gibson to the Eagles

Dancing Football — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 21:27:12 -0000

After a long wait, Brandon Gibson was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles with the 194th overall pick. Gibson was the second wide receiver drafted by the Eagles, who also took Jeremy Maclin of Missouri with the 19th overall selection.

This could be a good situation for Brandon. A quick check at the roster shows that there will be an opportunity for Gibson to make a splash and get on the field. Philadelphia throws the ball about as much as any team in the league, and Donovan McNabb is not too shabby when all his limbs are intact.

Gibson was pegged to be a third/fourth rounder last year before he decided to return for his senior season. The wide receiver class was very deep this year (Sammie Stroughter is still on the board!) and that hurt Gibson's draft stock.

I have no doubt that the Philadelphia Eagles' coaching staff will love what they are getting in Brandon, both on and off the field.

And here is grainy, cell phone video of the play of Gibson's career:

Cougs win Apple Cup '07 - Winning Touchdown (via thscott)

THE MORNING PAPER: Spring football, Gibson PLUS watch Cougar baseball live today

Nuss — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:52:28 -0000

It's a beautiful Sunday morning here in Western Washington as I watch a bunch of over-caffienated slo-pitch softball players battle for a world tournament berth (laptops with wireless cards are a wonderful thing), and there's a smattering of Cougar news out there this morning.

The Cougs wrapped up spring practices yesterday with a "scrimmage," although not along the lines of the Crimson and Gray games we became accustomed to under Price and Doba. The scrimmage lasted just under an hour, thanks to all the injuries, and was dominated by the defense. Naturally, Paul Wulff's emphasis was on improving, and he thinks the Cougs did that during spring drills. (Although, has there ever been a head coach who didn't think his team improved during spring practice?) You can read the full details from Grippi here.

As expected, the first two rounds of the NFL draft passed without Brandon Gibson being selected. He should hear his name called at some point today, although exactly when is debatable. We're into the fourth round now, and Gibson's still waiting. There was a crazy run of wide receivers in the third round (including a pick that likely means Gibson isn't coming to Seattle), but I have no idea what that actually means for Gibson's prospects. Could he move up out of a team's need? We'll see.

If you haven't seen the baseball team yet, today's your lucky day. Somebody is streaming today's game against USC live over at channelsurfing.net at noon. Here's your direct link. They have split the first two games with the Trojans to return to second place, so today looms rather large.

EDIT, 10:32 a.m.: ~~As pointed out by Craig in the comments, the game will also be live on FSN. He's going to put up a game thread later today for those of us watching, so look for that.~~

EDIT, 11:30 am: Dancing Football here, stick with channelsurfing.net. I was misinformed, FSN will not broadcasting this one.

Last, if you're into track, a couple of Cougs turned in good performances yesterday -- freshmen Courtney Kirkwood and Jennifer Hamilton posted NCAA regional qualify marks in the javelin.

We'll be back when news of Gibson breaks.

WR, Brandon Gibson, Washington St.

Jeremy Bolander — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 02:20:47 -0000

WR, Brandon Gibson, Washington St.

At A Glance
Position 1: Wide Receiver	Height: 6-1
Position 2:	Weight: 210
Class: Senior	Age:
Projected Round: 5th	40time: 4.53

Combine/Proday Results
Bench Reps: X	Vertical: X
20yd Split: X	Broad Jump: X
10yd Split: X	20yd Shuttle: X
3 Cone Drill: X

Pros: Legitimate NFL size. Good height and has the frame to handle NFL punishment. Has the quickness, bulk and strength to fight through the jam at the line of scrimmage. At least adequate straight-line speed to challenge defenders deep. Can track the ball over either shoulder. Can sink his hips, stick his foot in the ground and explode out his breaks, creating separation against even the best of cornerbacks. Soft hands and can snatch the ball out of the air. Good body control to contort his body and make the tough catch in traffic. Courageous over the middle. Effective red-zone target. Cognizant downfield blocker. Showed good toughness last year fighting through knee and heal injuries. Three-year kick returner.

Cons: Possesses good, not great deep speed. Demonstrates good overall athleticism, but doesn't consistently produce yards after the catch. Struggled with drops during Senior Bowl practices. Marginal elusiveness in the open field. Experienced kick returner, but not necessarily a candidate to do so at the next level. Plagued by a knee and heal injuries in 2007. Was not able to work out at Combine or Washington State's first pro day due to a right hamstring injury.

Around MHR:

Around SBNation:

From Scouting Report at Mocking the Draft:

Known to have great work ethic. Continued to compete hard as a senior even as Washington State struggled and Gibson continually faced double teams or bracket coverage. Willing to go over the middle to make a play on the ball. Competes for the ball in the traffic very well. Does a good job adjusting to the ball in the air and making a play on poor passes. Catches the ball consistently at its highest point. Maintains good concentration when the ball is coming from over his shoulder and he knows a defender is bearing down on him. While Gibson is not the best blocker around, he gives a good effort. Strong enough to hold up a block for more than just a brief period of time.

From "Scouting Report" at Niners Nation:

Ball Skills: A natural pass catcher who shows the ability to come up with tough catch. Is loose in the hips allowing him to open up and make catch throws behind him. Possesses the ability to go down and dig out the low throw

Separation Skills: A smooth route runner who displays good body control. Does a nice job of attacking defenders and gaining initial leverage while working his stem. Tempos routes well and comes out of breaks quickly. Lacks initial burst off the line of scrimmage.

Highlights:

Scouting Reports and Offsite Links:

Gibson did not test at the NFL scouting combine in February or at the Cougars’ pro day a few weeks ago because he was nursing a hamstring injury he suffered during the Senior Bowl in January.

He anticipated running the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds, but ultimately posted times between 4.55 and 4.63. Gibson also had a vertical jump of 34 inches and a standing broad jump of 9 feet, 5 inches. He measured in at just over 6 feet tall, and weighed in at 206 pounds.

Windy and wet weather did not make for ideal running conditions, but Gibson wasn’t looking for an out. [see more...]
Gibson is one of the lone bright spots on a dismal Cougars team. He lead the Pac-10 with 67 receptions for 1,180 yards in 2007, and averaged 17.6 yards per catch in 2007. In 2007 he seemed to have very good hands. He has struggled in 2008 and seems to be trying to do too much on a terrible Washington State team. His draft stock is likely going to take a hit because he will not be able to produce in 2008 like he did in 2007 as he will be receiving passes from the third team freshman quarterback. [see more...]
Good height and bulk...Smooth athlete...Excellent hands...Terrific ball skills and body control...Very aggressive...Good leaper...Real tough and isn't afraid to work the middle...Technically sound...Above average route runner...A decent blocker...Hard worker...Team player. [see more...]
Known to have great work ethic. Continued to compete hard as a senior even as Washington State struggled and Gibson continually faced double teams or bracket coverage. Learned a more complex, no-huddle offense as a senior after playing his first three years in a standard spread. Gibson possesses good size for a receiver. He’s not incredibly tall, but has good bulk. Willing to go over the middle to make a play on the ball. Competes for the ball in the traffic very well. Does a good job working through traffic. Does a good job adjusting to the ball in the air and making a play on poor passes. Catches the ball consistently at its highest point. Gibson runs decent routes. Knows where he is supposed to end up, but sometimes he rounds off his routes. Best on go routes. [see more...]

Niners Nation Scouting Report: Brandon Gibson, WR Washington State

Fooch — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:14:29 -0000

Many of you may be wondering who Brandon Gibson is and why we're bothering with a scouting report on him? After all, he's the 18th ranked wide receiver according to ESPN and doesn't scream any particular abilities. Over at Draft Tek, he's projected as a late 4th round pick. Big deal right?

Well, I bring him up because of an article I read over at the NFL.com blogs. Gibson held a private workout in Seattle and fifteen teams were present, including 49ers Director of Player Personnel Trent Baalke. The 49ers send reps to see a lot of players, but when it's someone higher than a scout, my ears perk up.

Furthermore, it's probably a pretty safe bet that the 49ers will draft a wide receiver this year. And with tomorrow's April Fool's deadline for Isaac Bruce to make up his mind, those odds could increase dramatically. And of course we'll have plenty of coverage of any Bruce decision tomorrow.

For now though, I thought we'd take a look at Brandon Gibson. He's 6'0, 210 lbs and at his Pro Day, held in light rain, he ran the 40-yard dash three times in a 5-mph wind, running in 4.63 seconds against the wind and 4.58 and 4.60 seconds with it. He also had a 34-inch vertical leap, a 9-foot, 5-inch broad jump, and times of 4.54 seconds in the short shuttle and 6.94 seconds in the three-cone drill.

I looked over his ESPN Scouting Report and he was listed as a 2 (out of 5=above average) in all the various categories. Most notable:

Ball Skills: A natural pass catcher who shows the ability to come up with tough catch. Is loose in the hips allowing him to open up and make catch throws behind him. Possesses the ability to go down and dig out the low throw

Separation Skills: A smooth route runner who displays good body control. Does a nice job of attacking defenders and gaining initial leverage while working his stem. Tempos routes well and comes out of breaks quickly. Lacks initial burst off the line of scrimmage.

Gibson's numbers dropped his senior year, but that was due in large part to being on a crappy Washington State team:

YEAR	REC	YDS	AVG	LNG	TD	ATT	YDS	AVG	LNG	TD	FUM	LST
2005	9	172	19.1	66	2	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0
2006	49	731	14.9	91	4	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0
2007	67	1180	17.6	67	9	0	0	0.0	0	0	0	0
2008	57	673	11.8	43	2	10	19	1.9	17	0	0	0

From what I've read, he's not fast, but he has a certain level of "football speed" about him (a phrase I think I just made up). To compare, Jerry Rice wasn't super fast but he had a certain football speed about him. Gibson is no Jerry Rice, but hopefully that comparison makes sense. If not, just ignore it.

After the jump, we take a look at Mocking the Draft's scouting report on Brandon Gibson, along with some closing thoughts...

Our own Mocking the Draft put together a scouting report and had some interest comments:

Strengths: Known to have great work ethic . . . Competes for the ball in the traffic very well. Does a good job adjusting to the ball in the air and making a play on poor passes. Catches the ball consistently at its highest point. Maintains good concentration when the ball is coming from over his shoulder and he knows a defender is bearing down on him. While Gibson is not the best blocker around, he gives a good effort. Strong enough to hold up a block for more than just a brief period of time.

Weaknesses: Only average hands. Had some struggles early during the 2008 season with dropped passes. Takes a while to get up to speed. Has a hard time breaking away in the open field. Could do a better job finding a hole in a zone and sitting in it. Below-average quickness and agility for a receiver. Not very slippery after the catch, Gibson won’t make many defenders miss on tackles. Has never gotten many yards after the catch. Benefited from playing Washington State’s spread, particularly his first three years with Alex Brink as his quarterback. Doesn’t have great agility or quick-twitch muscles. While Gibson has been mostly healthy his entire college career, he’s had some injuries linger on him.

They project him as a 5th round pick, which seems consistent with other sources. Draft Tek had him the second to last pick of the 4th round, so that seems reasonable, all around. I put him out there to see if folks here would be interested in him, or if you'd rather use that 4th/5th round pick elsewhere, be it another wide receiver or another position.

Personally, I'm intrigued by anybody who's willing to go across the middle and has a great work ethic. If Josh Morgan and Brandon Jones will be the big play guys, Gibson could be a great complement to Jason Hill.

No Cougars on All-Pac-10 teams

Nuss — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:03:39 -0000

The Pac-10 announced its all-conference football teams yesterday, and the coaches sent one message loud and clear: All that really matters is that you play on a winning team.

There are 48 first and second team position players. Here are the number of selections as they correspond with the standings:

Place	Team	All-Pac-10 Pics
1	USC	11
2	Oregon	7
3	Oregon State	8
4	Cal	6
5	Arizona	5
6	Arizona State	2
7	Stanford	3
8	UCLA	3
9	WSU	0
10	Washington	1

In case you're keeping track, that's Bowl Teams 37, Also Rans 9 -- including none for the Cougs and just one for the Huskies.

Make of that what you will, but I point this out because Brandon Gibson was a first team selection last year and a preseason all-American, but he can't get on the first or second team this year? Is he a worse player this year than last? Or did he maybe just have the misfortune of catching passes from five different starting quarterbacks in a completely new offense on one of the worst BCS teams of all time?

I understand performance has something to do with it -- and, let's face it, Gibson didn't always help himself with the dropsies -- but can we use a little common sense here? To make the argument that Gibson isn't one of the top four receivers in the Pac-10 is ridiculous.

Oh, and "congratulations" also to Kenny Alfred and Greg Trent who, along with Gibson, were named Honorable Mentions.