Cougars try to end long Pac-10 skid today
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - At first glance, this appears to be Washington State's best shot at ending its long Pac-10 losing streak.
The Cougars (1-7, 0-5) seem to be getting better each week and are coming off a closer-than-expected loss to No. 13 Stanford. Arizona State (3-4, 1-3), on the other hand, is reeling, coming off an embarrassing loss to inconsistent Cal, its third in four games.
Even the opposing coach can see where the Cougars might perk up a little for today's game in Tempe.
"I'm sure they're sitting back in Pullman - I would be - and if they watched our game against Cal, they're thinking, 'Wow, we can come in here and beat these guys,'" said Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson, a former WSU coach.
The Sun Devils may be down, but they're still talented, still fast and still 21-point favorites over Washington State.
The Cougars are making progress under coach Paul Wulff, the defense seemingly getting better by the week and Jeff Tuel developing into a quality quarterback in a conference full of them. Truth is, though, Washington State isn't quite there yet, at least not until that 14-game Pac-10 losing streak actually ends.
"Arizona State is capable of beating everybody in the conference," Wulff said. "ASU is not that different from Stanford. The difference between Arizona State and the teams we have faced are three or four plays."
Well, except for last week's debacle in Berkeley.
Coming off a bye week and an impressive win over Washington, the Sun Devils were crushed 50-17 by Cal, a team that lost to USC by 34 the week before. Arizona State's offense was stagnant, even before quarterback Steven Threet went out with a concussion, and its usually reliable defense was picked apart by Kevin Riley and Shane Vereen.
For a team that had kept even the losses close, it was a remarkably ugly downturn.
"It was disappointing, embarrassing, every word that you can think of," said Threet, who's expected to play against the Cougars. "We've just got to come back out, work hard and push to get better and get ready for Saturday."
They'd better be ready. The Cougars, despite their record, aren't the pushovers they once were.
Washington State had some tough losses to start the season, but has gradually gotten better, holding its own against three straight ranked opponents.
The Cougars didn't embarrass themselves against Oregon, the current top-ranked team and one that has embarrassed just about everyone else. Washington State stymied Arizona's high-powered offense before the Wildcats pulled away on Oct. 16, then scored 28 points in a 10-point loss at Stanford.
The next step now is a Pac-10 win, which the Cougars haven't had since beating rival Washington in double overtime on Nov. 22, 2008.
"We have fun with small victories, but clearly we are not happy with the final results," Wulff said.
The Sun Devils know that feeling.
This was the year Arizona State was supposed to turn it around after its first consecutive losing seasons since 1947. Instead, the Sun Devils are headed toward another unless they turn it around quickly.
Arizona State needs to win four of its next five games to become bowl-eligible and three of those are against ranked teams, so the Sun Devils can't afford a letdown.
"We know what it takes and we have guys in the locker room that can do that. And they will. I look for them to respond extremely well," Erickson said. "If this happens five other times, then we've got some issues, but I don't see that right now. Our guys will step up."
Washington State will be ready if they don't.