Learning to finish
<p>Washington State head coach Paul Wulff, left, argues with a referee during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against San Diego State, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011, in San Diego. San Diego State won the game 42-24. (AP Photo/Chris Park)</p>
Coach Paul Wulff said his team must learn to finish games after squandering a 10-point lead in a 42-24 loss at San Diego State.
The Cougars were outscored by three touchdowns in the final quarter, and turned the ball over three times in the final eight minutes Saturday.
Washington State (2-1) has not often been in situations where the fourth quarter was decisive in recent years, and Wulff said practice during the Cougars’ bye week this week will focus on teaching how to finish games.
“We’ve got to learn to play a fourth quarter and play well,” Wulff said.
“This is a team that will be in games in the fourth quarter,” Wulff said from Pullman. “We’ve got to develop some confidence and consistency late in games.”
Washington State’s next game is its Pac-12 opener on Oct. 1 at Colorado (1-2). The Buffaloes, who play at Ohio State on Saturday, hold a 4-2 lead in the all-time series with WSU.
The bye week comes as center Andrew Roxas tries to recover from a sprained right ankle and tight end Aaron Dunn deals with a strained quadriceps muscle. Both figure to be back against Colorado.
But defensive end Adam Coerper will likely be out for several weeks with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee.
Wulff said starting quarterback Jeff Tuel continues to recover from a fractured collarbone suffered in the season opener. Tuel will be allowed to start throwing in practice this week, Wulff said, although he is several weeks from being cleared to play.
“He’s healing as they (doctors) were hoping he would at this point,” Wulff said.
Not that the Cougars have been suffering much in Tuel’s absence. Senior Marshall Lobbestael has been leading one of the nation’s most productive passing offenses.
Against San Diego State, Lobbestael completed 20 of 42 passes for 368 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Lobbestael threw touchdown passes of 80 and 78 yards to Marquess Wilson, who had the best game of his career with six receptions for 236 yards.
Lobbestael did suffer both interceptions and lost a fumble in the decisive fourth quarter. Wulff blamed that in part on protection breakdowns by the offensive line and running backs.