Washington State's offensive line making strides

PULLMAN - Washington State's new offensive line coach Clay McGuire had a tall task ahead of him when he took over the position during the offseason. No unit during the fledgling Paul Wulff era was as atrocious as the offensive line - and the numbers to support that statement are staggering.

In 2010, the Cougars were 111th in the nation in terms sacks allowed. Last year, the quarterback trio of Connor Halliday, Marshall Lobbestael and Jeff Tuel was sacked 39 times, which (combined) would make them the fourth most sacked quarterback in the nation, tied with Ohio State's Braxton Miller. Lobbestael's 29 sacks alone led the Pac-12 conference.

The poor performance also effected the running game, as Washington State failed to produce a single-game 100-yard rushing effort from a tailback all of last season.

McGuire and Washington State are hoping to turn that around this fall.

"We're just coming in here and trying to do our jobs and do it the best we possibly can," McGuire said. "We spend a lot of time on fundamentals and technique and we feel we know our scheme pretty well. The more we do it and the more reps we get, the better we are going to be. We're not really going to focus on numbers, this, that or the other - we're just going to try to do our best."

That improvement - and extra effort - began over the summer, as the WSU offensive line made sure they would be ready for camp. So far, McGuire said, it's shown.

"We've definitely improved a lot from the spring," McGuire said. "We came out here and we've had some good days and struggled on a few. What we are still struggling with is keeping it together for a sustained period of time."

Never was that more apparent than in the Cougars' second scrimmage of fall camp, one in which the offense marched down the field with ease only to have two drives derailed near the 30-yard line because of two holding penalties and a pair of sacks.

"We marched down the field and stalled when we got close and overcame a sack and a penalty, which was stupid to get in the first place," WSU coach Mike Leach said.

For all the accolades Leach's quarterbacks and receivers have earned over the years, the coach said it's his offensive line that keeps the offense rolling.

"We've improved and I think when we focus in we are really good," Leach said. "When we don't, typically it's not like five guys bust, typically it's one, but you need all five of them. It's the most important position, maybe on the whole team, certainly on the offense."

This year's group is anchored by junior left tackle John Fullington, who was named All-Pac-12 honorable mention last season, and has a clear-cut starting five. At left guard is Matt Goetz, Elliot Bosch is the center, Wade Jacobson fills out the right guard spot and Jake Rodgers is the likely right tackle.

It's a group that Jacobson feels is finally ready to take a step forward.

"We're coming together really well," Jacobson said. "There is a lot more communication out there, we're all smart and know what to do. This offense is simple and we're getting it done."

The same can be said for the walk-on junior Bosch, who has solidified his spot as the starting center, despite playing guard for much of his career.

Even with the emergence of Bosch, the Cougars remain thin up front and lack elite talent, meaning Washington State's offensive line is unlikely to be among the best in the conference.

But, they seem determined to avoid being the team's weak spot for the first time in a number of years.

That's a change that won't provide much recognition from fans, but would likely lead to a lot more wins this fall. Who knows, maybe even a bowl game.

"No matter what, we're never going to get any recognition. That's a given everywhere," Jacobson said. "The offensive line doesn't get recognition. Our recognition will be winning games."