There will be plenty of new looks for the Washington State Cougar football program this coming season.
Until the opening kickoff against Oklahoma State at the end of August, most of the stories about Cougar football will be covering the new sheriff in town, Coach Paul Wulff. No problem here with regards to that.
But flying under most writers' radar is a terrific story—the one about replacing a legend.
The legend referred to is the gifted Cougar quarterback for the past three seasons. Alex Brink graduated from WSU and has hopes to hook up with an NFL team this summer. He left quite a mark on Cougar football.
He quietly broke virtually every passing record at a school that produced some outstanding players at the quarterback position. Names like Jack Thompson, Mark Rypien, and Drew Bledsoe are synonymous with Washington State football and lighting up scoreboards.
Though Brink had the numbers to warrant the label "legend," Alex was the complete student/athlete. There was no campaign to tout him as a Heisman candidate. Brink's legendary credentials? He was a leader both on and off the field, and he will always be part of the pride of Cougar Nation.
A legend and a class act. How the heck do you follow in those footsteps?
Enter Gary Rogers.
Here comes a guy who has been waiting very patiently to get his chance. Rogers has the arm, the size, and the leadership to enjoy a solid senior season running a new "no huddle" offense.
Sure, he's going to have to play in a completely revamped offense. Sure, running back looks like it might be the weakest position for the Cougs this coming season. Sure, WSU is picked to finish dead last in the Pac-10 by most "experts."
But here's the deal—Gary Rogers is a competitor. Period.
Even Cougar Nation folks with poor memories should recall a similar situation just a few years back. That time around, Jason Gesser was the legend who graduated. Coach Bill Doba was the newly promoted sheriff in town.
Who was trying to do what Rogers is taking on? None other than a tall kid with a great pedigree, an excellent arm, and pretty good mobility. He stood about 6'6". His name? Matt Kegel.
Kegel and Doba teamed up to put together a dream season that culminated in a Holiday Bowl victory over Texas.
Could that happen again? Not likely. But there are some good reasons to expect better than a last place finish in the Pac-10.
Rogers brings new energy and enthusiasm to the huddle. He will be blessed with a terrific group of receivers, led by All Pac-10 honoree Brandon Gibson.
So, to answer the question, "How do you replace a legend?" You don't.
On August 30, a new era will begin for Cougar football. It won't all be about the new head coach.
By the end of the season, people are going to be talking about how patient Gary Rogers was, and how thankful they are he waited for his turn under center.
Or could this be a season in which no legend unfolds?
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4 months ago
He's a class act, has paid his dues and patiently waited for his turn. I'll bet he does us all proud.
I heard that ticket sales for the Oklahoma State game in Seattle are 7,000 tickets ahead of last year's sales at this point. It promises to be an exciting opportunity for this young team, its new head coach and for those Cougar-faithful who make the pilgramage to Seattle each year to witness a glimpse of what the new season has in store for us.
Let's hope it's a competitive start to a season filled with new talent working a new no-huddle system.
I'll be there. Will you?
Coug Geoff
from 4 months ago
Hey Geoff,
With Coach Wulff at the helm, the Cougs will be competitive. You can count on that. WSU may not finish with a winning season, but opponents will have to play well to earn a victory. That's always been the case at Eastern when Coach Wulff was there. It will be even more so in Pullman given the level of talent he will be able to recruit to play in the Pac-10.
At the moment, the trip up to Seattle doesn't look like it's going to happen this time around. Have missed the last two years. The matchup this year should make for an outstanding day in the late summer sun of Seattle.
Cougar Lew
4 months ago
Something that everyone seems to be missing is that Gary Rogers also played in that Auburn game a couple of years ago and led them down the field for a 95 yard scoring drive with either a perfect or near perfect completion percentage if I remember correctly. Brink however was stalled for most of that game and when he was thrown back into the game, our chemistry seemed to be thrown back out of whack and we weren't able to get anything done and Auburn went for the jugular. Personally, even while Brink was here, I couldn't love him as much as other Coug fans did because of this. I just felt as though we had someone who could be a better answer at the position than him. I think a lot of people will be surpries.
Coug son
4 months ago
Hey M,
Well put. There will always be second guessing on coaching decisions, but I'm with you when it comes to getting Rogers more reps over the past two seasons. That said, WSU still gave up too many points when the defense marched on to the field.
It's tough to count on outscoring your opponent when there is so much truth to the football axiom, "defense wins games and championships".
Cougar Lew
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