WSU Football | Sunday Hangover Following Cougar Loss to Oregon

The aftermath of Washington State's loss to Oregon Saturday night darkly looms over Cougar Nation today.

Succumbing to the hovering gloom brought on by the complete dismantling of a young and inexperienced WSU football team is simply short-sighted.

Coach Paul Wulff has understated the potential of his football team for good reason.

Without seeing what his young players can accomplish on the football field at Pac-10 game speed, there's no reason for suggesting the future and the present are one and the same.

Watching the young Cougs play the No. 16 Oregon Ducks last night was like watching your 10-month-old child try to walk. There were some moments of sheer delight overshadowed by some very nasty bumps and bruises.

One bright spot for WSU was the collegiate debut of true freshman Carl Winston. He's been turning heads on the practice field. Winston showed some of that flash on the field of Autzen Stadium where it counts.

There were highlights for Cougar Nation to be gleaned from the loss the Cougs absorbed in Eugene.

- True freshman Carl Winston led the Cougs in rushing with 56 yards on 7 carries for a 8.0 average. Winston also brought back two kickoffs for another 33 yards giving him 89 all-purpose yards in his first college football game.

- Redshirt sophomore Logwone Mitz was the Cougars second-leading rusher with 48 yards on 10 carries. He also had the longest run from scrimmage with a 28-yard gainer.

- Once again Reid Forrest quietly did an outstanding job punting the football. His nine punts averaged 43.1 yards with a long of 56. He put three of those punts inside the 20.

OK, that's a pretty short list. Temper your reaction with the fact Oregon is one of the best and hottest college football teams in the nation right now.

If you can name a team getting the job done better today than Coach Chip Kelly's players, share your suggestion in a comment below.

Seriously.

Experts are offering a variety of views on the performance of Coach Wulff's team against a Top 25 opponent in back-to-back games.

"“...the younger the player is, the more he has to think and the longer it takes him to cover that ground. A banged-up player moves slower as well. So all Oregon did last night, in scoring pretty much at will in the first half, was once again reiterate WSU’s inability to run.”  - Vince Grippi of the Spokesman-Review"

"“Few visiting teams have been able to quiet the raucous crowds that pack Autzen Stadium, but the Washington State Cougars managed to pull it off Saturday night, to their everlasting regret. The Oregon Ducks scored so fast, so often and so easily, the notoriously loud Autzen crowd was lulled into relative silence…”  - Howie Stalwick for the Kitsap Sun"

"“So destitute are the Cougars right now that they even soiled one of their few good story lines. Jeff Tuel, the true freshman quarterback who played so promisingly against USC, got his first start here, and lasted all of three series (which fittingly began at the WSU 15-, 5- and 14-yard lines).“  - Bud Withers of the Seattle Times"

"“It was men playing with boys…” "Whether we like it or not, that's a junior varsity team out there."  - Jim Walden, former WSU head coach and current color commentator for the Cougar Radio Network"

"“Washington State hoped that the mobility of true freshman quarterback Jeff Tuel, making his first college start, would mitigate the inexperience of an injury-riddled offensive line and provide a spark against Oregon. Alas, Tuel didn’t survive the first quarter, and when he left the game with a lower back/hip injury…”  - Ron Bellamy of the The Register-Guard "

"“The outcome seemingly never in doubt from the opening kick, the Oregon student section formally nailed shut Washington State’s coffin with a “Na na na na…hey, hey, hey, goodbye” chant – with 1:40 left in the second quarter.”  - Robert Husseman for dailyemerald.com "

If nothing else, the 2009 Washington State football team is a source of creative analysis.

The team has returned to their home, Pullman. Coaches will pore over game video today to gain a solid evaluation of strengths and weaknesses to lead this young and inexperienced team forward.

Cougar football will now focus on preparation for Arizona State.

The Cougs return from Eugene banged up, but their spirit isn't broken. They played 60 minutes of Pac-10 football Saturday night and look forward to the opportunity again Homecoming Weekend on the field of Martin Stadium.

Count on one certainty next Saturday afternoon. If you are at the game, you'll see a football team and program growing up with every snap.

Originally published in Lew Wright's column on Examiner.com