WSU Football | Cal Game Awards Worth Noting

Following each Washington State Cougar football game, Joe Nickell of WSU media relations releases a list of game awards handed out for outstanding play.

The WSU awards for this past weekend point to areas where the hard work and effort being put in by Coach Paul Wulff, the players, and the coaching staff are beginning to show results.

If you still aren't familiar with the three post-game awards, let me detail them.

The Cougar Lunch Pail goes to the offensive player who not only performs well during the game, but also exemplifies the work ethic expected of a Cougar football player.

There is a counterpart to the CLP for the defense: the Cougar Hard Hat. Shouldn't stretch your imagination to picture the background for this award.

Special teams have their own award as well, the Crimson Boot. More times than not, the effectiveness by special teams has a significant impact on the outcome of a game.

You need only hearken back to the Cal game for an example. The Bears brought the opening Cougar kickoff deep into WSU territory, putting them in scoring position to open the football game. That play was key to the fast start the Bears got off to.

Let's get to the awards.

Cougar Lunch Pail

Jeff Tuel threw for 354 yards, the second-highest total in school history for a true freshman and only the second 300-yard passing game by a Cougar true freshman. Should he top the 300-yard mark again over the course of the final five games, he will establish a new school mark.

Tuel completed 67 percent of his passes (28-of-42), added two touchdowns, and didn't throw an interception. Working out of the shotgun formation much of the Cal game, Tuel looked poised and in control of the Cougar offense, a quality he has taken out on the field every game since his first against USC.

If you haven't seen him play yet, tune your television in Saturday for the Notre Dame game. You will see a part of the future for Cougar football.

Cougar Hard Hat

Xavier Hicks, Jr. was flying all over the field against Cal, making a team-leading 14 tackles. The soft-spoken senior leader from Fullerton, CA lets his play on the field do the talking for him. Hicks is second on the team in tackles after seven games with a total of 45. He also has an interception (pictured above).

Impressive stats aren't all that accounts for his contribution to the team. Hicks brings experience and has the respect of his teammates.

Crimson Boot

Reid Forrest is another Coug who doesn't worry about making ESPN's Top Play list. Forrest simply goes about his responsibility as punter with intensity and efficiency. Slowly, surely, and with consistency, he's climbing the school record book ladder.

Forrest was called upon to punt seven times in the Cal game. Three of his efforts pinned the Bears inside their 20-yard line. That brings his total to 14 such punts on the season, just one shy of his total for all of 2009.

The hard work Forrest put in during the offseason is showing up on the field, not in the headlines. In a close game, you're going to notice just how good Forrest is after his punting influences field position time and time again.

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More comments from the Cal game...

Coach Jeff Tedford had this to say about WSU quarterback Jeff Tuel in response to a question by Cal Bear Examiner Rob Calonge:

"I think he's a really good player. He's got a lot of poise for a young guy, threw some nice balls, he's big, he's physical, he can pull it down, he can make some plays with his legs as well, he can move the pocket. I think he's got a bright future."

Myron Beck, sophomore linebacker

On Cal's offense:

"They didn't do anything we didn't expect or prepare for. We knew what was coming at us. It was just a lack of execution. The coaches coached us up on everything they ran, including the wildcat. It was just about being (where) we were supposed to be and playing '11 as one.' We didn't do that. We didn't show up like that."

What Beck took away from the Cal game:

"The positives are that we can prepare more to come out faster. Preparation means a whole lot. Next week starts tomorrow. It starts as soon as we meet tomorrow and prepare for the next game because that is the most important one."

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