Washington State Cougars Football: Breaking Down the 2011 Defense

I think at this point we all know about the struggles in Pullman, Wash.

But for the first time in several years, the Washington State Cougars showed they were beginning to keep up in games last season.

Even in the Oregon game, they held their own for one half of football.

Here I will go through position by position and grade each unit of the defense. From the defensive linemen to the defensive backs, each unit is equally important in assuring a successful 2011 campaign.

Overall Defense: C

It’s really been the defense at fault for WSU’s terrible play over the past five or six years.

From 2007 and on, the Cougars have allowed 43.8 points per game, then 38.5 in 2009 and 35.8 last year.

With eight returning starters, expect that number to drop to around 28 to 30 points per game.

Defensive Line: C-

Upfront, the Cougars return two starters (Brandon Rankin and Travis Long) on the d-line and will battle it out this summer for the remaining defensive tackle and defensive end positions.

It appears so far (barring injury) that Anthony Laurenzi will battle for the interior tackle position with Ian Knight and Justin Clayton neck and neck for the end position.

Linebackers: C

What was once an area of weakness for Washington State now appears to be a strength.

Led by senior Alex Hoffman-Ellis, the linebackers will take a step forward in 2011.

Also returning is starter C.J. Mizell, who looks to improve from a solid freshman season.

Defensive Backs: C

Well, Washington State’s pass defense has been horrible for the past half-decade or so.

In 2009, the team gave up 276 yards through the air and allowed for 66.8 percent of passes to be completed.

In 2010, the numbers improved slightly with yardage dropping to 247 yards per game and 66.3 percent of passes completed.

In 2011, I expect the yardage to drop to somewhere around 200 yards per game and completion percentage around 57 to 60 percent. Major improvements.