WSU Football
WSU shows swagger, might lose Swogger

By Craig Smith
Seattle Times staff reporter

JIM BATES / THE SEATTLE TIMES Washington State quarterback Josh Swogger scrambles from Idaho's Jeff Edwards in the first quarter. Swogger has a partially torn posterior cruciate knee ligament, but still may play against Arizona.

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most read articles Most e-mailed articles

Related stories Grading the game

The injured right knee of starting Washington State quarterback Josh Swogger has been placed in a brace but coach Bill Doba doesn't rule out the possibility of Swogger playing Saturday at Arizona.

"I think there's a chance," said Doba, who said Swogger suffered a partial tear of the posterior cruciate ligament. Doba said it's the type of injury that players can sometimes play with.

Doba said Swogger "doesn't have any pain" and there is no swelling.

"He wants to play," Doba said.

"We'll re-evaluate it Tuesday or Wednesday," the coach said.

The knee underwent an MRI exam yesterday morning and Doba said the examination of the results hadn't been completed.

The redshirt sophomore was injured in the third quarter of the best game of his career Saturday night. Swogger threw four first-half touchdown passes in a 49-8 rout of Idaho. When he left the game in the third quarter, Swogger had completed 12 of 19 passes for 196 yards and hadn't been sacked or intercepted.

The performance came on the heels of a rocky outing in a 20-12 loss to Colorado in Seattle seven days earlier that had ignited a quarterback controversy. Doba announced Tuesday that Swogger would keep his starting job instead of losing it to redshirt freshman Alex Brink.

Doba said if Swogger can't play Saturday, he has confidence in Brink.
 
"He has proven he can move this football team," Doba said.

Doba said the Cougars may add bootlegs and sprint-out passes if Brink starts to take advantage of his mobility. Doba also noted that Brink "throws a softer ball" than Swogger and that makes it easier to catch.

The romp over Idaho in front of 34,858 at Martin Stadium was a get-well tonic for the Cougars, who did everything right against the Vandals that they had done wrong against the Buffaloes.

The running attack got on track with 286 yards, with Chris Bruhn leading the way with 129 on 16 carries. The Cougars didn't allow a sack or drop a pass.

Sophomore receiver Jason Hill was outstanding for a second consecutive week, catching touchdown passes of 10, 19 and 76 yards in the first half on the only three balls thrown to him. He ran 72 yards with the ball on the 76-yard TD.

Doba said he told the team yesterday he was proud of them because the major goals going into the game were accomplished. Those goals included no turnovers and a reduction of penalties (the Cougars committed only two penalties and one was declined).

Doba told the team, "We're right where we were a year ago (2-1)." The Cougars wound up 10-3 last season.

The Cougars won without their starting two defensive tackles, Steve Cook and Ropati Pitoituia. Doba said young replacements Aaron Johnson and Odell Howard played "OK."

"They were a little soft," said Doba, who said the Cougars may have to do more slanting against Arizona with the two young players. "We have to help them," he said.

Cook (knee) and Pitoituia (high ankle sprain) are expected to be out at least one more game.

Asked whether he feels uncomfortable starting the Pac-10 season with replacements at some positions, Doba replied, "Yes. I don't know any other way to put it. But you have to have confidence in those guys, too."

Notes

• Doba said freshman Jed Collins had a game that was "quite an achievement for a young man."

Collins played linebacker (four tackles), and fullback (27-yard pass reception) and even returned a kickoff 24 yards.

• Doba said he hopes the Washington Huskies coached by his friend Keith Gilbertson win every game in future weeks, then lose the Apple Cup to WSU. "I'd like to see them win every one of them 'til they get to us," he said.

• Doba said although the offensive line had its best game of the year, he still "isn't satisfied" and may not be through making changes. He said one reason Charles Harris started at right guard in place of Norvell Holmes was that Holmes had had recent problems with his troublesome back. Redshirt freshman Bobby Byrd started at left guard and Doba said he is getting better every week.

Craig Smith: 206-464-8279 or csmith@seattletimes.com