WSU Football | Cougars to have new feel

Three of the four defensive backs who will start for Washington State at Wisconsin on Saturday are newcomers to the Cougars.

Coach Bill Doba said Monday that true freshman Chima Nwachukwu and junior-college transfer Devin Giles will start at cornerback. JC transfer Alfonso Jackson will start at strong safety.

Another defensive newcomer who will start is JC transfer Kendrick Dunn at outside linebacker.

Nwachukwu is from Allen, Texas, and Doba said big-time high-school football in Texas has prepared him to step into pressure situations. Doba said Allen High School has a 50-yard indoor practice facility, a 15,000-seat stadium, 17 assistant coaches and a football-program receptionist.

"It's a different type of intensity," Doba said, comparing it to other high-school programs.

In a position shift, WSU has moved honors candidate Ropati Pitoitua from defensive tackle to right defensive end. The starting tackles will be Aaron Johnson and A'i Ahmu. Matt Mullenix will be the other starting defensive end.

Doba said he intends to keep Pitoitua at defensive end unless Johnson or Ahmu get injured.

The major injury question this week is whether standout receiver Brandon Gibson (knee) will be able to play Saturday.

"He hasn't responded as well as we thought," Doba said, adding that whether Gibson plays could be determined by how well he feels warming up Saturday.

If Gibson can't start, Benny Ward and true freshman Jeshua Anderson are likely to take his spot.

Doba said the Cougs will travel with a backup kicker, Wade Penner, and a backup punter, Reid Forrest. The starting kicker is Romeen Abdollmohammadi and Darryl Blunt is the starting punter. Three-year kicker Loren Langley came into camp as No. 2, then suffered a leg injury and remains sidelined.

Doba said true freshman offensive linemen Andrew Roxas and Steven Ayers will be on the traveling team as will freshman defensive tackle B.J. Guerra. He said freshman wide receiver Daniel Blackledge (hamstring) would travel if healthy, but probably won't make the trip.

NOTES

• The Cougars are 14-point underdogs at No. 7 Wisconsin. The Badgers were 12-1 last season and return nine offensive starters from a team that averaged 29.2 points last season. The Badgers have won nine consecutive season openers and are 20-1 in their past 21 regular-season nonconference games.

• Doba said the coaching staff doesn't have a set plan on when and how much to use backup quarterback Gary Rogers. "We'll play that as it goes," he said.

• The Cougars have redshirt sophomore linebacker Jason Stripling penciled in as a travel-team member as they await a ruling from the NCAA on his eligibility.

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