Struggling Cougars working on focus

Through much of their recent week off from this miserable football season, Washington State coaches and players saw improvement — or so they thought.

Then they went out and got drubbed, 58-0, by Stanford Saturday, and a lot of the old symptoms returned — incessant mistakes, players questioning teammates, and seemingly, another step backward in a season that won't end.

A sign of the growing pains: defensive end Andy Mattingly sat out the first half, which means he didn't get in until the outcome was long since decided. In essence, it was a disciplinary action.

"We're still trying to get players to learn to focus, and how to prepare for games on Fridays and Saturdays," said coach Paul Wulff on Sunday night. "Sometimes when coaches see players they don't feel are very focused, and they don't feel they're going to be able to perform because their mind isn't right, we as coaches have to educate players.

"[Mattingly] would fit in that category."

Wulff wouldn't elaborate on Mattingly's indiscretion, but consider it one of a cascade of them this year for WSU, now 1-8.

The Cougars have been shut out twice consecutively after having a 280-game streak of scoring that stretched 24 years. Not since 1969 had there been a WSU team blanked in two straight.

If it balloons to three Saturday against Arizona, it would mark the first time since 1925, when Albert A. Exendine was coaching the Cougars. The school record is four straight shutouts in 1903.

Washington State hasn't scored since the 4:28 mark of the second quarter at Oregon State, when freshman linebacker Louis Bland took an interception in for a score. That makes it 154 minutes and 28 seconds since the Cougars lit up the board with anything but zeroes.

"The first couple of series on both sides, I thought our kids played pretty good football," Wulff said. "What slowed us down was some individual big mistakes.

"Eventually, we have no trust or confidence and we can't overcome mistakes. Their belief of winning right now is just not there."

Along with Mattingly, defensive tackle Matt Eichelberger played sparingly. He was in early, but then was replaced by Toby Turpin for what Wulff called "performance-based" issues. The Cardinal plowed through the Cougars for 344 rushing yards.

Losing five more turnovers Saturday, the Cougars have tumbled into a tie with Wyoming for last in the Football Bowl Subdivision with a net minus 2.22 a game, having lost 29 and gained nine.

Wulff said he expects quarterback J.T. Levenseller to play more in the final four games. Those begin Saturday in Pullman, where Arizona (5-3) is a 38-point favorite in its quest to become bowl-eligible.

Neck stingers have rendered three Cougars questionable: Defensive end Kevin Kooyman, linebacker Myron Beck and guard B.J. Guerra. Cornerback Tyrone Justin is also nursing a sprained ankle.

Bud Withers: 206-464-8281