Halfway into football season, 1-5 Cougars are hurting and struggling

PULLMAN — Washington State University is at the halfway point in its season.

Six games down, six to go, split by maybe the most needed bye week in the school's more than 100 years of football.

Why? The Cougars are 1-5 overall — only a defense-fueled second-half comeback over Southern Methodist is on the left side of the ledger — and 0-4 in the Pac-10. They've been outscored 210-89 and average fewer than 10 points a game in conference play.

And they are beat up. Again.

"We've got a lot of bumps and bruises with the guys who are playing," WSU coach Paul Wulff said. "It will be nice to get those guys back feeling as fresh as they can."

Last season's 2-11 record was at least partly the result of a multitude of major injuries that hit every unit. This season the injuries aren't as major — only a handful of WSU players have undergone surgery (there were nearly two dozen in 2008) with all expected to be well enough for offseason training.

On the defensive side, Wulff points to true freshman Travis Long as having the biggest impact on a group that's improved incrementally since last year.

"He's competing week in, week out," Wulff said of the defensive end. "Can he finish the second half of the season like he's played the first half? That's always the biggest challenge for young football players.

"But, to do what he's done the first six games of his college career, right out of high school, is impressive."

Long, who has started every game, has 27 tackles (most for a defensive lineman) and two sacks.

But another defensive player who Wulff felt was starting to emerge, redshirt freshman cornerback Daniel Simmons, illustrates the steps back. Simmons, who had become the Cougars' best cover corner, broke his leg last week against Arizona State. He's the third member of the secondary to suffer a season-ending injury.

Two offensive players Wulff singled out as taking huge strides are guards B.J. Guerra and Zack Williams. They haven't played together in three weeks, though both could be back for the Cal game.

Those two, and the other four key offensive linemen currently trying to bounce back from injuries, including starters Kenny Alfred and Steven Ayers, are crucial for WSU to achieve Wulff's second-half goal.

"An identity on offense," Wulff said.