Inside Slant

The Sports Xchange

October 16, 2018 at 8:33 pm.

Leach: GameDay appearance is ‘overdue’

Washington State coach Mike Leach will get more national publicity this week with ESPN’s College GameDay coming to Pullman, Wash., for the No. 25 Cougars’ much-anticipated matchup with No. 12 Oregon at Martin Stadium.

“Well, I think it’s pretty good, I mean with the flag tradition that we have, I think that it’s very important with that, and I think that it’s overdue, and I think that we’re certainly excited to have it and our students are excited to have it,” Leach said.

“As a team, it’s kind of business as usual, but I think it’s a really good opportunity for our fans and a good showcase for our university and our team.”

Leach believes that now that GameDay is visiting the campus, a return will be likely.

“I think they’ll be very excited for it. I think they’ll enjoy it, I think they’ll have a good time,” he said. “I also think GameDay will see what a beautiful spot this university is in and be a little quicker to come back.

“I don’t think it will take as many years for them to come back the second time as it did this first one, because they’ll love all the really cool stuff that they get to photograph in their shots and everything, and then the game day environment, of course, at our place is outstanding and has been for a long time. And I do think they’ll be back again. But I think everybody this first time out is excited for it and looking forward to it.”

On the field, Leach is mostly concerning himself with having to face one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in Oregon’s Justin Herbert.

Herbert is behind only Washington State’s prolific passing quarterback Gardner Minshew II in the Pac-12 averaging 268.8 passing yards a game. Minshew is at 403.7 a game in Leach’s “Air Raid” offense that generally utilizes five receivers, including the running back.

Herbert, a 6-foot-5, 234-pound NFL prospect, has positive yardage (106 on 38 carries) exhibiting good scrambling ability.

“I think he’s a good quarterback. Where he belongs as far as the top in this conference, there’s been a lot of really good ones in this conference so that’s a fairly crowded field,” Leach said. “But I think he’s a good quarterback. I don’t think there’s any question about that.”

Herbert will go against a Washington State defense that ranks No. 1 against the pass in the conference, allowing only 165.5 yards per game.

“(Herbert) does a good job leading the unit. I think that he can run a little bit. He’s more effective throwing it though, as far as him personally goes,” Leach said. “Although they are kind of a running team, I think. They’re one that has that sense of balance that appeals to a lot of people. They’re 50-50ish.”

Oregon ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12 running for 209.5 yards per game. The Cougars are fifth in the conference allowing 136.8 yards a game on the ground.

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