Jeremiah Bernard
2 stories filed under Jeremiah Bernard on Wazzu. The newest of them: “Clemons and Bernard day-to-day after Boise loss, SDSU ahead” and “Terrell says run his way and Boise State will find out”. Two starters are day-to-day, and that's about the best news the Cougs got this week. Khamari Terrell said something this week that every Coug with a working set of ears should have sat up straight to hear. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every Jeremiah Bernard story on Wazzu, newest first.
Clemons and Bernard day-to-day after Boise loss, SDSU ahead
Two starters are day-to-day, and that's about the best news the Cougs got this week. Darrius Clemons (ankle) and Jeremiah Bernard (shoulder) will both try to practice ahead of San Diego State, but after a 31-10 loss to Boise State where WSU missed 16 tackles and ran the ball 10 times for 20 yards, "day-to-day" feels like a coin flip. Kirby Moore is talking about exploring changes on the offensive line, which let Boise State's Dylan Riley run for 33 and 72 yards in the fourth quarter alone. That's the kind of fourth quarter that ends a game and a hope of bowl eligibility. The math is ugly: 1-7 overall, 0-4 in Pac-12 play, and the program's streak of bowl eligibility in nine of the last 10 full seasons is almost certainly over unless they win out *and* hit a 930 Academic Progress Rate. That's a lot of ifs. What stings is how thin the roster is. Branden Ganashamoorthy, Daniel Blood, and Tank Hawkins played every offensive snap against Boise. No rotation. No relief. Moore wants "deliberate practice" and fewer assignment errors, but at some point, guys just need a break. The Cougs have four players with 500-plus snaps this season, one of only two Pac-12 teams that can say that. That's not a badge of honor; it's a warning light. For a deeper look at how this team is holding up, read our piece on the kratom study. Different kind of pain, same Pullman fight. Go Cougs.
Terrell says run his way and Boise State will find out
Khamari Terrell said something this week that every Coug with a working set of ears should have sat up straight to hear. He basically told Boise State they can run his way if they want, but they're not going to like what they find. That's the kind of talk we like around here, because it means he gets the assignment. And the assignment is simple: wrap up Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines, or this Saturday gets long fast. The Cougs missed 18 tackles last weekend against Oregon State. You don't do that against a team that leads the country in time of possession and expect to win. Boise State's offense has been on the field 220 minutes this season, which is tops in the nation. That's not an accident. That's a plan. They want to wear you out, and then let Riley and Gaines bounce it outside where they're averaging nearly five yards a carry. Here's what I'm watching: the secondary. Jalil Tucker, Jaylen Thomas, Jeremiah Bernard, those are the names that matter. Thomas leads the team in missed tackles. Bernard is right behind him. Some of that is just volume, but against this backfield, volume is no excuse. The Cougs have been good up the middle all year. If that holds, the Broncos will have to test the edges. That's where Terrell and company get their chance to prove him right.