PULLMAN - When someone asked Utah coach Kyle Whittingham to compare Washington State's offensive philosophy to that of any other team, he didn't hesitate long before mentioning Arizona.
That might initially seem unflattering to the Cougars, given Arizona's 1-7 league record and its trail of havoc, including a fired coach.
But nobody has racked up as many yards against Utah's stingy defense this year than pass-minded Arizona did two weeks ago at Tucson, Ariz.
For the Cougars, it's perhaps one more justification for giving freshman quarterback Connor Halliday his first start when Washington State (4-6, 2-5) plays host to Utah in cold, possibly snowy weather at 2 p.m. today at Martin Stadium.
With the Utes (6-4, 3-4) boasting perhaps the best run defense in the Pac-12, the Cougars are likely to pass early and insistently, just as Arizona did while outgaining Utah 457-332 in offense Nov. 5. Critical turnovers were UA's undoing in a 34-21 loss.
A pass-first mentality will surely be fine with Halliday, who replaced Marshall Lobbestael in the first quarter to throw for 494 yards last week as the Cougars broke a five-game losing streak with a 37-27 upset of Arizona State.
"He threw the ball all over the place, much like Arizona and (Nick) Foles," Whittingham said, mentioning the Wildcats quarterback. "They love to spread you out and throw the ball. It should be very similar to what we faced a couple of weeks back."
The Cougars are hoping Halliday jolts them out of the pattern they've fallen into recently of playing inspiredly against heavily favored opponents and poorly against teams like Utah.
They have alternated such performances since mid-October, and beleaguered coach Paul Wulff associates this tendency with his team's inexperience. But neither he nor the Cougars can afford to see it continue, needing to win both of their remaining games to meet the six-win minimum for bowl eligibility.
Wulff was asked if a coach ever knows "which team is going to show up on Saturday."
"I think you do if you have a veteran team that's been around for a while and you know what to expect," he said. "I've been part of this before, where you have some youth on your football team and it's not as consistent as you'd like it to be."
Another possible emotional factor, aside from Halliday's starting debut, is the pregame Senior Day ceremony, honoring a long-suffering, 14-man senior class, some of whom played for (or committed to) Wulff's predecessor, Bill Doba, in 2007.
The Cougars have been hit with a flurry of minor injuries lately, placing on the questionable list at least five prominent players: stellar receiver Marquess Wilson (hip), linebacker C.J. Mizell (shoulder), offensive tackle Dan Spitz (ankle) and defensive backs Deone Bucannon and Daniel Simmons (both ankle).
Temperatures in the 20s are expected, with 40-percent chance of snow showers. Halliday appeared comfortable in similar weather last week, and it's not likely to demoralize the Utes of Salt Lake City, with their run-oriented attack featuring John White.
Washington State's young defense has been especially vulnerable to the pass lately, but White certainly wouldn't be the first opposing tailback to feast on Cougars.
As usual, then, WSU will feel an onus to chalk up first downs and give the defense recovery time. And first downs won't come easily against an estimable Utah defensive line led by 325-pound nose tackle Star Lotulelei.
"Our offensive line has to play very well," Wulff said. "They've got a huge challenge on their hands. We've got to find some run game, obviously, and we're going to have to convert some passes in some challenging situations."
Probably a lot of them.
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Grummert may be contacted at daleg@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2290.
