Philadelphia, PA -- (Sports Network) - 2007 SEASON IN REVIEW: Last year got off to a rough start for Washington State, as the Cougars were pounded on the road by Wisconsin, 42-21. They were able to overcome the season-opening loss by posting back-to-back victories over San Diego State (45-17), and Idaho (45-28), but unfortunately the team could not continue its strong play and proceeded to drop its next four contests. The four losses came against USC, Arizona, Arizona State and Oregon, and during the losing stretch the Cougars were embarrassed by a 171-61 scoring margin. Washington State was finally able to break out of the rough patch, defeating UCLA 27-7, but once again the Cougars fell into the loss column when they were upended by California in their next matchup, 20-17. Next up was a home game against Stanford, and the Cougars were able to give the home crowd something to cheer about, as they pounded the Cardinal 33-17. After an embarrassing, 52-17 setback to Oregon State, the Cougars collided with rival Washington, and closed out the season with a thrilling, 42-35 win over the Huskies. It was the third time in the last four years that the Cougars got the better of Huskies, but that was still not enough to secure Bill Doba's job, as the head coach was fired after five seasons.

2008 ANALYSIS:

OFFENSE: Last year the Cougars used a heavy dose of passing, but with new head coach Paul Wulff things will likely be different in 2008.

"We want to be balanced and we want to run the football." said coach Wulff, "We will try and run first and we may do it in a multiple of ways, but we want to stretch the defense and use the whole field. We also want to play off of those things and throw the football."

With a new offensive scheme the team is fortunate to have four of the five starting lineman back from last season, giving new quarterback Greg Rogers plenty of protection. Rogers is taking over for Alex Brink, so he will definitely have some large shoes to fill, but the senior signal caller will have every chance to succeed under coach Wulff.

"In our quarterback situation we have two players that are talented kids, but neither have a lot of game experience." said coach Wulff, "Gary, because of his history at WSU, is our clear cut number one, but that doesn't mean that a number two or anyone else can't catch up."

Rogers will have the luxury of throwing to standout receiver Brandon Gibson, who returns for his senior season after racking up 1,180 yards and nine touchdowns in 2007.

"I didn't feel I was ready to compete at the NFL level." Gibson stated, "In that league, you are playing against grown men. I thought another year would help me mature and I'm happy with my decision."

Since coach Wulff is planning on using more of a run approach, tailback Dwight Tardy should definitely see more carries in 2008. Last year the junior rumbled for just 676 yards, but carried the ball only 143 times.

DEFENSE: Not much went right for the Cougars on the defensive side of the ball last season, but with eight starters returning, there should be a vast improvement. Defensive end Andy Mattingly will anchor the front line and will also be seen as the leader for this experienced group. Mattingly finished with 91 tackles last season, and also posted a team best eight sacks.

Washington State returns its entire linebacking corps from last year, including Cory Evans, who led the squad with nine TFLs last season. Greg Trent is also back for the Cougars, as the senior finished third last year on the team with 89 tackles, and is definitely one of the toughest linebackers in the Pac-10.

In 2007 the Cougars defensive backfield was tortured throughout the season, and although FS Hussain Abdullah (led team with 93 tackles and four INTs) is now gone, the team returns three starters looking to improve. Cornerbacks Devin Giles and Alfonso Jackson only combined for four interceptions, but both players should make tremendous strides in 2008.

SPECIAL TEAMS: This is the one area where coach Wulff will need to take a hard look at, as the Cougars will need to replace their kicker and both return men. At least punter Reid Forest is back, as the sophomore will look to improve on his 40.5 average from a year ago. Michael Bumpus and Charles Dillon have both moved on, so coach Wulff will likely rely on Christopher Ivory to take care of the return duties. Ivory spent a little time on kick returns in 2007, averaging 19.8 yards per return in just 13 attempts.

OUTLOOK: Whenever there is a new coach there is always an adjustment period for players, and when you add a new quarterback to the mix, it usually takes a little longer for the offense to come together and perform at a high level. Since the offense could start off slowly, the defense will have to step up its performance from last year. The Cougars catch a break with four home games in their first five matchups, but even with a schedule that is not overwhelming, coach Wulff's first season in Pullman could be a bit rocky.