Tag Archives: Luke Falk

Pac-12: Refs missed targeting call on UCLA’s Tahaan Goodman

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UCLA safety Tahaan Goodman should have been called for a targeting penalty against Washington State on Saturday, said Pac-12 vice president of officiating David Coleman.

Appearing on Pac-12 Networks today to talk specifically about targeting fouls, Coleman analyzed a few calls from the weekend with network analyst Mike Yam. One was Goodman launching himself head first at WSU quarterback Luke Falk, who had left the game earlier with an apparent head injury but returned to start the second half.

“It’s a definite– It’s a launch,” Coleman said. “We have to have our antenna up when something like that happens. As you see from this shot, there is definitely elbow to helmet contact, and that’s a targeting foul. …

“(Falk) had definitely given himself up (by sliding). And then you see the other player coming like he is, something bad is going to happen in a situation like that.” Continue reading “Pac-12: Refs missed targeting call on UCLA’s Tahaan Goodman” »

What to watch: No. 18 UCLA vs. Washington State

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With just one more home game at the Rose Bowl, UCLA remains on track for the Pac-12 South title.

However, Washington State looks like a different squad than the one that dropped a season opener to FCS opponent Portland State, and still sits in second place in its division after a two-point loss to No. 7 Stanford.

After three consecutive wins, the No. 18 Bruins (7-2, 4-2) can clinch a spot in the Pac-12 Championship by winning three more. Keeping that path clear will require navigating past a resurgent Cougars squad eager to pull an upset at 7:45 p.m. tonight.

When UCLA has the ball

It might be time for Paul Perkins to grab everyone’s attention again.

The redshirt junior has run for only two touchdowns since injuring his knee more than three weeks ago, but was healthy enough to carry the ball 23 times last Saturday — the tailback’s heaviest workload since September. WSU has allowed 18 rushing scores and 5.1 yards per carry, both of which stand as bottom-three marks in the Pac-12.

But the Cougars (6-3, 4-2) could open the game by stacking the box, as many other teams have done in an effort to neutralize Perkins. If that happens, UCLA will need some creative playcalling early and use Josh Rosen to stretch open the field. Continue reading “What to watch: No. 18 UCLA vs. Washington State” »

Five questions: The Spokesman-Review’s Jacob Thorpe on WSU

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UCLA will play at the Rose Bowl for the last time this year at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday, hosting a Washington State team that had turned itself around over the course of two months. WSU has already become bowl eligible, but is seeking to ruin the Bruins’ Pac-12 South hopes and further cement this as Mike Leach’s most successful season in the Palouse. The Spokesman-Review‘s Jacob Thorpe answered five questions about the resurgent Cougars.

1. Washington State lost to Portland State and nearly lost to Rutgers. How did this same group of players nearly upset Stanford on the way to what is now a 6-3 record?

Heading into this season, there were many pieces in place for the Cougars to show significant improvement: returning all five offensive linemen, a veteran receiver corps, lets of returners on defense.

But WSU also had a new defensive coordinator who had never had the reins to his own defense before, and a sophomore quarterback in Luke Falk with just three career starts under his belt.

Falk did not exactly put up Air Raid numbers in the nonconference games, throwing for 303 yards or less in two of WSU’s first three games. But he hasn’t thrown for less than 389 yards since and the WSU offense has seen its scoring average rise from 28.3 points per nonconference game to 39.3 against Pac-12 opponents.

The offensive uptick has coincided with the defense finding its footing under Grinch, making the Cougars a much more dangerous team than they were at the start of the season.

2. Mike Leach-coached quarterbacks always put up big numbers, but are often dismissed as system guys. How does Luke Falk compare to “Air Raid” predecessors such as Connor Halliday?

While Falk doesn’t have Connor Halliday’s bionic arm, he may be a better pro prospect than most of Leach’s QBs. Continue reading “Five questions: The Spokesman-Review’s Jacob Thorpe on WSU” »

First look: No. 18 UCLA vs. Washington State

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No. 18 UCLA Bruins (7-2, 4-2) vs. Washington State (6-3, 4-2)
Kickoff: Saturday, Nov. 14, 7:45 p.m., Rose Bowl
TV: ESPN (Dave Pasch, Brian Griese, Tom Luginbill)
Radio: AM 570 (Bill Roth, Matt Stevens, Wayne Cook)

Scouting report: For the fourth straight season, Washington State is ranked first in the country in pass attempts (512) and last in rushing attempts (214). Mike Leach, of course, is in his fourth year of coaching the Cougars. … When WSU does elect to run the ball, it has been more efficient — relatively speaking. After averaging less than 2.1 yards per carry through the last three seasons, the Cougars are up to almost 3.5 this fall. … Three Washington State receivers are among the Pac-12’s top 10 in total receiving yards, but none rank that high in yards per catch. The team has only connected on three passes of at least 40 yards, the lowest number in the conference. … The Cougars have had their two best defensive games in the last two weeks against Stanford and Arizona State. On the season, however, they are allowing opponents to convert 45.3 percent of third downs and score touchdowns on 70.3 percent of red-zone trips. … Leach said this is a less “selfish” roster than he’s had at WSU in years past, which has translated to a closer bond between teammates across position groups and better play on the field.

Series history: UCLA has won five straight games against WSU, but hasn’t faced the Cougars since 2012. The Bruins lead the all-time series, 39-19-1.

Key players:

QB Luke Falk, RSo., 6-4, 205 — 353/503, 3,736 yards, 33 TD, 7 INT
— After an ill-fated transfer to Oaks Christian that uprooted his family, the Utah native walked on at Washington State. He’s since shown why Florida State gave him his first scholarship offer. Continue reading “First look: No. 18 UCLA vs. Washington State” »