NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
Nov. 16—ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — David Gusta maintains he never got any ribbings from teammates after earning his first career sack last week. A fourth-year junior, Gusta is enjoying his second full year starting on No. 19 Washington State’s defensive line, and only a week ago did he get to the quarterback for the first time.
Even with younger teammates getting to shine in recent games, Gusta said, they haven’t given him a hard time.
“I’ve achieved being noticed, and that’s something Ansel did against San Diego State,” Gusta said, referencing lineman Ansel Din-Mbuh’s three-sack outing against SDSU last month. “I was very happy for him.”
To knock off New Mexico on the road Saturday evening and earn a fifth consecutive win, WSU might need more of that. Facing quarterback Devon Dampier, the first dual-threat quarterback they’ve gone up against all season, the Cougars would do well to keep him contained, to get pressure on him and limit the Lobos’ offense in turn.
The Cougars will have their hands full. Dampier is UNM’s leading passer and rusher, forcing 44 missed tackles this season, tied with WSU QB John Mateer for the most in the country by a quarterback.
Dampier has racked up 872 yards and 13 touchdowns on 110 carries, and he’s completed 196 of 334 passes (59%) for 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, making him a threat WSU has never seen this fall.
To keep Dampier under control, the Cougars (8-1) can plug holes with pressure, which they have improved recently, producing one sack last week against Utah State and four against San Diego State, including three from Din-Mbuh. That means four of WSU’s past five sacks have come from interior lineman, highlighting how much of a difference they’ve made in the Cougars’ pass rush.
The pressure will also be on WSU’s secondary, on cornerbacks such as Steve Hall, Ethan O’Connor and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/no-19-wsu-slow-qb-030200692.html
Author : The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
Publish date : 2024-11-17 03:02:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
