Midseason grades

Because he couldn't submit them at halftime of the Ashland game (the 'true' midpoint of the season), TSE sports editor Karl Henkel now presents the WSU football midseason grades.

Coaching: A-
So far, nearly all of Paul Winters' moves have clicked, most notably the quarterback change in the third game of the season. The offensive play-calling has been efficient, and the faults are more on the players than on the call.

On defense, John Hauser quickly turned one of the poorer defenses in Division II into one of the teams greatest strengths by simplifying the scheme and letting the players make plays. Whether or not the Ashland game was an aberration will be seen.

Offense: C+
Quarterbacks: C
Kevin Smith was the spark that the Warriors needed, though it has yet to be seen if that spark will continue, or fade away. His biggest test will be rebounding from a poor first half against Ashland, in which he was removed in favor of Mickey Berce. Berce was the starter to begin the year, but lost his job after Smith led the Warriors to a 6-0 win over Indianapolis in Week 3. When he returned at the end of the second half, he played with more composure than earlier in the year, and the results may have earned him another start. Smith is still young and has plenty of promise, and will most likely retain his starting job.

Running backs: B-
Joique Bell hasn't had the same success in the first half of 2008 that he did his first two seasons, but if his last two games are any indication, he may be ready to explode in the second half. Bell's biggest problem so far has been his ability to hold on to the football - six fumbles (four lost) - however, five of those came in the first four games.

Daryl Graham has quietly done what he has been asked to do, collecting 300 all-purpose yards and holding onto the football.

Offensive Line: A-
While stats don't mean everything, here is one that doesn't lie: The Warriors offensive line has only allowed eight sacks in six games. You can't get much better than that. Joe Long, Ryan Cue, Will Khoury, Ryan Jonik, Chris Ostosh and Marc Cuddeback have been one of the most solid units on the team.

Receivers: C-
While there has been good (deep catches, broken tackles and timely receptions), there has also been the awful (dropped passes, dropped passes and dropped passes).

As Winters put it after the Ashland loss: "Just catch the ball. This isn't rocket science. The ball is thrown there, you catch. It's that easy."

For the Warriors sake, they can only hope this young group of pass-catchers can turn it up the rest of the year.

Defense: B+
Defensive Line: A-
The defensive line has seven of the defense's 18 sacks and is holding opponents to the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game in the conference. Athan Anagonye, Andrew Bates, Jason Thomas and Alex Jachym have all performed as advertised, and Daunte Akra's return has bolstered the unit. Freshmen James Woodard and Jon Robinson have contributed as well.

Linebackers: A-
Led by Tristan Black, Adam Nuckols and Matt Shango, this group has been able to garner pressure on the quarterback and force turnovers. Black leads the veteran-laden bunch with 56 tackles and both Nuckols and Shango have been in game-changing plays this year.

Secondary: B+
The secondary is full of playmakers. Dante Dunn, Cornelius Dillard, Stan Thornton and Steve Wisniewski have all made significant progress over last season's team, which ranked dead last in pass defense.

Special Teams: B+
Dunn is the most electrifying special teams' player in all the land, Josh Renel hasn't fumbled a punt all season and Shane Morris has solidified the punting position. Other than David Chudzinski's poor field goal percentage (1-for-5, 20 percent), this group has been outstanding.

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