COUGARS SET FOR CRIMSON & GRAY GAME
Washington State is set for its annual Crimson and Gray Spring Game, but for the first time since 2010, the game will be played in Martin Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Saturday on the Pac-12 Network.

GAME DAY FOR MENTAL HEALTH
"Strength is Asking for Help" 
Taking Care of Your Mental Health

Behind Happy Faces is designed to give student athletes the tools they need to address their mental health through interactive exercises.   The results of this program show that student-athletes are more willing to seek help and manage their emotions, as well as lessen the stigma that surrounds mental illness.

Having received more than eight hours of training in Behind Happy Faces, six Washington State student-athletes from multiple sports will provide that training to 50 Pullman High School athletes Friday evening. The objectives of the training are:
•    Learn the correction definition of mental health
•    Classify mental health challenges
•    Identify where you are on the MH spectrum
•    Awareness of effective and ineffective coping
•    How to approach someone you care about

Additionally, David Wyrick from UNC Greensboro's Institute to Promote Athlete Health and Wellness, will be leading a session for 20 area coaches at Pullman High School. This training will highlight the opportunity all coaches have to create team cultures that push athletes to perform at high levels while not putting their mental health at risk. Specifically, the training will: 
•    Raise awareness of the mental health needs of high school athletes
•    Introduce the concept that mental health continually fluctuates along a continuum 
•    Combat the stigma that is too often attached to talking about mental health and/or seeking help
•    Distinguish between common mental health disorders and mental toughness
•    Identify signs/indicators of student-athlete stress, anxiety, and depression 
•    Provide coaches will empathic communication strategies that can be used to facilitate individual and group conversations specific to student-athlete mental health
•    Model conversations where coaches voice concerns to a student-athlete about their mental well-being
•    Model conversations where coaches facilitate a student-athlete seeking help for mental health concerns
•    Identify specific strategies for creating a team culture that promotes help seeking


2019 SPRING PREVIEW
The Washington State Football entered 2019 spring practice with 46 returning lettermen including seven starters on offense, six on defense and one on special teams. The Cougars are coming off a record-setting 2018 campaign, setting the WSU record with 11 wins capped by a victory over Iowa State in the Valero Alamo Bowl. Head coach Mike Leach enters his eighth season at Washington State.

The Air Raid offense owns seven returning starters including four on the offensive line that protected the nation's top passing attack and blocked for 24 rushing touchdowns. Dynamic running back Max Borghi returns for his sophomore season after tying the WSU single-season freshman record with 12 total touchdowns while seven receivers with 20+ catches return led by Tay Martin and Easop Winston Jr. who each caught eight touchdowns. Senior Dezmon Patmon also returns after catching five touchdown and 61 passes for 816 yards a season ago.

The "Speed D" defense will feature a couple familiar faces under the guidance of second-year defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys. The Cougars will have to replace longtime starting MIKE linebacker Peyton Pelluer and All-Pac-12 second-team defensive end Logan Tago but return three of their top four tacklers and eight players who recorded multiple sacks last season. A pair of starters in the secondary graduated but three-time All-Pac-12 safety Jalen Thompson returns for his senior campaign and senior cornerback Marcus Strong also returns after leading the team with three interceptions.

Cougar special teams was among the best in the country in 2018, finishing fifth in the country in kickoff return led by redshirt-sophomore All-Pac-12 honorable mention kick returner Travell Harris who led the Pac-12 in return average and had six kickoff returns of 30+ yards last season including a 100-yard kickoff return for touchdown against Eastern Washington. WSU also returns All-Pac-12 honorable mention punter Oscar Draguicevich III who finished last season tied for seventh in the country in net punting.

COUGARS WIN ALAMO BOWL, SET PROGRAM RECORD WITH 11 WINS
No. 10 Washington State capped its record-setting 11-win season with a 28-26 victory over Iowa State in the Valero Alamo Bowl. The Cougars produced the nation's best passing attack (373.8 ypg) and the No. 42-ranked defense in the country (358.4 ypg) that led the Pac-12 Conference in sacks (36). Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Gardner Minshew II led the country in passing (367.6) and was fourth in touchdown passes (38). 

COUGARS IN THE RANKINGS
Washington State finished the 2018 season ranked No. 10 in both the Associated Press Poll and Coaches Poll. It is the highest ranking to finish the season for WSU since finishing the 2003 season ninth in the AP poll. The Cougars' No. 10 ranking was the highest by any Pac-12 Conference team, the first time that has happended in conference history.

DILLARD, LUCAS PICK UP ALL-AMERICA HONORS
Offensive tackles Andre Dillard and Abraham Lucas each earned All-America honors in 2018, giving WSU an All-America offensive lineman for the fourth straight season. Joe Dahl (LT) was a second-team selection in 2015 and Cody O'Connell (LG) earned first-team honors in 2016 and 2017. Dillard, a redshirt-senior, was named to the All-America Second Team (SI.com) and All-America Third Team (AP) after being rated the third-best offensive tackle in the country, the top pass-blocking tackle and second-best screen-blocking tackle in the country by ProFootballFocus College. Lucas was named to Freshman All-America Teams by the USA Today and The Athletic after being rated the second-best pass-blocking tackle in the country and third-best overall tackle in the Pac-12 by ProFootballFocus College.

MIKE LEACH, GARDNER MINSHEW II EARN PAC-12 TOP AWARDS
Head Coach Mike Leach was named the 2018 Pac-12 Conference Coach of the Year and quarterback Gardner Minshew II was named the 2018 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. Leach earned his second Pac-12 Coach of the Year honor after sharing the honor in 2015. Leach, in his seventh season at WSU, guided the Cougars to a program-record 11-2 mark including a 7-2 record in conference play and won the Valero Alamo Bowl. Leach is the third Cougar head coach to earn two Conference Coach of the Year awards, joining Jim Walden and Mike Price. Minshew II became the first Cougar to win a conference yearly honor since quarterback Jason Gesser was named the Pac-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2002. 

12 COUGARS NAMED ALL-PAC-12, MINSHEW II AND DILLARD FIRST TEAM
12 Cougars earned All-Pac-12 Conference accolades highlighted by first-team selections quarterback Gardner Minshew II and left tackle Andre Dillard, the 12 selections are the most since 2003. Defensive lineman Logan Tago and right tackle Abraham Lucas were both named to the second team. Eight received honorable mention; punter Oscar Draguicevich III, kick returner Travell Harris, center Frederick Mauigoa, linebacker Peyton Pelluer, safety Jalen Thompson, running back James Williams, special teams player Kainoa Wilson and linebacker Jahad Woods.

12 EARN PAC-12 ALL-ACADEMIC HONORS
Twelve Cougar football student-athletes earned Pac-12 Conference All-Academic accolades, the twelve selections are the most in program history. To be eligible for the academic team, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average and appear in at least 50 percent of their team's games. Nose tackle Taylor Comfort was named to the first team and three were named to the second team, running back Clay Markoff, defensive lineman Nick Begg, defensive lineman Karson Block and linebacker Peyton Pelluer. Seven received honorable mention; wide receiver Brandon Arconado, defensive lineman Tristan Brock, kicker Jack Crane, linebacker Cole Dubots, returner Travell Harris, offensive lineman Liam Ryan and quarterback Trey Tinsley. 

MIKE LEACH AMONG NATION'S BEST
In 17 seasons as a head coach, Mike Leach owns a 133-83 career record including a 49-40 mark at WSU, having completed his seventh season in Pullman. 
- Leach's 49 wins at WSU, 3rd-most in school history, O.E. Hollingberry (93, 1926-42), Mike Price (83, 1989-2002) 
- Leach is the 1st Cougar head coach in school history to lead WSU to four straight bowl games
- Leach is tied with Mike Price for the most bowl appearances with 5
- Leach is the 2nd Cougar Head Coach to be named National Coach of the Year (AFCA), Mike Price in 1997
- Leach has been named a George Munger Coach of the Year semifinalist (2016, 2017, 2018) 
- Leach was the 2015 Pac-12 Co-Coach of the Year and 2018 Pac-12 Coach of the Year
- WSU has led the Pac-12 in passing in 6 of Leach's 7 seasons, only finishing 2nd behind Cal (Jared Goff) in 2013 
- WSU has led the nation in passing three times under Leach (2014, 2015, 2018)