And our defense?

4-2 Nickel I guess since they tend to play with 3 Safeties out there. They list one DE as a LB, but it's a 4-down structure at the end of the day. Those dudes never really drop except on rare occasions from what I saw. I would like to see more 4-3 maybe, or 5-down against the heavier, 12 Personnel looks they see in conference play. Hopefully MSU and Illinois State taught them that lesson

How is this different than West Coast? WCO more short yardage, ball control?

Illinois State? We were really banged up.

Cleeland and Kollock are built like brick houses. — Pacifico2

Cleeland as QB1 is exciting. I mentioned while watching the scrimmage I attended that he was way faster than I anticipated. He is indeed built like his dad. These Cleeland boys are big, tough dudes.

If he has a firm grasp of what to do out there on every play, we are going to be in business. I have another hunch....we aren't going to miss Pinnick at all.

*edit* I'm not knocking Pinnick. He's a tremendous talent.

Traditional West Coast Offense is 21 Personnel, use of an outstanding, pass catching Fullback rather than a 3rd receiver. Think 80s 49ers. Roger Craig was a college fullback turned tailback. Rathman in the 90s (pure FB). If you hunt down any Bill Walsh play diagrams online, you'll see the Fullback and the Tight End are huge in that offiense.

The West Coast was an offshoot of Paul Brown's great offenses of yesteryear. Walsh gives him the credit, along with Don Coryell. As I've studied the game, what is known today as the Air Raid (Mumme, Leach, Kingsbury, Lincoln Riley) is actually the West Coast from 10/11 personnel with the QB in the shotgun. Leach was greatly influenced by Walsh and the West Coast guys at BYU, he just didn't have Fullbacks and Tight Ends when he started calling his own plays so he evolved. At least this is how I understand it.

I have another hunch....we aren't going to miss Pinnick at all. — SochorField

Trial by fire for Pinnick:

I'm calling a 4-win season for the Cougs: Duquesne, Utah State, SDSU, and Colorado State. Huskies and K-State in back-to-back road games in incredibly difficult places to win may influence the story of the entire '26 season.

From the local stories, WSUs defense is impressive, and they have offensive weapons. They seem to be picked to be middle of the conference. Why are you so down on SDSU?

Does anyone have a depth chart or well informed best guess of what the defense will look lik?

Game notes posted
https://ucdavisaggies.com/documents/2026/8/25/26FBGameNotesvsPortlandState.pdf
Depth chart near end page 37

This years defense features 12 positions on defense. I think they’ll be varying the number of players at each level as Pacifico2 hoped.
Some true freshmen on the depth chart. Backup center, backup cornerback, backup safety and maybe a starting nickel back and a kick returner

Thanks for the link! It’s decided that Treynor Cleeland is our starting quarterback now? Page 5

This forum has known for a few days, apparently it was announced to the team, but I think this game note is the first public “announcement”

Matteo Perez is the RB2 over Chauncey Sylvester?

Tyler Hennessy also WR2 over Zach jones, ladanian streets and laviel Pickett?

Thanks for the clarification! I must have missed that. I’m excited to see him play.

i wouldn’t read to much into the wide receiver order. Much of the time we have three on the field.
Plough was excited about Boogie Sylvester, in yesterdays press conference.. By the way Sylvester ran for 136 yards against Portland last year.