WSU Football: Connor Halliday No. 17 On Sporting News’ Top QB’s 2014

Connor Halliday and his Washington State Cougars are finally starting to gain some traction as a preseason team to watch in not just the Pac-12 Conference, but nationally.

A stingy media has all but ignored the Cougs since their horrible debacle in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl last December, but perhaps this is a sign of things to come; Halliday has been named Sporting News’ No. 17 quarterback in 2014. The prediction reads this way:

"Washington State’s biggest challenge in 2014 might be having enough ice for Halliday’s right shoulder. He led the nation with 714 pass attempts last season — 55 more than the next QB — and totaled 4,597 yards, 34 TDs and 22 interceptions. He set an NCAA record with 89 attempts (58 completions) for 557 yards in a loss last season to Oregon. Coach Mike Leach will keep throwing it this season and the Cougars will continue being a thorn in several teams’ sides."

Jameis Winston at FSU and Oregon’s Marcus Mariota top the list, and four other Pac-12 quarterbacks are mentioned before C.H., but hey, you gotta take the recognition where you can get it. The other four quarterbacks are Brett Hundley (No. 4, UCLA), Taylor Kelly (No. 8, Arizona State), Kevin Hogan (No. 11, Stanford) and Sean Mannion (No. 14, Oregon State), a pretty solid list.

This by no means puts the Cougs into top 25 consideration or anything like that, but it’s a good step in the right direction for a QB that a lot of WSU fans are having a difficult time getting behind 100%. I think he is going to smash every record WSU has ever seen this upcoming season, and the rest of the country is starting to see him as a threat in Leach’s vaunted Air Raid offense.

But as always, the proof will begin when Rutgers visits Seattle and the Cougs can get some game action under their belts for us to analyze. I know this, every Coug wants him to succeed!

Go Cougs!