Originally published Friday, September 4, 2009 at 7:55 PM

Cougars ready to put last year behind them

Washington State coach Paul Wulff is anxious to start over after going 2-11 in 2008

By Vince Grippi

The Spokesman Review

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PULLMAN — Washington State football coach Paul Wulff is already tired of hearing about last season.

And the new season doesn't even start until this afternoon.

"We burned all our film from last year, so we can't show anything," Wulff joked this week, referring to last year's 2-11 season that included seven losses of more than 30 points.

So Wulff's desire to get this season started is understandable, if only to see how his team can improve on its 1-8 Pac-10 mark from a year ago.

Stanford, Washington State's opponent today, might not be blamed if it wanted to take a peak back, at least to last year's matchup between the teams.

But coach Jim Harbaugh is having none of it.

"We don't have any rearview mirrors in our car here," said Harbaugh this week when asked about the Cardinal's 58-0 win over WSU in 2008. "It's a new season, both for our ballclub and for theirs."

The Cardinal's formula, which it used pretty effectively in last year's 5-7 season, is to pound you with 6-foot-1, 235-pound running back Toby Gerhart behind a large offensive line. It's goal is to wear you down.

"We've got to become a relentless team," Harbaugh said earlier this year. "We've got to do the hunting. You can't kill us, we're never going to quit, but eventually, we're going to kill you."

It's what the Cardinal did to WSU last year.

Asked this week if he thought his team would play better than they did in that defeat, Wulff blurted out his answer.

"Well, I sure darn hope so," the second-year coach said.

"I think we've improved a lot," he continued. "I think we've come a long ways and we're an improved football team."

And the Cougars will try to start showing just how much today.

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