Originally published Thursday, October 1, 2009 at 3:37 PM

Banged-up Cougars will have two new guards in lineup at Oregon

Injuries on offensive line continue to mount for Washington State.

Seattle Times staff reporter

090509 JB : STANFOR U. at WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY, NCAA, PAC-10, FOOTBALL, MARTIN STADIUM: WSU coach Paul Wulff patrols the side lines as the Cougars loose 39-13 in the Pac-10 match up with Stanford at Martin Stadium, Saturday, September 5, 2009.

Saturday

Washington State @ Oregon, 6 p.m., CSN

Preparing for a defense that held high-scoring California to a mere field goal last week, Washington State will give two offensive guards their first college start Saturday night, and a third lineman is due for his second start.

A steady rash of injuries up front means Canadian junior Joey Eppele and true freshman Alex Reitnouer will start at 16th-ranked Oregon. Reitnouer, at 6 feet 5 and 253 pounds, was a "grayshirt" candidate (entering school last January) for redshirting in 2009 before the attrition hit.

Five players currently on the injury list would likely have been ahead of both Eppele and Reitnouer on the depth chart at guard. The latest to fall is Brian Danaher, out with a concussion.

Meanwhile, coach Paul Wulff said, one and possibly two freshmen will be brought out of redshirt seasons. Running back Carl Winston (5-9, 200) of Harbor City, Calif., will play this week — "No question," Wulff said — and backup offensive lineman Tim Hodgdon of Ladera Ranch, Calif., will be at the ready if anybody else goes down up front.

Tyson Pencer, a redshirt freshman, got his first start last week against USC at left tackle. Reitnouer would join three other true freshmen — defensive end Travis Long, flanker Gino Simone and quarterback Jeff Tuel — starting for WSU.

On defense, end Kevin Kooyman's knee has not responded well after a practice injury before the Hawaii game Sept. 12, and Wulff held out the possibility this could be a redshirt season for him.

"He tried to go the other day, and he's not remotely close right now," Wulff said. "It could be a whole-year type of thing."

Bud Withers: 206-464-8281 or bwithers@seattletimes.com

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