Washington State Cougar Players to Watch

Deone Bucannon – Safety

Aug 30, 2012; Provo, UT, USA; Washington State Cougars safety Deone Bucannon (20) on the sidelines during the third quarter against the Brigham Young Cougars at Lavell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington State defense has been, by far, the best thing going for this Cougar team. Just half way to qualifying for a bowl game, it is clear that the path towards playing in a bowl game this season is dependent on the defense. The best player on this team’s defense is Deone Bucannon. Bucannon is a special player. A physical player who has been playing out of his mind in this, his senior season. He has already has 44 total tackles (26 solo) with 2 forced fumbles and three interceptions.

The 6’1, 215-pound safety is the kind of player who will ensure that the tall receiver types will not end up in the end zone without a fight. Not to mention the fact that this kid is a leader, and his leadership skills have shown in nearly every game; he was one of the only players to have a good game in a losing effort last weekend against fifth-ranked Stanford when he picked up nine tackles and an interception.

Cal will need to keep away from Bucannon in order to ensure that he is a non-factor. Keeping him as a non-factor makes this game a little easier for whichever quarterback is out there for Cal.