There is no point in beating around the bush -- Washington State had the worst defense in NCAA history in 2008. They allowed a NCAA record 570 points. Opponents dropped 50 or more points on the Cougars six times and 60 or more four times. USC did the most damage during a 69-0 romp in mid-October. Second-year coach Paul Wulff can only hope it will get better in 2009. Teams did what they want against Wazzu on the ground, averaging 247.6 yards per game (119th), so it made the pass defense look respectable, allowing 195.8 yards (44th). The Cougars definitely need to find more balance in the fall. They return six starters and four important backups from '08. The top returning tackler is safety Xavier Hicks, who had 79 takedowns last season. Andy Mattingly, who had eight sacks in 2007, moved from defensive end to linebacker last season. He is now projected to start at strong-side linebacker and bring some energy to that group. The strength is still the secondary where five players with starting experience return. Clearly, you should avoid the Washington State DST until they show great gains on defense. (Updated 6/12/09)