In the Cougars’ 37-16 win over Texas Tech, there were many players who made plays on both sides of the ball. One player whose impact went far beyond the stat book was junior defensive tackle David Gusta. 

With three tackles, Gusta had a fine day statistically, but it was the pressure he induced that affected the defense more drastically. 

“You don’t get stats for a lot of things David does,” said head coach Jake Dickert. “It’s grimy, it’s dirty, it’s tough, but he is as physical and demanding of a presence inside as we’ve seen.” 

In 2023, Gusta recorded ten tackles and 20 assists. He’s already almost halfway to last year’s tackle total, with four in two games. 

Gusta also recorded four quarterback hurries, a stat that tracks how many times a defensive player forces the quarterback to throw the ball away, scramble, or force a quick pass. In one game, he surpassed his season total of three QBHs in 2023. 

Red Raider QB Behren Morton was under constant pressure from Gusta and the rest of the Cougs defensive line, a big reason why the Cougs held Texas Tech to just 16 points. 

“David plays with an edge,” Dickert said. 

The 6’3, 302 lb lineman came to WSU from San Bernadino, CA, where in high school he was ranked as the No. 45 defensive tackle in the country according to 247sports.com. He made his first start for the Cougars in 2022 against the University of Oregon, but spent most of the year on the bench, making only one start. 

He joined the first-team defense in 2023, starting ten games. He made his biggest impact against Colorado when he recorded seven tackles and a half sack. 

“Really aggressive,” said Dickert after Saturday’s win, when asked about Gusta’s impact. “I’m really proud of him.”