In Jackson Browne’s 1977 single “Runnin’ on Empty,” he sings, “If it takes all night, that will be alright.”

When it comes to rebuilding the Cougar football program, it’s taken longer than all night. It’s taken longer than many nights. In fact, one could argue it’s been going on darn near 11 years. Although, the efforts really didn’t get serious until Bill Moos took over as athletic director in 2009, and Mike Leach took over as head coach in 2012.

After the team’s first bowl appearance in 10 years and a senior returning at quarterback, it was easy to lose sight of the long-term sustainability of the program.

The frustrating part is the way the team has managed to lose some of their games in the Mike Leach era. Everyone remembers Colorado in 2012. No one is going to forget last year’s bowl debacle. And visions of Rutgers and Nevada are still fresh in the minds of Coug fans.

When it comes to thick skin, Cougar fans have the thickest. They have to. It’s the only explanation as to why, at 0-2, next week’s contest against Oregon, a perennial powerhouse, is sold out. It’s the only explanation as to why, when we finally start to see some seasons better than 6-7, which we will, the fans will still be around. Some might leave and come back, and some may never come back. Some might show up for the first time, just in time to say they were there before Cougar football was turned around for good.

Last season was a reward to the players who stuck with the program through attrition, and the end of the Paul Wulff era, nothing more, nothing less. Fans should view it as an appetizer that came off the grill way too early.

The fact is that rebuilding takes time, and a lot more time than anyone anticipates.

Mike Leach is in just his third year. No one on the current team has won more than six games in a season. None of Leach’s recruits are older than juniors. Despite returning a senior quarterback and some experience at receiver and the defensive line, this team is too inexperienced at key positions to be expected to break out yet.

The system works, that much has been proven. Despite a young offensive line and some injuries to key receivers, quarterback Connor Halliday still leads the nation in passing yards.

You can complain about some of the play calling decisions that have been made early on in Leach’s tenure, but the offense has moved the ball just fine. It doesn’t matter who the team puts out at receiver, there will always be talent at the quarterback position, and the running back position will revitalize when Jamal Morrow and Gerard Wicks, just freshmen, learn the intricacies of the complex Air Raid offense.

What we are seeing now is an inexperienced offensive line capable of exploding on one play and imploding the next. We are seeing a youthful secondary miss some assignments, with a star in the making in sophomore Daquawn Brown.

Paul Wulff said it would take him five years to rebuild the team. He never got his fifth year. Who knows what would have happened if there had been no assimilation or offensive and defensive philosophy changes.

It’s taken Jack Zduriencik and the Mariners six years to nose their way into their first playoff race in years. It took Dick and Tony Bennett four years to guide the basketball team to their first NCAA Tournament.

At 0-2, it’s easy to look at the negative and forget the positive, but there is positive.

WSU’s 2015 recruiting class currently ranks 34^th in the nation. Stack that on top of the previous three recruiting classes Leach has brought in that included names like Cracraft, Brown, Mayle and Marks – all names that have provided a positive impact in the last three years – and you can’t deny the talent that is being brought into Pullman.

There will be growing pains this year. There will be growing pains next year as the team will need to adjust to a new quarterback. But then the system will be in place, and games like the last four will just make Cougar fans appreciate it more.