As the regular season approaches, the WSU football team has closed its doors to the media in order to make final touches before its season opener against the Eastern Washington University Eagles at home on Saturday evening.

Head Coach Mike Leach said on the Pac-12 network Sunday evening that preparation for the season opener has long since started and this week (Aug. 27-Sept. 3) will focus on tightening up the practices that have already been run.

Some resolution has come from the summer practices out in Lewiston regarding the starting lineups. Freshmen wide receivers Dezmon Patmon and Isaiah Johnson-Mack will be working their way into this year’s lineups, according to Leach.

Leach said the team plans on “adjusting the sets, adjusting the match ups, feature certain plays” while preparing specifically for the visiting Eagles. “But the longest discussions between coaches are typically what plays not to run,” he said.

For the coaches, game week will be much more intensive.

“More coaches meetings, some logistics, but a lot of it (will be) film as we sharpen for our preparation of our opponent,” Leach said Sunday. “We go from a bunch of suggestions to specific decisions.”

Some of the logistics might be focused on working out the kinks in the new communication system between Leach and the new outside receivers coach, Dave Nichol. Nichol will no longer be on the sidelines, but rather up in the press box with a direct radio line to Leach on the sidelines.

“We all have headsets, we are all communicating back and forth between the press box and the sidelines, and Coach Leach can click over and talk to whoever he wants, including defense and special teams,” Nichol said to Pac-12 network Sunday. “It all works smoothly come game day.”

Nichol will be coaching his first game as part of the Cougars football program, but he isn’t new to a Leach coaching staff.

Leach and Nichol worked together for three seasons (2003-2005) at Texas Tech University, where Nichol was an offensive line assistant. Most recently, Nichol served as the offensive coordinator for East Carolina, but has been a part of 10 bowl contending teams before becoming a Cougar.

Nichol, the new communications systems, and the 2016-17 Cougars football team will make their season debut appearances in Martin Stadium at 5 p.m. and can be seen on Pac-12 network at that time.