College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Washington State Cougars season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Washington State Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 6-7 overall, 3-6 in Pac-12
Head Coach: Nick Rolovich, 1st year
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 52
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 76
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 32
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Washington State Cougars Offense 3 Things To Know
– Who better than new head coach Nick Rolovich to keep the high-octane passing tradition of Washington State going? He and offensive coordinator Brian Smith – who handled the gig at Hawaii for the last few years might not be able to crank out the passing offense like last year’s O did, but they’ll give it a shot.
Here’s the thing – yeah, Wazzu threw for a nation-high 437 yards per game, but it’s not like it led the way to a whole lot of wins.
First, they have to find a quarterback with Anthony Gordon and everyone else who threw a pass gone. 6-4, 216-pound sophomore Cammon Cooper is the most likely option – he has the tools, size, and arm to make it all go – but 6-5, 229-pound redshirt freshman Gunner Cruz was a big get last year, Jayden De Laura was this year’s top recruit – he’s from Honolulu – and JUCO transfer and former New Mexico Lobo Will Heckman is transferring in.
CFN in 60 Video: Washington State Cougars Preview
– Not only do the Cougars have to find a new quarterback, but they need new receivers, too, with the top three wideouts from last year needing to be replaced.
It’s Washington State. It’s going to be okay.
6-3, 186-pound senior Davontavean Martin should be one of the new starts after catching 43 passes for 564 yards and four scores, and 5-8, 162-pound senior Renard Bell should be more of a volume catcher after making 53 grabs. Junior Travell Harris made 47 catches with five scores – he can work inside or out.
– The offensive line’s job isn’t going to change. Three starters are expected back, starting with 6-7, 324-pound junior Abraham Lucas at one tackle job, and with 6-5, 300-pound senior Liam Ryan a veteran on the other side. As a function of the offense, the Cougars led the Pac-12 in sacks allowed, and that should continue as long as there aren’t a slew of injuries and if the depth comes together right away.
But it’s Washington State – it had the nation’s second-worst running game.
Even so, junior Max Borghi is back after running for 817 yards and 11 scores, and he also caught 86 passes with five touchdowns. Speedy Deon McIntosh is back, too, as the No. 2 back who can also catch.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Washington State Cougars Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Washington State Cougars Defense 3 Things To Know
– The defense that finished dead last in the Pac-12 was equal opportunity awful. Four teams were able to run for 200 yards or more on the Cougars, five teams were able to throw for WAY more than 300 yards, and six of the last ten teams on the slate were able to blow past the 500 total yard mark.
But there’s hope.
Jake Dickert takes over at defensive coordinator after leading a Wyoming defense that allowed 17.8 points per game. Washington State will still probably give that up after one drive, but at least there’s a whole lot of experience returning with 12 of the top 13 tacklers back.
The pass rush wasn’t good enough, but at least the veterans are there. The big issue is size – there isn’t much. Will Rodgers returns at one tackle – he led the team in sacks with four – but he’s only 6-4 and 255 pounds, and junior Dallas Hobbs on the nose is 6-6, 285. It’ll be up to junior Willie Taylor to do more at one end.
– Senior Jahad Woods is a tackling machine at somewhere on the outside of the linebacking corps. He led the team with 141 stops, and 230-pound senior Justus Rogers is back in the middle after making 70 tackles. It’ll still be a defensive back-heavy D with a whole lot of options to play around with, but the linebackers will end up being the statistical stars.
– Welcome to life in the Pac-12 and against a schedule full of passers. The Cougars were 114th in the nation in passing yards, and sixth in the conference. There weren’t enough interceptions – just ten – but Skyler Thomas is back after leading the team with four picks and finishing second with 72 stops, and the good-sized corner tandem of Derrick Langford and George Hicks can get physical.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Washington State Cougars Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Washington State Cougars Players
Best Washington State Cougars Offensive Player
RB Max Borghi, Jr.
Actually, All-Pac-12 tackle Abraham Lucas really might be the team’s top player, and the winner of the starting quarterback gig – let’s just guess Cammon Cooper snags it – will be the star of the show, but the 5-10, 197-pound Borghi might just be the reliable part of the puzzle the team will need early on.
He not only led the team with 817 rushing yards and 11 scores, and he also led the way with 86 grabs for 597 yards and five scores after catching 53 passes as a freshman. He caught 12 passes in the loss to Washington, and he ran for over 100 yards four times – he’ll once again be the do-it-all back.
2. OT Abraham Lucas, Jr.
3. OG Josh Watson, Sr.
4. PK Blake Mazza, Jr.
5. QB Cammon Cooper, Soph.
Best Washington State Cougars Defensive Player
LB Jahad Woods, Sr.
It was hard to get a whole lot of love on the post-season teams coming from the Washington State defense, but Woods deserved more than an Honorable Mention Pac-12 nod.
The 6-1, 228-pounder followed up an 82-tackle sophomore season with 141 tackles with three sacks and ten tackles for loss as one of the clean-up guys on a D that was ripped apart way too easily. He finished up with 20 stops in the Cheez-It Bowl loss to Air Force and came up with ten tackles or more nine times.
2. P Oscar Draguicevich, Sr.
3. S Skyler Thomas, Sr.
4. DT Will Rodgers, Sr.
5. LB Justus Rogers, Sr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Washington State Cougars Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Washington State Cougars Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Washington State Cougars Offense
Washington State, you go keep being Washington State. Yeah, LSU led the nation in passing yards last year, but it got 15 games to hit just over 6,000 and Wazzu came up with almost 5,700 in 12, averaging a ridiculous 36 yards per game more than the national champs.
And that was after leading the nation in 2018 averaging 374 passing yards per game.
The program has been No. 1 in the nation in passing yards per game in four of the past six seasons, and it’s been in the top ten in each of the last ten years.
Head coach Nick Rolovich made the move back to the run-and-shoot style after his first two years at Hawaii, and his team finished ninth in the nation in passing in 2018 and fifth last season. The pieces are there to pick up where Mike Leach left off, but there was a problem under the former head man.
When the passing game didn’t operate at a stupid-ridiculous level, there was no shot at winning. Even when it was able to crank out at least 400 yards, that didn’t guarantee anything.
Last year’s team one one game when it didn’t hit the 440-yard mark. Going forward, Wazzu has to keep bombing away, but under the new coaching staff it has to be able to win when it can’t fire away, too.
Biggest Key To The Washington State Cougars Defense
Find one thing that works – preferably, the pass defense.
What’s going to be the identity? What’s going to be the calling card? What’s the one thing that opposing teams have to worry about, because last year, there weren’t any concerns by anyone.
To that point, the Cougars have to take teams out of their respective comfort zones. The D had a month to prepare for the bowl again against Air Force, and it still got run over. Teams that wanted or needed to throw, did. And that’s where it starts.
If new defensive coordinator Jake Dickert can get one thing to work, making it the pass defense would be nice.
The 2018 Cougars only allowed more than 300 passing yards three times, and no one came up with more than 325. Only one team was able to get more than 300 on the 2017 Wazzu D.
Last year? UCLA came up with its epic comeback with over 500 yards. Stanford somehow cranked out 504 yards, Oregon State threw for more than 400, and five teams in eight Pac-12 games were able to generate more than 325.
Key Washington State Cougars Player To A Successful Season
QB Cammon Cooper, Soph.
Or any of the possible quarterback options for a coaching staff that will hold an open casting call for the job. Nick Rolovich was never afraid to change around quarterbacks as needed at Hawaii, and he might like a little mobility for the spot, but Cooper is the one who might be able to step in right away and shine.
He was the team’s star recruit of 2018 – Georgia and Tennessee were a few of the schools that wanted him, and Hawaii did, too – with the 6-4, 216-pound size and the pro-style ability to the best player out of Utah as a senior. He’ll have to earn the job, and then if he gets it, he’ll have to keep the offensive production going.
Key Game To The Washington State Cougars Season
at Oregon State, Sept. 26
There’s a shot this can turn into an interesting rivalry over the next few years. There was a rift between Nick Rolovich and Oregon State when the then-Rainbow Warrior coach accused the Beaver coaching staff of trying to recruit Hawaii players.
Last year, Hawaii beat Oregon State 31-28, and Rolovich followed it up by tweeting out the Rose Bowl logo – his team had beaten Arizona a few weeks earlier.
It’s the Pac-12 opener for both teams, and this is a much better Oregon State team than last year – and it’s in Corvallis.
Wazzu has won six straight in the series and last lost on the road in 2012. For both teams, getting this win might be a must to go bowling.
– Washington State Cougars Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Washington State Fun Stats
– Field Goals: Washington State 20-of-21 – Opponents 12-of-19
– Average Passing Yards Per Game: Washington State 437 – Opponents 267
– Opponent 1st Quarter Points: 63 – 4th Quarter Points: 132
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Washington State Cougars Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Washington State Cougars Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
CFN in 60 Video: Washington State Cougars Preview
If you thought the Mike Leach era had flavor and personality, wait until you get a load of what Nick Rolovich is bringing.
He’s not afraid to crank up the attitude, and he’s also a nice coaching hire after helping to revive the Hawaii program and its high-octane passing game.
The offense will be the offense. The receivers are going to rise up – despite losing the top three targets – the line will be a plus, and the backfield will be great with RB Max Borghi helping out whatever quarterback is under center.
The real difference has to be on the defensive side, where experience has to translate into production. If it can just be anything other than totally awful, the Cougars – throw in, possibly, the Pac-12’s best kicking game to go along with the strong offense – will be in for a nice season.
Set The Washington State Cougars Regular Season Win Total At … 6
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 6
There can NOT be a misfire against a squishy-soft non-conference slate with no games against Power Five programs.
The Cougars have to win at Utah State, beat Houston, and roll up Idaho for a quick 3-0 start. Anything else will be a problem.
There’s no USC from the South, but missing a mediocre Arizona team hurts. The three most winnable Pac-12 games – Oregon State, Colorado and UCLA are on the road. Throw in the date against Stanford, and the four conference games against teams that didn’t go bowling are all away from Pullman, and the five home games are against teams that did go to bowls.
Even so, there’s enough in place to push for six wins, but without any sure-thing wins on the conference schedule, it’s going to be a fight.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
