Preview 2019: Previewing 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
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
– Washington State Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 11-2 overall, 7-2 in Pac-12
Head Coach: Mike Leach, 8th year, 49-40
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE WASHINGTON STATE OFFENSE
– Is it really just plug-and-play at quarterback? The Washington State offense was the Washington State offense, finishing 27th in the nation, second in the Pac-12, and led the nation in passing averaging 374 yards per game. Gardner Minshew left East Carolina for Alabama, and then for Washington State where he stepped in and threw for 4,779 yards and 38 scores, but now he’s a Jacksonville Jaguar.
Record-setting former Eastern Washington bomber Gage Gubrud comes in as a grad transfer to keep it all going, but he has to push out Anthony Gordon, a veteran in the system coming off a great spring. It’ll be a battle between these two in fall camp.
– It’s not a bad problem when you have too many reliable receivers to work with. The Cougars not only have productive veterans coming back, but they have a few real pro prospects in the 6-3, 190-pound Davontavean Martin – he caught 69 passes for 685 yards and eight scores – along with 6-4, 225-pound Dezmon Patton, who left the team with 816 yards on 61 catches with five scores.
As good as Martin is, third-leading receiver Eason Winston might be the better option on the inside. Throw in Jamire Calvin – who caught 42 passes for 497 yards and a score – and rising junior Renard Bell on the inside, and the weapons are there.
– The offensive line was terrific. It allowed just 13 sacks on the season, was good for the ground game when the offense actually tried to run the ball, and it did it with a whole lot of talent, including Philadelphia’s first round draft pick, Andre Dillard.
Abraham Lucas has an NFL frame and skill, too, as a tremendous pass blocking right tackle to work around. Liam Ryan can play inside or out – he’ll likely take over for Dillard – and in all, four starters are back up front.
– Top back James Williams left for the NFL, but Max Borghi is an interesting speedster who ran for eight touchdowns last season and can catch, too. It’s a very, very thin group in the backfield after him, needing good recruit Jouvensly Bazile to lead a group of untested reserves.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE WASHINGTON STATE DEFENSE
– The underappreciated Wazzu D allowed just 360 yards per game and led the Pac-12 in sacks. Six of the top nine tacklers are back, and the pressure should come from several spots after 14 Cougars ended up with a sack.
Sophomore Willie Taylor has the talent to blossom on one linebacker/end job after a four sack season, and leading sacker Dominick Sivels – with 4.5 sacks – will work in a hybrid role on the outside, and there’s good depth to keep up the pressure.
– The rotation should be fine in the interior, too, with Mission Aiolupotea-Pei and Lamonte McDougle two athletic options at one tackle spot, but they’re need more for their size. 250-pound Will Rodgers is an undersized veteran who can get in the backfield.
– Leading tackler Peyton Pelluer is done, but the linebacking corps is okay with Taylor and Sivels handling most of the pass rushing duties, and junior Jahad Woods a rock-solid, do-it-all playmaker on the outside. Juniors Justus Rogers and Dillon Sherman are taking over for Pelluer on the inside.
– The pass defense was decent considering offenses had to fire away to try keeping up, with 14 of the 17 touchdown passes allowed in four games. The corners are a slight question mark with two new starters, but Marcus Strong and George Hicks are veterans who can step in and be fine. Jalen Thompson is one of the Pac-12’s best safeties, and Bryce Beekman is one of three JUCO transfers who should see meaningful time.
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP WASHINGTON STATE PLAYERS
Best Washington State Offensive Player
OT Abraham Lucas, Soph.
Andre Dillard went from being a terrific All-Pac-12 left tackle to a Philadelphia Eagle. He’s a strong pro prospect going into the big league, and Lucas has an even better NFL frame. The 6-7, 320-pound right tackle who could move to the spot on the left side, but Dillard’s backup Liam Ryan appears to be locked into the gig. Lucas will be the team’s top pass protector and a lock for all-star honors.
2. C Fred Mauigoa, Sr.
3. QB Gage Gubrud, Sr.
4. RB Max Borghi, Soph.
5. WR Dezmon Patmon, Sr.
Best Washington State Defensive Player
LB Jahad Woods, Jr.
The 6-0, 225-pound junior might not be all that big, but he’s one of the Pac-12’s most reliable defenders. Last year he finished second on the team with 82 stops with three sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. He only came with double-digit tackles once – with 11 against Arizona – but he’s a massive-hitting tone-setter who’ll be the top hitter on a defense full of good parts.
2. S Jalen Thompson, Sr.
3. P Oscar Draguicevich, Jr.
4. S Skyler Thomas, Jr.
5. DE Nnamdi Oguayo, Sr.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The Washington State Offense
At some point it might be nice if the passing game came up with more big plays. It’s the whole point of the attack to dink, dunk, and keep the chains moving, but averaging 10.2 yards per pass isn’t anything special.
That’s what Mike Leach is going for, but it’s possible to generate more pop – the 2014 passing game was able to push it a bit – and the pieces are there to generate more yards after the catch, and even more big things downfield. The Cougars are 7-1 over the last four years when they average more than 11 yards per catch.
Biggest Key To The Washington State Defense
Hold up when teams start to power away. It was a really, really good run defense overall, but it allowed two rushing touchdowns or more in six of the 13 games and were gashed by the teams on the slate that could bring the thump.
There aren’t a whole lot of tough running offenses on the slate to face – Utah, Stanford and Washington are the only ones who qualify – but the smallish front line has to find a good rotation and overcome the lack of raw bulk by continuing to get into the backfield.
Key Player To A Successful Season
QB Gage Gubrud, Sr.
He has yet to win the job because he has yet to get fully healthy. He’s just getting past an ankle injury – he wasn’t able to do too much in spring ball – and he has to fight off senior Anthony Gordon for the job, but the Eastern Washington transfer was a machine at the FCS level.
All he did was throw for close to 10,000 yards and 87 scores, and now it’s his job to pull a Gardner Minshew and keep the Wazzu offense cranking. If it’s not him, it’ll be Gordon, but no matter who it is, replacing Mr. Mustache – Minshew hit 71% of his passes for 4,779 yards and 38 scores – isn’t going to be easy.
Key Game To The Washington State Season
at Utah, Sept. 28
November 3rd, 2012 was the last time Utah State able to beat Washington State, losing four straight in the series including a 28-24 battle last season. This will be the first road game of the year for the Cougars after starting out with four straight at home.
This also begins a stretch of four road games in five dates starting at the end of September on throw to mid-November. A win over the defending South champ won’t guarantee anything, but with a week off to follow, it would be a nice way to go into the break.
– Washington State Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 Washington State Fun Stats
– 4th Quarter Scoring: Washington State 151 – Opponents 46
– 4th Down Conversions: Opponents 15-of-21 (71%) – Washington State 18-of-26 (69%)
– Time of Possession: Washington State 32:14 – Opponents 27:46
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. WASHINGTON STATE WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
It’s asking a lot to come up with another 11-win season, but the 2019 team is better in several ways.
The receiving corps is loaded and more experienced. The O line is terrific – despite the loss of OT Andre Dillard – and the D line should keep bringing the pass rush after leading the Pac-12 in sacks.
It’s Washington State, so the quarterback will put up massive numbers – whether it’s Gage Gubrud or Anthony Gordon – and the team will always be in every game by being in control with the mid-range passing attack.
But this time around, the schedule should be a whole lot more dangerous in a much tougher Pac-12.
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 8
There isn’t a game on the slate the Cougars can’t win. They have the talent, the depth, and the schemes to be deep in the hunt for the Pac-12 title, but the slate is brutal.
Start with road games at Utah, Arizona State, Oregon, Cal and Washington. Be ecstatic with wins it at least three of those five games, but it could be a fight to come up with two.
UCLA will be better. Houston will be stronger. Colorado and Stanford will be more dangerous, too. But after 20 wins in the last two seasons, and with four straight years with eight wins or more, figure that Wazzu will find a way to somehow get to the mark. It’ll take a special set of circumstances to do more.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
