5 Takeaways from Washington State Cougars 17-14 win over Wisconsin
Lamarr Fields
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The Washington State Cougars advanced to 2-0 in 2022 with a 17-14 upset win over Wisconsin. Here are our 5 biggest takeaways.
It was a 60-minute epic battle for the Washington State Cougars in Madison, Wisconsin, on Saturday. The Cougs came into the game against Wisconsin as a 17.5-point underdog. However, WSU rose to the occasion and came away with a huge 17-14 upset win.
At halftime, the Cougars trailed 14-7 but turned it around after the break. In the third quarter, Wazzu scored 10 unanswered points. Meanwhile, their defense kept Wisconsin off the scoreboard over the final 30 minutes.
#1 Cougs Defense Came To Play
While the offense turned the ball over a few times, the Cougars’ defense played an outstanding game.
Known for their dominating rushing attack, the Badgers ran for 174 yards on 44 carries. Showing they can play physical defense, Washington State did a good job containing the run and not letting Wisconsin star Braelon Allen go crazy on the ground.
Defensive Coordinator Brian Ward dared Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz to throw. He often put 8 defenders in the box and defended man-to-man, single coverage to the outside.
Washington State gave up 401 total yards but played tough in the red zone. They only gave up 14 points and kept Wisconsin scoreless in the second half.
Daiyan Henley led the Cougars with 9 tackles, including 1.5 for loss.
#2 Running Game Struggles
Wazzu’s running game struggled against Wisconsin’s defense. They rushed for 53 yards on 22 carries, led by Nakia Watson‘s 33 yards on 10 carries. His backup, Jaylen Jenkins, ran 6 times for 27 yards.
In the future, Washington State’s offensive line will need to fire off the ball and hold their blocks to be more successful. Otherwise, Cougs running backs will get hammered by opposing defenses.
#3 QB Cameron Ward Must Take Care of the Ball
After a solid game last week, Cougars quarterback Cameron Ward threw two interceptions. It’s hard to win on the road when committing turnovers. Fortunately, Washington State’s D stepped up.
Ward finished with 201 yards passing and a touchdown. With more reps and time with the offense, Ward will develop. Until then, he has to take care of the ball.
#4 Penalties
Penalties are costly. Washington State only had 5 infractions, while Wisconsin had 11. The Badgers paid dearly, giving away 106 yards. It was great to see the Cougars play with discipline in a hostile environment.
#5 You Can Go Home Again
This game was a successful homecoming for a pair of Washington State Cougars. First head coach Jake Dickert grew up an hour away from Madison. He had plenty of friends and family at Camp Randall Stadium to cheer him on.
Watson started his collegiate career at Wisconsin. After two seasons as a backup, he transferred to Wazzu. In the week leading up to the game, Watson talked about the friends he still had on the Badgers and how he was looking forward to playing against them.
While he only ran for 33 yards, the total included a touchdown. Watson also scored the game-winner when he caught a short pass from Ward, spun out of a tackle, and went 31 yards down the sideline to the endzone.
Big Win
Leading up to the contest, nobody thought the Washington State Cougars would pull off an upset. But they fought and got a huge road win, maybe one of their biggest victories of the last few years.
There are still things WSU must work on to improve, but they are 2-0 and have a winnable game next week at home against Colorado State.
What were your big takeaways from the Washington State Cougars’ 17-14 win over Wisconsin? Let us know in the comments below or on social media.