Washington State Cougars: 4 thoughts from disappointing 45-28 loss to Utah
Max was back
After missing the first three games with a back injury, Max Borghi made his return to the Cougars lineup on Saturday. Watching him do his thing in the backfield was a welcome sight. Borghi had 91 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
Under Mike Leach, he didn’t have to stay in for pass protection. In the new run and shoot offense, it’s one of his responsibilities. For the most part, Borghi was up to the task, which will help him at the next level. As far as his fumble goes, it was unfortunate, but a helmet to ball hit will quite often jar the rock loose.
The positive effect Borghi has on Washington State’s offense is easy to see. The 5-10, 198-pound running back is equally effective whether he’s taking handoffs or catching passes. Deon McIntire was outstanding in Borghi’s absence, but as Wazzu fans have seen since 2018, number 21 provides a spark to the offense like no one else.
Welcome back to the team Max Borghi. It will be exciting to see what you can do in this offensive scheme with a full spring practice and training camp under your belt.
Playing physical defense
Washington State’s physical defense was a carryover from the USC game. Once the WSU defense realized they didn’t have to get steamrolled by the Trojans, they started hitting hard. For the first half of this game, that same aggressiveness and (very) hard-hitting was there. Linebacker Jahad Woods in particular, laid the smackdown on Utah’s skill position players.
Then the Cougs D ran out of gas in the second half. Even Woods, who was so menacing early on, cramped up in the third quarter. All though he made it back into the game, Woods wasn’t the same. It’s almost as if Woods energy level fell off a cliff with the rest of his defensive teammates.
Considering all the time missed this season, especially among the defensive backs, a breakdown should have been expected. Hopefully, the Cougs play with the same defensive intensity they showed in Saturday’s first half for the entire 2021 season.
Jahad Woods activates the hit stick . pic.twitter.com/5GJStSR3N7
— San Diego Football (@Daygofootball) December 19, 2020