Jamire Calvin, Washington State Cougars.
The Washington State Cougars looked like world-beaters in the first half against Utah. After a slow start on their first two offensive possessions, Wazzu scored touchdowns four of the next six times they had the ball. There was a great mix of run and pass plays as the offense operated like a high-performance car.
Defensively, the Cougs hard-hitting defense was superb. They allowed 217 yards of offense, but 91 of them came on one play. Additionally, the WSU defense forced three Utes turnovers. The Cougs went into halftime with a 28-7 lead. It was so bad for Utah QB Jake Bentley that he was benched at the break.
Then came the second half. Let me put it this way, on ESPN’s gamecast, they show a win probability forecasting chart during the game. At the start of the third quarter, Wazzu had a 95.4 percent probability of winning the game. The rest of the half looked like a rock starting down the top of a snow-covered mountain until it became a full-fledged avalanche by the end.
At halftime, the Washington State Cougars had a 95.4 percent chance to win the game
It was a complete reversal of the first half. Suddenly Utah was able to run for big plays and effectively throw the ball all over the field. Conversely, the Cougars were stuck in neutral. Then the car went into reverse as they turned the ball over on four straight fourth quarter possessions.
The Washington State Cougars final game of 2020 should be put into the same scrap heap as the entire year of 2020. It’s best forgotten as the calendar changes to 2021.
I wanted to share some thoughts about the game with a hopeful eye to the future.
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.
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.
Saturday’s game was an abject lesson about the effects of turnovers. A team turns the ball over; they fall behind. It’s simple. In the first half, Utah had three turnovers, and they went behind by three touchdowns. When WSU turned the ball over four times in the second half, they got crushed. As their quarterback gains experience, Wazzu’s turnover rate should drop significantly.
Jayden de Laura played well this season, especially considering he was a true freshman with limited time to prepare. As the amount of film grows on a quarterback, defenses get a better handle on how to play against him, and in de Laura’s case, wear him down.
During the first half, he looked like a confident young man leading an FBS football team. Until he didn’t. After the break, de Laura couldn’t get the Wazzu truck in gear and moving forward.
Part of the problem is de Laura has a big windup when throwing the ball. For the second time in three games, the Cougs opponent made halftime adjustments to take advantage of the hitch in his throwing motion. One of the reasons he fumbled in the fourth quarter was due to the big wind up. To be successful and take advantage of his receivers in the future, de Laura has to get the ball out his hand faster.
So far, de Laura showed some good instincts and nice arm strength. He seems to be coachable, so this issue should improve with time.
Washington State announced they wouldn’t play in a bowl game if invited, so this is it for 2020.