5 Takeaways from Washington State Cougars 38-7 win over Colorado State
With a resounding 38-7 win at home over Colorado State, the Washington State Cougars are now 3-0 in 2022. Here are our 5 biggest takeaways.
The Washington State Cougars put on an outstanding show on Saturday afternoon. They dominated Colorado State with a 38-7 win at Martin Stadium.
Wazzu went up against a team they were supposed to beat and took care of business. Scoring touchdowns on their first four possessions, they jumped CSU, putting the game away early. By halftime, the Cougs led 28-0 and outgained the opposition 255-82. and didn’t look back.
Another 10 points in the second half put an exclamation point on the win. It was complete domination by the Cougars.
Defense steps up (again)
All day long, the Washington State Cougars played outstanding defense. C-State only picked up a total of 249 yards.
WSU was especially stout against the run. They allowed only 37 yards on 31 attempts.
Cougs defenders sacked Colorado State quarterback Clay Millen seven times. Linebacker Daiyan Henley had a heck of a game with 13 tackles, 3 sacks, and 3 tackles for a loss. He was unstoppable on Saturday.
Joining Henley on the stat sheet was his linebacker partner Francisco Mauigo who had 8 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 2.5 tackles for a loss.
Cameron Ward growing into the job
By throwing for 292 yards and four touchdowns, Cameron Ward did what he needed to do for the Washington State Cougars to dominate. He did a great job of keeping his teammates involved, hitting ten different receivers. Spreading the ball around like that prevents defenses from keying on one guy.
Ward did throw one interception, but it came in the fourth quarter with his team leading by 24 points. An insignificant pick doesn’t take away from his strong performance.
Cameron Ward can sling. Drops a dime with a defender right in his face. https://t.co/G56pudMwDq
— Speak Up (@_SpeakU) September 17, 2022
Running back by committee
Washington State rushed for 148 yards on 27 attempts. Leading the way was Nakia Watson, who 74 yards. Jannon Katzer was next 54 yards and a touchdown, while Jaylen Jenkins pitched in 35 yards. It was a total team effort running the ball on Saturday.
Converting in the Red Zone
The Washington State Cougars went six for six in the red zone on Saturday. Once they made it to the red zone, it was a guaranteed score. If WSU can continue to score in the red zone, they will be a hard team to beat.
Offensive line starts to gel
Although the Cougars’ offensive line gave up two sacks, they still played well. Washington State averaged 5.5 yards per carry, and the line gave Ward time to pass. Football games are won in the trenches. This was a performance WSU’s young O-Line can build on.
Next week the Cougs begin Pac-12 Conference play as they host 15th-ranked Oregon.
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.