5 Takeaways from Washington State Cougars 44-41 loss to Oregon

Washington State Cougars
Robert Ferrel, Washington State Cougars.

After a disappointing 44-41 home loss to Oregon, the Washington State Cougars are now 3-1 this year. Here are our 5 biggest takeaways.

It was a big home game for the 3-0 Washington State Cougars against Oregon. Washington State started strong, leading17-9 at halftime. The Cougs did an excellent job in red-zone defense in the first half.

In the second half, turnovers and poor defensive play cost Wazzu a big win. In the end, they came out on the wrong side of a  44-41 score. In football, there are no such things as moral victories, but this Washington State team could be something special if they keep improving as the season marches forward.

Here are our biggest takeaways from the game.

Cameron Ward Showed Up

It was a big game for the Washington State Cougars, and their quarterback Cameron Ward played well. Despite his two interceptions, Ward put up big numbers. He completed 37 of 48 passes for 375 yards and two touchdowns.

In addition, the Cougs quarterback did a great job spreading the ball around, finding nine different receivers. Ward is fantastic with the ball in his hands, and if he keeps this way, Wazzu will always have a chance to win.

Defense Needed to Play Better

During the first half of the game, Washington State’s defense surrendered many yards but forced Oregon to kick field goals. It was the same in the third quarter, but the Ducks scored 29 points in the fourth quarter. Six of those points came from a pick-six.

The Ducks had 624 total yards, 446 passing yards, and 178 rushing yards. Oregon quarterback Bo Nix threw for 428 yards and three touchdowns.

Oregon’s offensive line played an outstanding game. They slowed down Washington State’s defensive front, giving Nix plenty of time to scorch the secondary.

Washington State needs to play a full 60-minute game to be a top team.

No Running Game

Washington State ran the ball 25 times for only 53 yards. Although Nakia Watson had a touchdown, he only ran 36 yards on 12 carries. To keep a dynamic passer like Nix off the field and keep the clock moving, Wazzu needed to do a better job running the ball. 

Untimely Turnover

Down 37-34 with less than two minutes to go, The Washington State Cougars had the ball and a chance to win. But Ward threw a pick-six, which iced the game in Oregon’s favor. Not only does the defense have to play a full game, their offense can’t give away opportunities, especially against quality teams.

X, Y, Z, and H make Contributions

The Washington State Cougars had four receivers catch 5 or more passes. And four receivers gained 50-plus yards. Renard Bell led the way with 6 catches for 84 yards, while De’Zhaun Stribling added 5 catches for 84 yards and a third-quarter touchdown. Also contributing were Donovan Ollie (5 catches for 80 yards) and Ward’s former Incarnate Word teammate Robert Ferrel, who registered 8 catches for 50 yards and a touchdown. 

Wazzu has plenty to work on before taking on Cal next weekend.

What were your takeaways from the Washington State Cougars’ loss on Saturday? Let us know in the comments section below.

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