Washington State Cougars will benefit from more run and less shoot in 2021
O-Line
The offensive line did a good job opening holes last season. If it weren’t for the running backs, Washington State’s biggest strength would be their O-line. Four of the five hog mollies from that squad are back again for 2021.
The group is headlined by Second-Team All-Pac-12 right tackle Abe Lucas as well as center Brian Greene and left tackle Liam Ryan (both All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention). All three could have declared for the NFL Draft but decided to come back for another season.
#WSU center Brian Greene on the significance of Abe Lucas returning at right tackle and how the Twitter/Instagram-less Lucas informed his teammates he was coming back.
“I mean, it’s nice having the best tackle in the Pac-12 come back.” pic.twitter.com/uFDfMWEDof
— Theo Lawson (@TheoLawson_SR) April 9, 2021
Defense
WSU has decent personnel on the defensive side of the ball. Jahad Woods and Ron Stone Jr. are quality performers and likely headed to NFL careers. They also return ten players from last year’s squad. Usually, that would be a huge plus.
Despite the experienced players, WSU doesn’t stack up. In their four 2020 games, the Cougars’ defense yielded an average of 462 yards and 39 points per game.
Their defense isn’t on the level of USC, Oregon, or Utah. Those other teams have bigger and deeper defenses than the Cougs. Moreover, the talent differential on defense isn’t something Rolovich can fix in a year or two.
One thing he can do immediately is to limit their exposure. That comes from controlling the ball and eating up time on the clock. The longer Washington State’s offense has the ball, the less time their opponent has it, which means the Cougars’ defense isn’t on the field as long. For a team struggling with depth, that’s very important.
Related Story: Former Cougs still in the Transfer Portal
🏈 TOUCHDOWN WASHINGTON STATE
Deon McIntosh shows off his elusiveness on long TD run
4Q: WSU 59, UNC 17 | #UNCvsWSU | https://t.co/vFInQOZ2Xe pic.twitter.com/nS5cQQvTTE
— Spokesman Sports (@SpokesmanSports) September 8, 2019
Do you think the Washington State Cougars need to rely on the run game more in 2021? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.