Sep. 15—PULLMAN — Through two games this fall, Washington State’s offense has shown multiple positive signs.

“I think it just shows the mindset of the offense,” WSU coach Jake Dickert said last week, after his team upset Wisconsin. “And I thought (quarterback Cameron Ward) did a good job finding different ways. We had some success going empty a little bit. But when it was gut check time, Cam Ward, we put it in his hands and he made the dang plays.”

Ward, who has 663 passing yards, ranks 13th in the country. His receivers have proven sure-handed and elusive in the open field. Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle may only be 27 years old, but he’s operated with the acumen of a coordinator with twice the experience .

When No. 23 WSU hosts Northern Colorado this weekend, though, the Cougars will get a chance to sharpen their run game — one part of their offense that has struggled.

After two games, Ward is Washington State’s leading rusher . He’s quick, and he had a knack for scrambling at the right times, but nobody on the Cougars’ coaching staff wants Ward to be their top rusher. They would rather those honors go to their running backs, Nakia Watson and Jaylen Jenkins, so that Ward can narrow his focus to passing.

There hasn’t been much opportunity. On Sept. 2, in WSU’s season-opening win over Colorado State, Watson and Jenkins teamed up for 14 carries for 26 yards. Last week against Wisconsin, they managed just 13 attempts for 36 yards. Add those up and you get 27 carries for 62 yards. That comes out to an average of 2.3 yards per rush.

Part of the problem is the Cougars’ approach on offense. They have assembled personnel to fit their Air Raid offense and WSU’s offensive linemen are far better at pass-protecting than run blocking.

In the first two games of the season, the Cougars have mitigated the issue by passing….