Sep. 8—PULLMAN — Before the onslaught began, before Washington State started dismantling Texas Tech in a three-score blowout on Saturday night, Jake Dickert recognized the defense his offense would be facing.
For Dickert and WSU fans watching, it probably registered as familiar for all the wrong reasons. The Red Raiders came out in a drop-eight and rush-three defense, the same look that flustered last year’s Cougars, the same scheme that cratered their season. WSU’s opponents acknowledged the blueprint and applied it over and over and over, until the Cougs had dropped six straight and beating them was about as simple as following a recipe in a cookbook.
“I don’t think you can drop eight on us anymore,” WSU quarterback John Mateer said. “We’re just too versatile.”
Mateer and the Cougs drove that point home in spades in this 37-16 win, the program’s third straight over a nonconference power-conference opponent. Washington State totaled 301 rushing yards, including 197 from Mateer alone, the most ever by a WSU QB. It was just the sixth time since 2000 that the Cougs had churned out more than 300 rushing yards in a single game.
In that way, this WSU win looked nothing like any of last year’s victories, unlike any of the Air Raid performances this program is known for. Mateer completed 9 of 19 passes for 115 yards, one interception and one touchdown, which went to senior receiver Kyle Williams on a deflected catch. It’s the fewest pass completions in a WSU win since a 2003 victory over UCLA.
In short: The Cougs were better on the ground than they were through the air. How often does that happen around here?
It was easy to notice. True freshman Wayshawn Parker broke free for a 43-yard touchdown rush, part of his 69-yard outing. Power back Djouvensky Schlenbaker surged in for a pair of scores on his way to 27 yards on the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/analysis-sharp-rushing-attack-win-150100105.html
Author : The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
Publish date : 2024-09-08 15:01:00
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