Washington State is off to a strong start to this season, winning four of its first five games in head coach Jake Dickert’s first full season at the helm.
Dickert’s squad secured a big win over then-No. 19 Wisconsin in Week 2, and while the Badgers have not lived up to expectations this fall, that win in a tough road environment nonetheless put this WSU team in the spotlight early.
The Cougars could very well be 5-0, if not for squandering a 12-point lead in the final 4 minutes to lose 44-41 to Oregon, but they bounced back with a strong performance in a 28-9 win against Cal last weekend.
The team has been capable on both sides of the ball, and its continued improvement through the early weeks of the season indicate that it might not yet be it at its best.
The No. 6-ranked Trojans (5-0, 3-0 Pac-12) face a real challenge this weekend with Washington State (4-1, 1-1) coming to the Coliseum (4:30 p.m. PT Saturday on FOX).
Let's take a closer look at the matchup ...
Washington State Cougars (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12)
Coach: Jake Dickert (1st full season, 7-4 including record as interim coach to finish last season)
2021 record: 7-6
2022 record: 4-1
Stats/national rankings
Scoring Offense: 29.6 PPG (73th)
Scoring Defense: 18.2 PPG (26th)
Total Offense: 380.8 YPG (86th)
Total Defense: 371.6 YPG (69th)
What Washington State does well: The Cougars’ passing offense has emerged as a force, led by dynamic FCS transfer Cam Ward at quarterback. Ward has spread the ball around very well to make sure his playmakers stay involved, and it’s paid off. Washington State’s pass-catching corps has been great through five weeks, with the team’s top-four receiving targets all contributing meaningfully. Each of the four currently has between 17 and 27 catches, 2 and 4 touchdowns, and 193 and 298 yards – remarkably balanced production. Ward’s arm talent and mobility put a high ceiling on the Cougars’ passing attack, and the team has only gotten better at making the most of it from week to week.
Washington State’s defensive front has been among the most productive units in the country, currently tied for 7th nationally with 18 sacks and 3rd with 44 tackles for loss. Linebacker Daiyan Henley leads the team with 4 sacks and 9.5 TFL, but the greatest merit of the Cougars’ front has been its depth of contributors. The team has had 10 players notch a sack so far, with another two defenders credited with 0.5 each. The pass-rushing production has come from everywhere; off the edges, on the interior, and from a variety of blitzing second level defenders. However, a majority of those sacks were against inferior competition, with 11 of them coming against Colorado State and Cal. Against Wisconsin and Oregon on the other hand, the Cougars managed just 2 in total. As a whole, this has been a sound defense, albeit with high variance across the board.
