The Washington Condition Cougars went head-to-head with 14th-ranked Utah at Martin Stadium on Thursday night. Finally they fell limited 21-17.
It was Thursday Night time Lights in Pullman as the Washington Condition Cougars hosted #14 Utah. The Cougs hung rough with a very good team but lost 21-17.
WSU had plenty of opportunities to pull off an upset. Issues and penalties value them in the conclusion. Here are our 5 takeaways.
Ward up
Searching at the stat sheet, Cougars’ quarterback Cameron Ward experienced a good activity. He was an economical 27 of 31 for 222 yards and a touchdown. That Involves 12 straight completions to start the activity.
He proceeds to spread the ball all-around properly. This 7 days 9 diverse receivers caught passes. Fans are still left to ponder what could have been if Renard Bell were healthier.
Ward down
The Washington Condition Cougars sign caller has to do a superior career of keeping on to the ball. For the second recreation in a row, Ward coughed up the pigskin 2 times.
Compared with final 7 days, the opponent recovered one of the free balls. Granted, it was on a fourth down when Van Fillinger strip-sacked Ward.
Utah acquired the ball on their own 44-property line. That engage in was element of an regrettable collection of situations (we will go into later) that led to a Utes touchdown.
Good and Poor at Martin Stadium
The Washington State Cougars faithful at Martin Stadium had been amazing and a credit rating to university spirit. There just weren’t sufficient of them. Only 21,179 attended the activity, the least expensive turnout of the calendar year.
People today had a good deal of excuses it was a weeknight, it was cold in Pullman on Thursday, etcetera. The base line is that WSU is in a precarious placement as school football re-aligns.
This recreation was an opportunity towards a rated opponent, in primetime, on countrywide television for Cougs supporters to display they belong with the major boys. Regrettably, there have been much too quite a few vacant seats.
Grounded
At the time again, the Washington Condition Cougars’ managing video game unsuccessful them. Two months back, they managed a scant 23 yards on 20 carries.
It did not get substantially better this week. Jaylen Jenkins had 4 carries for 7 yards and was largely absent throughout the activity.
In opposition to Utah, WSU picked up 42 dashing yards on 19 attempts. Performances like that will not get it completed in the Pac-12.
An Regrettable Series of Gatherings
In the second quarter, with the video game tied 7-7, Ward related on a 20-lawn go engage in to broad-open up De’Zhaun Stribling on Utah’s 13-garden-line for a to start with down deep in Utes’ territory.
What followers didn’t see right up until the replay was that Stribling stepped out of bounds on his route and was an ineligible receiver. In its place of 1st down at the 13, It was 2nd-and-10 from the 33. That mental miscalculation begun an avalanche.
3 plays later on arrived Ward’s fumble. And it went downhill from there.
Washington State’s protection admirably stepped up, forcing Utah into a a few-and-out. They punted, the ball strike returner Robert Ferrel‘s leg, and the Utes recovered on Wazzu’s 25-yard line.
Utah took 2:20 off the last 2:45 of the second quarter to punch it in and consider a 14-7 direct.
On that generate, Washington Point out stopped Utah on 3rd down-and-2 from the 3 property line. Cougs’ defensive finish Brennan Jackson broke through the line almost untouched, nailing managing back Jaylon Glover for a two-garden decline and forcing Utah to attempt a subject purpose.
Not so speedy. The refs identified as focusing on on Jackson. It was a football perform, but by the letter of the rule, this simply call was accurate.
Not only did Utah get a new established of downs and rating a touchdown two plays afterwards, but Jackson was also ejected for the remainder of the game.
Up coming 7 days, the Washington Point out Cougars glance to snap their a few-game getting rid of streak at Stanford.
