New-Look Washington State Could Be A Test For Utah

Under first year head coach Nick Rolovich, Washington State has seen ups and downs in this COVID-19-affected season. But the expected return of RB Max Borghi could ignite the offense to new heights

When Nick Rolovich took over as head coach of Washington State this past January, he wanted to bring a sense of stability to a program that had just four winning seasons among its past eight.

So moving on from former head coach Mike Leach's 'Air Raid' offense to the 'Run and Shoot' offense he perfected at Hawaii was seen as a great way to take advantage of the skillsets of the players already in the program.

Unfortunately for Rolovich — and the rest of college football — the COVID-19 pandemic made it extremely difficult to get onto the field for spring, summer and fall camps. This added to the complications for the Cougars as Rolovich's offensive system is complex, not just terminology wise but in intelligence and communication as well.

Dec 6, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Washington State Cougars head coach Nick Rolovich looks on from the sidelines in the first half against the USC Trojans at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

SEASON OUTLOOK
Make no mistake, the Cougars may just be 1-2 on the season but they are extremely well rested and highly motivated to reach .500 in Rolovich's first season at the helm. Not only did Rolovich come in with a new staff, Cougars star running back Max Borghi has yet to play this season due to a back injury sustained during fall camp.

The Cougars began the season with a 38-28 victory over Oregon State. After the Beavers made it a one score game late in the fourth quarter, Washington State responded with a touchdown 10 seconds later to secure the win. It was quarterback Jayden de Laura's first game of his career and he showed the sort of improvisational skills that many believed could make the Cougars dangerous.

Dec 6, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Jayden de Laura (4) sets to pass the ball in the first half against the USC Trojans at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

But then Washington State hit a string of bad luck that has lasted the rest of the season.

The Cougars led Oregon 19-7 late in the second quarter before the Ducks scored a touchdown with :03 left on the clock, igniting Oregon to outscore Washington State 36-10 the rest of the way. 

But then a COVID-19 outbreak hit the team, forcing them to miss games against Stanford and Washington. However, they returned to play two weeks ago and were promptly beatdown 38-13 by No. 15 USC, trailing 35-0 midway through the second quarter.

The Cougars were expected to return to play last weekend, even taking the field for pregame warmups before a positive test by Cal forced a cancellation.

OFFENSE
The offense, which is averaging 26.7 points per game, has shown moments of being dominant and moments of being quite lost. 

That up-and-down play is best seen in by de Laura, whose inconsistent nature leaves opponents unsure of what he's capable of doing. He is completing 60.4% of his passes for 682 yards and four scores, while adding 37 yards rushing and one touchdown. 

Nov 7, 2020; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Washington State Cougars wide receiver Travell Harris (1) celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown with teammates during the second half against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Per usual, the Cougars have a pair of dominating receivers in Renard Bell and Travell Harris, as they've combing to count for over three-fourths of the Cougars overall production in the passing game. Running back Deon McIntosh has played well in his first season seeing a majority of the reps, averaging 101.3 yards per game (5th in the conference). 

One thing Utah must account for is the expected return of running back Max Borghi, one of the most talented players in the nation. Borghi ran for 817 yards (6.4 yards per carry) and 11 touchdowns on 127 carries last season, adding another 86 catches for 597 yards and five scores.

He's absolutely dynamic with the ball in his hands, and an instant game-changer as soon as he steps onto the field. With Borghi in the lineup, the Cougars become much more balanced on offense and even more difficult to defend.

Dec 27, 2019; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Washington State Cougars running back Max Borghi (21) against the Air Force Falcons during the first half of the Cheez-It Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

DEFENSE
While the Washington State offense has been average throughout play this season, the defense has seen its fair share of struggles. 

The Cougars currently rank second to last in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (36.3 ppg) and total yards allowed (439.7). Pass defense is wear they've struggles the most, giving up a conference worst 307.7 yards per game  — not a good number considering two of their three opponents this season rank fourth and fifth respectively in rushing yards per game.

However, Washington State does do a good job in rushing defense, surrendering just 132.0 yards per game, second best behind the Utes in conference rankings. They do a decent job of getting into the backfield as they're averaging 2.67 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss per game, numbers than rank third and fifth in the conference.

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