Washington State Football: Keys to Victory vs. Wyoming

Jared Miller | 11 Hours Ago

Sep 16, 2023; Austin, Texas, USA; Wyoming Cowboys quarterback Evan Svoboda (17) hands off to running back Harrison Waylee (4) before running for a touchdown in the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

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Washington State, after starting its season 8-1, has suddenly dropped two straight as it prepares to host Wyoming in the regular season finale. The Cowboys have had a year to forget, coming into Week 14 with just two wins to their name. The Cougars are bowl-bound no matter what happens in Pullman on Saturday but a third consecutive defeat, especially to a reeling Cowboys bunch, could end up causing a complete unravel. Here's what WSU needs to do against the Pokes to avoid such a fate and get back on track.

Lock Down Cowboys Receivers

Part of the reason why the Cowboys have the 2-9 record they do right now is because their passing attack has been stagnant for most of the year. That, however, does not mean there aren't some guys on that side of the ball that can make plays every now and then. Receivers Jaylen Sargent and Justin Stevenson have been two of the more reliable guys on the Wyoming roster this year and have been targeted fairly often. The pair has combined for over 600 yards and five touchdowns this fall.

They are the bright spots on an otherwise lowly passing attack, meaning that if the Cougars can shut them down, the Cowboys offense will be in a heap of trouble. WSU defensive backs Ethan O'Connor, Tyson Durant and Kapena Gushiken need to not allow Sargent and Stevenson to get any sort of momentum or traction going. Denying the passing game from the start will serve the Cougs well down the stretch in this game.

Keep Suiaunoa at Bay

On of the best linebackers in the Mountain West is Wyoming's Shae Suiaunoa. He leads the team with ten tackles for loss and has 80 total stops this season. On top of that he has a pair of PBUs and three QB hits. Suiaunoa is one of the primary playmakers on the defense so, obviously, for Washington State's offense, the game plan needs to be centered around #43. If they can stop the havoc-maker, the Cougars will help themselves a bunch.

Double teaming Suiaunoa at the line will probably need to happen quite a bit. He can't be allowed into the backfield to disrupt John Mateer or Wayshawn Parker as keeping those two in-rhythm is essential to what the Cougs do on offense. WSU's receivers/tight ends might also need to get a quick chip in on Suiaunoa to slow him down if their routes call for it. Whatever they can do to muddy up his production will make life easier on everyone.

Control the Clock

The one thing that really sunk Washington State last weekend against Oregon State was its inability to get off the field and, thus, control the time of possession battle. The Beavers dominated in that department, holding the ball for over 38 minutes. OSU strung together three separate drives that featured at least ten plays and chewed up well over five minutes. The Cougars offense is talented but when its stuck on the sideline, it doesn't matter.

The same thing cannot happen against Wyoming. The defense has to be able to come up with stops on third down and force the Cowboys to punt. Takeaways will also do the trick. If Mateer and the offense have the chance to manage the game they want it managed, then the Cougs should have a decent shot at closing their regular season out with a win.

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