Why the Cougars Will be Pac-12 Champions
By James Loss
Cougars football has a chance to take the Pac-12 next season.
Washington State had their most impressive season performance in years, capping off a 8-4 record with a Sun Bowl Championship. Mike Leach recorded his first winning season as the team’s head coach since arriving in 2012 and this also marks the team’s first winning season since 2003. With the program becoming more of a threat in the Pac-12, many are expecting bigger things from this young offensive powerhouse next season.
Washington state averaged 33.8 points per game last year in Pac-12 games. An impressive number, but Stanford, Oregon and Arizona State all averaged more. All 3 of those offenses will be forced to replace their starting quarterbacks next season, while Luke Falk will be returning for his junior year after finishing as a top 5 passer in all of college football.
The Pac-12 is sure to be a tightly contested race next season and the Cougars have proven they can compete with the conference’s best.
No other team has been Pac-12 champions besides Oregon or Stanford since 2011. Last season WSU took down Oregon in an overtime thriller and 3 weeks later lost to Stanford on a missed field goal in the final seconds. Nonetheless, taking the #8 ranked team in the country into the final seconds to decide the game is an impressive feat. Leach and this Cougar offense have found their stride and continue to develop daily.
It is well known the Cougars possess one of the best air raid offenses in college football. 5059 team passing yards ranked WSU as the 3rd best overall passing team in the league, but it was the new found dedication to the run game that separated the Cougars from their past seasons. Gerald Wicks, Jamal Morrow and Keith Harrington are the 3 underclassmen backs who more than doubled WSU’s rushing output from the previous season. All 3 of these players will be returning next season, providing the Cougar offense with a more seasoned run game to fall back on.
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The Pac-12 is sure to be a tightly contested race next season and the Cougars have proven they can compete with the conference’s best. In the end, WSU’s success will be dependent on the ability of the defense to keep opposing teams out of the end zone. A basic football concept, yes, but the Cougar’s had 8 games where the opponent scored 25 or more points. We all know Luke Falk can hand out touchdowns to receivers of his choice, but defense wins championships.
The Washington State defense has begun its turnaround with first-year Defensive Coordinator, Alex Grinch. Under Grinch, the Cougar defense has helped the offense by putting them in better positions to score. WSU had a takeaway in 11 straight games this season, totaling 21 turnovers on defense in 2015. Grinch is aware of the talent this team possess and is not satisfied being No. 7 in the Pac-12 in points allowed per game. If Falk can continue his hot streak and the Cougars can create stops on defense, becoming Pac-12 champions is well within range.