WSU Cougars Hungry for More in 2016

The WSU Cougars, after a successful season in 2015, have high expectations for 2016. How far can Mike Leach’s crew go?

The WSU Cougars finished 2015 with a 8-4 record and a win in the Sun Bowl under Mike Leach, their first winning record under the offensive guru. Heading into the 2016 season, the WSU Cougars expect to contend for a Pac-12 championship with an offense that will return Luke Falk, fresh off a season in which he was a top-5 passer nationally.

The WSU Cougars will play seven home games this year for the first time since 1999, including a game against Idaho, who the Cougars have owned in their history, posting a 71-17-3 all-time record against the Vandals. They will also avoid the red turf with Eastern Washington coming to Martin Stadium. They will also see Oregon, UCLA, Arizona, California, and will host Washington for the Apple Cup this season.

Sept. 3 – Eastern Washington
Sept. 10 – at Boise State
Sept. 17 – Idaho
Sept. 24 – Bye
Oct. 1 – Oregon
Oct. 8 – at Stanford
Oct. 15 – UCLA (Homecoming)
Oct. 22 – at Arizona State
Oct. 29– at Oregon State
Nov. 5 – Arizona (Dad’s Weekend)
Nov. 12 – California
Nov. 19 – at Colorado
Nov. 25 – Washington (Apple Cup)

The WSU Cougars will face challenges in another Pac-12 field that looks very competitive, but if they can win key home games against Oregon and UCLA, they will have a chance to contend for the Pac-12 crown.

They’ll have an offense once again that will keep them in games. The question will be how well the defense can keep opposing teams off of the scoreboard. If the defense, which showed improvement under first-year defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, can complement Leach’s high-flying attack, the WSU Cougars will be a dangerous team.

Next: UW Huskies Will Have to Clean Up at Home

We will see how the WSU Cougars get tuned up in their early-season schedule against the likes of Boise State before we start getting excited for a Pac-12 crown.