WSU Cougars Try to Look Ahead after Loss to EWU
By Ben Renner
The WSU Cougars stumbled in their first game of 2016, dropping their home opener to Eastern Washington University.
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The WSU Cougars still have a chance to make noise in the Pac-12 this year despite their head-scratching 45-42 loss to the Eastern Washington University Eagles. EWU, best known for being a buzzy, surprising team with the blindingly red home football field, rode a huge, 12-catch, 206-yard, three-touchdown performance from their star receiver, Cooper Kupp to a road victory against an FBS foe.
The loss for the WSU Cougars continues a maddening streak under coach Mike Leach. This is their fifth loss in five years on Week One.
The WSU Cougars took an early lead, but EWU was able to close the gap to four points and enter halftime at Martin Stadium down only 28-24. Then the third quarter happened. Eastern quarterback Gage Gubrud led the Eagles to outscore the Cougs 14-0 in the quarter. Gubrud finished 34 of 40 for 474 yards, five touchdowns, one interception, and ran for 77 yards on 14 carries and another touchdown. The Cougars’ defense simply had no answer for Gubrud and his favorite target, Kupp.
Gubrud scored on a 30-yard touchdown run with 1: 39 left in the game. It was one of the many defensive mistakes the Cougars made. Gubrud’s first touchdown was 75-yard catch and run to Kupp, who burned freshman safety Jalen Thompson to tie the score in the second quarter. Kupp also caught a wide-open 26-yard touchdown pass from Gubrud in the third. Then, Cougars’ junior safety Robert Taylor, filling in for starter Shalom Luani, got ejected for targeting after he hit Eagles’ wide receiver late in a headfirst dive.
The defensive lapses cost the WSU Cougars dearly, wasting a 41 of 51, 418 yards and four touchdowns and an interception from quarterback Luke Falk.
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They will have to shake up their defensive effort next week against the Idaho Vandals, now a must-win for the WSU Cougars before they start their difficult Pac-12 North schedule.