An offensive shootout, some very questionable play-calling for Washington State and the defense allowing 624 total yards to Oregon was unfortunately the recipe for the Cougars blowing a 12-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.

That's how Washington State saw its unbeaten start to the season come to a stinging end, as the No. 15-ranked Ducks rallied for a 44-41 win at Martin Stadium.

To set the scene, the Cougars (3-1, 0-1 Pac-12) led 34-22 with less than 4 minutes to play in the final quarter, with quarterback Cam Ward looking like the next Patrick Mahomes on some plays and using his wizard-like magic to advance the chains and keep his offense in the driver’s seat.

The Cougars' offensive efficiency, however, really only lasted one half even though the lead lasted a while longer.

The second half play-calling was very conservative, until it was too late. Halfback draw after halfback draw on second-and long, or third-and-long, with drives only lasting about a minute on end.

The burden was eventually transferred to the Cougars' defense, and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix picked it apart while continually moving the Ducks down the field.

Oregon (3-1, 1-0) had scored just one touchdown through three quarters before finding the end zone four times in the final frame.

That included three straight touchdowns in the final 4 minutes, as Nix hit tight end Cam McCormick for a 1-yard touchdown with 3:48 on the clock, and then once Oregon quickly got the ball back, he connected with Troy Franklin on a 50-yard touchdown and ensuing two-point conversion run by the QB to put the Ducks ahead 37-34 with 1:21 left.

Mase Funa sealed the game moments later with a 27-yard interception return for touchdown for the Ducks before a late Nakia Watson touchdown that only served to narrow the final margin of defeat for Washington State.

This is one the Cougars will rue as they had a chance to surge into the national rankings and create major momentum with a second win over a ranked opponent.

First quarter

11:41, WSU: Cam Ward 5-yard run (Dean Janikowski PAT), WSU 7-0

7:36, Oregon: Camden Lewis 24-yard field goal 4:31, WSU 7-3

4:31, WSU: Dean Janikowski 38-yard field goal, WSU 10-3

Second quarter

14:56, Oregon: Camden Lewis 28-yard field goal, WSU 10-6

4:36, WSU: Francisco Mauigoa 95-yard INT return (Dean Janikowski PAT), WSU 17-6

1:33, Oregon: Camden Lewis 29-yard field goal, WSU 17-9

Third quarter

14:11, Oregon: Bo Nix 12-yard pass to Mar’Kiese Irving (2-pt failed), WSU 17-15

8:50, WSU: Dean Janikowski 38-yard field goal, WSU 20-15

4:16, WSU: Cam Ward 15-yard pass to De’Zhaun Stribling (Dean Janikowski PAT), WSU 27-15

Fourth quarter

14:56, Oregon: Jordan James 1-yard run (Camden Lewis PAT), WSU 27-22

6:42, WSU: Cam Ward 1-yard pass to Robert Ferrel (Dean Janikowski PAT), WSU 34-22

3:48, Oregon: Bo Nix 1-yard pass to Cam McCormick (Camden Lewis PAT), WSU 34-29

1:21, Oregon: Bo Nix 50-yard pass to Troy Franklin (Nix 2-point run), Oregon 37-34

1:01, Oregon: Mase Funa 27-yard INT return (Camden Lewis PAT), Oregon 44-34

0:01, WSU: Nakia Watson 1-yard run (Dean Janikowski PAT), Oregon 44-41

The offense stalling in the later part of the fourth quarter, with just about 4 minutes remaining, gave Oregon the momentum to compete in this game.

The Cougars, offensively, were throwing the ball on the Oregon secondary and Ward was using his legs to not only get out of the pocket and avoid sacks but also make magic out of nothing. As soon as the offense went bland late and stalled, Oregon took advantage of a gassed defense and quickly went from down 12 to up 10.

The Cougars' offense couldn’t move the ball, and Cougars' defense couldn’t stop Oregon from moving down the field at will.

That how a potential huge win turns into a gutting collapse.

QB Cam Ward

I don’t like to give it to someone who cost WSU the game, especially on a drive to potentially tie or win it and a pick-6 is thrown, but Cam Ward really showed out through the first three quarters. He made some good throws in pressure situations along with using his legs a lot better to escape the pass rush.

The run game for the Cougars just couldn’t get its own feet under it, but through the first 56 minutes of the game, Ward looked like a potential dark horse Heisman candidate, and no, that’s not an overstretch.

LB Francisco Mauigoa

Mauigoa perfectly read that interception in the second quarter, and taking it the distance for a 95-yard house call makes him the defensive player of the game. The offense of the Ducks loves to use their running backs down in the flat and Mauigoa read the pass perfectly from Nix, getting to the ball before Irving could find it. Mauigoa stayed dancing on the sideline to shift the momentum of the first half back into WSU’s favor.

You cannot say that Mauigoa’s pick-6 did not rock Martin Stadium, because wow. The fans were on their feet, screaming and yelling while Mauigoa was tiptoeing down the far sideline and turning a score for Oregon into a score for WSU.

You can point the finger at anyone on that offensive unit throughout the second half, and not being able to move the ball down the field on the ground at all.. You can point the finger to the defensive unit, allowing over 600 yards of offense and allowing Nix to just tear apart the defense drive-by-drive, making it seem as if the offense just could not be stopped, even though in that first half, Oregon’s redzone offense was 0-4 with 3 field goals and a pick-six. You can even blame the play-calling from offensive coordinator Eric Morris and head coach Jake Dickert, playing the conservative game throughout the multiple second-and-longs and third-and-longs, instead of trying to convert. The finger can be pointed in any different direction, but the Cougars definitely lost a game they could’ve easily won.

I mean, we knew this was going to be a major challenge, and in the end, only losing by three at home to a very good Oregon team with a potent offense is not the end of the world. Is the way the Cougars lost bad? Yes. But, this team is still near the top of the Pac-12 with good competition on the horizon, like USC, Oregon State and Utah all to come. The offense definitely played its hearts out, and the defense just struggled to stop Oregon’s offense. In the end, it was a bad loss but not a horrible one.

The Cougars have another home game next week against a 3-1 Cal team before hitting the road for a huge showdown with No. 6 USC the following week. Dickert will want this team to bounce back with strength against a Golden Bears team that loves to run the ball. The Cougars definitely had trouble stopping the run Saturday (allowing 178 yards on 5.6 yards per carry), and things could get ugly next week if that doesn't shore up.

Passing

Cam Ward: 37 of 48, 375 yards, 2 TDS, 2 INTs

Rushing

Nakia Watson: 12 rushes for 36 yards, 1 TD

Jaylen Jenkins: 4 rushes for 13 yards

Cam Ward: 9 rushes for 4 yards, 1 TD

Receiving

De’Zhaun Stribling: 5 catches for 84 yards, 1 TD

Renard Bell: 6 catches for 84 yards

Donovan Ollie: 5 catches for 80 yards

Nakia Watson: 8 catches for 68 yards

Robert Ferrel: 8 catches for 50 yards, 1 TD

Leyton Smithson: 1 catch for 12 yards

\Billy Riviere III: 1 catch for 4 yards

Jaylen Jenkins: 1 catch for 4 yards

Tsion Nunnally: 1 catch for 2 yards