Washington State ends 3-game losing streak with lopsided win over Stanford

From start to finish, Saturday's game was the domination of Washington State over Stanford on both sides of the ball.

The defense collected four turnovers, almost five, and the offense eclipsed over 500 total yards in a dominating 52-14 win over the Cardinal on the road.

WSU came out with a certain energy that just carried throughout the remainder of the game against Stanford (3-6, 1-6 Pac-12) leading to its best offensive game of the season.

This marks six straight wins for the Cougars (5-4, 2-4 Pac-12) over the Cardinal, and WSU scored more points in one half (42) than it had in the last three games (41).

This team definitely hit the reset button after a disappointing loss to Utah last Thursday, and wow, did they impress in the first half.

Four fumble recoveries, a dominant run game, and a steady passing attack was the first-half story for the Cougars, as they broke it open 42-7 heading into the locker room.

WSU dominated on all sides of the ball, establishing the run game early with a long 65-yard run on the second play from scrimmage before ending the first half with a 41-yard rushing touchdown.

Defensively, this game could not have been more impressive, with four forced fumbles. Two of those fumbles forced by sophomore linebacker Francisco Mauigoa, with one of the fumble recoveries being taken back for a touchdown by redshirt freshman safety Jaden Hicks.

This team came out with a new energy to try to fight for bowl eligibility after losing three straight games. And with a very impressive first half of football for head coach Jake Dickert, the Cougars are making a statement.

First quarter

12:48, WSU: Leyton Smithson 3-yard run (Dean Janikowski PAT)

9:29, WSU: Cam Ward 7-yard pass to Anderson Grover (Dean Janikowski PAT)

6:20, WSU: Cam Ward 15-yard run (Dean Janikowski PAT)

3:42, Stanford: Ashton Daniels 1-yard run (Joshua Karty PAT)

Second quarter

8:06, WSU: Jaden Hicks 25-yard fumble recovery run (Dean Janikowski PAT)

2:03, WSU: Cam Ward 9-yard pass to Donovan Ollie (Dean Janikowski PAT)

0:59: WSU: Nakia Watson 41-yard run (Dean Janikowski PAT)

Third quarter

11:53, Stanford: Ashton Daniels 2-yard run (Joshua Karty PAT)

5:43, WSU: Dean Janikowski 22-yard field goal

Fourth quarter

11:17, WSU: John Mateer 27-yard pass to Orion Peters (Dean Janikowski PAT)

As soon as the Cougars established the run early on the opening drive, the tone was already set for this game. Redshirt junior running back Nakia Watson taking the second snap from scrimmage 65 yards downfield into Stanford territory made the statement clear, and WSU didn’t look back after.

Watson’s ground game was very impressive Saturday, with a big 65-yard run on the opening drive to set up the Cougars in good field position, and then a 41-yard rushing touchdown right before the half. Watson had 106 yards on the ground on just two big plays in his first game back for the Cougars, and he looked like he hadn’t missed a single game. With a subpar performance for Ward in the pass game, it was positive to see the offense establish a dominant run game after being one of the worst rushing offenses in the country.

Mauigoa and senior linebacker Daiyan Henley had themselves a heck of a day defensively. Mauigoa forced two of the four fumbles that were recovered by the Cougars’ defense, being on the ball wherever it was for the Stanford offense. Henley’s presence at the line gave Stanford quarterback Tanner McKee a horrible day at the line, even recovering a fumble. This is the best defensive game this WSU team has played this season, so the award goes to both Mauigoa and Henley this week, making big plays when it matters.

There are so many good plays from WSU on Saturday that could be the play of the game, but the scoop-and-score, forced by redshirt senior cornerback Armani Marsh and recovered by redshirt freshman safety Jaden Hicks for the 25-yard score definitely showed how this defense came out with energy this game. What looked like a standard run play for the backup QB Ashton Daniels for Stanford, turned into six points the other direction, in just another example of how dominant WSU came out on defense.

The resurgence of the offense. WSU totaled 306 rushing yards against the worst rushing defense in the Pac-12, and even though sophomore quarterback Cam Ward did not have his most amazing performance, the rushing attack carried the team to its first win since defeating Cal back on Oct. 1. The defense also was as dominant as it has been all season, along with four fumble recoveries in the first half, just made this game one sided on both sides of the ball. Heavy pressure up the gaps from the edge rusher group just added to a dominating win for WSU.

The Cougars really missed Watson, but now they have their starting running back at the helm and seem to be getting healthier. Senior wide receiver Renard Bell even had the chance to play in Saturday’s game, participating in the non-padded warmups. WSU did lose LT Jarrett Kingston in the third quarter, which could prove to be a bigger loss than imagined against a better pass-rush defense.

WSU now sits one win away from another season of bowl eligibility as the Cougars welcome Arizona State into Pullman in the second-to-last home game of the regular season next Saturday. WSU can be even healthier with Bell, and potentially Kingston and senior safety Jordan Lee potentially returning, but possibly being sidelined more.

Passing

Cam Ward: 16 of 32, 176 yards, 2 TDs

John Mateer: 2 of 2, 32 yards, 1 TD

Rushing

Nakia Watson: 16 rushes for 166 yards, 1 TD

John Mateer: 4 rushes for 58 yards

Djouvensky Schlenbaker: 4 rushes for 50 yards

Cam Ward: 5 rushes for 38 yards, 1 TD

Dylan Paine: 4 rushes for 20 yards

Leyton Smithson: 1 rush for 3 yards, 1 TD

Receiving

De’Zhaun Stribling: 4 catches for 23 yards

Orion Peters: 3 catches for 50 yards, 1 TD

Robert Ferrel: 3 catches for 41 yards

Leyton Smithson: 3 catches for 25 yards

Nakia Watson: 1 catch for 29 yards

Billy Riviere II: 1 catch for 20 yards

Donovan Ollie: 1 catch for 9 yards, 1 TD

Anderson Grover: 1 catch for 7 yards, 1 TD

Drake Owen: 1 catch for 4 yards

Defense

Travion Brown: 8 total tackles (4 solo), 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 1 fumble recovery

Armani Marsh: 7 total tackles (4 solo), 1 forced fumble

Jaden Hicks: 6 total tackles (2 solo), 1 QB hit, 1 fumble recovery

Francisco Mauigoa: 6 total tackles (5 solo), 1 tackle for loss, 2 forced fumbles

Daiyan Henley: 5 total tackles (2 solo), 1 QB hit, 2 fumble recoveries

Chau Smith-Wade: 5 total tackles (5 solo), 2 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble

Brennan Jackson: 5 total tackles (2 solo), 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss