It’s the little things.
Well, here we are again.
Another Saturday, another result we didn’t hope for, but maybe on some level expected. Your Washington State Cougars lost to the University of Oregon Ducks 24-38, which is a more improved feat than their last few attempts!
We caught more glimpses of the team we know and love during the first half of the game, but unfortunately the Cougs just couldn’t make things work in the second half.
WSU kicked things off (literally) with an inspiring field goal about 10 minutes into the first, which Oregon quickly countered. The game settled at 3-3, until Washington State got a touchdown on the board, a Nakia Watson run for 4 yards with 9:22 left to play.
Oregon saw that touchdown and raised one of their own, with Bucky Irving trotting a short 2-yarder. Irving was a name we saw quite a bit of throughout the game, so brace yourselves accordingly.
Once the Cougs got the ball back, after trudging across the field to their best ability, they found themselves at 4th and 3 on Oregon’s 39. After a timeout, Dickert made the call that most of us were chanting for, and went for it!
The call was a Lincoln Victor trick play that went… not exactly as we’d hoped. Victor obtained the ball, and made what I’m hesitant to even call a pass attempt, as he either overthrew Kyle Williams (as listed), or tossed the ball into dead air. Incomplete, Oregon ball.
With 44 seconds left in the half, Oregon got on the board again, with a 2 yard rush from QB Bo Nix.
WSU was able to put 3 more points on the field before it was time to regroup, ending the half 13-17.
To start the third quarter, it was the Bo and Bucky show. Irving for 9, Irving for 2, pass complete to Irving, touchdown Ducks.
However! Our Knight in Icy White Uniform Dean Janikowski made a 50 yard field goal to bring the score to 16-24!
Which the Ducks then took personally, and scored again- another one for Irving, 16-31. Nakia Watson did his best to answer, with a 13 yard series of gains (pass, run, pass), and an 18 yard rush from Cam Ward brought the Cougs to the Ducks 39 to end the 3rd quarter.
The first major play of the fourth quarter consisted of Bucky Irving finally learning to share, which was a blessing and a curse, as Nix had a complete touchdown pass to Tez Johnson, bringing the score to 16-38.
On Washington States last few drives, Lincoln Victor decided we weren’t done, and fought to stay in the game. Two complete passes for 8 yards brought the Cougs to the Ducks 43, where Josh Kelly took it 27 yards to the Oregon 16. Isaiah Hamilton handled the rest after a pass from Ward, scoring one final time, and with a successful two-point conversion pass to Kyle Williams, ended the game 24-38.
Overall, it was a much better game than the last two (obviously). Lincoln Victor had himself a game, with 161 yards (averaging 10.1). Ward looked nervous, but more sure of himself than we saw last week, and Kyle Williams averaged 20.4 yards.
We knew this game wasn’t going to be easy. I don’t know about you, but I thought it was going to go way worse! There is still plenty of season left for our Cougs, but I do think they played better as a unit than we saw in the previous two examples.
There’s always next week! Go Cougs!