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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

2-minute drill

1 Keep the quarterback clean. While it’s true that Washington State’s sack numbers per pass attempt aren’t too bad, the Cougars have still given up more sacks than any other Pac-12 team. Those hits still count even if they’re due in part to how often the Cougars throw. Whether it’s a doubtlessly very sore Luke Falk lining up behind center for the Cougars, or Peyton Bender makes his first start, pretty good pass blocking won’t be good enough.

2 Wear out the UW defense. Obviously, WSU will always take an explosive scoring play. But what will decide the game will be whether or not the Cougars can put together long, methodical drives that end with points and a worn-out UW defense. The Huskies win with their defense, hoping the offense can eventually put enough points on the scoreboard to come away with the win. By forcing quick punts from the Huskies, and by consistently converting on third down, the Cougars can take the bite out of the UW defense.

3 Watch the fake! While watching quarterback Jake Browning and keeping an eye on shifty running back Myles Gaskin, the Cougars need to constantly be aware that the developing play may not be what it seems. Chris Peterson developed a reputation at Boise State for having a deep bag of trick plays, and he brought it to UW. The Huskies began their game against Oregon State last week by throwing a backward pass across the field during a kickoff return, and have used an array of fake field goals, halfback passes and reverses to keep opponents uncomfortable. While the Cougar defenses needs to play quickly and instinctively, it will also need to stay vigilant against deceptive plays.

4 Watch the deep ball. The Huskies like to have Jake Browning throw deep and, while the freshman doesn’t always put the ball on the mark, he has shown the arm and accuracy to be successful. UW also has some big pass catchers in tight ends Joshua Perkins and Darrell Daniels, as well as 6-foot-5 receiver Brayden Lenius, who are difficult matchups for the unwitting defensive back who lets them get behind him.