Season rewind: A postseason review of Washington State’s 2021 opponents
Before we dive into Sun Bowl prep work and start to examine Washington State’s final foe, let’s review how 2021 treated the Cougars’ 12 regular-season opponents.
WSU (7-5) went 2-4 against bowl qualifiers this year and 5-1 versus adversaries that wound up with losing records.
Nine teams were favored by oddsmakers against the Cougars, and WSU went 5-4 in those games. The Cougs opened as 1½-point underdogs against Miami in the Sun Bowl, which kicks off at 9 a.m. PST on Dec. 31 in El Paso. We’ll get to that soon.
First, a retrospective rundown of the Cougars’ schedule:
Utah State 26, WSU 23
Who was favored? WSU by 16½ points.
What happened? The Cougs’ late-night opener was not encouraging. Coach Nick Rolovich started Tennessee transfer Jarrett Guarantano at quarterback. WSU found traces of life in backup Jayden de Laura, yet too many red-zone opportunities were squandered and Utah State tallied two touchdowns in the final 5:25, including the game-winner in the closing seconds.
How did the Aggies fare? Exceptionally well – a surprise considering their lack of preseason expectations under a first-year coach. But Blake Anderson assembled talent from the transfer portal and his new-look Aggies put together one of the best seasons in Utah State history, leaning on explosive offense en route to their first Mountain West title. The Aggies (10-3, 6-2) popped San Diego State 46-13 in the conference championship, and they will face Oregon State on Dec. 18 in the L.A. Bowl. USU receiver Deven Thompkins, who piled up 108 yards and a touchdown versus WSU, finished the year second nationally with 1,589 receiving yards and was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press.
WSU 44, PSU 24
Who was favored? WSU by 30 points.
What happened? The Cougars defense locked up Portland State for most of three quarters. WSU’s rhythmic, fast-paced offense took control in the second quarter and the visitors from the Big Sky Conference had fallen behind by a sizable margin at halftime.
How did the Vikings fare? They finished in the middle of the standings in the Big Sky, one of the top leagues at the FCS level. Portland State (5-6, 4-4) knocked Weber State out of the playoff picture. Viking quarterback Davis Alexander, a senior from Gig Harbor, Washington, landed on the Walter Payton Award watch list in early November. Also of note: A week after his team lost to WSU, PSU coach Bruce Barnum offered to purchase beer for fans attending the Vikings’ home opener. Barnum ended up with a $14,000 bar tab.
USC 45, WSU 14
Who was favored? USC by 8½ points.
What happened? De Laura spurred WSU to a 14-0 advantage in the early stages, then suffered a knee injury on the final play of the first half. Without its centerpiece, WSU’s offense managed 7 yards across its first six possessions of the second half. USC played inspired in its first game under interim coach Donte Williams. The Trojan offense, led by true freshman Jaxson Dart and pass-catching NFL prospect Drake London, shredded the Cougars’ fatigued secondary for 38 unanswered points after the break in a drizzle at Gesa Field.
How did the Trojans fare? After departing Pullman, they won two more games. USC (4-8, 3-6) floundered defensively and absorbed four consecutive losses to end its campaign. The Trojans were eager to change the narrative, and they did so two weeks ago with a splash hire, reeling Lincoln Riley out of Oklahoma. London, who accumulated 170 yards and two scores versus WSU, led the conference in receiving yards and earned Pac-12 offensive player of the year honors despite missing the final four games of the season.
Utah 24, WSU 13
Who was favored? Utah by 14 points.
What happened? A low point in the year, the Cougs’ work-in-progress run-and-shoot offense stalled with running back Max Borghi and de Laura both sidelined by injuries. The Utes – still figuring things out on offense, too – coughed up seven fumbles. But a defensive affair favored Utah, which inched ahead with an advantage in the run game and sealed the result with a pick-6 of Guarantano late in the fourth frame.
How did the Utes fare? Better than everyone in the Pac-12. Cameron Rising, who made his first start of the year against the Cougars, and Tavion Thomas emerged as a star QB-RB tandem in the Pac-12. The Utes’ stingy defense, spearheaded by linebacker Devin Lloyd – the conference’s defender of the year – allowed just 20.6 points per game. Utah (10-3, 8-1) routed Oregon twice in the final three weeks of the year to earn its first Rose Bowl bid. Kyle Whittingham was named the conference’s coach of the year. The Utes dedicated their season to fallen teammates Ty Jordan and Aaron Lowe. Lowe was killed during a shooting at a house party just hours after the Utah/WSU game.
WSU 21, Cal 6
Who was favored? Cal by 7½ points.
What happened? WSU edge Ron Stone Jr. scooped up a blocked Cougar punt and converted a first down to spark a scoring series that concluded with Calvin Jackson Jr.’s wowing one-handed TD catch, which SportsCenter named its No. 1 play of the day. The Cougar offense opened up and took some chances and the defense had a gem of a day in sunny Cali. WSU’s fan base became cautiously optimistic.
How did the Bears fare? Not great, but they’ll take it. Cal compiled a 4-3 mark after its flop versus WSU. The Golden Bears stunned Oregon State, smacked rival Stanford and capped the year with a win over USC. They’d probably be preparing for a bowl game if not for a COVID-19 outbreak, which decimated their roster ahead of a 10-3 loss to Arizona on Nov. 6. Golden Bears coach Justin Wilcox reportedly turned down an offer to be the next coach at Oregon and intends to sign a contract extension with Cal.
WSU 31, OSU 24
Who was favored? Oregon State by 3½ points.
What happened? De Laura amassed a career-high 399 passing yards in the most productive game for Rolovich’s run-and-shoot. WSU withstood the Beavers’ powerful run game and prevailed in a shootout down the stretch, scoring the go-ahead TD with 5:28 to play, then stopping OSU on fourth down in the red zone.
How did the Beavers fare? They were alive in the Pac-12 race until the last week of the regular season. OSU (7-5, 5-4) fashioned an identity and became a postseason contender in Year 4 of the Jonathan Smith era. The Beavers qualified for their first bowl since 2013 behind a lethal rushing attack, which led the Pac-12 (217.4 ypg) and featured first-team all-conference pick B.J. Baylor. WSU’s Apple Cup win Nov. 26 knocked OSU out of contention for the Pac-12 North crown. The Beavers meet Utah State on Dec. 18 in the L.A. Bowl.
WSU 34, Stanford 31
Who was favored? Stanford by 1 point.
What happened? WSU let an 11-point third-quarter lead slip, but did not fold after the Cardinal seized momentum. The divisional foes traded scores throughout the final 20 minutes. Borghi plowed in from 2 yards out with 1:30 on the clock and the Cougars’ edge-rushers derailed Stanford’s ensuing drive. Rolovich received a Gatorade shower and was embraced by players at midfield during a postgame celebration. Two days later, the school terminated Rolovich and four of his assistants for failing to comply with a state COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
How did the Cardinal fare? They’d like to forget this season. Stanford (3-9, 2-7) was uncharacteristically weak up front on both sides of the ball. The Cardinal lost seven straight to end the year, a streak that began Oct. 8 – one week after they had stunned No. 3 Oregon in overtime. The skid included five blowout losses.
BYU 21, WSU 19
Who was favored? BYU by 1 point.
What happened? Call it a moral victory. The Cougs played their first game under interim coach Jake Dickert after a short and chaotic week of practice, and without half their regular staffers. The two Cougars teams exchanged blows, but a botched PAT in the third quarter and a failed 2-point conversion with about 4 minutes to play bit the hosts, who could seldom obstruct BYU’s ground-and-pound offense.
How did the BYU Cougars fare? After slipping past WSU, they rolled over four lesser opponents to close the year, scoring 48.5 points per game in climbing to the No. 12 national ranking. Although BYU (10-2) topped five Pac-12 teams – including champion Utah – the Independent program from Provo, Utah, must settle for the Independence Bowl as its postseason prize. BYU, boasting a top-20 offense in the country, meets UAB on Dec. 18 in Shreveport, Louisiana.
WSU 34, ASU 21
Who was favored? Arizona State by 16½ points.
What happened? Dickert’s first win as Cougars boss doubled as a signature victory for the program, which cooked the Sun Devils in the desert’s baking sun. WSU built a 28-0 lead in a first half full of Calvin Jackson Jr. highlights and stifling play from a defensive unit that forced five ASU turnovers. On paper, it was probably WSU’s most impressive win this year.
How did the Sun Devils fare? They rebounded from the Cougar beatdown, winning three of their last four to finish 8-4 (6-3 in Pac-12 play). ASU, despite having only defeated one opponent with a winning record this year (UCLA), was picked over WSU to play Wisconsin on Dec. 30 in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Oregon 38, WSU 24
Who was favored? Oregon by 14 points.
What happened? WSU gave the third-ranked Ducks a scare, closing the gap to within a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter after a goal-line takeaway. UO eventually pulled away behind a 300-yard rushing day and a late interception.
How did the Ducks fare? With their win over WSU, they stayed alive in the College Football Playoff hunt – for one more week. Utah scored a 38-7 win over UO on Nov. 20. The Ducks bounced back with a defeat of Oregon State to secure their spot in the Pac-12 title, then fell 38-10 to the Utes in Las Vegas. UO coach Mario Cristobal left the program after its Rose Bowl hopes were dashed to take the top job at Miami, his alma mater. Oregon hired Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning on Saturday to fill the vacancy, but first, the No. 15 Ducks (10-3, 7-2) will play under interim coach Bryan McClendon, their wide receivers coach, when they meet Oklahoma on Dec. 29 in the Alamo Bowl.
WSU 44, Arizona 18
Who was favored? WSU by 14½ points.
What happened? Borghi, Jackson and Travell Harris combined for 367 yards and six touchdowns from scrimmage in their Gesa Field finales to guide WSU to bowl eligibility. The Cougs dominated an apathetic Arizona team on a bitter, foggy Palouse night.
How did the Wildcats fare? Not much to say. They went 1-11 and 1-8 in conference competition under first-year coach Jedd Fisch, who inherited a team that had lost 12 in a row. That streak stretched to 20 before being snapped Nov. 6, when UA took advantage of Cal’s coronavirus-caused absences to claim a 10-3 win.
WSU 40, UW 13
Who was favored? Washington by 1 point.
What happened? You all know how this one goes: The Husky logo at midfield was blanketed with crimson and de Laura planted a flag after WSU wrapped up its most lopsided win in Apple Cup history. Dickert helped return the traveling trophy to Pullman, where it had not resided since 2012. He got a five-year contract a day later.
How did the Huskies fare? Worse than they had in over a decade. Not impressed with its second-year coach’s character or success rate, UW’s leadership fired Jimmy Lake on Nov. 14 and the Huskies (4-8, 3-6) finished their season under an interim leader in Bob Gregory. Three days after leaving their home venue to the sounds of a Cougar party, they hired coach Kalen DeBoer out of Fresno State.