Instant takeaways: Washington State sinks itself in fourth quarter of loss to No. 18 Virginia
A string of mistakes and a fourth-quarter offensive collapse resulted in a stunning loss for Washington State, which led No. 18 Virginia for most of the game before suffering a massive meltdown. The Cougars looked in command for three quarters, then their offense became stagnant and they shot themselves in the foot a number of times, allowing the Cavaliers to score 12 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and escape with a 22-20 win on Saturday at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia.
WSU sinks itself
The Cougars (3-4) were looking to post a major statement win on the road after taking a moral victory last weekend, when they challenged No. 4 Ole Miss before falling 24-21. Instead, WSU is leaving the East Coast with a bad taste in its mouth and a demoralized fanbase that can’t help but wonder what went wrong.
Everything seemed to be going the Cougars’ way for much of three quarters. They were the aggressor against the heavily favored Cavaliers (6-1). WSU looked more physical. The Cougs controlled the clock and led by as many as 10 points.
But WSU lost all its mojo when the fourth quarter began. The Cougs opened the final period with an uninspired three-and-out, then their defense had its first troublesome drive, allowing Virginia to drive 97 yards in under 4 minutes to cut the WSU lead to 20-17.
The Cougars had a chance to answer and potentially ice the game, but they went colder instead. Three consecutive penalties – false start, false start, holding – were followed by an awful decision from WSU quarterback Zevi Eckhaus, who fired into double coverage and had his pass intercepted. Virginia tied it on a short field goal.
Still, the Cougs had another opportunity for a potential game-winning drive, but they couldn’t get out of their own way. On the ensuing kickoff, Kirby Vorhees – who wasn’t even in position to catch the kick – called a fair catch on the 1-yard line. The refs blew the play dead when Leyton Smithson caught it, and spotted the ball at the 1-yard line.
The Cougs tried to muster enough yardage to give their punter a chance, but Vorhees ran into a wall on third down and couldn’t escape the end zone. Safety. Game over. What just happened?
Maybe the Cougars need to learn how to close out games. Maybe Virginia found some answers as the game wore on. The Cougs have only themselves to blame. The team lost its rhythm and fell into old habits. Whatever the case, that was one baffling fourth quarter, and coach Jimmy Rogers’ team has some reflecting to do heading into the late stretch of the season.
Before then, things looked good
The ending will pretty much negate any positive feelings WSU fans had about their team for most of the game. There were plenty of glimmers before the meltdown, though.
Yes, WSU can be a competitive team against the high majors and ranked opponents and what have you. This team has enough talent to finish strong if it doesn’t get deflated by this one, which is certainly possible given the depressing nature of the finish.
But WSU was mostly stout on defense. Virginia entered the game ranked No. 8 nationally in scoring offense (43 ppg) and 11th in total offense (489.2 yards per game). The Cougs held the Cavaliers to their second-lowest yardage total (301 yards) and lowest scoring output of the year. Virginia went three-and-out five times and four-and-out once. The Wahoos were 5 of 15 on third downs.
Cavaliers tailback J’Mari Taylor managed 47 yards, 30 yards below his average. Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris looked unsettled for much of the night, completing 15 of 25 passes for 179 yards.
At halftime, the Cougs had more than doubled Virginia’s yardage total and were dominating in the time of possession category. The Cavaliers’ seven points at the half were their fewest in the first half this season. Virginia hadn’t trailed by 10 all season, but WSU led by two scores for a good chunk of the game.
The defense did its part. The offense was solid, for a while. WSU posted 143 rushing yards for its third consecutive game with over 100 yards after a dreadful two-game stretch on the ground. WSU found some run game success using a many-headed approach.
A methodical offensive gameplan functioned well for the first half. WSU alternated between run and pass effectively, keeping the defense guessing while maintaining possession for long periods. Receiver Joshua Meredith was also a bright spot, recording 108 yards during the best pass-catching day for WSU this season.
At the QB position, it was a step back for Eckhaus. The senior threw two picks, both errant passes into double coverage. He finished 18 of 27 for 183 yards and a TD, adding a short scoring run. Eckhaus had the offense moving at a respectable pace in the first half, but there was too much stagnation later and he didn’t have the answers.
It doesn’t get harder
That’s the good news for the Cougs. The most difficult stretch of their season has come and gone, and as many would have expected, they dropped both cross-country road games.
Now, the schedule lightens up. WSU gets very winnable home games against Toledo next weekend and Louisiana Tech on Nov. 15. The Cougars play the hapless Oregon State Beavers twice and have one more tough road test, at James Madison on Nov. 22.
It’s hard to be positive now, but a winning record isn’t off the table. If the Cougs can replicate that first half in Charlottesville against these lower-level foes, they could find a few wins at least. If Eckhaus can play smart, if the ground game can keep growing, and if the defense can keep playing this ever-improving physical brand, things can get better before they get worse.