Two-minute drill: Washington State’s keys to victory against Toledo

PULLMAN – Here is what to watch for when Washington State takes on Toledo at 12:30 p.m. Saturday on The CW.

When Toledo has the ball …

If there was ever an opportunity for the Cougars’ pass rush to rev to life, this is it. At least by the numbers, the Rockets’ offensive line looks as vulnerable as any WSU has faced this fall: That unit has allowed six sacks on 55 pressures.

This could add up to a huge day for WSU defensive ends Bobby Terrell and Buddha Peleti, who will get to attack the weakest links in Toledo’s offensive line, tackles Cole Rhett and Stephen Gales. Those two have combined to permit five sacks on 30 pressures, two remarkably high totals that have landed both with some of the nation’s worst Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grades.

Think about this: Among tackles in the country who have recorded at least 175 pass-blocking snaps this season, only 21 have earned a worse PFF pass-blocking grade than Rhett, whose grade is just 38.7. Gales has fared a tad better – his grade has come out to 49.2 – but either way, Terrell and Peleti’s mouths should be watering. They could be in for two enormous games.

If that unfolds, WSU’s defense could get a meaningful lift at a meaningful time. The Rockets (4-3) are averaging 200.7 rushing yards per game, which is No. 28 nationally, better than ranked teams like Texas A&M, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and others. Sixth-year senior running back Chip Trayanum – who has made stops at Arizona State, Ohio State and Kentucky – has picked up 601 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

But Trayanum missed last week’s game with an injury, casting doubt on his status for this game in Pullman. If he can’t play, look for backup Kenji Christian to take over the reins against WSU’s defense, which is coming off two promising outings, one against Ole Miss and one against Virginia, both losses. On the year, the Cougs are allowing 151 rushing yards per game, good for No. 77 in the country.

Here’s one trend WSU will look to turn around: interception luck. The Cougs are one of two teams in the country to have not picked off a pass, joining Florida Atlantic under that umbrella. They had one opportunity in each of their last two games – against Ole Miss, a penalty wiped out a Tucker Large interception, and against Virginia, cornerback Colby Humphrey mistimed his jump on a dangerous pass – but they haven’t cashed in.

But if the Cougars’ pass rush can disrupt Rocket quarterback Tucker Gleason, who has thrown four interceptions, their secondary could be the beneficiaries.

When WSU has the ball …

This is where things could get tricky for the Cougars’ offense, which will be squaring off with one of the nation’s finest defenses. Through seven games, the Rockets rank fifth nationally against the pass (140 yards per game) and sixth nationally against the run (84 yards per game). They’re sturdy in both departments, potentially mucking things up for quarterback Zevi Eckhaus and the WSU offense.

Can the Cougars keep things rolling on the ground? That much may color Saturday’s game in a big way. In each of their past three games, they’ve cleared the century mark in rushing yards: 158 yards against Colorado State, 127 yards against Ole Miss and 143 yards against Virginia. Sophomore Kirby Vorhees has taken over the starting running back reins, and with former starter Angel Johnson coming off the bench, WSU’s ground game has looked fresh and energized.

But there are two caveats. One: The Cougars’ offensive line is really shorthanded. They’re already playing without starting right tackle Christian Hilborn, who is expected to miss a third straight game with a knee injury, and even his backup, Jaylin Caldwell, left early last week with his own knee injury. As a result, coaches kicked left guard Johnny Lester out to right tackle and swapped in third-year sophomore Noah Dunham in at left guard.

That group – which includes left tackle Ashton Tripp, center Brock Dieu and right guard AJ Vaipulu, the latter of whom is looking to turn the page after three straight costly penalties last week – will be tasked with clearing the way against the Rockets’ defense. Here’s one stat to watch: Toledo ranks fifth nationally in stop rate, which is the percentage of a defense’s drives that end in punts, turnovers or a turnover on downs. The Rockets have done so on 78% of their opportunities.

Outside of the battle up front, Eckhaus will need to clean up turnovers. In a loss last week to Virginia, he tossed two interceptions, including one in the fourth quarter. To avoid those, he’ll need time in the pocket against Toledo’s pass rush, which features edge rusher Malachi Davis, who has four sacks on 15 pressures. Look for Tripp and Lester to do their best to contain him, same as Toledo linemen Louce Julien and Martez Poynter, who have nine pressures apiece.