WSU’s offense looked much better in Week 2. To keep that rolling, Cougars must reduce penalties

PULLMAN – A week after watching Washington State’s offense slog through three hours of football, you might not have recognized the unit that took the field for a win over San Diego State.

Behind third-year sophomore quarterback Jaxon Potter, the Cougars’ passing attack roared to life. That set up their rushing game, which sung. They threw touchdowns to tight ends and to fifth-year receivers who had been on scholarship for only a few months. It looked like a revived bunch, which is the kind of trend WSU needs headed into a tough road test this weekend.

“It’s a good time for us moving forward,” WSU coach Jimmy Rogers said after the game, a 36-13 decision in WSU’s favor. “Proud of Jaxon Potter.”

But if one problem has followed WSU’s offense around through two games – the issue that could unlock the Cougs’ offense in full – it’s penalties. In the Cougars’ season-opening win over Idaho, they were called for seven penalties for 48 yards. In their win over SDSU, the numbers were eight penalties for 55 yards.

If WSU was getting called for relatively harmless flags, like a stray defensive holding in a blowout, maybe Rogers could live with those. But the Cougs’ penalties have been costly, stalling drives at some times and extending the opponents’ at others. In Saturday’s game, those played a key role in WSU’s four three-and-outs, including two to open the game.

In the second quarter, WSU running back Angel Johnson – who is still waiting for a breakout game – ripped off a 24-yard gain, a burst of speed that looked to energize he and his offense. But it was called back due to a holding call on transfer tight end Ademola Faleye, who tackled his man to the ground, an easy call for officials.

Toward the end of the third quarter, not long after SDSU pulled within two scores on a short touchdown rush, WSU got the ball back with a chance to rebuild its lead to something more comfortable. But on the second play of the drive, after running back Kirby Vorhees broke free for a 6-yard gain, right guard AJ Vaipulu was called for holding – and two plays later, the hosts punted again.

“When you take a tackle for loss or you have a penalty, it’s hard to move the chains,” Rogers said on Monday. “Those happen. We would move down the field, and then we would stall on a holding penalty. It’s hard to get into rhythm again after that, because the situation is quite a bit different. So we can’t kill ourselves. We can’t live behind the sticks on the delay of game.”

That penalty – the delay of game that WSU took in the first quarter in part because SDSU’s defense didn’t take the field until later in the play clock – was one flag Rogers was more confused by than frustrated with. But everything else, the holds and false starts, concern him because of the tests awaiting his team.

For the Cougars, the next is a road matchup with North Texas, which was a 6-point favorite in many sportsbooks as of Wednesday afternoon. The Mean Green operate one of the nation’s fastest offenses, underscoring the mentality of head coach Eric Morris, who worked as WSU’s offensive coordinator in 2022.

Highs in Denton, Texas, on Saturday are forecast to be 95 degrees. After Tuesday’s practice, WSU defensive tackle Max Baloun – who registered his first sack as a Cougar last weekend – couldn’t recall playing in hotter conditions in his five years at South Dakota State. It’s clear that, regardless of the opponent, WSU will be walking into a sizzling environment.

If there’s good news for WSU in this, it’s this: The way Rogers sees things, the penalties his team committed against Idaho were of the mental variety, mistakes that came from lapses in judgement and lack of situational awareness. Wide receiver Josh Meredith was called for a personal foul for spinning the ball after a touchdown. The Cougs were called for a delay of game before a punt.

Against SDSU, those penalties became more about technique, Rogers said. That’s where he felt like holding calls came from, like those against Faleye and Vaipulu.

Is that a step in the right direction in any way? “I mean, you could say technique is mental, right?” Rogers said. For example, he said, Meredith was caught spinning the ball after a touchdown. A week later, Neal did the same after his scoring play. Officials just didn’t see him do it, so no flag came down.

“Leon was excited. I’m excited for Leon. I’m proud of Leon,” Rogers said. “But we gotta make sure that that positive moment lasts, and it doesn’t immediately turn into a negative moment because of just the spur-of-the-moment reaction.”