Coaches will tell you that winning or losing can only be defined in the win and loss columns, but Washington State went into Autzen Stadium and played the No. 7 Oregon Ducks tough, eventually losing 43-28.
The Cougars may have lost, but the game was a victory for the program as a whole, if only because it showed what this team could become if they snuff out the miscues.
Oregon thought it could take Washington State lightly, and it nearly cost them. That's progress from a program that is struggling to scrap its way out of the Pac-12's cellar.
GRADES:
- Quarterback: C+
Senior Marshall Lobbestael again put up impressive numbers, but he did it against freshmen cornerbacks and failed to capitalize on redzone opportunities. He completed 28-of-48 passes for 337 yards, one touchdown, two costly interceptions near the goalline and contributed to a time of possession advantage of 40:26 to 19:34. Lobbestael also saw his passes find his receivers' feet far too frequently.
In the end, a quarterback's performance boils down to capitalizing on opportunities and putting points on the board. Lobbestael struggled to do that in the first half and it cost the Cougs.
- Running backs: C
Freshman Rickey Galvin and junior Carl Winston showed they have the ability to be consistent ground gainers, even if neither is a real home run threat. The pair combined to run for 119 yards on 25 carries - strong numbers. Logwone Mitz continues to appear as though he'd be better suited as a blocking fullback, as he carried 10 times for just 23 yards.
- Wide receivers: A-
Oregon's top two cornerbacks were out of the game, and the Ducks were forced to play freshmen, but Washington State's receivers shouldn't have their performance downgraded - they delivered. Sophomore Marquess Wilson snagged a career-high 11 passes for 126 yards, while senior Jared Karstetter returned to his sure-handed ways after a miserable few weeks, catching seven balls for 114 yards and a touchdown.
- Offensive line: B-
The offensive line was much improved this week, but still couldn't create much space for the running backs. They gave Lobbestael time to throw, however, and that kept the Cougs churning out yards for much of the game. The Cougars ended the night outgaining the Ducks, 462 to 454.
- Defensive line: A-
Oregon doesn't lose games very often, but when it does, the opposing defensive line is usually responsible. Washington State's front four held LaMichael James to just 53 yards on 14 carries, and the Ducks as a whole managed just 213 yards on the ground (more than 100 fewer than their average).
Travis Long and Brandon Rankin were also disruptive in the passing game, causing enough chaos in front of quarterback Darron Thomas that he was pulled and ended the night on the bench.
- Linebackers: B+
The linebacking corps of Alex-Hoffman Ellis, Sekope Kaufusi and C.J. Mizell were equally disruptive at the point of attack and managed to also bat a few balls down at the line of scrimmage. Oregon nearly made the Cougs play on a blown coverage of tight end David Paulsen, as he was wide open down the seam and would've scored, but the pass was overthrown.
- Defensive backs: C
Damante Horton intercepted a pass for his fourth consecutive game - this one he took 76 yards for a touchdown. Deone Bucannon also had an interception early in the contest to give the defensive back's two takeaways.
Then there's "the play." Oregon's freshman sensation De'Anthony Thomas took a pass out of the flat and took it 46 yards for a score, the final 20 of which he made so many cuts that safety Tyree Toomer, who was ahead of Thomas on the run, couldn't find him and tried to cut him off in the wrong direction three different times. It was like getting your ankles broken in basketball three different times in one possession. Not good.
It wasn't just that play, however, as multiple times Oregon quarterbacks kept plays alive with their feet and found a receiver wide open downfield for a touchdown after the Cougars had lost sight of their men in coverage.
That can't happen, and it resulted in points for the Ducks more than once.
- Special teams: F
Washington State gave up two touchdowns and a two-point conversion on special teams, and Andrew Furney missed a 25-yard field goal. That's 18 points worth of mistakes. The Cougars lost by 15.
More than any other, this unit cost the Cougs a chance at an upset.
Washington State allowed Oregon to get on the scoreboard without running an offensive play when cornerback Avery Patterson went untouched and blocked Dan Wagner's punt. Oregon's Boseko Lokombo picked it up and took it in for a score.
Late in the third quarter, freshman De'Anthony Thomas broke a tackle and took a kick return 93 yards for a second special teams touchdown.
The Cougars (3-5, 1-4) will look to end the four-game slide next week at 12:30 p.m. at California.
Andrew Nemec can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 230, by email to anemec@dnews.com, or on Twitter at AndrewNemec.
