Offensively & Defensively Speaking: Washington State

I sure hope nobody turned off this game against Washington State before halftime. There were plenty of reasons to do so as USC struggled mightily early on both sides of the ball. Washington State looked like giant killers and jumped out to a 14-0 lead, which could have been worse if not for the defensive goal-line stand. Two touchdowns really turned the tide…the one that WSU didn’t get and the one freshman Jaxson Dart threw to Gary Bryant on 4^th and 9 just before the end of the first half. That was at least a 14-point swing and much more than that in the momentum column. 

We all know we saw something special yesterday with Jaxson Dart emerging to right the listing ship and make big play after big play, despite some freshman mistakes. He inspired an entire team, both offense and defense. And yes, he reminds me of Sam Darnold, too.

Offensively Speaking

This game started off just plain awful. We again exposed our quarterback to needless bashing with poor perimeter pass blocking and anemic run blocking. This game was a huge step backward for the O-line after showing some promise last week. One result was Slovis getting hurt and all of us being introduced to true freshman Jaxson Dart as our quarterback. And what an introduction it was. He was responsible for at least eight big pass plays in excess of 15 yards and ironically was the team’s leading rusher too. Quite an accomplishment. But most importantly, he drove the offense to 38 straight points and even in an off-handed way, helped the defense get a touchdown fumble recovery, making it 42 unanswered points.

Let’s face it, our first down production was woeful. WSU was focused on creating first down negative plays. The Cougars managed to produce nine TFLs against our offense but still gave up 45 points. Unofficially, WSU got five of their TFLs on first down, which really creates an uphill battle for the offense. But Jaxson Dart had an answer. He was the answer, frankly.

Shout outs on Offense

• Jaxon Dart – A performance for the ages
• Drake London – He just keeps on making big plays, even banged up
• Gary Bryant – His speed is just special and will make everyone else’s job a little easier

Defensively Speaking

This defense really had to figure out how it was going to attack Washington State’s offense. Let’s face it, until quarterback Jayden De Laura got banged up, we were in trouble. The defense was getting shredded for 200+ yards and 14 points until the 4th and 2 goal-line stop. It was like a switch went on.

Thereafter, WSU scored zero points on seven straight drives and suffered five TFLs, including three sacks (the first of the season). One thing I noticed is that Orlando started using Drake Jackson in his natural position of defensive end. He belongs on the edge or even occasionally inside for a different look. He does not belong in pass defense dropping into a short zone…talk about neutralizing a potential sack machine. After their 14-0 lead, Washington State could muster only one third-down conversion. That was good defense combined with a hurt starting quarterback.

So the defense, which started out so timid and ineffective, ended up with two interceptions, three sacks (total five TFLs) and two fumble recoveries including a fumble recovery touchdown.

The base defense is still a 3-4-4 with multiple different sets and personnel packages. It doesn’t always work. Early on we went with a soft zone with zone press for the boundary CB (short side) and zone with inside help on the field side (wide side). As the game progressed, we saw more CB man coverage to allow for a stronger blitzing attack against the walk-on QB for WSU. This was an excellent and effective change.

Shout outs on Defense

• Drake Jackson – Forced fumble and a sack
• Tuli Tuipulotu – Fumble recovery for a TD
• Calen Bullock – Interception and four tackles
• Chase Williams & Xavion Alford – six tackles a piece
• Jayden Williams – Interception

So this unusual and entertaining game is in the books. There are many storylines developing including 1) Will the run game ever really work? 2) What will be the impact of a healthy Gary Bryant? 3) Will Orlando keep Jackson on the edge?

But I wonder if one of these questions is whether there a starting QB decision to be made. Welcome to head coaching HC Donte Williams! And congratulations on your first win. It was memorable.

PS: My condolences to the Steve Riley family. Another teammate is now gone. Steve was always pleasant as a teammate with a great sense of humor. And oh, could he block. Rest in Peace, my friend.