Pac-12 Football: Five things learned in Week 2

Sep 12, 2015; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback Luke Falk (4) is sacked by Rutgers Scarlet Knights defensive lineman Julian Pinnix-Odrick (53) during first half at High Points Solutions Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

4. Washington State Is Not Dead Yet

After a week one loss to FCS Portland State, just about everyone wrote off the Cougars in the quest for relevancy and a bowl birth. However, after going on a road trip to New Jersey to face the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, another team in disarray following some high-profile off-field incidents, this team looks rejuvenated. After all, the Cougars mounted a 10 play, 90 yard drive that ended with a go-ahead touchdown as the clock read just 13 seconds.

That was after the punch to the gut that the team took watching Rutger’s Janarion Grant return a Cougar punt 55 yards into the end zone with a little over a minute to go in the game. The touchdown gave the Scarlet Knights a 34-30 lead, setting up Washington State’s final drive.

The Week One loss was bad, but given that it was played in a driving rainstorm and Cougars’ head coach Mike Leach runs a pass happy system, it was a bit more forgivable than you might think. This win erases the memory of that defeat and gives the fans of the program hope going forward.

While there is still plenty more to learn about the Cougars, this week taught us that we cannot write them off just yet.

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