Washington State football shuts down Montana State at home

3. Washington State’s running game should be solid once again

People always think about Mike Leach teams as passing teams. And they do so with good reason, as Leach never shies away from calling for his quarterbacks to chuck the ball all over the field. Last year’s success in Pullman, though, was predicated as much on the growth of the ground game as it was on Falk’s continued development as a passer.

Against Montana State, a team that held opponents to 146 rushing yards per game last year, Washington State put up solid numbers on the ground. Jamal Morrow led the way with 89 yards on 10 carries, including a 29-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. It was the second-biggest game statistically of Morrow’s career.

The rest of the Washington State backfield chipped in another 61 yards on 15 carries. Averaging six yards per carry, the Cougars demonstrated decent offensive balance as they routed their FCS opponent.

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The focus will remain on Falk and the passing attack. But that will benefit the Cougars over the rest of the year, as their running backs benefit from the lack of focus to take teams by surprise. We will learn more in the coming weeks when Morrow and the other Washington State running backs try to gain yardage against the Boise State defense and throughout the Pac-12 schedule.