Washington State Football: 3 bold predictions vs. Cal in Week 7
3. Washington State’s defense is going to eat
At this point, it should be basic college football knowledge that any Mike Leach-helmed team is going to receive a good deal of national attention for their explosive, high-flying aerial assault, but so far this season, Washington State’s defense has actually been the team’s best unit.
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Currently ranked the 11th-best defense in the entire nation, third-year defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s squad has recorded the seventh-most sacks of any team in the nation with 21, the ninth-most tackles for loss with 49 and have only given up 111 points so far this season, good for roughly 18 points per game.
And with the Cougars’ offense currently on pace to record 500 points in 2017, that’s a winning formula for success — especially in the Pac-12.
And these already-flashy numbers could get even more gaudy as Washington State prepares to travel to Berkeley, Calif., to face off against the Golden Bears’ 103rd-ranked offense.
In contrast to their previous Bear-Raid offensive attack, Cal has been a mess this season, averaging only 345.2 yards per game and having only recorded an incredibly mediocre 13 offensive touchdowns behind sophomore quarterback Ross Bowers.
And this inconsistency has resulted in sacks, oh so many sacks.
Cal is currently tied, ironically with Washington State, for the sixth-most sacked team in the nation with 23 in six games, and these numbers could get even worse against the Cougars’ defensive front.
The Cougars’ defensive line, highlighted by junior force of nature Hercules Mata’afa, could be out for blood against Cal’s porous offensive line.
If Washington State pulls out to an early lead, a fate that is all but a guarantee at this point, Cal will be forced to defeat the Cougars through the air, and will inevitable leave Bowers a sitting duck in the pocket, practically begging to be sacked.