Washington State Football: Can Cougs stay the course against Colorado?

Washington State football is in the top 10 of the College Football Playoff rankings. Can the Cougars keep their momentum going against Colorado on Saturday?

Washington State is the last hope for the Pac-12 to crack into the College Football Playoff this year. The Cougars are the only team left in the conference with fewer than three defeats blemishing their record. It is a testament to the consistency that Mike Leach has generated in Pullman that the Cougars are right back in the thick of the conference race.

A big reason for Washington State’s success in 2018 is graduate transfer quarterback Gardner Minshew. The former East Carolina star has been the perfect fit for Leach’s Air Raid offense, leading the FBS in passing yards. Through Washington State’s first nine games, Minshew has thrown for 27 touchdowns and more than 3500 yards.

Their hosts on Saturday, Colorado, have backslid since winning the Pac-12 South two years ago. Entering the home date against Washington State, the Buffaloes are still searching for their elusive sixth win of the season. After opening the season 5-0, the Buffaloes have lost four straight. Now Colorado is beginning to get desperate to get over that six-win hump.

Steven Montez has been adequate passing the ball, ranking among the top 30 quarterbacks in the FBS. He ranks 18th in passing yards, and the Buffaloes would be far worse without their passer. They have also been adept at scoring defensive touchdowns, with two so far in 2018.

Could Colorado ruin Cougars dreams of a major bowl bid in 2018? Here’s how you can watch the Saturday game between No. 8 Washington State and Colorado:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 10
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Boulder, Colo.
Venue: Folsom Field
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Washington State needs to clamp down if and when Colorado gets into the red zone. The Cougars are allowing opponents to score on almost 93 percent of their visits inside the Washington State 20, putting them 123rd in the nation. Cutting down on the points they give up would go a long way toward nabbing Washington State the victory.

To snag an upset at home, Colorado needs to get a great game from their offensive line. Entering Week 11, the Buffaloes rate 84th in sacks and 125th in tackles for loss. Mike MacIntyre’s team also needs to improve their success on third and fourth downs. Keeping the chains moving will be critical to any potential upset bid.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com

Point Spread: Washington State -6
Over/Under: 60.5

Prediction

Washington State is going to take care of business on Saturday afternoon in Boulder. The Cougars are going to easily overcome the point spread, as they go over 40 points for just the fifth time this season. It will go a long way toward making a case for the College Football Playoff committee as Mike Leach’s team moves to 9-1 and threatens to nab a top-six position in the rankings.

Final Score: Washington State 41, Colorado 24