Washington State Football: 3 takeaways from dismantling of Arizona

Washington State football was already up by more than 40 points at halftime, as they walloped the overmatched Arizona in Pac-12 After Dark action.

Washington State did everything necessary to keep themselves in the running for a spot in the College Football Playoff this season, as they demolished Arizona at home 69-28 for their 10th win of the 2018 season. Mike Leach’s team racked up more than 600 yards of total offense as they blew out the visiting Wildcats in every phase of the game.

It was a statement performance in Pac-12 After Dark action before a nationwide audience on ESPN. With their only loss coming in a narrow three-point defeat against USC on the road at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Cougars are in position to play for a conference championship and a spot in the four-team College Football Playoff field. At worst, they will enter the final weekend of November at No. 8 in the committee’s Top 25 rankings.

Up 55-14 at halftime, the Cougars did allow the visiting Wildcats to come back into the interdivisional battle of feline foes. But in the end, the margin of victory still proved as impressive as anything else that the top contenders were able to muster in Week 12.

Washington State is the one team in the Pac-12 that could still break into the College Football Playoff field this season, thanks to their standout showing on Saturday night against an outworked Arizona side. Here are three things we learned about the Cougars from their command performance in victory over Khalil Tate and company.