Washington State Football: 3 takeaways from dismantling of Arizona

3. Gardner Minshew is a legitimate Heisman contender

All season long, Gardner Minshew has put up ridiculous stats in his first season with Washington State. The East Carolina transfer stepped into a vacuum at quarterback after Luke Falk graduated and Tyler Hilinski tragically took his own life shortly after the end of last season. Providing instant leadership for an offense that was otherwise in a good position, Minshew has been a key reason why the Cougars are in position for their first Pac-12 championship in a decade and a half.

In the win over Arizona, Minshew posted another ridiculous stat line. By halftime, Minshew had already completed 28 of his 33 passing attempts for 310 yards and five touchdowns through the air. He added a dozen yards on three carries before the intermission. It was the kind of stat sheet that most quarterbacks would love to post over the course of 60 minutes, and Minshew compressed the performance into less than 30.

After the break, Leach kept his starter in the game and felt no reason to put the governor on the breakneck pace of his offense. Minshew responded with another 163 yards and two touchdowns in the second half as the offensive productivity eased off. Even so, Minshew finished with 473 passing yards and seven touchdowns with a 78 percent completion rate, breaking several Washington State records along the way.

Minshew could end his brief sojourn to Washington State with at least 14 consecutive 300-yard passing games if the Cougars win out. And if they do happen to reach the College Football Playoff and win their semifinal showdown, Minshew would be in position to become the first quarterback in FBS history to throw for at least 300 yards in 15 straight games. Given his comfort level in Leach’s offense, that is an incredibly realistic proposition.