Washington State Football: 3 takeaways from dismantling of Arizona

2. Washington State boasts underrated, championship-level defense

After the first 11 weeks of the regular season, Washington State’s was quietly positioned in the top quartile of the FBS. The Cougars gave up an average of 324 yards per game, positioning them fourth in the Pac-12 and 20th nationally. Washington State ranked 34th in the country in points allowed, giving away only 22.1 points per game.

Beyond those figures, the Cougars did an especially strong job of getting to opposing quarterbacks. Prior to the Arizona contest, Washington State ranked 15th nationally with an average of three sacks. That kept opposing passers from getting comfortable and allowed Washington State to compile the 34th best pass efficiency defense.

It definitely showed against Arizona. The Cougars allowed Khalil Tate to rack up 294 passing yards with four touchdowns, but they also forced an interception. Eventually, though he wasn’t playing bad, Sumlin opted to put in Rhett Rodriguez just to protect his starter. More importantly, Washington State thoroughly contained the Wildcats ground game as they allowed just 127 net yards to the Arizona backfield.

While Minshew and the Air Raid offense get the majority of the accolades, it is the Cougars defense that has consistently determined whether Mike Leach’s team has won games this year. Unlike other recent vintages at Washington State, this year’s team has the defense to match its high-octane offense. That could spell a championship and a shot at the College Football Playoff.