WSU was outside the top 100 in passing and rushing yards allowed, sacks and third-down rate defensively through five games in 2024. But with a bye week to prepare, the Cougs stiffened against Fresno State, charging a 25-17 victory.
Through five games, Wazzu allowed 292 passing yards per game (127), 176 rushing yards per game (102), had five total sacks (116) and had a 43% third down rate (100). Against FSU, WSU held quarterback Mikey Keene to just 220 yards passing, intercepting him twice. A sign of growth in the defensive secondary, defensive back Kapena Gushiken said.
“Communication, we stress that the most,” said Gushiken. “Making sure we’re all on the same page. Talking pre-snap, talking as the snap is happening.”
Fellow defensive back Tyson Durant echoed his teammate’s thoughts.
“The communication was at an all-time high. That was the best communication since I’ve been on this team. We had the bye week to talk to each other and make really good relationships, and we were the more excited team,” Durant said.
It was a huge step forward for the Cougar pass defense. Strides taken in other areas of the Cougar defense were more like baby steps, but still progress.
The Cougs allowed 142 rushing yards, 34 less than their average, but still allowed FSU running back Elijah Gilliam to break loose for 120 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. WSU also recorded two sacks in the game, marking just the second multi-sack effort of the season. Despite not dominating, linebacker Keith Brown sees the blueprint to solve the two defensive issues.
“[The key to fixing the tackling is] never assuming that someone is down. That’s something we harped on big after the Boise State game. Sometimes you see a guy wrapped up and you think he’s gonna get tackled. Never assume, and all 11 hats to the ball,” Brown said. “Rushing the passer starts with stopping the run on first and second down. Third and four, third and five can be considered third and long now. So as long as we can get stops on first and second down, we should be able to get that pass rush going.”
The Cougar defense also brought the splash plays Saturday, forcing three turnovers, including two interceptions, one by Durant, and a go-ahead pick-six by cornerback Ethan O’Connor. It was Durant’s second and O’Connor’s third interception this season, playing a large part in the win as a whole, and potentially shaping the defense’s identity.
“I’m a taker. I know [University of Washington] uses it, but that’s our term now. We take the ball no matter what. [Tyson Durant] came up with one and I almost came up with another one. I feel like I’m taking the ball away from teams. It’s going to get to a point where people aren’t going to want to throw at me anymore. So, we take the ball, we’re takers now,” O’Connor said
The defensive effort was a much-welcomed boost for a Cougar offense that largely stalled after two early touchdown drives against FSU.
The emphasis on the bye week was to fix the defensive communication, which will fix many of the team’s defensive issues, Dickert said. The result, as Durant said, was a far improved all-around effort from the unit Saturday.
“You see what you demand,” Dickert said. “Those guys took it to heart, there were some hard conversations. Some callups to say ‘This isn’t getting done, guys.’ We saw the results of it. That’s one game, and we gotta continue to do it if we want to be successful.”
