Washington State vs Rutgers: Earning their Claws, Bruising their Paws

Aug 28, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights wide receiver

(1) makes a catch in front of Washington State Cougars safety

(48) during the second half at Centurylink Field. The Knights beat Cougars 41-38. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Washington State football is here and there’s nothing better than living and dying with our Cougs each week as they strive to earn their way back into postseason play.

This section is called “Earning their Claws, Bruising their Paws”. Each week I’ll be taking a look at the individual Cougars that pounced on their opportunities for Pac-12 greatness (earning claws) and also those that stumbled and bumbled their way to forgettable performances, (bruising their paws) in the process. Let’s get into it.

On Thursday night, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights stormed into Seattle and took down the WSU Cougars in what has been largely described as a “wild” affair. Neither team defensively could stop what the other did well offensively but in the end, it was a special teams muff and the inability to get off the field by the Cougs that took their record to 0-1 on the season. Let’s look at the individuals who shone brightest and those who didn’t for Wazzu (there were plenty of each).