Another week has come and gone, and it’s almost time for Cougar football!
Washington State (3–3) @ #18 Virginia (5–1)
Spread: Virginia -17.5
Kickoff: 3:30 PM Pacific Time | Broadcast: The CW
Keys to the Game:
Neutralize Their Advantage in the Trenches:
The biggest difference between these two teams is along the lines of scrimmage. Virginia’s defense has racked up 18 sacks so far this season, while their offensive line features six players who grade higher than any lineman on WSU’s roster. Our secondary did a great job last week giving the pass rush time to get home, and that will again be essential for success. Against Ole Miss, we leaned on quick passes and rollouts to help Zevi avoid pressure and negate their advantage up front—I’d expect a similar game plan here.
Win the Turnover Battle:
This may sound simple, but football often is. In games where we’re even or positive in turnover margin, we’re 3–1, with our only loss coming last week in arguably our best performance of the season. In the two games where we lost the turnover battle, we were outscored by a combined 84 points. The sample size may be small, but winning the turnover battle is absolutely critical if we want a shot at upsetting the Cavaliers.
Kirby Vorhees Needs to Be the Primary Running Back:
This one continues to baffle me—Vorhees is clearly the best option in the backfield. He’s averaging over five yards per carry, compared to just two for Angel Johnson, yet he only has one more carry on the season. I understand wanting to keep him fresh, but we need our best players on the field as much as possible—and right now, that’s Kirby Vorhees.
Prediction: WSU 35 – Virginia 31
Fatigue is a concern with our second East Coast trip in as many weeks, but I don’t see a massive talent gap between these two teams. I do worry about Virginia being able to run up the middle, so open-field tackling will be crucial. That said, I believe we can move the ball effectively and that we have the best quarterback in this matchup. If we win the turnover battle, we can absolutely win this game. Tucker Large makes a big play on defense, Zevi throws for 300 yards, and the Cougs storm into Charlottesville as Jimmy Rodgers earns his first signature win.