If you have memories of the late Mike Leach at all you know that he loved to opine on just about anything, much to the delight of all the reporters who covered the teams that he coached. The winningest coach in Texas Tech history he had this advice to his players regarding girlfriends: “If there is any resistance from her parents to letting her go to a Texas Tech football game it is a clear indicator that they would make terrible in-laws and you need to get out of that relationship as quickly as possible.” As a coach it’s rare if ever that you find yourself in a win-win position on game day. But having also been the head coach at Washington State from 2012 to 2019 I’d love to think that “The Pirate,” a two-time national coach of the year and the co-developer with Hal Mumme of the Air Raid Offense at Iowa Wesleyan University, was able to watch this one from above—even though the way it was won might have surprised him.
Regarding Washington State’s win in Week-1 over Portland State and the Cougar’s 637 yards of total offense head coach Jake Dickert said there was one reason: “We ran the ball,” and proceeded to explain how that opened up their entire offense. Dickert is now in his fourth year, and certainly early on the ratio between the pass and the run was more in line with the Air Raid offense that the Cougars were known for under Leach although never as lop-sided. For example in 2018, Leach’s second to last year with the Cougars, the ratio between the pass to the run was well over 4-to-1, they ran on average right at 78 yards per game and passed 373 yards per game. By 2022 Dickert’s Cougars were gradually working towards more of a balance and were passing about 2.5 times more than they were running. This year, although we only have the stats for two games, Washington State is averaging 262.5 yards per game on the ground and 264 yards in the air—about as balanced as you can get.
In this one Cougar Sophomore QB John Mateer who struggled a bit in the air–throwing an interception on the second play of the game and connecting on just 9-of-19 for 115 yards, 1 TD to Senior WR Kyle Williams, and 1 interception—literally ran wild rushing 21 times for just three ticks shy of 200 yards and a TD, an average of over 9 yards per carry. Running backs Wayshawn Parker and Djouvensky Schlenbaker kicked in another 11 rushing attempts each for another 96 yards and three more TD’s collectively.
In spite of an interception on the 2nd play of the game Washington State held them to a three-and-out, got the ball back and scored seven plays later to go up 7-0. Texas Tech would connect on a field goal two possessions later to make it 7-3 through the 1st Qtr. After being held to a three-and-out of their own early in the 2nd Qtr the Cougars would score on back-to-back TD’s to go up 21-3 with the second set up by a Red Raider fumble inside their own red zone. They closed to 21-10 on a TD of their own 6 plays and 75 yards later but would set the Cougars up for another TD before the half with an interception and return to the Texas Tech 38 yard line. Three plays later Mateer connected with Kyle Williams for a 21 yard TD and 27-10 lead going into the break.
Washington State extended their lead to 34-10 with a rushing TD on their 2nd possession of the 3rd Qtr and had a chance to get more but couldn’t capitalize on another Texas Tech interception. The Red Raiders would pick up six more on their next possession but failed on their two-point conversion attempt to make it 34-16. With about six minutes left in the game the Cougars’ Place Kicker Dean Janikowski would add three more on a 25 yard field goal to make it 37-16 where it would stay. Texas Tech starting QB Junior Behren Morton connected on 34-of-58 for 323 yards, 1 TD, and 2 interceptions while Sophomore WR, Coy Eakin, took a pitch-out and connected with Junior TE Johncarlos Miller II for a TD of his own. On the ground the Red Raiders rushed 27 times for 148 yards but never made it into the end zone.
Texas Tech led in first downs, 24-to-18; were successful on 3rd down more than 50% of the time compared to less than 25% of the time for the Cougars; and had 70+ more total yards of offense. But they kept shooting themselves in the foot with 80 yards of penalties, two fumbles lost, and two interceptions thrown. As their head coach Joey McGuire said after the game; “We’re our own worst enemy right now. You don’t have a chance to win a game when you’re doing the things we’re doing, playing the way we’re playing.” With regards to how he thought The Pirate might react to their win a laughing head coach Jake Dickert said; “I do know this, coach Leach would be really disappointed. Why the hell are you running your starting quarterback?”
As the AP noted in their write-up of the game for ESPN; “The matchup of the two schools that were once coached by the late Mike Leach came on the weekend Leach was inducted into Washington State’s Athletics Hall of Fame. The schools each wore pirate themed stickers on the back of their helmets and Leach was recognized at halftime with the rest of the inductees.” I’m sure Washington State would like nothing better than to take down the Huskies who abandoned the PAC-12 in the Apple Cup at Lumen Field this next Saturday and, after checking both teams out, I wouldn’t be surprised if they do just that.