Two-minute drill: Keys to victory for Washington State against Air Force in the Cheez-It Bowl.
Don’t take your eyes off …
The Cougars, quite literally, cannot take their eyes off Donald Hammond III, the junior quarterback who makes Air Force’s triple option offense go. Within the offense, Hammond is responsible for reading the defense and making decisions based on how it reacts. If WSU doubles up on the pitch, Hammond is likely to keep the ball himself and test the Cougars with his legs. He’s the Falcons’ fourth-leading rusher, with 491 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season. If the Cougars focus on Hammond, the Falcons still have a numbers advantage because the signal-caller will make the appropriate read and pitch to his running back. Air Force won’t throw it much, but Hammond has also improved as a passer, with 1,286 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions this season after only 623 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions in 2018.
When WSU has the ball …
Don’t bother bringing up time of possession to Cougars Mike Leach. It’s his least favorite statistic and one that generally has no bearing on the outcome for WSU and the Air Raid. Nonetheless, it could be a significant one for the Cougars. Air Force possesses the ball for 33 minutes on average and holds opponents to 27 minutes. WSU can live with those numbers as long as the Cougars are efficient with their limited offensive opportunities. In other words, they can’t afford turnovers. Anthony Gordon’s had two games without an interception, including the only other game he played in Arizona, against Arizona State in mid-October. But Gordon’s also had five games with multiple interceptions, and the Cougars have had three games in which they’re turned the ball over at least three times – including six versus UCLA and four versus Washington. WSU doesn’t have to keep the ball for long stretches, but the Cougars also shouldn’t squander scoring opportunities against an Air Force team that will almost surely have the edge in time of possession.
When Air Force has the ball …
The Falcons have the discipline you’d expect from a service academy. Don’t expect them to be whistled for too many false starts or offside penalties. Air Force is the least-penalized team in the country, having drawn only 40 flags in 12 games. Only three other teams in the FBS – Rice, Navy and Western Kentucky – have been flagged fewer than 50 times. Those penalties have gone for just 348 yards. By comparison, WSU has collected more than twice that many penalties (82), and the Cougars rank No. 94 nationally. The Falcons’ impressive time of possession numbers are helped by converting on third down better than just about everyone else in the country. Air Force’s third-down conversion percentage (54.8) ranks second nationally behind only No. 2 Ohio State. The Falcons are also strong on fourth down, converting 72 percent of the time – good enough for sixth in the country.
Did you know?
The older brother of WSU true freshman offensive lineman Ma’ake Fifita, Mosese Fifita, is one of Air Force’s top defensive players and the one ESPN selected when choosing potential draft picks in each bowl game. Mosese, a senior defensive lineman, totaled 45 tackles this season with 6 1/2 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. In three years and 36 games with Air Force, Mosese has notched 90 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Ma’ake Fifita, an offensive tackle from Snohomish, Washington, hasn’t played in a game this season after signing with the Cougars out of of Glacier Peak High.