Two-minute drill: Washington State’s keys to victory against No. 4 Washington

Here is what to watch for when Washington State visits No. 4 Washington on Saturday in the Apple Cup.

When Washington has the ball …

We could write an encyclopedia’s worth of material on the Huskies’ skill players on offense, from quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to receivers like Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Germie Bernard, and rightfully so. They’ve guided the way for one of the country’s top offenses. They’ll give Washington State one of its toughest challenges all season.

But there’s a reason why Penix has had time to find those guys down the field: his offensive line. That unit, which includes left tackle Troy Fautanu, left guard Nate Kalepo, center Parker Brailsford, right guard Geirean Hatchett and right tackle Roger Rosengarten, ranks No. 11 nationwide in Pro Football Focus’ offensive line efficiency rankings, giving up just three sacks all season.

Fautanu, who will likely be matched up with WSU edge Brennan Jackson, has held up the best. He is PFF’s No. 24-graded pass-blocker in the country – and fourth highest in the Pac-12. On Monday, WSU coach Jake Dickert said about Fautanu: “(No.) 55 is the best offensive lineman I’ve seen on tape – ever.”

Which, the way Dickert sees it, is why it’s so important for the Cougars to get pressure on Penix. Recently, Huskies players and coaches have voiced concerns over a struggling offense, but in their worst offensive output, a 15-7 win over Arizona State last month, UW’s offensive line yielded 10 pressures. Penix tossed a pair of interceptions and lost a fumble.

Does correlation equal causation? Not always. But in this case, Washington State is taking this to signal the importance of its pass rush.

“If we can affect (Penix) – not even sack him – try to move him off his spot is something that’s really important in this football game,” Dickert said. “We’ll do a variety of different things. Yes, you have to affect him. The one game that he wasn’t quite sharp and on point was Arizona State and they affected him. They didn’t sack him, but they affected him.”

The good news for Washington State is that its pass rush is coming off one of its finest performances all season. In the Cougars’ romp over Colorado last weekend, they piled up five sacks: two from Ron Stone Jr.; one apiece from lineman Nusi Malani and edge Quinn Roff; and one-half apiece for Jackson (who collected two scoops-and-scores) and David Gusta , torching a shaky CU offensive line.

Washington State’s secondary, thinning by the week, also needs its pass rush to get home. That’s because cornerback Chau Smith-Wade, who is “day-to-day” according to Dickert but whose availability seems doubtful, may not play. Redshirt freshman cornerback Javan Robinson is no longer playing after announcing his intent to enter the transfer portal.

That means WSU’s three cornerbacks, everyday starter Cam Lampkin and new hands Jamorri Colson and Stephen Hall, will need to step up – or let their pass rushers affect UW’s offense.

When Washington State has the ball …

If the Cougars are to dethrone the Huskies, quarterback Cam Ward will need to have one of his best – if not his best – games at WSU. At his best, he’s been mobile and accurate, an elusive quarterback who knows the difference between bold throws and dangerous ones.

He’s shown that version on several occasions, like in his team’s win over Oregon State and Colorado, plus in spots against Oregon and Cal.

The only problem with Ward is that for as many promising moments he’s produced, he’s supplied plenty of concerning ones, too. Issue No. 1 involves his ball security, or lack thereof, which has led to his 11 fumbles – tied for the most in the country. He’s lost the ball under pressure, with a clean pocket, scrambling upfield. He understands the weight of the problem, but solving it has been another story.

Like his team’s edge rushers, though, he’ll enter off an encouraging showing. Against Colorado, he accounted for four touchdowns, throwing for two and rushing for two . He wasn’t perfect through the air, completing 18 of 30 passes, but he hit enough big plays to keep the Cougars in control.

Will he get the same opportunities against UW’s secondary? That much may depend on WSU’s running game, which has been on an uptick. In that win over Colorado, running back Nakia Watson produced 47 rushing yards, which may not sound like much – but he looked fresher and faster than he had in a long while. A few days later, Ward said that was Watson’s first time playing fully healthy all season.

If the Cougars can force the Huskies to respect their ground attack, the whole game may change. The success of WSU’s offense has always hinged on its rushing game, whether it’s operating well enough to force defenses to move away from a coverage-heavy scheme, and if the Cougars can do that , Ward will have a much easier time finding his favorite targets – Lincoln Victor, Kyle Williams and Josh Kelly – down the field.

On that front, the Washington names to watch include edge Bralen Trice, who has piled up five sacks this season; linebacker Carson Bruener, who picked up 14 tackles in his group’s win over Oregon State; and linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio, who leads the team with 59 tackles .

“Really just taking advantage of everything they give us,” Ward said. “They’re a solid defense. I feel like they’re a bend-but-don’t-break defense. So we’re gonna have to take some shots over the top, test the DBs early. Also, we’re gonna have to establish the run game versus them. They’re really good in their blitz packages, so we’re gonna have to be great at seeing that in the film room. So really just staying on track and just playing our brand of offense.”