WSU’s secondary keeps making plays, which has often been enough to win

Oct. 10, 2023 Updated Tue., Oct. 10, 2023 at 9:48 p.m.

Washington State defensive back Sam Lockett III (0) celebrates an interception during the first half Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)Buy a print of this photo

By Greg Woods gregw@spokesman.com (509) 459-5587

PULLMAN – Washington State cornerback Cam Lampkin performed a front flip for an audience of zero. WSU head coach Jake Dickert took off down the sideline. Both made no effort to contain their emotions on the sideline of the Rose Bowl.

The spotlight belonged to WSU nickelback Kapena Gushiken, who had just intercepted a pass and returned it 88 yards for a touchdown, handing the Cougars a one-point lead right before halftime in Saturday’s loss to UCLA. On a sunny day in Southern California, game result aside, nobody shone brighter than Gushiken

This fall, the Cougars’ secondary has stood out repeatedly. The secondary has two pick-sixes, one from safety Jaden Hicks against Colorado State and the one from Gushiken against UCLA. It also has three other interceptions, two from safety Sam Lockett III and one from fellow safety Jackson Lataimua.

WSU’s offense has received the most notice, perhaps rightfully so, but its secondary has provided a significant spark. The numbers for the Cougars’ defensive backs, from Gushiken and Lockett to Hicks and Lataimua, plus cornerbacks Chau Smith-Wade and Lampkin, might not stand out, but the game-changing plays they’ve made – and the consistency they’ve provided – certainly have.

On Saturday, Gushiken had the interception return and two other key plays. Late in the first quarter, UCLA quarterback Dante Moore found T.J. Harden in the flat, but Gushiken moved in for the big hit. One play later, Gushiken roared into the backfield for a sack, forcing the Bruins to punt.

“Proud of him. He’s been working hard,” WSU coach Jake Dickert said of Gushiken, Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded Pac-12 cornerback in Week 6. “I think we put a lot on that position mentally. So I think as you grow throughout your career, you’re always way more comfortable as you go through, and I think that’s where he’s getting. He’s definitely a playmaker, and I think that showed on Saturday.”

Also in the first quarter, WSU defensive linemen Brennan Jackson and David Gusta got pressure on Moore, who stumbled as he threw a wobbler that Lockett settled under for an interception. He returned it 25 yards to the Bruins’ 19, and five plays later, the Cougars cashed in with a short field goal from Dean Janikowski.

Late in the third quarter, with WSU clinging to a five-point lead, UCLA lined up for a field goal. Hicks bolted from left to right, in front of the Bruins’ kicker, leaping and blocking the kick

“Everyone’s game is gonna rise,” Lampkin said. “I feel like, when we do our jobs, we are probably the best on the field – probably best in the conference. And our offense is just another tool for us. We thrive off the offense. The offense thrives off us. So I just feel like at some point, whenever the offense can get right, whenever we can get right, the game is gonna come easier for us.”

WSU’s defense is one of the most unique in the Pac-12. Cougars defenders might not be the class of the conference, but WSU’s offense has become one of the best in the country. In most cases, WSU can live with its defense yielding a big play or two because its offense can probably respond.

In WSU’s win over Oregon State on Sept. 23, the Cougars’ defense permitted 242 rushing yards and three rushing scores – but a Lockett interception kept the Beavers out of the end zone on one drive. WSU quarterback Cameron Ward finished with 400 passing yards and five touchdowns, helping the hosts hold on for their second ranked win of the season.

Two weeks earlier, in WSU’s upset of Wisconsin, the Cougars had two more big turnovers: strip-sacks from edge Ron Stone Jr. recovered by Jackson, one for a touchdown. WSU’s defense, plus a late touchdown rush from Nakia Watson, helped the Cougars put things out of reach

In these ways, WSU’s defense is outfitted to do what it needs to – generate turnovers, make plays, and keep things close enough for its offense to take over. The Cougars’ defense has often done much more.

But when the offense struggles, as it did Saturday with four turnovers – two interceptions from Ward, one fumble from receiver Carlos Hernandez, one fumble from tight end Cameron Johnson – the defense gets backed up into bad spots. The Cougars’ defenders were also on the field for much longer than they usually are.

After the game, Gushiken didn’t use the offense’s play as an excuse, but he admitted to feeling a little tired. The defense played 98 snaps, by far the most in one game this season.

That may have factored into how the Bruins iced their win, scoring on back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter, erasing a five-point deficit and turning it into an eight-point lead. The Cougars’ defenders looked a little gassed.

Through five games, the defense has received a PFF coverage grade of 87.1, sixth in the conference. WSU’s passing offense ranks fifth. That’s why the Cougars can strike a notable balance.