WSU’s pass rush breaks through in a meaningful way in blowout win over Hawaii

PULLMAN – There’s a competition brewing among Washington State linebackers. The Cougars are keeping track of how many interceptions they grab, and they’re counting who can secure the most as this season unfolds.

On Saturday, after WSU polished off a 42-10 win over Hawaii to become bowl eligible, redshirt sophomore Buddah Al-Uqdah said that he’s gaining ground. He grabbed one in the win, his first of the season, which means he’s quieting competitors like veteran linebacker Kyle Thornton.

“He can’t say anything now,” Al-Uqdah said.

Al-Uqdah might have to share the credit for that interception, though. Hawaii quarterback Brayden Schager made that errant throw in part because he was pressured, flushed from the pocket, hurried as he made the pass that sailed into Al-Uqdah’s hands around midfield.

That became a theme all game for the Cougars, who totaled three sacks, five quarterback hurries and three pass-breakups. For the first time all season, WSU’s pass rush made a consistent impact throughout an entire game, holding Schager to a 20-for-30, 192-yard outing, his fewest passing yards all season.

WSU defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh had 1.5 sacks, linebacker Parker McKenna posted one and edge Andrew Edson added one-half.

That matters in a huge way for the Cougars, whose pass rush through the first six games of the season was largely invisible. Entering the game, the Cougs had registered just six sacks, No. 117 nationally. They had found ways to generate pressure – just not ways to actually get home and bring down the opposing quarterback.

That changed. It was clear Schager was uncomfortable. Even when WSU pass-rushers like Syrus Webster and Edson couldn’t get to him, they used their speed and physical play to hurry him, which changed the complexion of Hawaii’s passing attack.

Without time to throw, Schager couldn’t attack WSU’s secondary, which entered giving up 280 passing yards per game, No. 124 nationally.

Hawaii’s offensive line, however, ranks among the worst in the country. Going into the game, the Rainbow Warriors had permitted 21 sacks this season, No. 128 of 133 FBS teams. It’s part of the reason their rushing offense averages just 80 yards per game, one of the lowest figures in the country.

So maybe it isn’t smart to declare the Cougs’ pass rush has finally found the answer, finally cracked the code.

What that unit has done, though, is break through. That matters against teams like Hawaii, which is at its best through the air.

“It felt better. It felt like, early on, we felt some hits,” said Dickert, whose defensive coordinator, Jeff Schmedding, drew up some effective blitzes.

“That was the biggest learn we took from the first time playing the run-and-shoot (offense) is we can’t sit back. We need to go attack with these guys. We still need to get Syrus going. But it just feels like pushing the pocket from the inside, running around on the outside, some pressure stuff. It felt like it was there for most of the game, and that’ll need to continue if we want to be successful.”

The interesting part about how well WSU’s pass rush played was in its personnel.

Senior edge rusher Quinn Roff didn’t play, out with an injury to his ribcage, Dickert said. That pressed sophomore edge Isaac Terrell into action, and he saw his most snaps of the season. He had one quarterback hurry, but he showed real stamina, giving WSU some credible depth at the position.

Perhaps more important, the Cougars combined a couple of different ways of rushing the passer, which Dickert had been stressing: They used some brute force, crushing the pocket from the interior, and they used their speed, coming around the edge to force Schaeger to scramble.

It might not have been against the best offensive line, and WSU will likely face stiffer competition up front next week against San Diego State.

But the Cougs can only play who’s in front of them, and this time, they dusted them.

“I think there’s a couple four-own things that were good, but I think our pressure rate today was way higher,” Dickert said. “Cutting those guys loose, putting the DBs in some situations to go get it, I thought was better. I think you get positive results from that.”