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2018 Washington State Cougars football team

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2018 Washington State Cougars football
Pac-12 North Division co-champion
Alamo Bowl champion
Alamo Bowl, W 28–26 vs. Iowa State
ConferencePac–12 Conference
DivisionNorth Division
Ranking
CoachesNo. 10
APNo. 10
Record11–2 (7–2 Pac-12)
Head coach
Offensive schemeAir raid
Defensive coordinatorTracy Claeys (1st season)
Base defense4–2–5
Home stadiumMartin Stadium
Uniform
Seasons
← 2017
2019 →
2018 Pac-12 Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
North Division
No. 13 Washington xy$   7 2     10 4  
No. 10 Washington State x   7 2     11 2  
Stanford   6 3     9 4  
Oregon   5 4     9 4  
California   4 5     7 6  
Oregon State   1 8     2 10  
South Division
Utah xy   6 3     9 5  
Arizona State   5 4     7 6  
USC   4 5     5 7  
Arizona   4 5     5 7  
UCLA   3 6     3 9  
Colorado   2 7     5 7  
Championship: Washington 10, Utah 3
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2018 Washington State Cougars football team represented Washington State University during the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team played their home games in Martin Stadium in Pullman, Washington. They were led by 7th-year head coach Mike Leach and were members of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference.[1]

The 2018 season was one of the greatest in Washington State history. The Cougars won a school record-tying ten games, the first time they had won that many in the regular season since the Rose Bowl year of 2002. They also surged as high as seventh in major polling and went into the Apple Cup with a chance to clinch the Pac-12 North title and a shot at the Rose Bowl, but lost 28–15 to rival Washington in the snow in Pullman, a sixth consecutive loss to the Huskies. The 10–2 Cougars were invited to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio to play the Iowa State Cyclones. They won 28–26 for a school record 11th win.

Mike Leach's air raid offense was led by grad transfer quarterback Gardner Minshew, who led FBS in passing completions and attempts, and finished second in passing yards.[2] Minshew was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and was the recipient of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. He and offensive tackle Andre Dillard were named first-team all-conference. Redshirt freshman offensive tackle Abraham Lucas was named to several national all-freshman teams, and was joined on the all-conference second-team by defensive end Logan Tago. Mike Leach was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year for the second time of his career.

Preseason

[edit]

Award watch lists

[edit]

Listed in the order that they were released

Award Player Position Year
Rimington Trophy[3] Frederick Mauigoa C JR
Chuck Bednarik Award[4] Jalen Thompson S JR
Wuerffel Trophy[5] Peyton Pelluer LB SR
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award[6] Gardner Minshew QB SR
Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award[7] Gardner Minshew QB SR

Pac-12 media days

[edit]

The 2018 Pac-12 media days were held July 25, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Mike Leach (HC), Kyle Sweet (WR/P) & Jalen Thompson (S) represented Washington State at this event. The Pac-12 media poll was released with the Cougars predicted to finish in fifth place at Pac-12 North division.[8]

Media poll (North)
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Washington 249 (40)
2 Stanford 198 (2)
3 Oregon 178 (2)
4 California 108
5 Washington State 98
6 Oregon State 45

Schedule

[edit]
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 112:30 p.m.at Wyoming*CBSSNW 41–1924,131
September 88:00 p.m.San Jose State*P12NW 31–026,141
September 155:00 p.m.No. 6 (FCS) Eastern Washington*
  • Martin Stadium
  • Pullman, WA
P12NW 59–2432,952
September 217:30 p.m.at USCESPNL 36–3952,421
September 293:00 p.m.Utahdagger
  • Martin Stadium
  • Pullman, WA
P12NW 28–2430,088
October 66:00 p.m.at Oregon StateP12NW 56–3734,429
October 204:30 p.m.No. 12 OregonNo. 25
FOXW 34–2033,152
October 274:10 p.m.at No. 24 StanfordNo. 14P12NW 41–3839,596
November 37:45 p.m.CaliforniaNo. 8
  • Martin Stadium
  • Pullman, WA
ESPNW 19–1332,952
November 1012:30 p.m.at ColoradoNo. 8ESPNW 31–745,587
November 177:30 p.m.ArizonaNo. 8
  • Martin Stadium
  • Pullman, WA
ESPNW 69–2822,400
November 235:30 p.m.No. 16 WashingtonNo. 8
FOXL 15–2832,952
December 286:00 p.m.vs. No. 24 Iowa State*No. 13ESPNW 28–2660,675

Conference opponents not played this season: Arizona State, UCLA

Rankings

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Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
APRVRVRVRVRV2514101087121210
CoachesRVRVRVRVRVRVRV231511997131310
CFPNot released88881313Not released

Game summaries

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At Wyoming

[edit]
Washington State at Wyoming – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Cougars 10 3 72141
Cowboys 2 14 3019

at War Memorial Stadium, Laramie, WY

Game information

San Jose State

[edit]
San Jose State at Washington State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Spartans 0 0 000
Cougars 14 10 0731

at Martin Stadium, Pullman, WA

Game information

Eastern Washington

[edit]
Eastern Washington at Washington State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 6 (FCS) Eagles 0 10 14024
Cougars 14 14 72459

at Martin Stadium, Pullman, WA

Game information

At USC

[edit]
Washington State at USC – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Cougars 3 21 6636
Trojans 7 10 71539

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA

Game information

Utah

[edit]
Utah at Washington State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Utes 14 7 3024
Cougars 7 14 0728

at Martin Stadium, Pullman, WA

Game information

At Oregon State

[edit]
Washington State at Oregon State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Cougars 14 14 72156
Beavers 14 10 6737

at Reser Stadium, Corvallis, OR

Game information

Oregon

[edit]
Oregon at Washington State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 12 Ducks 0 0 17320
No. 25 Cougars 7 20 0734

at Martin Stadium, Pullman, WA

Game information

At Stanford

[edit]
Washington State at Stanford – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 14 Cougars 14 3 71741
No. 24 Cardinal 14 14 3738

at Stanford Stadium, Stanford, CA

Game information

California

[edit]
California at Washington State– Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Golden Bears 0 10 3013
No. 10 Cougars 3 10 0619

at Martin Stadium, Pullman, WA

Game information

At Colorado

[edit]
Washington State at Colorado – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 10 Cougars 0 10 71431
Buffaloes 7 0 007

at Folsom Field, Boulder, CO

Game information

Arizona

[edit]
Arizona at Washington State– Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Wildcats 7 7 14028
No. 8 Cougars 21 34 01469

at Martin Stadium, Pullman, WA

Game information

Washington

[edit]
Washington at Washington State– Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 16 Huskies 7 7 6828
No. 7 Cougars 0 7 8015

at Martin Stadium, Pullman, WA

Game information

Vs. Iowa State (Alamo Bowl)

[edit]
Alamo Bowl– Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 25 Cyclones 0 10 10626
No. 12 Cougars 7 14 0728

at Alamodome, San Antonio, TX

Game information

Awards

[edit]
Player Award Date
Gardner Minshew Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week[9] September 17, 2018
Travell Harris Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week[10] September 17, 2018
Jahad Woods Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week[11] November 19, 2018

Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year: Gardner Minshew II
Pac-12 Coach of the Year: Mike Leach[12]

NFL draft

[edit]

Washington State had two players selected in the 2018 NFL Draft.[13]

Player Position Round Overall NFL club
Andre Dillard OT 1 22 Philadelphia Eagles
Gardner Minshew QB 6 178 Jacksonville Jaguars

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Cougars Announce 2018 Football Schedule". wsucougars.com. November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  2. ^ "2018 College Football Year Summary". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  3. ^ "Rimington Trophy Press Release". May 30, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  4. ^ "2018 Bednarik Award Watch List". July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  5. ^ "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
  6. ^ "Watch List for 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award ® Presented by A. O. Smith Announced". August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  7. ^ "Semifinalists for 2018 Davey O'Brien Award announced". November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  8. ^ "Washington picked as Pac-12 favorite in preseason media poll". July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.[dead link]
  9. ^ "Pac-12 Football Players of the Week - Week 3" (Press release). Pac-12 Conference. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  10. ^ "Pac-12 Football Players of the Week - Week 3" (Press release). Pac-12 Conference. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
  11. ^ "Pac-12 Football Players of the Week - Week 12" (Press release). Pac-12 Conference. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  12. ^ Pac-12.com. Retrieved 2018-Dec-27.
  13. ^ "2018 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 24, 2024.