Luke Falk and Washington State proved they’re legitimate Pac-12 title contenders with the upset win on Friday night over Sam Darnold and the No. 5 USC Trojans.
A contender has moved to the front of the pack as the Washington State Cougars proved they are for real with a 30-27 win on Friday night over USC. The win moved Mike Leach’s team to 5-0 and on the precipice of a top-10 ranking. Not only was it a win over a top-5 USC team for the first time in program history, but the win served as a legitimizer for the program in the Pac-12 title race.
This wasn’t about USC losing, rather it was about Washington State controlling the trenches on both sides of the ball, executing in crunch time and taking advantage of turnovers. Most importantly, it was their defense that stymied Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold who had the worst game of his college career.
USC lost for the first time in 13 games and Darnold lost for the first time as a starter. The preseason Heisman favorite and a candidate to be the top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Washington State’s defense held Darnold to a career-low 164 yards on 15-of-29 passing. He didn’t throw a touchdown and threw his eighth interception of the season. He had two rushing scores, but Washington State was able to stifle him and the USC offense all night, save for an 86-yard touchdown run by Ronald Jones.
The greatest football environment that I have been a part of was this last game !!! You helped us win !!! GO COUGS !!!
— Mike Leach (@Coach_Leach) September 30, 2017
With the game on the line, Darnold had 1:40 to mount a comeback after the Cougars kicked the go-ahead field goal. There was no last-second heroics like we’ve seen from Darnold in last year’s Rose Bowl, or the clutch finishes he’s had this season as USC close games before pulling away late in the fourth quarter or overtime of games. When Washington State needed a play the most, they got a strip sack and recovered the fumble to ice the game, and come away with arguably the biggest win in recent program history.
Certainly the biggest win in the Mike Leach era.
This was not a case of USC losing the game, but a case of Washington State winning the game, and now they could be this year’s Washington. A team that was discounted as a contender but emerged as one with statement-making wins (Washington over Stanford) last year to remove any doubt about their legitimacy.
Washington State has two months to go before they’re a playoff team like Washington was last year, but they control their destiny as this could be a season to remember in Pullman.