Two-minute drill: WSU's keys to victory against Louisiana Tech

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Nov. 14—PULLMAN — Here is what to watch for when Washington State hosts Louisiana Tech at 7 p.m. Saturday on The CW.

When Louisiana Tech has the ball…

Much of the Bulldogs' offense figures to depend on who they play at quarterback. Starter Blake Baker went down with a torn ACL in La Tech's last game, a close loss to Delaware, which turns things over to two QBs: Evan Bullock and Trey Kukuk.

They play two very different styles. Kukuk is more of a mobile QB, rushing nine times for 28 yards against Delaware. Meanwhile, Bullock fashions himself more of a traditional pocket passer, completing 11 of 15 passes for 95 yards and one interception in the same game. He also took a sack, underscoring the state of the Bulldogs' offensive line.

That group has had better seasons. La Tech's offensive line has yielded 11 sacks this season, according to Pro Football Focus, which has dinged guard Roy Brackins III for four sacks and Hayden Christman (left tackle) and Ashanti Cole (left guard) for two sacks apiece. Right tackle Brett Canis has allowed one sack on nine pressures as well.

Could that mean a big day for the WSU pass rush? Early indications are yes. Breakout star defensive end Isaac Terrell has been relatively quiet for about a month, which is when he tied a program record with four tackles for loss in a setback to Ole Miss, missing one game since with an undisclosed injury. But after registering just five pressures in his last two games, Terrell could be due for another stellar outing.

On Monday, WSU coach Jimmy Rogers took care to point out one weapon in La Tech's offense, tight end Eli Finley, calling him "one of the best receiving tight ends that we've probably faced this year." In seven games, the 6-foot-6 Finley has caught 28 passes for 344 yards, including a 72-yarder earlier this year. He hasn't reached the end zone yet, but that type of big-bodied, soft-handed tight end can cause problems for any defense.

Will the Cougs' meet the same fate? That much will likely depend on their secondary, which has excelled this season, especially at the safety spots. But they will have to tackle better. On the year, WSU has missed 143 tackles, which is the second-most in the country. The Cougars have shown some progress in that department, but after missing 18 tackles in their loss to one-win Oregon State, they've also been pretty inconsistent.

When WSU has the ball…

Things may be simpler on Washington State's side: quarterback Zevi Eckhaus has to take care of the ball. He was "banged up" against Oregon State, Rogers said, so maybe that's part of why he threw two interceptions in that one. But that gives Eckhaus six picks in his last three games. In his fifth and final year of college football, he now only has one more touchdown pass (9) than interceptions (8).

It's been a recurring theme for Eckhaus, whose defense has almost always picked him up, to the credit of key cogs like Terrell and safety Tucker Large. Cougar defenders have done well to respond to those kinds of mistakes, but Eckhaus can't keep putting them in those kinds of spots.

It looms especially large against Louisiana Tech, which leads the country with six defensive touchdowns. The Bulldogs have also intercepted 15 passes, which ranks fifth nationally. Safety Jakari Foster is tied for second nationwide with four picks, including one last week against Delaware, while three of his teammates have two apiece: safeties Michael Richard and Jacob Fields, plus senior linebacker Kolbe Fields.

To make things easier on Eckhaus, it's possible the Cougs place a bigger priority on their rushing attack, which has improved in a big way since the first part of the season. Running back Kirby Vorhees rushed for 46 yards on 10 carries against Oregon State. But third-year sophomore tailback Leo Pulalasi exited early after one carry for 5 yards, and he's questionable for Saturday's game, Rogers said.

That could be a costly blow to WSU, which might have to turn back to senior back Angel Johnson, who lost his starting spot to Vorhees mid-season. Johnson has played only 25 snaps in his last four games combined — but if Pulalasi can't go, the Cougs will likely swap in Johnson or redshirt freshman speedster Maxwell Woods.

WSU's offensive line could also get a lift this weekend, depending on if right tackle Christian Hilborn (knee) and/or center Brock Dieu (foot) can return from injury. Hilborn has missed the last four games, while Dieu came out early against OSU. Staples on the Cougars' front five for years, Dieu and Hilborn's potential returns could be a key boon for WSU's offense, which has had to play all kinds of young linemen in their places.

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