Texas Tech football 2024 opponent scouting report: Washington State

One of two teams from the PAC-12 that didn't find a new home over the offseason, Washington State is set to embark on one of the most fascinating and terrifying eras in its program's history. No longer with a secure future in terms of conference affiliation, the Cougars now will face a manageable schedule that features eight Mountain West opponents but will that be enough to satisfy the fan base?

If the Cougars can manage to take care of business against the teams they are supposed to beat this year, they could wind up with at least nine wins. That would give them a nice rebound year after going just 5-7 in 2023.

However, to make this season meaningful, Washington State is going to have to take advantage of the few opportunities it will have to beat name-brand opponents. Given the lack of a PAC-12 schedule this year, games against in-state rival Washington, Oregon State, and Texas Tech take on extra meaning this fall.

The Cougars are in a position to have to make chicken salad out of chicken excrement given the hand that realignment dealt. To do that, they will look to make noise the only way they can, by winning double-digit games and forcing the nation to pay attention.

Thus, their week-two game against Texas Tech will be an early opportunity at home to prove that they still play high-caliber football and that they are worthy of major-conference consideration. On the other hand, one has to wonder if the Cougars might overlook the Red Raiders given that just seven days later, they host the Washington Huskies in what will be one of the most contentious editions of that rivalry ever played.

So let's take a look at the Cougars and what they might present when the Red Raiders head to Pullman, Washington on September 7th. We'll start by examining what they lost from last season.

Washington State suffered some significant losses this offseason

Of course, Texas Tech fans know that the Cougars lost a key wide receiver in Josh Kelly, who now calls Lubbock home. Last season, he led WSU with 923 yards and eight TDs through the air while being tied for second on the team with 61 catches.

However, Kelly wasn't the greatest defection from Pullman this offseason. Rather, that was dynamic quarterback Cam Ward.

Now playing for the Miami Hurricanes, in 2023 Ward threw for 3,736 yards and 25 TDs with only seven picks. What's more, he ran for 144 yards and eight more scores and proved to be one of the best QBs in the PAC-12.

Also gone is 2023's top receiver in terms of catches, Lincoln Victor, who snagged 89 passes for 860 yards and 5 TDs last fall. His graduation combined with Kelly's transfer to Tech leaves the Cougars lacking play-makers on the outside, something that is not great for a team that relied heavily on the aerial attack last season.

On defense, there were also losses including both starting corners. But the key departures were edge rushers Brennan Jackson and Ron Stone Jr. who combined for 13.5 sacks a season ago.

What Washington State still has in the tank

If there is a star on the WSU offense, it will be former UNLV transfer Kyle Williams. Last year, he caught 61 passes for 843 yards and six touchdowns and he'll be looking to improve his NFL Draft stock this season as a super-senior.

On the ground, Djouvensky Schlenbacker and Dylan Paine are back but they combined for just 296 yards and a score last fall. Thus, there are serious questions about State's ability to run the ball again this season.

On the other side of the football, Kyle Thornton and Tariq Al-Uqdah should form a nice linebacking duo. Last year, Thornton had 87 tackles (4.5 for loss) to lead the team and Al-Uqdah had 40.

Washington State's glaring weakness

On the one hand, some might consider it a positive that Washington State is returning four starters from its 2023 offensive line. After all, continuity is key at that position group.

On the other hand, the 2023 WSU line was a relative disaster. In fact, the Cougars gave up the 4th-most sacks in the PAC-12 (38) and 91 QB pressures according to Pro Football Focus.

What's more, rushing for only 84.8 yards per game last year, the Cougars weren't able to move many people around in the running game. They ranked only 127th out of 130 teams in yards per game on the ground. If the offensive line struggles again this year, it could be another frustrating season for WSU on offense.

The Cougars' QB position is unsettled

Battling for the QB job is a duo of unproven passers, 2023 backup John Mateer, and Bryant transfer Zevi Eckhaus. That's a far cry from the caliber of player Ward was for the Cougars.

Mateer has attempted only 19 career passes in two college seasons. What's more, he's thrown only three TDs thus far in 12 career appearances.

Eckhaus has more on his resume, though it was at the FCS level. He was the Big South Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 who completed 238-of-379 passes (62.8%) for 2,907 yards and 28 touchdowns. But regardless of who wins this job, it will be a significant step back from what Ward gave the team last year.

Key Addition for Washington State could help plug holes at WR

Super-senior wide receiver Kris Hutson needs to step up for the Cougars after transferring in from Oregon. Last year, he caught only one pass for eight yards appearing in only five games.

However, he does have a pair of 400-yard seasons to his credit in 2021-22. If he can give his new team some productivity, it would help offset the loss of Kelly and Victor.

Final thoughts

Washington State is a program that got picked over by the college football vultures after the collapse of the PAC-12. That's not good for a team that finished last season losing seven of its final eight games.

The saving grace for the Cougars, though, is that this year's schedule is much easier given the scheduling agreement with the Mountain West. Still, the goal for the Cougars is simply to get to six wins and play in the postseason.

If they can beat Tech at home in week two, they will almost certainly achieve that goal. However, beating Tech would also send a message to the rest of the nation that the Cougars aren't dead as a program.

For the foreseeable future, WSU will have to fight for every scrap it gets and winning games like the one against Tech will be key in helping change the perception of their program. Still, the Cougars don't have as much talent as the Red Raiders do and if Tech is going to be anywhere as good as we all hope, then this is a game that Joey McGuire's team should expect to win, even on the road.