2019 Washington State Cougars football team
The 2019 Washington State Cougars football team represented Washington State University during the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Mike Leach, the Cougars competed in the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference, and played their home games on campus at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Washington.
| 2019 Washington State Cougars football | |
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Cheez-It Bowl, L 21–31 vs. Air Force | |
| Conference | Pac–12 Conference |
| North Division | |
| Record | 6–7 (3–6 Pac-12) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive scheme | Air raid |
| Defensive coordinator | Tracy Claeys (games 1-5) (2nd season) |
| Co-defensive coordinator | Darcel McBath (games 6-13) (1st as coordinator, 3rd season) |
| Co-defensive coordinator | Roc Bellantoni (games 6-13) (1st season) |
| Home stadium | Martin Stadium (Capacity: 32,952) |
Uniform | |
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| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 5 Oregon x$ | 8 | – | 1 | 12 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| California | 4 | – | 5 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington | 4 | – | 5 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oregon State | 4 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington State | 3 | – | 6 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stanford | 3 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 Utah x | 8 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| USC | 7 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona State | 4 | – | 5 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCLA | 4 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colorado | 3 | – | 6 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 2 | – | 7 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Oregon 37, Utah 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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WSU finished the regular season at 6–6, 3–6 in Pac-12 play, tied for fifth in the Northern Division. They were invited to the Cheez-It Bowl in Phoenix in late December, but lost 31–21 to Air Force. On January 9, Leach departed for Mississippi State,[1][2] and less than a week later, athletic director Pat Chun hired Hawaii head coach Nick Rolovich.[3][4]
Preseason
Pac-12 media polls
In the Pac-12 preseason media poll, Washington State was voted to finish in fourth place in the North Division and fifth place in the Pac-12 Championship.[5]
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Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 31 | 7:00 p.m. | New Mexico State* | No. 23 | P12N | W 58–7 | 27,228 | |
| September 7 | 2:00 p.m. | Northern Colorado* | No. 22 |
| P12N | W 59–17 | 27,585 |
| September 13 | 6:15 p.m. | vs. Houston* | No. 20 | ESPN | W 31–24 | 40,523 | |
| September 21 | 7:30 p.m. | UCLA | No. 19 |
| ESPN | L 63–67 | 32,952 |
| September 28 | 7:00 p.m. | at No. 19 Utah | FS1 | L 13–38 | 46,115 | ||
| October 12 | 12:30 p.m. | at No. 18 Arizona State | P12N | L 34–38 | 48,536 | ||
| October 19 | 4:00 p.m. | Colorado |
| ESPNU | W 41–10 | 28,514 | |
| October 26 | 7:30 p.m. | at No. 11 Oregon | ESPN | L 35–37 | 59,361 | ||
| November 9 | 4:00 p.m. | at California | P12N | L 20–33 | 39,168 | ||
| November 16 | 1:30 p.m. | Stanford |
| P12N | W 49–22 | 32,952 | |
| November 23 | 6:00 p.m. | Oregon State |
| P12N | W 54–53 | 22,016 | |
| November 29 | 1:00 p.m. | at Washington | FOX | L 13–31 | 70,931 | ||
| December 27 | 7:15 p.m. | vs. Air Force* | ESPN | L 21–31 | 34,105 | ||
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- Source:[6]
Rankings
| Week | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Final |
| AP | 23 | 22 | 20 | 19 | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Coaches | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| CFP | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released | |||||||||
Personnel
Coaching staff
Staff for the 2019 season.[7]
| Name | Position | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Leach | Head Coach, offensive coordinator | 8th |
| Darcel McBath and Roc Bellantoni | Co-defensive coordinators | 1st |
| Ken Wilson | Linebackers | 5th |
| Kendrick Shaver | Safeties | 1st |
| Steve Spurrier Jr. | Outside Receivers | 1st |
| Dave Nichol | Inside receivers | 2nd |
| Mason Miller | Offensive line | 2nd |
| Jeff Phelps | Defensive line | 2nd |
| Matt Brock | Outside Linebackers | 1st |
| Eric Mele | Running backs | 3rd |
| Dave Emerick | Chief of staff | 6th |
| Antonio Huffman | Director of Football Operations | 6th |
| Tyson Brown | Strength and conditioning | 1st |
| Price Ferguson | Offensive Quality Control | 3rd |
| Darcel McBath | Defensive backs | 2nd |
Roster
| 2019 Washington State football roster | ||||||||||
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Quarterbacks
Running back
Fullbacks
Wide receivers
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
Punters
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Placekickers
Long snappers
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Source:[8]
Game summaries
New Mexico State
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aggies | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 23 Cougars | 14 | 21 | 13 | 10 | 58 |
Northern Colorado
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| No. 22 Cougars | 14 | 10 | 21 | 14 | 59 |
Vs. Houston
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 20 Cougars | 0 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 31 |
| UH Cougars | 0 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
UCLA
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruins | 10 | 7 | 21 | 29 | 67 |
| No. 19 Cougars | 7 | 28 | 14 | 14 | 63 |
At Utah
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cougars | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Utes | 7 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
At Arizona State
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cougars | 10 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 34 |
| No. 18 Sun Devils | 0 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 38 |
Colorado
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffaloes | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Cougars | 21 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 41 |
At Oregon
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cougars | 3 | 14 | 3 | 15 | 35 |
| No. 11 Ducks | 9 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 37 |
At California
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cougars | 5 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 20 |
| Golden Bears | 6 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 33 |
Stanford
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal | 0 | 14 | 8 | 0 | 22 |
| Cougars | 13 | 9 | 10 | 17 | 49 |
Oregon State
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beavers | 7 | 17 | 0 | 29 | 53 |
| Cougars | 7 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 54 |
at Martin Stadium, Pullman, Washington
- Date: November 23, 2019
- Game time: 6:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 38 °F (3 °C)
- Game attendance: 22,016
- Referee: Kevin Mar
- TV: Pac-12 Network
- Box Score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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At Washington
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cougars | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Huskies | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
Vs. Air Force (Cheez-It Bowl)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 0 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Cougars | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
Awards
| Player | Award | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Gordon | Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week[9] | September 3, 2019 |
| Liam Ryan | Pac-12 Offensive Line Player of the Week[9] | September 3, 2019 |
| Anthony Gordon | Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week[10] | September 16, 2019 |
| Anthony Gordon | Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week[11] | November 18, 2019 |
| Abraham Lucas | Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week[12] | November 25, 2019 |
| Anthony Gordon | 2019 All-Pac-12 Conference Second Team Offense[13] | December 10, 2019 |
| Abraham Lucas | 2019 All-Pac-12 Conference Second Team Offense[13] | December 10, 2019 |
| Blake Mazza | 2019 All-Pac-12 Conference First Team Specialists[13] | December 10, 2019 |
| Travion Brown | 2019 All-Pac-12 Conference Second Team Specialists[13] | December 10, 2019 |
| Max Borghi | 2019 All-Pac-12 Conference Honorable Mention[13] | December 10, 2019 |
| Josh Watson | 2019 All-Pac-12 Conference Honorable Mention[13] | December 10, 2019 |
| Easop Winston | 2019 All-Pac-12 Conference Honorable Mention[13] | December 10, 2019 |
| Jahad Woods | 2019 All-Pac-12 Conference Honorable Mention[13] | December 10, 2019 |
NFL draft
| Player | Position | Round | Overall | NFL club |
| Dezmon Patmon | WR | 6 | 212 | Indianapolis Colts |
References
- Mickanen, Dylan. "Reports: Mike Leach hired as Mississippi State head coach". NBC Sports. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- Sallee, Barrett. "Mississippi State hires Washington State's Mike Leach to be next head coach". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- Shapiro, Michael. "Report: Washington State to Hire Hawaii's Nick Rolovich as Head coach". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- Thamel, Pete. "Sources: Washington State finalizing deal to hire Hawaii's Nick Rolovich as next football coach". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- "Utah picked as Pac-12 favorite in preseason media poll". pac-12.com. July 24, 2019.
- Lawson, Theo."Two bye weeks, six road games on the docket for Washington State football in 2019", December 4, 2018, retrieved February 15, 2019.
- "Football Coaches - Washington State University Athletics". Archived from the original on August 10, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
- "2019 Football Spring Roster", WSUCougars.com, March 14, 2019.
- "Pac-12 Football Players of the Week - Week 1" (Press release). Pac-12 Conference. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- "Pac-12 Football Players of the Week - Week 3" (Press release). Pac-12 Conference. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
- "Pac-12 Football Players of the Week - Week 12" (Press release). Pac-12 Conference. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
- "Pac-12 Football Players of the Week - Week 13" (Press release). Pac-12 Conference. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
- "Pac-12 Football All-Conference Honors" (Press release). Pac-12 Conference. Retrieved December 10, 2019.

