WSU’s rushing attack has improved jumping ability. Why don’t the Cougs take advantage of this?

PULLMAN — Less than a calendar year ago, Washington State’s rushing game was largely invisible.

The Cougars failed to make much of a push forward, and the more opponents realized they couldn’t operate credibly, the more WSU’s offense suffered.

The Cougars’ rushing attack has been so poor this season that Pro Football Focus gave the unit a grade of 77.2, second-worst in the Pac-12, underscoring how difficult it has been for them to convince teams that they should should respect their game on the ground.

Suddenly everything changed. WSU’s running game this fall earned a PFF grade of 86.1, good for 17th in the country, the program’s highest since 2011, the first year of PFF data.

True freshman Wayshawn Parker has unlocked the Cougars’ fast-paced game with a mix of speed and vision. With a dual-threat quarterback like John Mateer at the helm, WSU is enjoying its best rushing season in a long time.

But the Cougars haven’t always taken advantage of that.

In a 25-17 win over Fresno State last weekend, WSU had just nine rebounds early in the fourth quarter. When the Cougars finally turned to Parker, who was running out time late in the fourth quarter, he cashed in, totaling 63 rushing yards on 12 carries. Even when the Bulldogs knew the Cougars were going to charge, they couldn’t stop it and Parker made them pay.

Parker averaged 5.3 yards per carry. When WSU touched him, Parker took full advantage. But the Cougars’ other two running backs, Djouvensky Schlenbaker and Leo Pulalasi, combined for 1 yard on two runs. “(It’s) the desire to go in and call the plays,” WSU coach Jake Dickert said. “We feel like we had something out of the zone and that’s what we addressed late. We just have to get to it sooner. I obviously put that on Ben (Arbuckle, offensive coordinator) calling the game, but the entire team, myself, we are responsible for all the things that put our guys in the best positions to win football games. I’ve been saying it for two years: football is a big part of it.”

WSU’s rushing attack was at its best on the outside. Parker ran outside left this season and recorded 25 carries for 195 yards and his two touchdowns. Mateer’s effectiveness on the ground has diminished as teams focus on WSU’s quarterback draw. But through the halfway point of the season, he’s still averaging 7.9 yards per carry — the second-most yards in the country measured by a quarterback.

The Cougars’ run blocking has improved this season, but only slightly. Last season, WSU’s offensive line posted a PFF run-blocking grade of 51.0, one of the lowest grades in the country. This season, that number is 55.0, No. 108 in the country.

Even with an offensive line mired in run blocking, WSU’s rushing offense has improved dramatically. It’s obvious that the Cougars would be willing to take advantage of this by passing the ball to Parker, Pulalasi and Schlenbaker and letting Mateer run. But at least in their win over Fresno State, they didn’t do it the way they could have.

“It has to be part of our identity, and we were good at it this year,” Dickert said. “Not really testing the waters wasn’t good enough in my opinion.”

Part of that has to do with the way teams defend Mateer, who has issues with his accuracy. Through six games, he is completing 56.7% of his passes, which ranks fifth-worst among quarterbacks in the country with over 200 dropbacks. Among QBs with at least 30 passes for 20 or more air yards, he earned a PFF grade of 63.4, No. 29 out of 32 quarterbacks.

It’s no coincidence that Mateer only managed 46 rushing yards on 18 carries against Fresno State. Many of those occurred because of tackles, which is not the type of QB draw he capitalized on earlier in the season. It’s clear that teams are adjusting their defense against him.

“I think that’s what you have to do,” Dickert said after the FSU game. “I think you can’t let him get out of the bag and when that happens he has to be a bit more decisive. I know there were a few throwaway opportunities in the game (Saturday), I took a sack instead of just throwing it away. You can’t do all the pieces.”

That much is true. To solve the problem, the Cougars could simplify things and give Parker more contacts.