Washington State Football: Keys to Victory vs. San Diego State

Washington State is off to a 1-0 start in the Jimmy Rogers era but last week's win didn't come without its fair share of struggles. Now, the Cougs are eying number two but this time around the competition looks to be quite a bit stiffer as San Diego State comes to town. The Aztecs are in off a beatdown over Stony Brook last week. In order to avoid a similar fate as the Seawolves last week and pick up thier second win, here's what WSU will need to do on Saturday night.

Find a Run Game

Following the win over Idaho last week, Rogers himself stated that it was "embarrassing" the way the Vandals were able to shut down the Cougars' rushing attack. They kept WSU to just three... yes, three... yards on 22 carries as a team. That kind of showing simply won't get it done again. The Aztecs themselves were stout against the run, too, allowing a mere 49 yards to Stony Brook's ball carriers in their 42-0 win. Linebackers Tano Letuli and Owen Chambliss were flyiing all over the field for San Diego State and odds are they probably will be again. The Washington State runners need to do more.

Kirby Vorhees and Angel Johnson both had dismal debuts in the crimson and red, specifically Johnson who ran for -negative yards on 10 touches. Vorhees was only marginally better with 19 on six totes. It's a two-pronged issue that will need addressing. The offensive line has to be better at creating lanes and the running backs have to be better at hitting them when they're there. If they can not find a way to fix that problem, the Cougars will be in for a long evening against the Aztecs.

Take Advantage of Extra Chances

While this rings true for the obvious things like turnovers (of which San Diego State had none last weekend) it will be equally, if not more, important for the Cougars to capitalize on the smaller errors San Diego State may make in this game, specifically penalties. If there was one area they struggled with in the opener, it was the flags. Sean Lewis' team was penalized seven times last week, costing them 65 yards in total. Stony Brook, though, was not able to do anything with those chances. If that same thing happens this week, Washington State needs to jump on those opportunities.

On the flip side of that, WSU itself must avoid those same penalties. They, too, were flagged seven times a week ago and gave Idaho a lot of help because of it. It wasn't ultimately detrimental then but this time around it could be.

Keep Potter's Confidence High

Jaxon Potter got his first taste of action as the starting QB last Saturday for the Cougs and, all things considered, it went pretty well. The sophomore threw for 208 yards, a touchdown with no interceptions to boot. Now the key will be building on that solid outing and giving him the best opportunities possible to continue to develop with confidence. His receivers, as they did last week, will need to help him out. Tony Freeman and Jeremiah Noga were both Potter's favorite targets in Week 1 and they will need to be there for him again.

Calling high-percentage throws from a coaching standpoint will also be big as will keeping him upright, especially early on. Short passes to receivers in the flat or even backs coming out of the backfield will be Potter's best friend and, if those are successful, something bigger will likely open up down the field later on. The best thing the team can do for its young quarterback is give him space and time to operate as he learns the ropes. That confidence could go a long ways in carrying WSU through this one.