Oregon's Score Against Washington State: No. 25 Cougars Resist No. 12 Ducks in Key Battle of Pac-12 North

Washington State was unstoppable in the first half, then completely stagnant in the second half against Oregon on Saturday night. However, the Cougars were offended enough when they needed it and won a huge 34-20 victory in a key division match.

The victory, though uneven, showed how Washington State could be complete. The attack dominated the first half, but the defense kept Oregon at zero and 39 yards. And when he needed to score and take a break in the second half, the state of Washington showed that he could close a game.

Here are three takeaways from Saturday's game.

1. The offense committed in Washington State may be a particular type of monster: This sounds obvious when you talk about an offense that can earn points, but Saturday night was an example of the quality of the state of Washington. Try to play defense when Mike Leach's air raid has your number to be some kind of football hell. Be that as it may, for the first 30 minutes, Washington State did nothing wrong. Everything was open for quarterback Gardner Minshew. The little roads that the Cougs like to follow were like flying yards. In an individual cover, there is not much to do with an outstanding defense. Minshew finished the night with a 323-yard pass and nine different players had at least one pass and four more at least six. The credit goes to Oregon Defense Coordinator Jim Leavitt, however, while Washington State only had a mark of goals in the second half, but the Cougars l & rsquo; Had when they needed it the most.

2. Cougars' defense also held and that's what makes them dangerous: The underestimated part of Washington State's success under Leach is what the defense has accomplished in recent years. It's the difference that Wazzu is an average below average team and can compete for division or conference titles. Think of the first three years of Leach, when the Cougars gave up 35 points per game. With the arrival of defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, the state of Washington has improved every year in this category. In 2015, points per game climbed to 27.7. In 2016: 26.4. In 2017: 25.8. In six games this season: 23.8. Against Oregon: 20. Even with the departure of Grinch, the state of Washington has been able to keep moving forward. The Cougars have been part of a Pac-12 North victory game in recent years. This time, they could actually finish the job.

3. Oregon has not finished: It was a hard point for the Ducks. They had just won a huge emotional victory in overtime against Washington. Going on the road against a quality conference rival is usually a bad reminder. It could have been a lot worse, though. Oregon faced a 27-0 deficit at the half and seemed lifeless. But the second half was a different battle. Quarterback Justin Herbert was able to face a slightly softer defense, but the defensive front of Oregon was more active in getting to Minshew. The result was a 20-0 run before Washington State let go of the match for good. Oregon just needed this effort for 60 minutes. But the program is manageable for the rest of the way, the toughest match being on the road in Utah. Keep winning and Oregon will still be in the division race at the end of the year.