Washington State Cougars Narrowly Defeated by Stanford Cardinal at Gesa Field in Football Showdown
The Washington State Cougars, with a season record of 4-5, faced off against the Stanford Cardinal, standing at 3-6. In a closely contested game at Gesa Field, the final score read 10-7 in favor of the visitors.
The home team's defense was active throughout the game, recording two sacks for a loss of 21 yards and an interception. The Cougars' offense had moments of effectiveness but struggled to consistently move the ball. The passing attack managed to complete 24 out of 40 attempts for a total of 241 yards and one touchdown pass that covered nine yards. However, they also suffered three sacks which cost them valuable yardage.
On special teams, Washington State's punting unit worked hard with six attempts totaling 290 yards; their longest punt traveled an impressive distance of 62 yards. Despite these efforts and maintaining possession for over half the game (25:35), they were unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities as evidenced by their red zone efficiency rate: one success in two attempts.
The Cougars' rushing game found little room to maneuver against a stout defensive line from Stanford, managing only four total rushing first downs and averaging less than one yard per carry across their running plays. Penalties were relatively low for both sides with Washington State committing just four infractions resulting in 45 penalty yards.
Stanford's scoring came from perseverance as well as capitalizing on opportunities in the third quarter where they scored seven points followed by three more points in the fourth quarter securing their win despite being held scoreless during the first half.
Looking ahead after this tough loss at home, Washington State fans can mark their calendars for November 11 when the Cougars will travel to face off against California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium located in Berkeley. This upcoming contest is scheduled for a kick-off time at approximately 1:00 PM PST and will be broadcasted on ESPN2 satellite channel number 209 where fans can tune in to support their team.