Washington State defense paces 31-20 win at Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) – Nakia Watson scored two touchdowns and Washington State intercepted former quarterback Jayden de Laura 4 occasions in a 31-20 Pac-12 highway victory over Arizona on Saturday.

Watson scored on a 4-yard go from Cameron Ward within the first quarter and on a 2-yard run within the second, giving him six scores up to now three video games. He completed with 86 all-purpose yards for the Cougars (7-4, 4-4 Pac-12).

“I feel he’s been the whole lot,” WSU coach Jake Dickert mentioned of Watson, who since lacking two video games because of harm has rushed for 338 yards up to now three video games. “He hasn’t fairly been 100% however he’s gutting it out on the market, he’s giving this group the whole lot he’s obtained.”

De Laura, who transferred from WSU in January, was 28 of 46 for 357 yards with a dashing and passing TD. He was the 2021 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the 12 months with the Cougars and threw 4 TD passes in opposition to Arizona (4-7, 2-6) final November.

Ward was 25 of 36 for 193 yards and a TD and ran for a season-high 59 yards together with a 17-yard TD. He entered the sport with eight dashing yards all season.

“It comes again to the second that we simply mentioned, hey, we have to constantly run the ball and be dedicated to it,” Dickert mentioned. “Our O-line as we speak performed admirable.”

WSU led 21-6 on the half and prolonged that lead by choosing off de Laura on three consecutive possessions. Sam Lockett III returned an interception to the Arizona 19, establishing Dean Janikowski’s 23-yard discipline purpose with 4:45 left within the third quarter, and Derrick Langford Jr. picked off de Laura and returned it 35 yards for the TD and a 31-6 lead 36 seconds later.

Lockett obtained his second choose with 1:13 left within the third, diving for an overthrow on the WSU 4.

“Just a little little bit of Murphy’s Regulation as we speak, what may go unsuitable did go unsuitable,” Arizona coach Jedd Fisch mentioned.

The Cougars went up 7-0 lower than 4 minutes into the sport on Watson’s TD catch, then made it 14-0 halfway by means of the second quarter on a 17-yard Ward keeper. After Arizona lower the deficit to 18 on a 38-yard Tyler Loop discipline purpose, WSU made it 21-3 on a 2-yard Watson TD run.

The Wildcats made it a two-score recreation on the break with a 47-yard Loop discipline purpose.

Arizona failed to attain within the first quarter for the primary time in 2022, going with no TD within the first half for the primary time since final season’s finale. Each its TDs got here within the fourth quarter, together with a 47-yard scoring catch by Dorian Singer, who had 9 receptions for 176 yards.

Singer and Jacob Cowing (six catches, 37 yards) each topped 1,000 for the season, the primary time in Arizona historical past the Wildcats have produced a number of 1,000-yard receivers in the identical 12 months.

THE TAKEAWAY

Washington State: Operating backs coach Mark Atuaia wore Virginia gear on the sidelines to honor the victims of the tragic taking pictures involving that killed three Cavaliers gamers and injured one other final Sunday. Atuaia, who coached at Virginia from 2016-21, was certainly one of 10 coaches throughout school soccer on Saturday honoring their former group.

Arizona: The Wildcats failed to achieve bowl eligibility for the fifth consecutive season, their longest stretch with no bowl look since lacking 9 years in a row from 1999-2007.

UP NEXT

Washington State: Hosts rival Washington within the Apple Cup subsequent Saturday. Cougars making an attempt to win consecutive video games in opposition to the Huskies for the primary time since 2007-08.

Arizona: Stays house to tackle rival Arizona State within the Territorial Cup on Friday. Wildcats have misplaced six consecutive in opposition to the Solar Devils.