CougCenter Player of the Week: Jahad Woods

Welcome back. Another week, another Cougar win and, an unusual dearth of candidates for the internet’s most coveted award? Not really, but kind of. WSU scored 31 points, so there had to be a star on the offense, right? Well ok, the defense only gave up seven points, and shut out Colorado for the final 49 minutes, so the winner obviously comes from that side of the ball, right? Uh, ok, yes, but it wasn’t that easy!

As great as Gardner Minshew II has been this season, Saturday wasn’t his best game. That’s really saying something, considering he threw two touchdown passes, ran for another and didn’t turn the ball over. Characteristically, Minshew spread the ball around throughout the game, completing passes to 11 different receivers. On defense, the leading tackler had five tackles. That might not seem very good, until you realize that Colorado only ran 54 plays, 40 fewer than WSU.

Among those 54 plays, the WSU defense turned in a few game-changers, and our winner was right in the middle of them.

Shout Out: Oscar Draguicevich

Oscar continues to produce great results, averaging 50 yards on four punts. Sure, the Boulder altitude is a punter’s best friend, but Draguicevich had two of those four punts downed inside the Colorado 20. And I don’t care who or where you are, averaging 50 yards per punt is damn good.

Honorable Mention: James Williams

Just another ho-hum game for Boobie. Sure losses that he somehow turns into gains, hurdling a hapless defender and, throwing a pass? That last one didn’t quite work out, but Boobie ain’t here to complete passes. He led the Cougs with 60 yards on 17 carries, and caught another five passes for 43 yards, totaling over 100 yards of offense yet again. Just try and get the ball out a little earlier next time, Boobie.

2nd Runner-Up: Logan Tago

Tago is having quite possibly the quietest really good season of anybody on defense, and he didn’t even play against EWU or San Jose State. Tago’s impact can best be measured by the fact that, when informed he had his first sack of the season against Cal, I was legitimately stunned. Despite playing inside much of the time, he’s been incredibly disruptive. That was the case again against Colorado. Both of his tackles came behind the line of scrimmage, and he tallied his third sack. Like any good interior lineman, stats don’t come close to measuring his true value to the defense.

1sr Runner-Up: Max Borghi

The Colorado-born Cougar freshman phenom had quite the homecoming Saturday. Playing before scores of family and friends, Borghi turned in another vintage catch-and-run for WSU’s first, and what would turn out to be winning touchdown.

Borghi also broke off WSU’s longest run of the game, going for 22 yards in the first quarter. In all, Max averaged 7.2 yards on his 10 touches, and left Colorado undefeated against the Buffaloes.

Winner: Jahad Woods

As we mentioned earlier, WSU’s leading tackler had just five stops. Woods was that player, but the impact of those tackles was something else. It started early in the second quarter when he absolutely walloped a Colorado receiver on a tunnel screen. Later, Woods made what was possibly the play of the game on Colorado’s first possession of the third quarter. With WSU holding just a three point lead, Wilson took on Colorado running back Travon McMillian in the hole. Woods then decided he wanted the ball more than McMillian, so he just took it away.

That play set up the Cougars with a short field, and seven plays later, Renard Bell was in the endzone. In the fourth quarter, Woods helped stamp out any remaining breath Colorado may have had. WSU had a 24-7 lead, and Laviska Shenault Jr. caught a pass over the middle. He didn’t put the ball away, though, and Woods’ hit helped jar it loose. Peyton Pelluer pounced on it, and that would be it for the Buffaloes. WSU converted that turnover into points as well, and the rout was on. Forcing two fumbles on just five tackles is quite efficient, and Woods is very deserving of top honors this week.