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Photo Gallery: WSU falls to Utah, 21-17

The Cougs couldn’t quite pull off the upset.

Jack Ellis/CougCenter

The Washington State Cougars (4-4 overall, 1-4 conference) came out of their bye week looking to turn the corner after dropping two straight games, but they again fell short, this time to the No. 14 Utah Utes (6-2, 4-1) in Pullman, 21-17. After the Oregon loss last month, I predicted that it was “the type of loss that can cause ripples down the road...” and that is starting to look like a reality. Questionable play calling and an anemic offense have plagued WSU in the month of October, and time is running short to right the ship.

Every headline going into Thursday was regarding Utah’s injuries, exacerbated by a surprise absence of star QB Cameron Rising. While WSU also was operating below full strength, this was a prime opportunity to steal a game against the reigning Pac-12 champs. By the stat sheet, WSU QB Cam Ward had a decent outing (27/31, 250 total yards, 2 TDs), yet he was often running for his life and unable (or unwilling) to find deep targets to pose any real offensive threat. The Utah defense prevented the Cougar offense from finding a rhythm all night long and kept any WSU player not named Ward from having any real impact on the game.

“DAIYAN HENLEY” GOLD STAR - For the third time this season, Daiyan Henley is the recipient of the Gold Star for leading the Cougar defense with 12 tackles. Henley has led the Cougs in tackles the last four games, recording double digit tackles in each contest. Simply put, the senior transfer is a baller. Too bad he only has one year donning the Crimson and Gray.

UP NEXT - After limping through their toughest stretch of conference play, Washington State has an opportunity to rewrite the story of 2022 in its final four contests. Starting with Stanford on Saturday, WSU faces just one team with a winning record (Washington) the rest of the way. These Cougs aren’t done just yet.

CougCenter was in Martin Stadium covering the game’s biggest moments and plays. Enjoy!

Missed previous photo galleries? Check them out below!

9/3 - WSU versus Idaho

9/17 - WSU versus Colorado State

9/24 - WSU versus Oregon