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VIDEO: Inside the Cougs' 4th-and-5 run against Auburn

New season, new video breakdown. Why did Connor Halliday check to a run, and why did it work?

An improbable turnover at midfield with just over four minutes to go gave WSU one last shot at tying the game on Saturday against Auburn.

After a five-yard run and two incompletions, WSU faced a 4th-and-5 from the Auburn 45. It was a critical moment in the game -- a failure to convert the play would almost certainly end the Cougars' chances of pulling out a win at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

So, Connor Halliday did the only logical thing: He checked into a running play at the line.

Wait, what?

Perhaps no play better exemplified the gains WSU has made in its running attack than this one, in which Halliday recognized a favorable matchup and then had the guts to give the ball to Teondray Caldwell, knowing that it was likely a do-or-die play for his team.

The play worked out for a 13-yard gain*, and WSU lived on to try and tie the game. Of course, that dream died four plays later when a fourth-down pass fluttered harmlessly over Dom Williams, but hey -- this was a positive thing!

Watch the video to see how it happened.

*I refer to it as a 20-yard play in the video. Actual yardage may vary.

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