2015 TicketCity Cactus Bowl: Game Grades, Analysis for Huskies, Cowboys

In a game which had the looks of a blowout early, the Oklahoma State Cowboys were able to hang on and defeat the Washington Huskies by a score of 30-22 in the 2015 Cactus Bowl. 

Freshman quarterback Mason Rudolph went 17-of-26 for 299 yards and two touchdowns. The signal-caller in particular got into a nice rhythm early. He had full command of the offense and looked decisive throwing the ball down the field. 

Washington must've forgot about the game time, because the Huskies didn't come to play until the second half. It was a very disappointing effort across the board, and one which I'm sure will stick in the craw of head coach Chris Petersen for the duration of the offseason. 

This piece will take a look at game grades for both teams throughout the contest. It will also address game analysis for the position units. 

A full box score can be found here, courtesy of NCAA.com. 

Position Units	First-Half Grades	Final Grades
Passing Offense	C	C+
Pass Defense	D	C+
Rushing Offense	D	C
Run Defense	B	B
Special Teams	C	B
Coaching	F	C-

Washington Huskies Game Analysis

Passing Offense

The passing game was nonexistent in the first half. Cyler Miles looked like he had trouble gripping the football at times, because his throws had very little velocity on them. On the day, Miles went 25-of-38 for 268 yards. 

Fortunately for Washington, both Jaydon Mickens and Kasen Williams stepped up and made big plays. Mickens was easily the most dynamic option for the Huskies, and should be going forward into next year. His quickness and agility on the perimeter posed problems for OSU. Mickens led the team with seven receptions for 82 yards. 

Williams also flashed in his final game as a collegiate player. He was able to break tackles and accrue solid yards after the catch.

With that said, Miles generally did have problems throwing the football. It will be something to look at heading into the offseason, especially with Jake Browning heading to Seattle. With the complement of receivers on the roster, the passing game should be far more explosive than it is.

Pass Defense

It was actually a pretty decent showing by the extremely young secondary. At times, Washington had three true freshmen manning the back end of the defense. 

Early on, OSU had no trouble throwing the football. This was, in large part, down to the lack of pressure being brought by the front seven. The defensive backs were left out on an island, and as a result, were tasked with defending in one-on-one situations. 

Outside of the long 47-yard touchdown to Brandon Sheperd and the 48-yard rumble by James Castleman, it was a solid showing. Sidney Jones IV in particular was very competitive, and has the look of a good Pac-12 corner down the line. 

Budda Baker's one-handed interception was also extremely impressive. 

Rushing Offense

The offensive line never was able to get much of a push. Credit to OSU for plugging the lanes between the tackles with both stunts and blitzes. While Washington didn't run up the middle very well, it did run somewhat well on the edge. 

Dwayne Washington led the team with 42 yards on 13 carries, and the Huskies as a whole got 101 yards on 25 carries. With Miles struggling to throw the football, it would've made sense to try and establish the ground game more. 

Featuring Miles and his legs (which could be his best attribute) also would've made sense. The longest run came via Mickens, who scampered for a 31-yard touchdown on a reverse. 

Run Defense

The actual rushing numbers for OSU aren't overly eye-popping. The front seven held the Cowboys to a 3.1 yards per rush average. However, the tackling was not very good. Especially in the first half, Cowboys receivers and rushers were breaking tackles with regularity. 

Additionally, the team got next to no pressure on Rudolph. There was more of an emphasis in the second half in getting after the quarterback and making him uncomfortable, but this facet of the game simply was lacking early on. 

One positive did come early in the first half, when the duo of Cory Littleton and Danny Shelton forced a fumble. 

Special Teams

It was a mixed bag for the Huskies tonight. Had it not been for the 95-yard kickoff return for touchdown by Ross, the grade would've been substantially lower. 

Ross' touchdown was able to ignite the rally and give Washington some tangible momentum heading into the final quarter. Yet again, the display of brilliance shows why Ross needs to be utilized in some form or fashion on offense. 

The usually reliable kicker Cameron Van Winkle missed a 43-yard field goal, and a botched handling of a punt return led to a fumble recovery by the Pokes. OSU was then able to cash in the turnover for a field goal. 

Coaching

Why wasn't Washington ready to play? Forget the schematic parts of the game momentarily. With more than a month to prepare for the game, it was perplexing as to why the Huskies played with no emotion or energy for the first half. That falls directly upon the coaching staff's shoulders. 

From a game perspective, the offense had no rhythm or tempo in the first half. The plays were inspiring and certainly did not play to the strengths of the personnel. 

Defensively, conventional wisdom suggests getting after a freshman quarterback with pressure. Instead, UW opted to rely upon its front four without wanting to blitz. As a result, Rudolph sat in the pocket comfortably and threw the ball all over the field.

The adjustment of bringing pressure wasn't made until the second half. At that point, it was too little, too late. 

Position Units	First-Half Grades	Final Grades
Passing Offense	A-	B+
Pass Defense	A	B+
Rushing Offense	B	B
Run Defense	A	B+
Special Teams	A	C-
Coaching	A	B+

Oklahoma State Cowboys Game Analysis

Passing Offense

As previously mentioned, Rudolph had a nice command of the offense. He was decisive with his throws and rarely looked rattled. The Rock Hill, South Carolina native finished 17-of-26 for 299 yards and two touchdowns. Rudolph was accurate on throws to all parts of the field and spread the ball out well amongst his receivers. 

The passing attack for next year looks incredibly bright. In addition to Rudolph, receivers Brandon Sheperd and James Washington were both dynamic. Sheperd led the Pokes with five grabs for 98 yards and a touchdown. Washington's one-handed 28-yard touchdown displayed why he's the future at the position for OSU. 

Oh, and James Castleman's 48-yard rumble was a thing of beauty. Just to let you all know, he's OSU's 6'2", 300-pound starting defensive tackle.

Pass Defense

The secondary did a nice job of jockeying with UW receivers early in the contest. Perhaps most impressively, the secondary (and entire defense as a whole) tackled extremely well. Most of Washington's quick-throw offense is predicated upon making the first man miss in space. OSU simply didn't allow this to happen. 

In the second half, Washington's tempo did give the secondary some issues. Mickens in particular was able to make some plays down the field. However, it was a strong showing by the unit across the board. The longest pass play for Washington only went for 23 yards. 

Corner Kevin Peterson iced the game away with an interception in the final moments of the contest. 

Rushing Offense

Desmond Roland was the unsung hero Friday night for the Pokes.

He was the workhorse for the offense, getting the tough yards and proving stability in backfield. Roland finished with 123 yards on 32 carries. His ability to carry the ball effectively was key in taking pressure off of his freshman signal-caller. 

An added wrinkle featured Castleman as a runner. Positioning himself as the wildcat quarterback, the starting defensive tackle was able to punch it in from a yard out to give OSU its first touchdown of the contest. 

Run Defense

OSU did a fantastic job of plugging the holes up front. Defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer called timely blitzes and stunts, which forced UW to try and bounce most of its runs to the perimeter. 

Linebacker Seth Jacobs was also a stud on Friday night. He was everywhere on the field, flying around making tackle after tackle. Jacobs has the looks of a future All-Big 12 performer before his career is over. The unit was solid, allowing only 101 yards rushing on 25 carries. 

Special Teams

Much like Washington, it was not the greatest effort by the special teams unit. 

The good: Kicker Ben Grogan converted on three field-goal attempts. Punter Kip Smith was excellent in switching field position and pinning Washington within its 10-yard line on multiple occasions. The coverage unit also was able to pick up a fumble on a muffed punt attempt by Washington. 

The bad: The coverage unit also allowed a 96-yard touchdown on a kickoff. Grogan also missed a 27-yard field goal, which would've put the Pokes up 11 with under a minute to play. Instead, it offered Washington a chance to tie the game. 

Coaching

Unlike Chris Petersen, credit to Mike Gundy for having his team prepared to play. There was no question OSU was the most energetic, physical football team for the first half. The underdog mentality suited the Cowboys just fine in this contest. 

Also credit Gundy and his staff for devising a complete game plan on both sides of the ball. Defensively, the Cowboys completely shut down Washington in the first half. The Huskies looked like a high school team in comparison. 

Offensively, Gundy did the smart thing by relying upon the run game early. This opened up things in the passing game for his freshman quarterback, and the offense as a whole functioned quite well.