Tag: Cameron Ward

3 Keys to victory for the Ducks against Washington State on Saturday

3 Keys to victory for the Ducks against Washington State on Saturday

Six days ago, the Oregon Ducks suffered their first loss of 2023, and it was a painful one. On Saturday, they’ll try to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive by beating the Washington State Cougars, who got off to a hot start this season, but have lost their last two games.

A lot like last weekend, the story for this game could be a tale of two quarterbacks. Before the Cougars’ struggles began, their QB, Cameron Ward, had made his way into Heisman conversations across the country, despite being on virtually no one’s radar in the preseason. On the other sideline, Bo Nix will try to keep his run of quality play going to lead the Ducks to 6-1.

Washington State is a fun, fast, and talented team, so despite their losing streak, this won’t be a team that rolls over for Oregon. In order for the Ducks to beat the Cougars, there are three things I think the Ducks need to do that I’ve listed below.

Control Cameron Ward

Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Cougars offense starts and ends with Cameron Ward. The reason Washington State has been beaten in their last two games is because opposing defenses have been able to neutralize, or at least slow down Ward, both in the air and on the ground. The Ducks failed to do this for most of the game in 2022 and it almost cost them the victory. But, I have no doubt that keeping Ward in check will have been an emphasis in this week’s game plan.

A true West Coast offense

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Washington State has a solid defense against the run but they have some shaky CBs in their secondary. With the depth and talent of Oregon’s receiving corps — as well as the obvious skill of Bo Nix — Oregon’s passing game should be on full display this week. Usually, we talk about Oregon’s run game opening up the pass for them, but this week we might see the inverse.

Lockdown coverage

Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Besides Ward, Washington State doesn’t have an elite rusher, so most of their offense comes from their wideouts, Kyle Williams, Josh Kelly, and Lincoln Victor. With Oregon’s secondary getting a little banged up against Washington, it will be important for whoever is matched up with Cougars’ WRs to lock them down, which could stifel  WSU’s offense.

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Series History: Oregon vs. Washington State has featured some wild finishes

Series History: Oregon vs. Washington State has featured some wild finishes

As fans are still reeling from the loss up at Washington, the Oregon Ducks are preparing to host Washington State. While this annual matchup might not hold as much weight as the Cascade Clash, there is a lot of history between these two teams.

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the history of this matchup is the classic game that occurred in Pullman last year. The Ducks were down big in the second half, and for a while, it looked like Dan Lanning and Co. would pick up an early second loss on the season. But, Bo Nix and the offense really started to rally, the Ducks took the lead in the final minutes and then sealed the game on a Mase Funa pick-six.

Obviously, there is a lot more history to this matchup than just that game. The two teams have played 93 times since 1901 when they matched up for the first time. The Ducks have an all-time record of 53-40 against the Cougars and are currently on a four-game win streak.

Washington State’s last win over Oregon came in 2018, and it was their 4th win in 4 years. One of the reasons for the Cougars’ dominance in that stretch was Luke Falk, the best QB in the history of the Pac-12 statistically. Falk played in three of the four games during Washington State’s win streak, and Oregon just didn’t seem to have an answer.

The stars of last year’s game were Cameron Ward and Bo Nix, both of whom are back and ready to go for Saturday. It also feels as though both of them have something to prove. Ward hasn’t played his best football the last few weeks and Nix just led the Ducks to a loss against Washington for the second year in a row, although he played quite well. All things considered, the QB matchup should make for a great game on Saturday as the Ducks try to increase their win streak over WSU to 5 years.

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Wisconsin vs. Washington St: Prediction, point spread, odds, best bet

Can the Badgers cover the spread in Week 2?

The Badgers play the Washington State Cougars on Saturday and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet.

The game starts at 6:30PM and can be seen on ABC.

Wisconsin is coming off of a 38-17 Week 1 win over Buffalo at home. In the contest, the Badgers’ top two running backs Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi combined for 298 yards and four touchdowns over 30 carries.

Washington State defeated Colorado State 50-24 with their quarterback Cameron Ward compiling an impressive 451 passing yards and three touchdowns while also leading the team with 40 rushing yards and a score on the ground.

Both teams will be in for a tougher test in Week 2 and this is how BetMGM sees the game going:

  • Point spread: Wisconsin -6
  • Money line: Wisconsin -225 / Washington State +180
  • Over-under: 58

It’s unclear exactly what injuries each team are dealing with but here are their Week 1 injury reports:

Wisconsin:

  • Jordan Turner – Linebacker : Suspended for first half Saturday (Targeting)
  • Cornerbacks Michael Mack and Max Lofy
  • Wide receivers Trech Kekahuna and Tommy McIntosh
  • Tight ends Riley Nowakowski, Cam Large, Angel Toombs and Jack Pugh
  • Safety Jackson Trudgeon
  • Center Jake Renfro
  • Outside linebacker Aaron Witt
  • Offensive lineman Peyton Lange
  • Defensive lineman Isaiah Mullens

Washington State:

  • Offensive lineman Christian Hilborn
  • Offensive lineman Fa’alili Fa’amoe
  • Wide receiver Josh Kelly
  • Linebacker Ahmad McCullough
  • Safety Sam Lockett
  • Defensive back Tanner Moku
  • Defensive back Adrian Wilson
  • Wide receiver Leyton Smithson

This game has revenge written all over it with a Badgers football team that feels like they underperformed in their opener. Washington State’s offense will likely give Wisconsin’s defense some issues, but with the Badgers’ running attack paired with their new “Air Raid” offense, I think that Wisconsin covers on the road this weekend.

Prediction: 34-21 Wisconsin

Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.

Pac-12 Preview: Five years after historic season, Cougars look to improve upon lackluster start to the decade

Five years ago WSU went 11-2, but they’ve been searching for that success ever since. Will 2023 be the year that they find it?

As June starts to roll into July, and July eventually leads us to the start of fall camps at the beginning of August, the 2023 college football season will be here before we know it. What a season it projects to be in the Pac-12 Conference, as well. With a handful of College Football Playoff contenders, and a group of Heisman Trophy candidates leading their prospective teams, we could be set up for one of the best football seasons out west that we’ve seen in decades. To help get us prepared, we at Ducks Wire wanted to go through each team in the conference and give a comprehensive breakdown of each school, breaking down their 2023 outlook. Welcome to our Pac-12 Previews. New editions will be published every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday leading up to the start of fall camp.

Check out our previously published previews: Arizona Wildcats — Arizona State Sun Devils — California Golden Bears — Colorado Buffaloes — Oregon State Beavers — Stanford Cardinal — UCLA Bruins — USC Trojans — Utah Utes — Washington Huskies

Five years after Washington State’s 11-2 season, the Cougars will look to recreate that greatness, but they will also settle for just making a bowl game. The Cougars have a talented enough team — particularly in their QB Cameron Ward — to reach a bowl game, but every contest will matter in order to achieve that goal. In the interconference play, Washington State could easily become “an any given Sunday,” kind of team (never mind the games are played on Saturday) as they should be able to put up a good enough fight against every team on their schedule.

Ward’s all-around talent and the presence of exciting young receivers should make for a WSU passing offense that causes any opposing defense trouble. The key for Washington State in 2023, will be playing a complete four quarters of football. They have the talent to win a lot of the games on their schedule, but it will all depend on their ability to close games — unlike they did against Oregon in 2022 (sorry I had to).

Below is the preview for Washington State’s 2023 season.

Several 2024 QB draft prospects will be in the latest Manning Passing Academy

Several 2024 QB draft prospects, including Drake Maye and Michael Penix, will be at the latest Manning Passing Academy

The annual Manning Passing Academy featured a who’s-who of quarterbacks at the high school level. However, the famous quarterback grooming school uses college QBs as counselors, and it’s a prime chance for those collegians to impress an improved their potential NFL draft stock.

Several likely 2024 NFL draft prospects will serve as counselors for the 2023 Manning Passing Academy, which will take place from June 22-25 at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

Among the names of the 45 current college QBs that draft enthusiasts should know for the 2024 draft:

  • Jayden Daniels, LSU
  • Drake Maye, North Carolina
  • Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
  • Michael Penix, Washington
  • Will Rogers, Mississippi State
  • Cameron Ward, Washington State

The alumni list of Manning Passing Academy counselors as collegians reads like an All-Pro list. Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Trevor Lawrence,  Patrick Mahomes and Dak Prescott are among many notable alums who used the Manning experience to help their NFL fates.

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Eagles spend No. 3 pick on draft’s best pass rusher, Saints get QB5 in 2023 mock draft

The latest 2023 mock draft brought next year’s best pass rusher to the Eagles, while the Saints had to wait until the second round to pick QB5:

Learning from your mistakes can be painful. That’s the case for the New Orleans Saints in the latest 2023 NFL mock draft from Luke Easterling over at Draft Wire; projected to make their first selection at No. 3 overall, the Saints instead have to send that pick to the Philadelphia Eagles a part of a 2022 trade that bought the team another first-round choice.

And the Eagles, arguably the best team in pro football right now, used that opportunity to selection star pass rusher Will Anderson out of the Alabama Crimson Tide. The rich get richer at New Orleans’ expense. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis shouldn’t take another phone call from a 215 area code ever again.

This means the Saints must wait until the second round to make their first pick on draft day — and in Easterling’s projection, they went with Washington State Cougars quarterback Cameron Ward at No. 34 overall. A highly-decorated transfer from the NAIA’s Incarnate Word Cardinals, Ward is the fifth passer to go off the board in Easterling’s mock draft: Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud (No. 1), Alabama’s Bryce Young (No. 2), Kentucky’s Will Levis (No. 16), and Florida’s Anthony Richardson (No. 18) were all off the board ahead of him.

As for Ward: he’s completed 68.4% of his passes while averaging 288 yards per game for the Cougs, scoring 13 touchdown passes but throwing 7 interceptions. He’ll clear any prototype thresholds New Orleans maintains for the position at a listed 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds. Ward plays with a quick release and a live arm, threatening defenses at every level of the field, and he put himself on the map in Washington State’s road upset at then-No. 19 Wisconsin earlier this season. If he can better protect the football as the year marches on, he’ll be in great position come draft day. Fans interested in a closer look at him can tune in for a national-broadcast game against the USC Trojans on FOX this Saturday, Oct. 8, at 6:30 p.m. CT.

There’s a realistic chance the Saints will be looking for a quarterback in 2023. Jameis Winston turned in several hard-to-watch games to start the year, committing too many turnovers while dealing with a variety of different injuries, and his backup Andy Dalton isn’t a sure thing as a viable replacement in the short- or long-term. While there are plenty of options headed for free agency right now, that list will be whittled down as teams issue franchise tags, sign players to extensions, and others retire to go home and be a family man. Let’s hope Winston enjoys a return to health and plays the best football of his career to keep New Orleans from scouting potential replacements.

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Even in a crushing loss, Cameron Ward shows superstar potential

Washington State lost in disappointing fashion to Oregon, but Cameron Ward proved just how dynamic he could be at the next level

It didn’t end like Washington State was hoping, but Saturday’s game against Oregon was more proof that the Cougars have something special at the game’s most important position.

When he transferred from Incarnate Word, the biggest question mark surrounding quarterback Cameron Ward was whether or not he could replicate his ridiculous production and success against Power 5 competition.

Even though the Cougars dropped a heartbreaker at home to the Ducks on Saturday night, letting a 34-22 lead slip away in the final four minutes of the game, Ward’s performance should have every quarterback-needy team in the NFL moving him up their draft board.

Ward completed 37 of his 48 pass attempts for 375 yards and a pair of touchdowns, adding another score on the ground. Doubters will point to his two interceptions, but it was Ward’s ability to make jaw-dropping plays multiple times throughout the game that should have pro scouts excited about his potential at the next level:

Ward continues to show the kind of poise and pocket presence required to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL, as well as the ability to make highlight-reel plays when the pocket breaks down.

The best quarterbacks can make plays within and outside of structure, and Ward keeps proving he can do both, regardless of his level of competition.

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Social media reacts to Oregon’s insane 44-41 comeback win vs. Washington State

That’s what we call a roller coaster of emotions. From a likely loss to a comfortable win. Safe to say that Twitter had a field day.

That’s not quite how we expected the Oregon Ducks to come out of Pullman with a victory, but in the end, the result is all that matters.

After what was an incredibly frustrating and at times ugly game for the Ducks, Dan Lanning and his squad found a way to pull it out in the end, thanks to a 50-yard touchdown from Bo Nix to Troy Franklin that gave Oregon a three-point lead with under two minutes to go.

For good measure, Mase Funa got the defense on the board with a pick-six after that to erase all doubt.

It’s safe to say that, through all of the highs and lows, Duck Twitter had a field day. Here are some of the best reactions throughout what was a roller coaster of a game.

Know the Opponent: WSU offense has slowed, but still dangerous

Washington State’s offense isn’t as prolific as it once was under former coach Mike Leach, but it’s still dangerous.

Washington State may have figured something out up in the Palouse. In order to win games on a consistent basis, you can’t just outscore teams. You have to have a defense.

Under coach Mike Leach, the Cougars would spread opponents out and through 40-50 times a game. While they had an explosive offense, they didn’t compete for conference titles.

That may have changed.

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WSU’s offense still spreads opponents out, but they are more methodical and score less, but so far, it’s worked. The Cougars are 3-0, including a road win over Wisconsin. Just a couple of years ago, a 17-14 win in Madison would have been unthinkable.

Now they are preparing for a sell out crowd this Saturday at Martin Stadium as the No. 18 Ducks come rolling into Pullman. Although they’re not going to put 40 points on the scoreboard, that doesn’t mean the WSU offense isn’t dangerous. It’s just dangerous in a different way.

The quarterback, Cameron Ward, is a transfer from Incarnate Word and moving up a level of competition hasn’t affected him in any way. In fact, he has settled down anxieties in the program after former Cougar Jayden De Laura transferred to Arizona.

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Ward has completed 65 percent of his passes and has 727 yards (242.3 ypg) under his belt, with eight touchdowns, but three interceptions.

His favorite targets have been a pair of sophomores in Donovan Ollie and De’Zhaun Stribling. They have combined for 33 catches, 319 yards, and five touchdowns.

The Cougar running game isn’t much to look at as they averaging just 111 yards a game. In comparison, Oregon averages 205 yards a game on the ground. Nakia Watson carries the load for the Cougars, averaging nearly 75 yards a game and he has scored one time.

As for the Cougar offensive line, it has plenty of size, but is low on experience. It’s led by redshirt junior Jarrett Kingston at 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds, who started all 13 games last season. Konner Gomness (6-5, 295 pounds) started eight games last season. That’s where the experience ends for the most part.

Redshirt sophomore Christian Hilborn (6-5, 300) started one game last season, redshirt sophomore Ma’ake Fifita (6-5, 305) appeared in all 13 games and started three, and senior Grant Stephens (6-4, 295) is a transfer from Northern Colorado.

So far, the offensive line may be a work in progress as it has allowed nine sacks this season.

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Cameron Ward a mixed bag in Washington State’s upset win vs. Wisconsin

Washington State upset No. 19 Wisconsin on the road, but quarterback Cameron Ward’s performance was a roller-coaster

It was one thing for Cameron Ward to put up huge numbers at Incarnate Word, or toss a trio of touchdown passes against Idaho last week.

Saturday gave him a chance to truly test his mettle, thanks to a road trip to face No. 19 Wisconsin at Camp Randall.

Ward’s performance ended up being a roller-coaster of sorts, but one that ended on a high note, with the Cougars pulling out a narrow upset victory.

The highly touted transfer completed 17 of his 28 pass attempts for 200 yards and a touchdown, showing off his sky-high ceiling multiple times throughout the game. He also threw a pair of interceptions that are sure to fuel any doubters who think Ward won’t be able to have the same success he did last year against stiffer competition.

The most important stat of the day was the W the Cougs went home with, though, and while wins aren’t really a quarterback stat, the fact that Ward went into a hostile environment and led his team to an upset win over a ranked opponent will definitely garner some favor with NFL scouts.

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