As much as things are different for the 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks this season compared to last season, it’s hard to ignore the strange similarities when comparing the build up to this Saturday’s game vs. Washington State and the build up to last year’s game against the Cougars. That may be an unsettling thought for some Duck fans considering how last year’s contest in Pullman went.

Similar to last season’s approach to the Washington State game, the Ducks are flying high coming off a narrow and emotional victory over a top 25 Washington team that has placed Oregon in an envious position to lock up the Pac-12 North. The win over the Huskies also purges, to a degree, a heartbreaking loss that was suffered earlier in the season. This year, Auburn was the team that ripped the Ducks’ heart out in the final moments of the season opener. Last year it was Stanford who played the role of spoiler during the first half of the season, upending the Ducks in improbable fashion. Both opponents serve(d) as Oregon’s only blemishes on the schedule leading up to a head-to-head with the Cougs.

The difference, however, is that this year’s Oregon team appears to be a much different team compared to the group that invaded Pullman last October. And that’s a good thing if you’re a Duck fan. This is also a Washington State team that is in a much different place without Gardner Minshew at the controls of Mike Leach’s high-powered offense. Which is a bad thing if you’re a supporter of the crimson and gray.

Yet, no matter which way you slice it, Saturday’s matchup between these two teams inside Autzen Stadium is a game that will assuredly feature no shortage of intrigue or fireworks as the Ducks continue their hopeful march through the Pac-12. Below, WFOD offers up everything you need to know about this week’s opponent in Washington State.

Washington State Cougars

2019 record: 4-3 overall, 1-3 in Pac-12
Last game: 41-10 win vs. Colorado
Ranking: N/A
All-time record vs. Oregon: 40-49-7
When and where to watch: Saturday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. (Pacific), ESPN

Items of note:

• The Ducks have suffered a loss in each of their last four meetings against the Cougars. Additionally, Washington State’s last win over a top 15 team came against Oregon last year, when the then 12th-ranked Ducks fell in Pullman, 34-20.
• Washington State leads the country in passing offense (440.7 yards/game), is fourth in total offense (532.7 yards/game) and eighth in scoring offense (42.7 points/game)
• The Ducks are currently one of five FBS teams (ACC – Clemson, Big Ten – Ohio State, Sun Belt – Appalachian State and Louisiana Lafayette) to rank in the top two of their conference in both scoring offense (35.9/2nd) and scoring defense (11.9/2nd)
• During Oregon’s current six-game win streak, the Ducks have outscored their opponents 122-16 in the second half, including 49-3 in the fourth quarter
• Oregon has given up just 19 points in four home games this season while forcing 19 three-and-outs (53 drives)

Five Washington State names you should know:

5. Jahad Woods (LB)

There hasn’t been much to write home about when it comes to the Washington State defense in 2019, but one player who has proven unavoidable to mention is linebacker Jahad Woods. At 6-foot-1 and 228 pounds, Woods is a player who flies around the field with reckless abandon and never shies away from sticking his nose right in the middle of the action. For proof, the junior from San Diego submits his team-leading 66 tackles; a total which also ranks third in the Pac-12 entering Week 9. If that weren’t enough, Woods also leads the Cougs in tackles for loss (5.0), is tied for the team lead in passes broken up (3), and ranks tied for second in sacks (2.0).

4. Brandon Arconado (WR)

There may not be a more unassuming impact player in the Pac-12 than Washington State’s Brandon Arconado. The senior wide receiver started his collegiate career at Chaffey College, a small community college in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. that has been better known for producing future MLB pitchers (Darryl Kile and Rollie Fingers) than it has talent on the gridiron. Since transferring to Washington State in 2016, however, Arconado has slowly but surely ascended the wide receiver depth chart in Pullman, as 2019 has proven to be a breakout year for 6-foot, 193-pound pass catcher. Operating mostly out of the slot, Arcanado ranks ninth in the Pac-12 in receiving yards (461) despite only appearing in five of Washington State’s seven games this season. The are higher profile receivers in head coach Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense, but Arcanado may be the most dangerous as he’s often the difference maker you least expect.

3. Easop Winston (WR)

Despite only starting five games for the Cougars in 2018, Easop Winston led Washington State and tied for fifth in the Pac-12 with eight touchdown catches. That alone should stand as a pretty good indicator of Winston’s playmaking ability in the wide-open Cougar offense, but if it doesn’t, Winston appears to have made it his mission in 2019 to drive home that point. Through seven games, Winston ranks tied for fifth nationally in receiving touchdowns (9), while also ranking second in the Pac-12 in receptions (47) and fourth in receiving yards (578). A former teammate of Wazzu quarterback Anthony Gordon at San Francisco Community College, Winston has proven to be Gordon’s favorite target in their final season together on the Palouse.

2. Max Borghi (RB)

As a true freshman last season, Max Borghi arrived in Pullman as the 16th-best all-purpose running back in the country coming out of the 2018 recruiting class per 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. However, facing a backfield situation that already had an established star in running back James Williams, it was uncertain how much of an early impact Borghi would make. Yet, it wouldn’t take long for the Arvada, Colo. native to carve out a considerable role for himself, as Borghi would tally 740 yards from scrimmage (366 rushing, 374 receiving) and score 12 touchdowns (eight rushing, four receiving), establishing himself as one of the brightest young stars in the Pac-12. His ascent has only continued as a sophomore, as Borghi now stands as one of the top offensive weapons for the Cougs. His 840 yards from scrimmage (512 rushing, 328 receiving) leads the Pac-12, while his nine total touchdowns ranks tied for second in the conference alongside teammate Easop Winston and Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin. It goes without saying that Borghi will be a focal point for the Oregon defense this Saturday.

1. Anthony Gordon (QB)

Prolific passers are like oxygen in Pullman, as each and every year Mike Leach churns out a passer who excels as the triggerman in his QB-friendly offense. Anthony Gordon is simply the latest in a long line of talented signal-callers who have put up eye-popping numbers dating back to Leach’s early days as an offensive coordinator. At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Gordon doesn’t particularly standout as a physical specimen, but he’s a good athlete, who moves well in the pocket, and showcases a live, accurate arm that is plenty capable of shredding an opposing defense. Just ask UCLA, who surrendered an astounding NINE touchdown passes to Gordon earlier this year, which set a school and Pac-12 record for touchdown passes in a single game. Coming into Saturday’s game, Gordon leads the nation in passing yards (2,918) and is tied for the national lead in passing touchdowns (29). He has also thrown for 400 or more yards in four games this season; a feat no other quarterback in the FBS has accomplished more than twice this season. As good as Oregon’s defense has been, in this offense, Gordon is a player who is just as capable as Jacob Eason was last weekend of exposing the Ducks through the air.