One silver lining in loss: It could have been worse

Though San Jose State’s 31-0 beatdown by Washington State on Saturday night was expected, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

With the Cougars’ 544 yards of offense and quarterback Gardner Minshew throwing for three touchdowns and 414 yards on 34 of 51 attempts, the score could have been worse. The Spartans intercepted Minshew three times and won the turnover battle. They also contained the Cougars’ offense for most of the second half.

Solemn consolations for the Spartans in what was still a hard-fought loss.

For the 26,141 in attendance at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Washington, it was also a solemn remembrance for quarterback Tyler Hilinski, who committed suicide earlier this year.

The Cougars didn’t need extra motivation against the Spartans. Their defense suppressed quarterback Montel Aaron and the Spartans’ offense

with speed, blitz packages, solid tackling and defensive shifts that induced penalties from San Jose State’s offensive line. The Cougars also made the Spartans’ running game non-existent.

SJSU’s total offensive output: 109 yards, with Aaron going 13 of 25 and 94 yards.

The takeaways from the Game 2 loss:

• The Spartans started on defense on the first possession and must have been amped up. How else to explain four penalties and 12 players on the field after the Cougars’ extra-point attempt?

Energy and passion were there, but discipline is in question.

After the defense settled in, you could see some of the improvements since the UC Davis loss. The secondary covered better, broke up more passes and intercepted three, though covertwo man coverage without enough defensive line push still left Minshew a lot of time to find open receivers.

Linebackers Jesse Osuna and Kyle Harmon each had an interception along with an acrobatic catch by cornerback Nehemiah Shelton.

The defensive line had its moments. Boogie Roberts, Cade Hall, Sailosi Latu and Bryson Bridges punched through when they could to pressure Minshew.

• When Aaron is pressured, especially on thirddown blitzes, he has to keep his eyes up and anticipate throws to his receivers or run. Easier said than done for a young quarterback, but a necessary skill against good defenses.

Getting hit and sacked affected Aaron’s throwing accuracy. Under pressure, he missed a number of throws he made last week against UC Davis.

• In two games, Josh Oliver’s inside game has been on point and will get better. Going for 51 yards on five receptions, Aaron still missed Oliver or didn’t see him at times when he could have produced even more.

Oliver is a threat for yards after the catch and punishes defenders. The Spartans will continue to find ways to get him the ball and use his playmaking as a counter to other offensive schemes.

• If there’s was one reliable force, it was Bryce Crawford. His punting abilities were much needed with the many three-and-outs by the offense. Crawford gave his coverage men time to get downfield and minimize returns. Crawford’s 11 punts averaged 43.7 yards.

• Almost on cue after a big play — a motion penalty, a chop block, an offside — penalties neutralized any progress. Untimely penalties have carried over from last season. If the Spartans can fix the penalty bug, it should result in an uptick in time of possession.