Something worth mentioning from the start: It’s amazing that Cal was close enough that coaching decisions in the 4th quarter mattered enough to be worth challenging.
Washington State low key dominated. The Cougars gained 122 more yards, averaged 2 yards/play more than Cal, had a significantly higher success rate, and didn’t lose the field position or the turnover battles. Per the 5 factors box score, this stat line wins Wazzu this game 99.4% of the time. Under more normal circumstances Washington State probably wins a ho-hum game by 14 points.
But this is a team and a coaching staff that have the unique ability to turn each and every game into a low possession slog that gives the Bears a chance to fluke out a win in the 4th quarter, presuming Cal isn’t turning the ball over multiple times.