- Keith Brown deleted social media to lock in on WSU's defense
PULLMAN — In his long college football journey, Keith Brown has learned the importance of tuning out the noise. During Washington State’s fall camp, he deleted all social media off his phone, understanding that if he wants he and his unit to reach their potential, they can’t get sucked into the distractions.
Heck, he doesn’t always look at the scoreboard. Last month, in his WSU team’s home setback against Arizona, he went into halftime not knowing the score. He had to ask a teammate to find out, he said.
Turns out, that’s part of the reason how Brown and the Cougars have done their part on defense, using herculean efforts to keep their team in games when their floundering offense has left a lot out there. At least for Brown’s part, he’s done his best to ignore the problems his team’s offense is having, even if it means jogging out there for extra series thanks to turnovers.
“Just continue to compete,” Brown likes to tell his teammates.
As WSU defensive coordinator Trent Bray makes his return to Corvallis, where he worked as Oregon State’s head coach for the 2024 season and part of the 2025 campaign, the Cougars will have to do a lot of competing to pull an upset. The Beavers, who opened as 17.5-point favorites, own one of the country’s most prolific offenses, engineered in large part by quarterback Brayden Atkinson and true freshman wideout Jesse Legree.
Which leads to this question: How does WSU’s competitiveness on defense factor into a matchup with such a productive OSU offense?
“I don’t think it affects it at all. It’s just another opportunity to go out there and compete,” Brown said. “I’m sure our entire back end is just excited for the challenge, ready to do what they’re supposed to do. No matter who we’re playing, no matter what the rankings are and stuff like that, we always wanna go and play our best.”
As WSU’s offense earns all the headlines, turning things over to redshirt freshman quarterback Owen Eshelman over the struggling Caden Pinnick, perhaps a look at the Cougars’ defense is in order. Bray’s group has consistently held its own in the face of daunting circumstances, many of which have been caused by WSU’s offense, which has lost nine turnovers — seven from Pinnick.
First, consider this statistic, which paints the picture of what the Cougars’ defense is going through: In BCF Toys’ field position value rankings, WSU ranks dead last in the country, No. 138 of 138 FBS teams. In simplest terms, this means the Cougars are averaging the worst starting field position in the country, when averaging the drives their offense starts at the drives their defense starts at.
Whittle that down to just the starting field position WSU’s defense has averaged, though, and the problem becomes even clearer. The Cougars rank second-to-last nationally in that category, checking in with a mark of 65.2 — which means on average, opponents are starting drives at about their own 35-yard line. Only one other team, Rice, gives opponents better starting field position.
To be sure, though, this is not an indictment on WSU’s defense. It’s the opposite, an explanation behind some of the scores the Cougars have given up. In Washington State’s 17-16 loss to Utah State over the weekend, the visitors lost the lead in the fourth quarter, when a fumble from tight end Jack Pedersen set the Aggies up at the Cougar 19. Three plays later, they jogged into the end zone to take the lead for good.
That reality is best illustrated by BCF Toys’ defensive short field rankings, which measure how often a defense has to jog out with the opponent starting at its own 40 yard line or further. The Cougars’ defense has been handed those situations 25% of the time. Only 15 other defenses have met that fate more often.
All of that, though, only serves to make this WSU defense’s accomplishments even more impressive. In Friday’s game, defensive end Linus Zunk and defensive tackle Jirah Leaupepetele each earned sacks. The Cougs forced seven punts. On the season, they’ve forced five turnovers, about middle of the pack nationwide.
In six games, WSU is allowing 23.7 points per game, which is fifth in the Pac-12. Maybe that doesn’t sound very impressive — but then you consider what this group has been up against. That’s when their outings click, the genius behind Bray’s operation zooms into focus.
“We’re a very connected team,” Brown said. “We have our captains group chats, leadership meetings and stuff like that, and we just continue to reiterate that we’re a team at the end of the day. The last thing you wanna do is divide the team. There is no division. We’re one team. I think honestly, we’re just as close as we were going into week one. So I’m still excited for rest of the season.”
- Second-half snaps tell the story of WSU's defensive breakdowns
PULLMAN – A few minutes after halftime began and Washington State players filed into their locker room, the sparkly new crimson and black lair that was remodeled over the summer, linebacker Keith Brown turned to a teammate with a question.
“What’s the score?” asked the sixth-year linebacker.
It was Saturday evening, and WSU had just taken a three-point lead on visiting Arizona into halftime, but Brown was none the wiser, according to his retelling. Brown and the Cougars’ defense had yielded a pair of scoring drives, and because quarterback Caden Pinnick had thrown an interception, that unit had to be on the field for one extra drive.
As the rest of the game unfolded, the Cougs lost one more turnover, a fumble from Pinnick on a play where he was trying to throw the ball away as he was getting tackled. That was the seventh turnover WSU’s offense has committed this season, which has spawned all kinds of other problems, perhaps this above all: The Cougars’ defense has been tasked with playing tons more snaps, lots more drives, putting them at risk of tiring themselves out when they shouldn’t have to.
For his part, Brown says it isn’t much of a problem.
“I don’t even think about it, man,” Brown said. “As a defender, you’re so excited to go out there and play, no matter what. … We just go out there every single series, and that series right there is the only thing I’m worried about. I don’t care if I just came off the field or the offense has been out there for a while. I’m excited to go out there and play.”
That may be the case, but it also means WSU defenders are playing heavy amounts of snaps. Check out some of the total snap counts from the Cougars’ loss to the Wildcats last weekend. Cornerback Khamari Terrell led all defenders with 72 snaps. Then came Brown, who logged 69, followed by defensive backs Jackquintin Bal with 67 and Jamarey Smith with 61.
That was the second time at least three WSU defenders played at least 60 snaps each, joining the team’s earlier loss to Kansas State: defensive backs Kai Rapolla, Jaylen Thomas and Smith all cleared the 60-snap mark.
Headed into WSU’s next game, a home matchup with Fresno State to kick off Pac-12 play, two defenders have hit the 200-snap threshold: Thomas leads the team with 225 snaps while Brown is on his heels with 222. Several others are in the area, including Smith at 199, linebacker DJ Warner at 196 and safety Jeremiah Bernard at 192.
Does that add up over time? Or does it all come out in the wash for a bunch of 19- to 22-year-olds?
“It adds up in fact that you’re going against a really good quarterback,” WSU coach Kirby Moore said, referring to Arizona’s Noah Fifita, “and we were very aggressive on defense, and you saw that in the first half. Over time, he’s gonna make some plays. He’s gonna create some passes downfield, and they had the quick drive right there, and just keeping our guys fresh because the coverage and the front, it’s all gotta work together. If the front is tired and we’re not getting the rush that we want to, well, that’s affecting the back end. That’s what we gotta get solved there in the third quarter, and it really starts playing complementary football.”
Perhaps no single stat illustrates the point better than this: WSU’s defense ranks in the top half of the country in points allowed in the first quarter, permitting just 4.3, which ranks No. 57 nationally. In the fourth quarter, the Cougars are allowing an average of 11.3 points, which ranks No. 123 nationally, only about a dozen spots up from last in the country.
Think about the way WSU’s defense was operating in the first quarter against Arizona. Defensive end Linus Zunk earned a sack on the first play of the game. Bal snagged that pick-six. Then later in the first quarter, defensive tackle Jirah Leaupepele got home for another sack. “Just doing my job,” he said about that play.
The Cougs (1-3) couldn’t replicate that level of production in the second half. The Wildcats won the second half to the tune of 20-7, averaging nearly 7 yards per play, keeping Fifita clean the rest of the game.
In other words, WSU defenders wore down as the game unfolded, which is partially to be expected of a group headed out onto the field so often. The Cougars have lost seven turnovers on the season, remember? Only 18 other teams in the country have committed more. That sets up defensive coordinator Trent Bray’s unit with more and more series, and while the Cougars could certainly be doing more on defense – their inability to get much pressure on Fifita in Saturday’s second half loomed large, as did a long touchdown rush K-State broke off earlier this month – check out their high snap counts and you start to understand the root of the issue.
So what’s the solution? Play more defenders? That isn’t feasible in all of WSU’s position groups. Cornerback Jalil Tucker, a starter in Week 1, has missed the last three games with an injury. Linebacker Nylan Brown was out last week. Defensive ends Malachi Wrice and Mike Hughes were too, and they figure to be out this Saturday against Fresno State. The Cougars could get more out of young safety Kyle Peterson, for example, but after he made an early mistake that led to an Arizona touchdown, he didn’t see the field again.
What about other players on the roster? Could the Cougs give more looks to guys like defensive lineman Josh Wedel (73 snaps) or defensive end Ben Beatty, who has played just 67 snaps? The latter seems possible, but in an interesting development, WSU coaches have never separated starters Zunk and Matyus McLain. They have both played 184 snaps, indicating that coaches like them best when they’re on the field together.
With that in mind, it’s possible that the best respite for this WSU defense is an improved offense, an offense that can sustain drives. The Cougars figure to have an easier time doing that against the likes of Fresno State than they did against Power Four foes like Washington, Kansas State and Arizona. If they can hold onto the ball against the Bulldogs – whose defense ranks sixth nationally with a plus-seven turnover margin – the Cougs won’t just be doing their offense a favor.
They’ll also be doing a favor to their defense.
- WSU's secondary gets its biggest test of the season against OSU's Legree
Washington State at Oregon State
Saturday, 3 p.m.
Line: Oregon State favored by 18½
TV: USA Network Radio: 920-AM
Key matchupWSU secondary against OSU receiver Jesse Legree: Nobody has the power to swing Saturday’s game quite like OSU freshman wideout Jesse Legree, who leads the country with 12 receiving touchdowns, winning Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors all six weeks of the season thus far. He’s speedy and reliable, without a single drop on 54 targets. The Cougars’ secondary will have its hands full, particularly cornerbacks Jalil Tucker and Khamari Terrell, the latter of whom will likely get the Legree matchup.
Six teams have tried to slow quarterback Braden Atkinson, Legree and the Beavers’ offense. Six have failed. What does that mean for WSU’s chances on defense? To give themselves a shot, the Cougars’ pass-rushing duo of Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk will have to generate pressure on Atkinson. But OSU’s offensive line has been responsible for just two sacks.
To generate meaningful pass rush, the Cougars might target the two weak spots on the Beavs’ offensive line: right tackle Teko Shoats, who has been dinged for 10 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus; and right guard Tyler Voltin, who has given up two sacks. For WSU, that puts the onus on McLain and Zunk, plus interior linemen like Kaden Beatty and Jirah Leaupepetele, the latter of whom generated a solo sack last weekend against Utah State.
How the Cougs win…
To spring an upset, WSU would have to see one of two things happen: significantly limit Oregon State’s offense or get a big day from QB Owen Eshelman and the offense. If either happens, odds might skew the way of the Cougs’ offense, which has been rotten this season – but with Eshelman coming in for Caden Pinnick, whose turnovers and inability to stretch the field hampered his offense, the visitors might be able to surprise the Beavers.
If Eshelman can hit on a few passes early, it might open things up for WSU’s rushing game, which is still trying to break out in a consistent way. Tailbacks Maxwell Woods and Kirby Vorhees haven’t gotten many chances on the ground, much of that a credit to their offense’s bad habit of quick three-and-outs, but with enough carries, they might have a chance to keep their offense on the field.
How the Beavers win…
Oregon State can win this game the same way it has each of its last four: by unleashing a surging offense. Atkinson and Legree could be in for a big day against the WSU defense, whose one weakness has been giving up big plays, which accounted for one of the touchdowns Utah State used to beat the Cougars last weekend.
The Cougs have defended the run well, especially in short-yardage situations, but they’ve never done so against a passing offense as potent as the Beavs’. That could mean opportunities for OSU running backs AJ Newberry and Cornell Hatcher Jr., who have combined for 475 rushing yards and six scores on the ground.
Key stat: 0
That’s how many times Legree has been held to under 100 receiving yards this fall. It’s also the amount of times Atkinson has passed for fewer than 300 yards. WSU might be able to find a way to pull an upset while allowing those trends to continue, but it doesn’t look likely.
Quotable
“I want to win out,” WSU linebacker Keith Brown said. ” I think we have the talent to win out. I wanna do that. I wanna go out my senior year with multiple wins under our belt, and yeah, just continue to try and get better every single day and put our best foot forward.”
