The Ball is the Boss: Moore's First Pac-12 Test is About Holdin' OnPULLMAN — This week, as Washington State prepares to host its first Pac-12 game in nearly three years, the Cougars’ new head coach has to toe a tightrope like he’s walking over the Grand Canyon.
Kirby Moore has to find the right balance between these two ideas. One: Emphasize to quarterback Caden Pinnick, who has lost five turnovers in his first four games, the importance of holding onto the ball this weekend. Two: Don’t psyche him out and cause him to become gunshy.
That’s because when WSU and Fresno State kick off, set for 6:30 p.m. Saturday on the USA Network, the Cougars won’t just be trying to earn their first FBS win of the season. They’ll be taking on a Bulldog (3-1) team that has blossomed into one of the country’s best at generating turnovers, earning a plus-7 turnover margin, good for the sixth-best mark in the country.
That could be bad news for WSU, which is on the other end of that spectrum, checking in at No. 119 nationally with a turnover margin of minus-4. Moore’s team has committed seven turnovers in its 1-3 start to the season. That’s where Saturday’s game could turn: Can the Cougars avoid turnovers against a Bulldog team that could pounce on one of the hosts’ biggest weaknesses?
Which is where the balance Moore has to find comes in.
“I think it’s just trusting the play-the-play, and each play has life of its own,” said Moore, whose first FBS coaching job came at Fresno State, where he worked as receivers coach and offensive coordinator from 2017-22. “Obviously, we want to create explosive plays, and then with that, the defense has a say in the fight. So there’s times where, shoot, if they’ve got a good call or they execute a little bit better than us, it’s OK at times, whether it’s taking a sack or throwing the ball away. Obviously, we’ve gotta have great ball security by the runners as well. So all those things you talk about. There was some instances of it on Saturday, and we gotta learn from it and carry it over this week.”
WSU’s offense, which is still looking to find its footing against FBS competition, might not be at full strength Saturday evening. Running back Kirby Vorhees, who has started two games, will be a gametime decision thanks to an upper-body injury he sustained during practice this week. If Vorhees can’t play, it would deal a costly blow to the Cougs’ ground game, which has yet to hit 100 yards from running backs against FBS teams this fall.
There’s also good news for WSU on that front. Tight end Trey Leckner, who missed all of spring practices and fall camp with a foot injury, could make his season debut. He’s listed as probable on the Pac-12 availability report, and Moore also described him as a gametime decision. That would provide a nice boost for the Cougars, who would get their best pass-catching tight end back in the fold, which could unlock part of their offense that they have yet to get to.
That comes at a key time for WSU, whose season might not hinge on this home contest against Fresno State, but it might come close. The Cougars might be 1-3 on the year, but none of those games have counted against their standings in the Pac-12, meaning they could still get a headstart in conference play with a win. But if not, they would be staring at a 1-4 start to the season, putting their bowl streak — they’ve earned bowl eligibility in 10 of the last 11 full seasons — in serious jeopardy.
Besides, WSU has two road games coming up next, at Utah State and at Oregon State. However the Cougars fare here on Saturday evening, they have a tougher stretch on the horizon.
So how can the Cougars get Pac-12 play, which they haven’t participated in since knocking off Colorado in November 2023, started on the right note? They will have to take care of the ball. That starts with Pinnick, who threw an interception and lost a fumble in a loss to Arizona last week. He also threw another near-interception, which he avoided because the Wildcat defender bobbled it on his way out of bounds.
Pinnick will have to keep a close eye on Fresno State cornerback Simeon Harris, who already has three interceptions this season, underscoring why he earned some preseason votes for Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. He’ll also have to avoid putting the ball on the floor against Fresno State, which has also forced and recovered three fumbles.
“It’s definitely a balance,” Moore said earlier in the week. “It’s dialogue during the week. If something’s there, if it’s not there, self-preservation, making sure we’re playing the next play. Every play has a life of its own, and we had some of that come up on Saturday.”
On defense, WSU defensive coordinator Trent Bray’s unit will lead the way in trying to slow down Fresno State quarterback Jayden Mandal, who has completed 64% of his passes for six touchdowns against just one interception. Leading his club to wins over Sacramento State, San Jose State and Rice, Mandal and the Bulldogs have averaged nearly 38 points per game in their victories.
Running back Rayshon Luke, the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, has looked just as dangerous. In Fresno State’s win over Rice last weekend, he piled up 167 rushing yards and a score on just 11 carries, highlighting the efficiency with which he’s operated.
“They’re a good football team,” Moore said. “I think you look at the number of wins they had last season, the tradition there. Those guys are going to come in expecting to win, and it’s shown up on offense, defense, the complementary football, special teams. They do it a very high level. John Baxter (special teams coach) does a really good job, so it’s gonna be a great challenge for us on Saturday night.”
