- Utah State on a short week? Cougs need an offensive pulse
PULLMAN – Here is a first look at Washington State’s road game against Utah State on Friday evening.
What is it?
It’s the first road Pac-12 contest of the season for WSU, which is trying to put a blowout home loss to Fresno State over the weekend in the rearview mirror. In that one, the Cougars failed to score an offensive touchdown for the second time this season, the first time this program has met that fate in one season since 2008.
That helped prompt WSU coach Kirby Moore to take over playcalling duties from offensive coordinator Matt Miller, an announcement Moore made in his weekly news conference on Monday. It’s also possible the Cougars move away from quarterback Caden Pinnick, with Moore saying “everyone will get reps” at QB in practice this week.
In a rematch of last winter’s Idaho Potato Bowl, Moore’s WSU squad will try to take down a Utah State team that has just one win, also checking in with one of the country’s worst offenses.
Where is it?
Maverik Stadium in Logan, Utah.
When is it?
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. (7 p.m. local)
Where can I watch it?
The CW will broadcast the game.
Who is favored?
WSU opened as a 4.5-point underdog.
How did the Cougars fare last week?
In a 26-6 loss to Fresno State to open conference play, WSU’s offense struggled as badly as it has in decades. Pinnick threw one interception, and an earlier snap mishap resulted in another turnover, the team’s ninth of the season. The Cougars slogged through six three-and-outs, one drive that only reached a first down via penalty and one turnover on downs, which was a four-play series in the game’s final moments.
WSU scored only two field goals, both from kicker Jack Stevens, who has now connected on three straight field goals. His second make on Saturday, a 50-yarder right before halftime, was a careerlong kick. It’s clear his confidence is returning, and thanks to coaches’ decision to shift some personnel on the field goal team, that part of the Cougars’ special teams unit looks much sharper.
WSU’s defense also turned in a remarkable outing, getting a sterling game from defensive end Matyus McLain, including a half-sack and two tackles for loss. The Cougars recovered a fumble, and they kept their team within one score for three quarters, an extraordinary development considering how badly their offense was struggling. WSU defenders were caught off guard by several Fresno State trick plays, including a reverse that the Bulldogs used to go up by a touchdown midway through the third frame, but those were about the only faults to find with defensive coordinator Trent Bray’s group.
But the reasons WSU lost the game, its second straight setback, had much more to do with its offense’s shortcomings. Early in the game, receiver Branden Ganashamoorthy caught what would have been a third-down conversion, but he ran his route short of the line to gain. Fellow receiver Daniel Blood dropped a late pass for a conversion. And Pinnick turned in his worst game of the year, missing targets downfield and showing some wobbly decision-making throughout the entire game.
On top of that, the Cougs’ rushing attack was almost nonexistent, at least from their tailbacks. Maxwell Woods, Kirby Vorhees and Leo Pulalasi combined for just 45 yards on 12 carries. In the second half, those numbers dropped significantly: Those three combined for just 13 yards on five carries. As a team, the Cougars rushed for negative-4 yards in the second half.
“We gotta incorporate those guys more. We got to stay on the field,” Moore said. “That’s the most important thing. You gotta get first downs to get more carries for the running backs. And when 11 of your 14 third downs are third-and-long plus, the percentages on conversion there are pretty low.”
All in all, it was another listless showing for a WSU team that has languished through several like it already this year. The Cougars converted on just 3 of 14 third-down chances, dropping their season rate to 16-for-59 – 27%, five spots up from dead last in the country.
Scouting Utah State …
The Aggies, who are led by second-year coach Bronco Mendenhall and quarterback Grady Brosterhous, have started the season to the tune of 1-4. They opened with a loss to FCS Idaho State, then followed with two more setbacks, on the road to Washington and Utah. Mendenhall’s team bounced back with a home win over Troy before falling to Boise State last weekend.
The Aggies, who rank last in the Pac-12 in scoring offense and fourth in scoring defense, have struggled to generate any consistent offense. Utah State’s 14 points per game ranks three spots up from last nationally, and on top of being one of the country’s most penalized teams, the Aggies’ turnover margin of minus-seven is four spots up from last nationally.
Utah State has rolled with Brosterhous at quarterback, but in the team’s loss to Boise State over the weekend, coaches gave several midgame snaps to junior McCae Hillstead. It’s likely that WSU will see Brosterhous – he’s completed 58% of his passes for 764 yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions – but Hillstead might not be out of the picture entirely, either.
Between Brosterhous and Hillstead, the Aggies have thrown 10 interceptions, which ranks dead last in the country. That’s a key reason why Utah State’s offense is among the worst nationally.
“He can really run the football. He can throw the football. It starts with him,” Moore said of Brosterhous. “There’s some RPO elements to what they do. There’s a lot of creativity offensively. They’ve got some good skill guys that we gotta make sure we tackle in space.”
But Utah State’s defense hasn’t been half bad. The Aggies are allowing 25 points per game, good for the fourth-best mark in the Pac-12, thanks in large part to a few playmakers: Safety Brevin Hamblin is the team’s leading tackler with 43 takedowns, and he’s snagged one interception. Edge rusher Jordan Pendleton has two sacks on seven quarterback pressures, and safety David Kabongo also has one pick.
What happened last time?
WSU and Utah State’s last meeting came in the 2025 Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise, where the Cougars’ offense roared to life in a 34-21 victory. With former coach Jimmy Rogers already off to Iowa State, former offensive coordinator Danny Freund flexed his muscles and unleashed his team’s offense.
- Moore faces his old team as a new Pac-12 era begins in Pullman
PULLMAN – Here ’s a first look at Washington State’s home game against Fresno State on Saturday afternoon.
What is it?
To kick off competition in the rebuilt Pac-12, WSU hosts Fresno State, looking to turn around a 1-3 start to the season. In the teams’ first meeting in Pullman since 1994, WSU coach Kirby Moore squares off against the program that gave him his first FBS coaching gig – he worked as the Bulldogs’ receivers coach/offensive coordinator from 2017-22.
In the Cougars’ third straight home game, it’s possible that tight end Trey Leckner makes his season debut after missing the season’s first four games with a foot injury.
Where is it?
Gesa Field at Martin Stadium in Pullman.
When is it?
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
Where can I watch it?
USA Network will broadcast the game.
Who is favored?
As of Monday afternoon, WSU was around a 21/2-point favorite in most sportsbooks.
How did the Cougars fare last week?
In a 34-24 loss to Arizona, WSU took an early lead thanks to one touchdown from QB Caden Pinnick and a pick-six from safety Jackquintin Bal, but Arizona wasted no time leveling the game and won the second half, 20-7. The Cougars drew within one score late on a long touchdown pass from Pinnick to receiver Branden Ganashamoorthy, but that’s as close as they came, falling to 1-3 to open Moore’s debut season.
Pinnick completed 24 of 41 passes for 241 yards, two total touchdowns and two turnovers, one interception and one fumble. He’s now lost five turnovers this season, and the Cougars are up to seven as a whole, good for a total turnover margin of minus-4, which is tied for No. 119 nationally. It’s been a key reason behind some of the struggles of offensive coordinator Matt Miller’s group.
The Cougars played an OK game on defense, but they couldn’t slow down Wildcat QB Noah Fifita, who went 22-for-36 passing for 297 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. WSU also couldn’t limit receiver Tre Spivey, who hauled in seven catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
Four Cougar defenders played at least 60 snaps, led by cornerback Khamari Terrell with 72, perhaps opening a window into some of the reasons why WSU’s defense wore down in that game: Its best players were on the field too long.
“It adds up in fact that you’re going against a really good quarterback,” Moore said, “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, and 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.”
In the third quarter, WSU slogged through some listless football, putting up several forgettable numbers: zero points, 149 total yards, 44 rushing yards, two three-and-outs, four punts and three sacks taken, giving Pinnick 10 sacks taken on the season. That opened the door for Arizona to turn a three-point deficit into a four-point lead, cushioning two more scoring drives in the fourth frame.
In the end, it added up to more question marks for WSU’s offense (two turnovers) and its special teams units, which had one field goal blocked and gave up a 39-yard punt return. The Cougars have now had two field goals blocked and given up two long punt returns, including a 62-yarder against Kansas State in Week 2.
The only bright spot on WSU’s special teams group has been punter Max Dean, who battled migraines in Saturday’s game to record five punts for 200 total yards, an average of 40 yards. He’s now averaging 45.2 yards per punt, which ranks No. 14 in the country.
Scouting Fresno State …
The Bulldogs, off to a 3-1 start to the season, are led by second-year head coach Matt Entz and quarterback Jayden Mandal. They began the year with a 39-0 road loss to USC before bouncing back with three straight wins: 49-3 over Sacramento State, 26-10 over San Jose State and 38-24 over Rice, the last of which unfolded last weekend.
Fresno State, which ranks No. 6 in the country with a turnover margin of plus-7, have the Pac-12’s best defense so far. The Bulldogs are allowing just 19 points per game, which ranks at the top in the conference, and star cornerback Simeon Harris has already collected three interceptions. As a team, Fresno State has also recovered three fumbles, tied for the conference lead.
The Bulldogs have also registered nine sacks, second in the conference, including two from linebacker Titus Khajavi and one apiece from six different players. Their Pro Football Focus pass rush grade of 65.3 ranks third in the Pac-12.
“That’s gonna be really important,” Moore said, “to make sure we take care of the football.”
On offense, Mandal has completed 67 of 104 passes (64%) for 789 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. His top target has been senior receiver Josiah Freeman – who was in his true freshman redshirt season in 2022, Moore’s final year at Fresno State – has totaled 18 catches for 261 yards and two touchdowns.
“The receiver was there when I was there. He was a really good, athletic player,” Moore said. “You see him show up on third downs and a lot of different situations.”
But a lot of the Bulldogs’ offense has also come from veteran running back Rayshon Luke, the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week. In Fresno State’s win over Rice, he tallied a game and career-high 167 yards with one touchdown on just 11 carries, giving him 240 rushing yards total on the season. He’s also averaging 6.7 yards per carry, which ranks third in the Pac-12.
What happened last time?
WSU and Fresno State’s last meeting came in 2024, when the Cougars eked out a 25-17 road win in Fresno. The Cougars got a key pick-six in the fourth quarter from cornerback Ethan O’Connor, who went on to transfer to Miami over the offseason.
- The Cougar QB question looms large ahead of Utah State
Washington State at Utah State
Friday, 6 p.m.
Line: Utah State favored by 5½
TV: KSKN Radio: 920-AM
Key matchup
WSU QB against the Utah State defense: Usually, we would analyze the WSU QB’s matchup against the Utah State defense, but it’s unclear who that will be. The Cougars might stick with Caden Pinnick, who has languished to the tune of six turnovers in his first five games, or they might switch it up. They might go with redshirt freshman Owen Eshelman, who has yet to play any meaningful snaps in his college career, or they might pivot to redshirt sophomore Julian Dugger, who has broken some nice runs but hasn’t proven much with his arm in his limited playing time as a college QB.
For the sake of analyzing something, let’s assume WSU is sticking with Pinnick. The biggest focus for Pinnick will have to be avoiding turnovers, which he has not done in a consistent way yet. He has thrown an interception in all five games so far, and he also lost a fumble against Arizona, accounting for the majority of the Cougars’ nine total turnovers.
But will coaches stick with Pinnick for the entire game? It’s possible that even if Pinnick starts, coaches keep him on a short leash, wary of the turnover and pocket-presence issues he has faced. If those come bubbling up again, look for Moore to pull the plug.
How the Cougs win…
Because of the instability WSU is facing on offense, look for its defense to swing this one. Utah State quarterbacks Grady Brosterhous and McCae Hillstead have taken 17 sacks combined, and they have combined for 10 interceptions, the most of any team in the country. That doesn’t just open up things for Cougar defensive ends Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk. It could also mean a big day for WSU’s secondary, namely Jaylen Thomas, who has two interceptions on the year.
How the Aggies win…
Utah State can win this game by preying on WSU’s offense, which looks anything but potent at the moment. Pass rushers Adonis Jackson and Jordan Pendleton have combined for two sacks on 16 pressures, meaning the WSU offensive line will have to keep its quarterback – whoever it is – clean and upright.
If the Aggies can generate a turnover or two, as the Cougar offense has been wont to offer up, they can likely get it done at home.
Key stat: Minus-5
Can a key stat be a negative number? That’s WSU’s turnover margin on the year, a key reason behind its slow 1-4 start to the season. Can the Cougars improve that number? Can their defense take advantage of Utah State’s turnover problems, which have resulted in a margin of minus-7? Those patterns may swing Friday’s game.
Quotable
“I think Coach (Moore) is a great play-caller,” WSU tight end Jack Pedersen said. “Obviously, he did a great job at Missouri. That’s why he’s here. That’s why he’s the head coach here at Washington State. I think he’s going to do an amazing job, and I think we’re all excited to just get back out there and get a new opportunity.”
