- Khamari Terrell tackles like he's the only one on the field
PULLMAN – When Khamari Terrell makes a tackle in space, for a brief moment, he enters a world all by himself. Washington State’s veteran cornerback will usually lower his head, staring down into the turf, maybe closing his eyes, closing himself off to the chaos unfolding around him.
Then he usually takes his hands and slaps himself on the helmet. Once. Twice. Lets his energy seep off him like condensation off a glass of ice water.
Then he rejoins the action, ready to make another play for the Cougars, for whom he’s playing his fifth and final season of college football.
“I think it’s big, especially in college, just knowing that the corners have to tackle every game,” Terrell said earlier this week. “Especially this week, I’m gonna make it noticed that you’re not gonna be able to just run to my side and just think that you’re gonna get a big gain or anything.”
Terrell and the WSU defense will get a chance to prove it this weekend, when No. 21 Boise State comes to town for a showdown, the teams’ first clash in Pullman since 2017, the night the late Tyler Hilinski came off the bench to lead the Cougars to a triple-overtime comeback.
Here’s the short version of why Terrell and his fellow defensive backs, like cornerback Jalil Tucker and safety Jaylen Thomas, will have to come up big for their team: The Broncos own one of the country’s best rushing attacks, spearheaded by junior tailback Dylan Riley, who ranks second nationwide with 139 rushing yards per game. As a team, the Broncos’ 234 rushing yards per contest ranks ninth in the country.
That figures to put quite the strain on this WSU defense, which was gashed last weekend, giving up 48 points to Oregon State’s prolific offense in a three-score loss. But for the Cougars, as they prepare for their next outing, it’s not all about preventing scoring. It’s about one of Terrell’s favorite parts of the game: tackling.
All things considered, WSU (1-6, 0-3 Pac-12) has done a fine job of that this season. The Cougars have earned a Pro Football Focus tackling grade of 61.4, which ranks No. 93 nationwide, fifth in the Pac-12. They’ve turned in some gems of tackling outings, including in their loss to Fresno State earlier this season, when they missed just three total tackles.
In fact, some of the WSU defenders who have logged the most snaps are also the ones who have tackled the best. Veteran linebacker Keith Brown, who leads the team with 418 snaps, has missed only six tackles. Terrell, who has played 339 snaps, has whiffed only three times. And redshirt freshman nickelback Jamarey Smith, who has 313 snaps, has missed only one tackle all season.
So from a 30,000-foot view, the Cougars have done well to tackle, and their coaches deserve credit for that: Defensive coordinator Trent Bray, cornerbacks coach Brandyn Thompson and defensive line coach Eti Ena, among others. Past Cougar teams have not tackled particularly well – Jake Dickert’s 2024 team finished the season ranked fifth-to-last in PFF’s tackling grades, while Jimmy Rogers’ 2025 club finished dead last – so for the program, this represents a key step in the right direction.
“Game to game, you gotta be prepared to tackle,” Terrell said, “especially going against a team that runs a lot. So just be physical and just shut down the side of the field and just stop the run, so they won’t try to keep running to that side.”
The only problem at hand: Boise State’s playmakers have excelled at forcing missed tackles. In six games, Riley has forced 28 whiffs, which ranks second in the Pac-12. Riley has forced 18. They have excelled in space, and while the Cougars have usually done well to tackle in those types of settings, they aren’t coming off a particularly encouraging outing on that front.
In WSU’s loss to Oregon State last weekend, the Cougs missed 18 tackles, one off their most of the season, which came in a season-opening loss to Washington back in early September. In Corvallis, safety Jeremiah Bernard led the way with five whiffs, while fellow safety Jaylen Thomas followed with three and two players missed two tackles apiece: Linebacker Isaiah Hung and cornerback Kai Rapolla.
How will those two realities clash on Saturday afternoon on the Palouse? If the Cougars can’t make tackles in space, they might be in for a long day, and as 14-point underdogs, they’re expected to meet that fate anyway. But it’s an interesting conversation because of one key development: Bray’s unit has done a stellar job of stacking up runs up the middle.
That’s where some of the Cougars’ best defenders play, from defensive tackles like Leaupepetele and Kaden Beatty to defensive ends Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk, which is why opponents haven’t enjoyed much success running up the middle this season. Even Brown, a linebacker, has graded out as the Cougars’ best run defender, with a mark of 79.9.
It’s on the outsides where the Cougs have had less luck, at least in their most recent showing. To turn that fortune around – to reverse the fortune of this entire season – WSU defenders will have to clean that up. Maybe that’s where Terrell, a veteran cornerback, could come in handy.
- At SDSU, Cougs need Eshelman and Moore to find the gear they lost
PULLMAN – At the beginning of the week, when the frustration still hung in the hair like a bad smell and several questions lingered unanswered, Kirby Moore returned to what he knew for sure. As he thought back to his Washington State’s last game, a home loss to conference power Boise State, he was certain of one thing.
In his second start at quarterback, Owen Eshelman may have thrown one critical interception, which is when the Cougars began to lose the lead and lose the game. But he also directed one scoring drive and kept things clean otherwise.
“I thought Owen battled his tail off,” Moore said.
If the Cougars play their best in their next game, a road matchup with San Diego State set for Saturday afternoon, Eshelman shouldn’t have to. That’s because WSU will be going up against one of the country’s worst defenses in SDSU, which ranks three spots up from last in the country in total defense and five spots up from last in scoring defense.
The Aztecs (3-5, 2-2 Pac-12) are giving up about 36 points per game, allowing some 462 yards per contest, some of the worst numbers nationwide. Looking to earn its first FBS win of the season and end a five-game slide, WSU (1-7, 0-4) would do well to take advantage of those trends.
Can Eshelman and the Cougars do so? That much will likely depend on a few factors: Can their offensive line protect Eshelman and clear space for a robust rushing attack? Can Eshelman avoid turnovers? And perhaps most importantly, what can WSU get out of its three-receiver rotation of Branden Ganashamoorthy, Daniel Blood and Tank Hawkins – and will Moore’s group expand things?
Receiver Darrius Clemons, who exited early from his team’s loss to Utah State earlier this month, is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game. In his absence, the Cougs haven’t exactly expanded their receiver rotation to include other pieces like West Georgia transfer Jordan Dees or walk-on Caleb Northcroft, who would likely be next up. Instead, Moore has asked even more out of his starters, especially Ganashamoorthy, who has played 503 snaps, the third-most in the country among receivers. Blood has logged 448, which is No. 21.
WSU is one of only four teams with two receivers in the top 25, making clear what Moore seemed to indicate earlier in the week: Coaches really only trust those three starters. Is that conducive to a win, especially on the road? The temptation is to say no, but crazier things have happened.
“We talk about deliberate practice,” Moore said, explaining the usage of only three wideouts. “That really starts with bringing great energy, having verbal combat, doing your assignment, making sure you’re not thinking out there, that you’re just reacting. I think we’ve had too many errors from a practice standpoint with guys (not) knowing their assignments, whether it’s motions, details within the position. We’ve got a lot of trust in the guys who are out there on the field. If other guys improve and they’re to the standard, they’ll be out there.”
Regardless of how that trend pans out, WSU will want more out of its offensive line, and it’ll be interesting to see whether Moore shakes things up at that position group. As currently constructed, the group of left tackle Ashton Tripp, left guard Jonny Lester, center Noah Dunham, right guard Nick Bakken and right tackle Jaylin Caldwell aren’t just giving up sacks. They’re also struggling to run-block, which is making things exceedingly hard on the Cougs’ tailback trio.
Just how much has that limited the production of Kirby Vorhees, Maxwell Woods and Leo Pulalasi? In seven games against FBS competition, those running backs are averaging only 15 carries for 48 yards. They’ve enjoyed a stray long rush – against Utah State, Pulalasi broke free for a 52-yard touchdown jaunt – but more often, they haven’t seen any running lanes.
Could that change against San Diego State? Check out the patterns and the possibility seems to emerge. The Aztecs rank No. 109 nationally in rush defense, yielding an average of 178 rushing yards per game. Here’s the kicker to that, too: SDSU is allowing opponents to convert third downs at a 47% clip, which is No. 129 nationally.
That would be music to the ears of the Cougs, who are converting only 30% of their third downs, ranking six spots up from last in the country in that department. They’ve tried running up the middle to no avail. They’ve tried dropping back, which has often failed thanks to offensive linemen getting blown up. They haven’t found any easy answers.
Maybe they’ll get one this week in the form of the SDSU defense, which is a week removed from giving up a 50-spot in a 56-49 loss to Colorado State. The Aztecs have also been burned for 66 points against Oregon State, 41 against Toledo and 29 against Texas State, the last result a win. SDSU and third-year coach Sean Lewis have lost two of its last three.
Meanwhile, the Cougars will get a real challenge from the Aztec offense, which is prepared to start redshirt freshman quarterback Stone Saunders in place of Jayden Denegal, who ranks among the nation’s worst QBs in EPA per dropback. Last week against Colorado State, Saunders completed 23 of 33 passes for 369 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, including a pick-six shortly before halftime.
But there’s another phase of the game that WSU will have to be sharp in: special teams. SDSU redshirt freshman receiver Jaylon Hawkins leads the nation with three kickoff return touchdowns, matching the single-season school record. He took one back apiece in games against FCS Portland State, Texas State and Oregon State.
The good news for the Cougars: They rank No. 16 nationwide in kickoff return coverage, permitting an average return of only about 16 yards. That should serve them well this weekend. If things go well for them, so should their quarterback, too.
- 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.
