- 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 Ball is the Boss: Moore's First Pac-12 Test is About Holdin' On
PULLMAN — 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.”
