college football
14 stories filed under college football on Wazzu. The newest of them: “Hall of Fame Weekend Gets a Top-25 Test for the Cougs”, “Braden Atkinson keeps slinging it, now tops in the FBS”, and “Kirby Moore gets the keys, we see if the offense moves”. The Cougs are about to find out exactly where they stand, and they're doing it in front of a packed house of alumni. Braden Atkinson threw a 90-yard touchdown in the first half and never looked back. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every college football story on Wazzu, newest first.
Hall of Fame Weekend Gets a Top-25 Test for the Cougs
The Cougs are about to find out exactly where they stand, and they're doing it in front of a packed house of alumni. Hall of Fame Weekend is already a special return to Pullman, but this year it comes with a top-25 test attached. That changes the feel of the whole thing. We know the women's team is sitting pretty at No. 13, still the top dog out West. If you missed that update, go find "Coug Women Hold Steady at No. 13, Still Top of the West" on the site. It pairs well with the weekend ahead. The men's side is the one with something to prove here. A ranked opponent coming to town during a weekend built for nostalgia? That is the kind of pressure that either breaks a team or shows you what it's made of. It is easy to get swept up in the pageantry of the Hall of Fame ceremonies. The stories, the faces, the memories. But the guys on the floor have to lock in and play their game, not the one the visitors want to play. A win here means more than a notch on the schedule. It says the program is back in the conversation. This is the kind of weekend that reminds you why you keep coming back to the Palouse. The town, the people, the big game under the lights. Go Cougs.
Braden Atkinson keeps slinging it, now tops in the FBS
Braden Atkinson threw a 90-yard touchdown in the first half and never looked back. The Oregon State quarterback, a sophomore transfer from Mercer, is now the FBS leader in passing yards and touchdown throws. He went 23 of 38 for 347 yards, three scores, and zero picks against Washington State. That brings his season totals to 2,604 yards and 24 touchdowns with just two interceptions. The guy won the Jerry Rice Award as the FCS freshman of the year last season. He looks like he belongs at this level. The Cougars could not stop him, and they could not stop AJ Newberry either. The Oregon State running back, a Vanderbilt transfer, put up 225 total yards and a touchdown. He ran for 105 yards on 11 carries, averaging 9.5 a pop, and caught five passes for 120 more. His 88-yard screen pass touchdown in the second quarter made it 27-3. That was more than WSU could climb back from. The Cougars found some offensive rhythm with a new quarterback, but consistency is still missing. If you want the full picture, check out "Kirby Moore finally had something to say, and it wasn't about a tie" for the head coach's take on this stretch. Go Cougs.
Kirby Moore gets the keys, we see if the offense moves
Kirby Moore is calling plays now. That is the headline for anyone who watched Wazzu's offense stumble through the first half of the season and wondered if the Cougs had forgotten how to move the ball. The Hotline's weekly picks column lays it out: Moore gets the keys Friday night at Utah State, and we get to see if this thing shifts gears. The pick is Wazzu plus the points, and the reasoning is simple, the defense is solid, Utah State is flawed everywhere, and a new voice in the headset usually buys you a spark. That feels right. The numbers on 9 a.m. body-clock kickoffs are brutal for West Coast teams. The data says former Pac-12 schools cover the spread only a third of the time in those early Eastern games. Arizona is living that reality this week at West Virginia, and the trend says take the points. I buy it. That flight across three time zones is real, and the Wildcats have a banged-up receiver corps. If you want the deeper look at what Moore brings and the quiet work happening in Pullman, we published "Kirby Moore talks Utah State, and the quiet work that wins in Pullman" alongside this. It connects. The rest of the card has some strong leans. Oklahoma State off a bye against a UCF team playing back-to-back road games is a five-star special for a reason. Indiana at Nebraska feels like a mismatch the public hasn't caught yet.
Kirby Moore talks Utah State, and the quiet work that wins in Pullman
Kirby Moore doesn't raise his voice to explain what wins in Pullman. He just points to the work that doesn't make the highlight reel. Talking Utah State this week, Moore broke down the kind of quiet, repetitive stuff that turns a good Cougar team into a tough one. That's the part of the season that doesn't get a headline, but it's the part that keeps you in games when the crowd gets loud and the road gets long. It's easy to forget, in the middle of baseball midweeks and volleyball preps, that football is still grinding through its own kind of spring. Moore's approach fits Pullman. No flash. Just film, fundamentals, and the kind of patience that only makes sense if you've spent a winter in that town. He knows what Utah State brings. More importantly, he knows what his guys have to bring back. If you're the type who tracks every pitch, we've got you covered with "Cougs Hit the Road for a Pair of Midweek Ballgames in Texas." Different sport, same kind of under-the-radar work that builds a season before anyone notices. Moore would probably approve of the overlap. Go Cougs.
Cougs Take the Fight to Logan for a Friday Night Tilt
Friday night in Logan. That's the kind of trip that separates the curious from the committed, and the Cougs are packing their bags for it. A short hop over the border, a hostile crowd, and a chance to do something loud on the road. This is exactly the kind of tilt that used to define these programs, and it's good to see it back on the schedule. You don't take a Friday night game lightly, especially not in that building. The Cougs know what they're walking into. We've spent plenty of time this season trying to make sense of the postseason picture, and if you haven't checked out our breakdown of the Pac-12 bowl math, you should. It's still a mess, but at least it's our mess. This game, though, is about the here and now. It's about showing up, playing physical, and leaving Logan with a win instead of excuses. The details matter, but the vibe is simple: Cougs on the road, under the lights, with something to prove. Nobody is pretending this is a marquee matchup for the neutral fan. But for us? This is the whole point of being a Coug. You show up for the ones that don't look glamorous on paper. You take the fight to their place and you see what you're made of. Pullman travels well, and Friday night should be no different. Go Cougs.
Fresno State gets the edge but the Cougs fought until the final whistle
Fresno State got the final edge, but the Cougs made them earn every bit of it. That's the kind of fight you want to see from a team that refuses to fold, even when the scoreboard isn't kind. This wasn't a game where Washington State got pushed around and waved the white flag. They scraped, they clawed, and they left everything on the field. If you were watching, you saw a group that believed they could win until the very last whistle blew. That matters. A loss is a loss on the schedule, sure. But the way a team loses tells you more than the way it wins sometimes. This one tells you the Cougs have grit. They are not the kind of team that gets rattled when things get tight. They are the kind that makes you work for it. For a deeper look at how the team processed that final whistle, go check out "Kirby Moore and the Cougs Talk Fresno State After the Final Whistle." It gets into the mindset you saw on the field. For now, take this: the Cougs didn't get the result they wanted, but they reminded everyone what they are made of. That is not nothing. That is the foundation of something better. Go Cougs.
Kirby Moore Breaks Down the Boeing Apple Cup Loss Straight From the Locker Room
Kirby Moore didn't hide after the Boeing Apple Cup loss. He stood in the locker room and broke it down like a coach who knows his guys deserve the truth, not a spin. That's what you want to hear. Moore talked about what the Coug offense is building. Not excuses. Not moral victories. Just the work. You can feel the frustration in his voice, but also the belief. That matters more than any one scoreboard. This is the same offense we've been watching take shape all season. If you haven't read "Kirby Moore on the mic: what the Coug offense is building," go back and grab that one. It puts this locker room moment in context. Moore isn't starting from scratch. He's stacking blocks. Some days the wall holds. Some days it doesn't. The Apple Cup stings. It always does. But listening to Moore, you get the sense this group isn't going to fold. They'll watch the film, take the hits, and line up again. That's the Pullman way. Go Cougs.
Kirby Moore on the mic: what the Coug offense is building
Kirby Moore is calling plays that sound different. The Coug offense is building something, and it's worth paying attention to. Not because we're about to hang 50 on someone every week, but because there's a plan. Moore has a feel for what this group can do, and he's not forcing square pegs into round holes. The quarterback reps, the route combos, the way the line is setting up, it all points to an identity forming in real time. That's more than you could say for some recent seasons, and it matters. If you want the full breakdown of how Moore talked through Kansas State on the radio, go read "Kirby Moore Breaks Down Kansas State on This Week's Cougar Football Hour." That piece gets into the specifics he laid out himself. This one is about what comes next. The offense isn't finished. It's not supposed to be. But you can see the foundation. Moore is patient without being passive. He's building a system that fits the guys he has, not the ones he wishes he had. That's how you get better in the Palouse. That's how you stay competitive when the roster turns over. It's early, and nobody is handing out trophies for September concepts. But the direction is real. And for a Coug fan who remembers the years when the direction was just spinning tires, that's something to hold onto. Go Cougs.
Are blowouts getting worse? The Pac-12 mailbag crunches the numbers
Yes, blowouts are getting worse, and the numbers back it up. Through Week 3, the average point differential in non-conference games involving the big four conferences plus Notre Dame hit 27.8 points, the largest since at least 2000. That's more than double the 13.2-point margin from 2001. When you strip out Power Four vs. Power Four games and look only at the mismatches, the average jumps to 34.6 points. The trend line is climbing every year, and it started climbing right when NIL became law in 2021 and the transfer portal opened up. Money flows up. Talent follows. The Hotline doesn't let the Big Ten off the hook here. Twenty-eight percent of the conference isn't playing a single opponent from the ACC, Big 12, or SEC this season. Nebraska, Indiana, USC, Washington, and Penn State all filled their non-conference slots with Group of Six or FCS teams. That's weak sauce, and it's why Fox ended up airing Ohio State-Kent State in its Big Noon window. The sport is flattening at the top while thinning out everywhere else. The Hotline calls it a mushroom cloud shape. That feels right. If you want to see how this plays out in Pullman, read "One good half doesn't change what Duquesne was." It's the same story, just closer to home.
Cougs take the Palouse to Manhattan for a Saturday morning showdown
Saturday morning in Manhattan means an early alarm, a full thermos, and the Palouse in the rearview. The Cougs are headed to the Little Apple for a showdown that kicks off before most folks have finished their first cup of coffee. That is exactly how we like it. No messing around. No waiting for the East Coast to wake up on its own schedule. We bring the offense, we bring the noise, and we bring a whole lot of maroon into a stadium that probably does not know what hit it. This is the kind of trip that reminds you why you love this team. It is not just about the away-game wins or the highlight catches. It is about the bus ride, the tailgate in a parking lot that smells like sausage and optimism, and the feeling that you are carrying a little bit of Pullman with you across the country. The Cougs have been busy lately, too. If you missed the weekend in Seattle, you might want to check out "Cougs pack the bags for three in Seattle" to see how this squad handles the road. And for those keeping score at home, the hitters have been on a tear. They hammered out a season-best 61 kills in the last big one and still needed every single one of them. That is the kind of depth that travels. So yeah, it is early.
Three Coug freshmen got their first taste of Kansas State: and the lesson was loud
The first time you step on a Power Four opponent's floor as a true freshman, you find out fast what you're made of. Three Coug freshmen got that lesson in Manhattan, and the scoreboard says Kansas State won by 14. But the tape says something else. Those first few minutes? That's the part that matters. Seeing the speed, the size, the way a veteran team moves without thinking, that's the real education. And for a program that's still building its identity under this staff, the question isn't whether they lost. It's whether they learned. We'll have more on the X's and O's soon. If you want to see how the coaching staff is breaking down that fight, go read "Kirby Moore on K-State: What the postgame tape reveals about Wazzu's fight." It's the kind of film-room honesty that tells you more than any box score. For now, the take is simple: these three freshmen got baptized. That's not a bad thing. You don't grow in Pullman without a few hard Saturdays. The Cougs didn't fold. They took the hit, and they'll be better for it. Go Cougs.
Arizona week starts with Kirby Moore on the mic, no need to overthink it
Arizona week is here, and Kirby Moore is the one talking into the mic. That is fine by us. No need to overthink it. Moore has been running the offense all season, and he has earned the chance to break down the tape and the game plan after a win. The Cougs just handled business on the road in Fresno, and if you want the full breakdown of how that looked, we have the *Fresno State couldn't slow the Cougs in a clean road win* piece waiting for you. That game was clean. This week should be, too. Arizona is a different animal. They have athletes, and they will try to make things messy. But Moore has been steady. He does not get cute. He calls what works and trusts the guys in front of him. That is the kind of offensive coordinator you want when the schedule starts to tighten up. Pullman will be loud. The weather will probably do something weird. And Kirby Moore will be up there, talking through the adjustments like he has been doing it for a decade. Because he has. We will have more on the game plan and the matchup as the week goes. For now, it is Cougs on the mic, Cougs on the field, and no reason to complicate it. Go Cougs.
Kirby Moore Breaks Down the Offense After Arizona
Kirby Moore sat down after the Arizona game and didn't sugarcoat anything. He broke down the offense the way you'd expect from a guy who spent his Saturday watching his unit grind through a Pac-12 road game. No excuses. Just film, mechanics, and what needs to click. That's the kind of talk Pullman actually respects. Moore walked through the adjustments, the reads, and the moments where the Cougs either hit or missed. It wasn't a victory lap. It was a coach who knows the margin between a good drive and a stalled one is smaller than a play call sheet. If you watched that game and wondered why certain routes looked open but the ball didn't go there, Moore answers that. He doesn't hide behind jargon. This is the stuff that doesn't make the highlight reel but makes the difference in November. If you want the full picture from Tucson, we already had a piece on the things that won't show up in a box score. Moore's breakdown fits right next to it. Read them together. That's where the real story lives. The offense is still finding its rhythm. Moore knows it. The players know it. But hearing him talk through it, you get the sense he trusts what he sees. That matters more than a clean stat line. Go Cougs.
Jaylen Thomas gets the Pac-12 nod, and nobody who watched is surprised
Jaylen Thomas got the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week nod, and if you were in Beasley or watching on the stream, you saw it coming before the final whistle. The kid was everywhere. Not the flashy kind of everywhere, the kind that makes offensive coordinators start chewing their headsets. Thomas earned this one. We do not hand out "Coug of the Week" trophies in this space, but if we did, this would be the week to dust one off. The conference noticed. Pullman noticed. And if you missed our piece on Dvorak getting his own Pac-12 nod, go find it. Same vibe. Different position. Both guys showing that the Cougar defense is not just holding its own, it's taking names. Thomas has been building toward this. Anyone who watched him work in fall camp knew the motor was different. Now the rest of the conference has the tape. Good luck game-planning around him. That is the kind of week where you just nod at the TV and say, "Yeah. That tracks." No surprise. No need to gush. Just respect. Go Cougs.