FBS competition
FBS competition at Wazzu is a file of 3 stories. The newest of them: “Caden Pinnick is a good dude. That doesn't fix the QB room”, “We Have the Backs, Now We Need a Plan to Use Them”, and “The Ball is the Boss: Moore's First Pac-12 Test is About Holdin' On”. Caden Pinnick sounds like a guy you'd be happy to have over for a BBQ. Remember when Kirby Moore pulled off that January hat trick, convincing Kirby Vorhees, Maxwell Woods, and Leo Pulalasi all to come back? The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every FBS competition story on Wazzu, newest first.
Caden Pinnick is a good dude. That doesn't fix the QB room
Caden Pinnick sounds like a guy you'd be happy to have over for a BBQ. He's thoughtful, accountable, and clearly cares about his teammates. None of that makes him the answer at quarterback right now. The Cougs dropped a 17-16 stunner to Utah State after taking a 16-3 lead into the half. That's three straight losses. Four offensive touchdowns in five games against FBS competition. Pinnick went 23-of-36 for 156 yards and zero touchdowns. In Pullman, that stat line used to mean 400 yards and a couple scores. Now it means the offense is stuck in neutral. Kirby Moore has a decision to make. Pinnick has seven turnovers on the season. The second half produced 64 total yards. Penalties wiped out chunk plays. Jack Pedersen fumbled late, and Utah State turned it into the winning score. Moore was asked about Julian Dugger or Owen Eshelman. He said he needs to evaluate everything. That's coach-speak for "I don't have a great answer yet." Pinnick owned it. Said it breaks his heart. He's a 20-year-old trying to follow a line of Cougar QBs who set a high bar. That's not his fault. But running him out there every week when the offense can't move might not be fair to him or the team. If you want the full picture of this season's slide, check out "Cougs head south, run into a buzzsaw in Logan." Go Cougs.
We Have the Backs, Now We Need a Plan to Use Them
Remember when Kirby Moore pulled off that January hat trick, convincing Kirby Vorhees, Maxwell Woods, and Leo Pulalasi all to come back? Felt like the Cougs had struck gold, especially with a head coach who built his name on a productive ground attack at Missouri. Well, here we are at the end of September, 1-3, and the running game that was supposed to gash people is more of a paper cut. Against FBS competition, that trio has combined for 171 yards total across three games. That's 57 yards per game. The Duquesne blowout (316 yards) was fun, but it came against one of the worst FCS defenses around. The real problem is it's all connected. WSU went 0-for-7 on third down in the second half against Arizona, which meant the backs never got a chance to get rolling. Moore knows it: you can't get your running backs touches if you can't stay on the field. One fix that jumps off the page? Get them the ball in the air. WSU running backs have been targeted 22 times this season and caught 14 of those, a 64% clip that's actually better than Caden Pinnick's overall completion rate. Feels like an easy adjustment for Moore and Matt Miller to make. Fresno State comes to town Saturday, and it's a chance to prove this ground game can work against someone other than a FCS doormat.
The Ball is the Boss: Moore's First Pac-12 Test is About Holdin' On
Saturday night in Pullman, the Cougs finally get to play a game that counts in the Pac-12 standings. It's been nearly three years. Problem is, Fresno State is coming to town, and they take the ball away for a living. Plus-seven turnover margin. Sixth-best in the country. Meanwhile, Caden Pinnick has lost five turnovers in four games. That math doesn't add up. Kirby Moore is walking a tightrope. He has to tell his quarterback to protect the ball without making him afraid to throw it. That's a fine line, and Moore knows it. He's been saying all week that every play has a life of its own. That's coach-speak for "don't force it, but don't freeze up either." The ground game might not help. Kirby Vorhees is a gametime decision with an upper-body injury, and the running backs haven't cracked 100 yards against an FBS team all year. The good news? Trey Leckner could finally debut at tight end. That's a weapon they haven't had yet. Defensively, they have to slow down Jayden Mandal and Rayshon Luke, who just put up 167 yards on 11 carries. That's a problem. This game won't decide the season, but it'll tell you a lot. Lose, and you're staring at 1-4 with Utah State and Oregon State on the road. The bowl streak starts looking shaky. Win, and you're 1-0 in conference play with a pulse. If you want the deeper numbers, check out our piece on Pinnick's five turnovers.