Fresno State
8 stories filed under Fresno State on Wazzu. The newest of them: “Kirby Moore on Fresno State and what it means for Cougar football”, “Fresno State on the Palouse as Cougs Kick Off New Pac-12 Era”, and “Cougs Start Pac-12 Right: Clean Sweep Over Fresno State”. Kirby Moore's name coming up with Fresno State is the kind of news that makes you check the date and then check your pulse. Fresno State is coming to Pullman, and that feels like the right way to kick this thing off. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every Fresno State story on Wazzu, newest first.
Kirby Moore on Fresno State and what it means for Cougar football
Kirby Moore's name coming up with Fresno State is the kind of news that makes you check the date and then check your pulse. The Cougs just spent a season fighting through the kind of injuries that would've sunk a lesser group, and now the offensive coordinator chatter starts. That's what happens when you run a unit that looks like it finally figured out how to get out of its own way. Moore's system has a rhythm to it, a willingness to take what the defense gives you, and then take the deep shot when they creep up. That's not nothing. Fresno State knows what they're getting: a coach who's been in the Palouse trenches, who understands that Pullman isn't a stepping stone so much as a proving ground. The real question for Cougar fans isn't whether Moore can call a game, it's whether he stays long enough to see the roster he helped build actually peak. If he leaves, he leaves the offense in better shape than he found it, and that's about the best you can ask for in this conference. It stings to think about the what-ifs, but that's the gig. You don't get to keep the good ones forever. You just hope the next guy up watched closely. And if you need a reminder of how this program keeps its head down and works, go back and read about the soccer team grinding out a result against Oregon State in Pullman. Same spirit, different field.
Fresno State on the Palouse as Cougs Kick Off New Pac-12 Era
Fresno State is coming to Pullman, and that feels like the right way to kick this thing off. The new Pac-12 era starts with a familiar kind of game: a Mountain West team rolling into Martin Stadium, a bunch of Cougs in the stands, and a chance to remind everyone what this place sounds like when it matters. Fresno State has been a pain in the past. They play hard, they travel well, and they won't be intimidated by the flag or the flagpole. Good. That is exactly the kind of opponent you want for a debut that means something. This isn't just another non-conference tune-up. This is the first real marker of what the conference looks like now, and it starts on the Palouse. No neutral site. No dome. Just cold air, late kickoff buzz, and a team that has been waiting for a chance to prove the rebuild is real. If you want the full picture of what the Cougs are walking into, Kirby Moore broke down the Fresno State tape on this week's *Cougar Football Hour*, and it is worth your time. He sees things most of us miss, and he does not waste words. For now, get ready. The schedule is set. The van is pointed toward Eugene for a Duck Invite. And Fresno State is on its way here. That is a lot of reasons to show up. Go Cougs.
Cougs Start Pac-12 Right: Clean Sweep Over Fresno State
Fresno State came to Pullman, and the Cougs sent them home with a clean sweep. That is how you start a new Pac-12 era. No drama, no letdowns, just a weekend where Washington State took care of business from the first pitch to the final out. It was the kind of performance that makes you think this team might be something different this year. Baseball is a grind, and opening conference play on the right foot matters more than most fans want to admit. The Cougs didn't just win. They controlled the series. That is the difference between a team that hopes to hang around and one that plans to make noise. If you missed any of the action, we have you covered. Our piece on how Fresno State couldn't slow the Cougs in a clean road win gives you the nuts and bolts of the weekend. It is worth the read if you want the details without the fluff. Now we know who is on the schedule for the rest of Pac-12 play. The path is clear. The question is whether the Cougs can keep this momentum rolling. Early signs say yes. But baseball has a way of humbling you fast. For now, enjoy the sweep. It is a good feeling. Go Cougs.
Fresno State couldn't slow the Cougs in a clean road win
Fresno State came to Pullman and found out the hard way: this Cougar team is not messing around. The road win was clean, controlled, and exactly what you want to see when the lights are on and the other side is supposed to be a test. It wasn't flashy in a way that makes a highlight reel, but it was steady. That matters. The defense did its job. The offense did enough. And the whole operation looked like a group that has been through the grinder before and knows how to close. For a program that spent years trying to find its footing in the late hours of close games, this kind of win feels different. It feels like the Cougs are learning how to win, not just hoping to. If you want the deeper look at how the offensive mind is working right now, go read "Kirby Moore Breaks Down the Offense After Arizona." It fits right alongside this one. Moore has been quietly putting together a unit that doesn't panic, and that showed again on Saturday. This is the kind of Saturday that makes you glad you stayed up. Or got up early. Or checked your phone in the middle of something you should have been paying attention to. The Cougs took care of business on the road. That is all you can ask. Go Cougs.
Riley's Third Year Brings 11 Road Games and a Jan. 3 Tip in Fresno
David Riley's third season is here, and the schedule is a doozy. Eleven nonconference games away from Pullman. That's the most since 1973-74, and it tells you exactly what athletic directors and coaches are dealing with in this new Pac-12. Money matters. You don't stack that many road games unless you have to. The conference slate starts Jan. 3 in Fresno. That feels weird, but it's real. And for the first time since 1917, there is no regular-season game against Washington. None. They'll play an exhibition in Seattle on Oct. 25, which is better than nothing, but it's not the same. There are bright spots. Gonzaga comes to Beasley on Jan. 6, a Wednesday during winter break. That's a weird time for a game, but it's still Gonzaga in Pullman. And the Cougs host Kirkland on Nov. 14, their first non-D-I opponent at home since 2015. That's a rarity worth noting. The middle of the schedule is a grind. Three of four on the road, including trips to Boise State, Colorado State, and Utah State. Then a brutal February stretch with Gonzaga and San Diego State on the road in the same week. That's a gut check. If you want a different kind of Cougar story, check out "For the Leaupepetele brothers, Sunday dinner looks a lot different now." It's a good reminder that the people around this program are as interesting as the scores. Go Cougs.
For the Leaupepetele brothers, Sunday dinner looks a lot different now
Jirah Leaupepetele called his brother Jonah this week, not to talk trash for once, but to fish for intel. Jonah, Fresno State's starting right guard, wasn't giving anything up. Fair enough. The problem? Jonah's listed as questionable and isn't expected to play Saturday when the Cougs host the Bulldogs. So the first-ever on-field matchup between these two brothers will have to wait. That doesn't mean this weekend is meaningless. Far from it. Their parents, Tony and Rhonda, are driving up from Apple Valley with the other five kids and a whole mess of grandparents, nieces, and nephews. Jirah made it clear what colors they better be wearing. The Leaupepetele family has earned this moment. Jirah transferred in from Eastern Washington and has become a force on the interior of WSU's defensive line, notching his first sack as a Coug last week against Arizona. Jonah earned the starting job at Fresno State as a redshirt freshman before the injury. Even if they don't line up across from each other, they'll share the same field. That's enough for a family that watched these boys grow up sharing a bedroom, one yelling at video games, the other trying to sleep. This is the kind of story that reminds you why Cougar football matters beyond the score. For more on how this weekend is shaping up, check out our piece on how the Cougs stared down the Dawgs and didn't flinch. Go Cougs.
Kirby Moore breaks down Fresno State tape on this week's Cougar Football Hour
Kirby Moore went to the tape. On this week's Cougar Football Hour, the offensive coordinator sat down and walked through Fresno State's defense. Not the general stuff. The specific stuff. The kind of breakdown that makes you think he's been up late with the lights on and a remote in his hand. That's the guy you want calling plays in a big spot. Fresno State is next. They're good. They're always good. But Moore has seen what they do, and he has a plan. The segment is worth your time if you want to know what WSU is actually trying to do on offense, not just what the box score says. He gets into alignments, tendencies, the little tells that separate a smart read from a forced throw. It's the kind of detail that makes you feel like you're in the room. If you missed last week's loss to Oregon State, we've got you covered there too. Check out "Citowicki and Hawkins break down the Beavers loss in Pullman" for the full postmortem. But for now, the focus is forward. Moore's tape session is the closest most of us will get to sitting in on a real game plan meeting. Go Cougs.
Korey Schroeder on Fresno State, OSU, and the Cougs' Next Step
Korey Schroeder walked into the postgame presser and did not sound like a man who just swept a conference opener. He sounded like a coach who knows the next two weeks define the season. Fresno State is done. The Cougs took care of business, and if you missed how they did it, go find the film room breakdown from the Duquesne game. It is worth your six seconds. That same attention to detail showed up against the Bulldogs. Clean. Decisive. No panic when the Bulldogs made a run. That is the standard now. Next up is Oregon State. That trip is never easy. The Beavers will test everything the Cougs just proved to themselves. Schroeder knows it. The locker room knows it. The fans who packed Beasley know it. Arizona week already set the tone with Kirby Moore on the mic, no need to overthink it. The offense has answers. The defense has a backbone. Now they have to carry that load onto the road. Nobody is handing out trophies for a clean sweep of Fresno State. But the Cougs started Pac-12 play the right way. Schroeder has this group believing. The next step is showing it can travel. Go Cougs.