Leo Pulalasi
Leo Pulalasi at Wazzu is a file of 3 stories. The newest of them: “Utah State on a short week? Cougs need an offensive pulse”, “We Have the Backs, Now We Need a Plan to Use Them”, and “Kirby Vorhees banged up for Fresno; Trey Leckner likely good to go”. Kirby Moore is calling the plays now. 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 Leo Pulalasi story on Wazzu, newest first.
Utah State on a short week? Cougs need an offensive pulse
Kirby Moore is calling the plays now. That's the headline out of Pullman, and honestly, it had to happen. Washington State's offense has been so quiet this season that the boo birds at Gesa Field have become a regular part of the gameday soundtrack, something we covered in "Boo birds hit Gesa Field as WSU offense goes quiet again." After a 26-6 loss to Fresno State where the Cougars didn't score an offensive touchdown for the second time this year, Moore had to shake something loose. Caden Pinnick turned in his worst game of the season. The running backs combined for 45 yards. The third-down conversion rate is 27 percent, which is five spots from dead last in the country. That's not a blip. That's a pattern. So Moore steps in for Matt Miller. He says everyone will get reps at quarterback this week. That's not a vote of confidence for Pinnick, and it shouldn't be. The good news? Utah State is 1-4 and has thrown 10 interceptions, worst in the nation. Their offense is barely better than WSU's. The bad news? The Cougs are still 4.5-point underdogs on the road. This is a rematch of last year's Potato Bowl, which WSU won 34-21. That feels like a different era. Right now, this team needs a pulse. Friday night in Logan is as good a place as any to find one. 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.
Kirby Vorhees banged up for Fresno; Trey Leckner likely good to go
Kirby Vorhees is banged up, and that changes the math for Washington State on Saturday. The Cougars' first Pac-12 availability report has the tailback listed as questionable with an upper-body injury from practice this week. Kirby Moore says he's "a little dinged up," which is coach-speak for "we'll see." Vorhees has been the most consistent piece of a run game that's still finding itself, and if he can't go, Maxwell Woods becomes the feature back. Woods has looked shifty all season, and Leo Pulalasi is there too, but it's not the same comfort level. The bigger headline might be Trey Leckner. He's probable, which means his season debut is finally in sight after missing spring ball, fall camp, and most of the year with that foot injury. He caught 24 balls last year and tied for third-most touchdowns by a tight end in WSU history. This offense has been missing a reliable middle-of-the-field target, and Leckner is exactly that. If he's close to ready, it's a real boost. The defensive end depth is thinner than a Pullman frost. Malachi Wrice and Mike Hughes are out, and that means Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk keep stacking snaps. They've played 184 each through four games. That's a lot of miles. Ben Beatty and Fernando Lecuona Jr. need to step up. Nylan Brown's foot injury sounds serious, maybe season-ending. That hurts the linebacker room, even if he's mostly been a special teams guy.