Linus Zunk
5 stories filed under Linus Zunk on Wazzu. The newest of them: “WSU's secondary gets its biggest test of the season against OSU's Legree”, “Keith Brown deleted social media to lock in on WSU's defense”, and “The Cougar QB question looms large ahead of Utah State”. Jesse Legree has not been held under 100 receiving yards once this fall. Keith Brown deleted social media to lock in on WSU's defense, and honestly, that tells you everything you need to know about this guy. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every Linus Zunk story on Wazzu, newest first.
WSU's secondary gets its biggest test of the season against OSU's Legree
Jesse Legree has not been held under 100 receiving yards once this fall. Not once. That stat alone should make any Coug nervous heading into Corvallis. The freshman leads the country with 12 receiving touchdowns and has won Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors all six weeks of the season. Zero drops on 54 targets. He's the kind of problem that keeps defensive coordinators up late. WSU's secondary gets its biggest test Saturday. Cornerbacks Jalil Tucker and Khamari Terrell will likely draw the Legree assignment, and they'll need help from the pass rush. Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk will have to generate pressure on QB Braden Atkinson, but OSU's line has only given up two sacks all season. The weak spots are there: right tackle Teko Shoats has been dinged for 10 pressures, and right guard Tyler Voltin has given up two sacks. The Cougs need to find them. On offense, Owen Eshelman gets the start after Caden Pinnick's turnovers and inability to stretch the field. If Eshelman can connect early, tailbacks Maxwell Woods and Kirby Vorhees might finally get room to run. That's a big if. This is a longshot, but it's not impossible. For deeper context on how Trent Bray's defense has been building toward this, check out "Bray's defense brings the heat, and a little revenge, to Corvallis." Go Cougs.
Keith Brown deleted social media to lock in on WSU's defense
Keith Brown deleted social media to lock in on WSU's defense, and honestly, that tells you everything you need to know about this guy. He went into halftime against Arizona not knowing the score. Had to ask a teammate. That's not checked out, that's focused on the wrong things being the wrong things to focus on. WSU's defense ranks dead last in starting field position. Dead last. Opponents are starting drives at their own 35-yard line on average against the Cougs. That means Brown and his unit are jogging onto the field already behind, cleaning up turnovers from an offense that keeps handing the ball away. Seven of those nine turnovers came from one quarterback. And still, this defense is allowing 23.7 points per game, good for fifth in the Pac-12. That's not a headline-grabber until you remember what they're working with. Trent Bray returns to Corvallis this week, facing the program he used to run. Oregon State opened as a 17.5-point favorite. Their offense is prolific. Brown's response? "Just another opportunity to go out there and compete." No drama. No excuses. If you want to see how the rest of the Cougs are holding up across the board, go read about the golf team hanging tough in Miami. That kind of grit is running through Pullman right now. But for this defense, the story is simple: they're holding the line while the offense finds its footing. Go Cougs.
The Cougar QB question looms large ahead of Utah State
Six turnovers in five games. That's the Cougar QB situation right now, and it's the whole story heading into Logan. Caden Pinnick has thrown a pick in every start. He's also fumbled. That's not a trend you want to bring on the road. So the question isn't just who starts Friday, it's whether the leash is short enough to yank him if it happens again. Owen Eshelman hasn't played a meaningful snap. Julian Dugger can run but hasn't shown he can throw. None of these are comfortable answers. But here's the thing: Utah State's QB room has been worse. Their guys have taken 17 sacks and thrown 10 interceptions. That's worst in the country. So while our offense is a mess, their offense is a mess too. That puts the game on the defenses. Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk should have a day. Jaylen Thomas already has two picks this year. If the Cougar D can flip the turnover margin, we're at minus-5, they're at minus-7, this thing swings. Coach Moore is calling plays now, which Jack Pedersen backed up this week. We've got deeper coverage on that in "Kirby Moore called his own shot. Now can his offense answer." Worth a read before kickoff. For now, the take is simple: we don't know who's under center, but we know the defense has to carry. If they do, we've got a shot. If they don't, it's a long bus ride home. Go Cougs.
Moore puts it plain after Cougs let early lead slip in Pullman
Kirby Moore sat down at the podium Saturday night and didn't waste words. "This should hurt," he said. He was right. The Cougs took an early two-score lead against Arizona, then watched it disappear in the second half, losing 34-24. That's now 1-3 in Moore's debut season, and the problems are starting to stack up. Caden Pinnick played OK on short throws, 85% completion inside 9 yards, but he's up to five turnovers, and they keep coming when he tries to do too much. The running backs are averaging 3.38 yards per carry against FBS teams, which isn't going to scare anyone. Special teams gave up a 39-yard punt return and another missed field goal, even if that one wasn't the kicker's fault. And for the second straight week, the coaching staff botched an end-of-half situation, letting 40 seconds burn off the clock before calling a timeout. That's the kind of stuff that loses games you should win. There were bright spots. Linus Zunk finally got his first sack and is grading out well. Punter Max Dean is 14th in the country. But the Cougs need more than that. Next week Fresno State comes to town. That's the start of Pac-12 play, and it's where we start to find out what this team really is. If you want a deeper look at that matchup, check out our piece on Moore facing his old team as a new era begins. For now, this one should hurt. It did. Go Cougs.
Three Cougs who made the Boeing Apple Cup one to remember
The pass from John Mateer to Kyle Williams wasn't just a touchdown. It was the moment the Cougs said, *We are not done here.* Three Cougs made that Boeing Apple Cup one to remember, and it wasn't just the stat sheet that did the talking. Mateer played like he had something to prove. Williams caught everything thrown his way, and the connection between them felt like something Pullman hasn't seen in a while. But let's talk about that defensive stand. The Cougs' defense held when it mattered most, forcing the Huskies to kick a field goal instead of sealing the game. That gave the offense a shot. And Mateer and Williams took it. This wasn't a perfect game. It was a gritty one. And for a program that keeps hearing it can't hang, that kind of grit matters more than the final score. If you want the full breakdown from the locker room, Kirby Moore breaks down exactly what went wrong and what went right in our piece on the loss straight from the source. Three Cougs showed up in Seattle and reminded everyone that this rivalry still runs deep. The scoreboard didn't flip, but the fight did. Go Cougs.