Matyus McLain
Wazzu keeps Matyus McLain in one place: 3 stories so far. The section currently leads with “WSU's secondary gets its biggest test of the season against OSU's Legree”, “The Cougar QB question looms large ahead of Utah State”, and “Utah State on a short week? Cougs need an offensive pulse”. Jesse Legree has not been held under 100 receiving yards once this fall. Six turnovers in five games. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every Matyus McLain 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.
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.
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.