Maxwell Woods
Maxwell Woods at Wazzu is a file of 4 stories. The newest of them: “Pinnick's five turnovers make Saturday a test of Cougar ball security”, “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”. Caden Pinnick has given the ball away five times this season. 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 Maxwell Woods story on Wazzu, newest first.
Pinnick's five turnovers make Saturday a test of Cougar ball security
Caden Pinnick has given the ball away five times this season. Washington State as a team has turned it over seven times. That's a minus-4 turnover margin, good for No. 119 nationally. Fresno State, meanwhile, sits at plus-7, ranked No. 6. Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on USA, that math is the whole game. Pinnick is sharp when he keeps it short. He's completed 71 percent of his throws from zero to 19 yards. But on passes of 20-plus yards, he's hit just 2 of 13 with two picks. Fresno State corner Simeon Harris already has three interceptions. Pinnick does not need to test him deep. The Cougs can help their quarterback by running the ball. Kirby Vorhees is a game-time decision with an upper-body injury. If he can't go, Maxwell Woods gets the carries. Fresno State's defense is a better matchup for this WSU offense than some others have been. A credible ground game early would let Pinnick settle in instead of pressing. That pressing is where the trouble starts. The flip side: Fresno State knows what WSU gives up. The Cougar defense allows just 4.3 points per game in the first quarter. By the fourth, that number jumps to 11.3, ranking No. 123 nationally. That's a tired unit. Fresno can lean on long drives and let WSU's own mistakes do the rest. For a deeper look at how this math problem has been building, check out "Wazzu's Saturday math problem: Fresno takes the ball, Cougs give it back.
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.
One good half doesn't change what Duquesne was
One good half doesn't change what Duquesne was. The Cougars beat a bad FCS team that gives up yards like candy at a parade. Kirby Moore made adjustments, and credit where it's due, Caden Pinnick looked sharp after halftime, and Maxwell Woods and Kirby Vorhees ran like they meant it. That second half felt good. It should encourage you. But here's the honest part. Against FBS teams this season, WSU has one touchdown and four turnovers. That offense has looked thin. Arizona comes to Gesa Field as a 10½-point favorite, and that line exists for a reason. Tony Freeman is done for the year with an injury, and without him, the deep threat shrinks. This isn't a doom post. The offensive line shuffle and Moore's growing role in playcalling are real reasons to believe. Those changes should help win some Pac-12 games. But beating a Big 12 team in primetime? That's a taller ask. Prediction: Arizona 23, WSU 16. If you want more context on what's at stake with the kicking game, go read about Max Dean's migraines making punting a game-time call. Special teams might matter more than usual Saturday night. Go Cougs.