offensive coordinator
offensive coordinator at Wazzu is a file of 3 stories. The newest of them: “Moore takes over WSU playcalls, promises QB competition this week”, “Wazzu's Saturday math problem: Fresno takes the ball, Cougs give it back”, and “The Ball is the Boss: Moore's First Pac-12 Test is About Holdin' On”. Kirby Moore is taking the play sheet back. Here's the math problem for Saturday, and it's not the kind you can solve with a calculator. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every offensive coordinator story on Wazzu, newest first.
Moore takes over WSU playcalls, promises QB competition this week
Kirby Moore is taking the play sheet back. After Washington State's offense went without a touchdown for the second time this season, this past Saturday's 26-6 loss to Fresno State, Moore announced Monday he's taking over playcalling from offensive coordinator Matt Miller. The numbers are ugly. The Cougs rank 133rd out of 138 FBS teams in total yards per game. They've scored three offensive touchdowns in four games against FBS opponents. That's not a slump. That's a fire drill. Moore called plays at Missouri from 2023-25. He knows what he's doing. But knowing and fixing are two different things when your quarterback has thrown five interceptions and your running backs combined for 13 yards on five carries in the second half. Moore says everyone gets reps this week. Caden Pinnick, Julian Dugger, Owen Eshelman, it's an open competition. He didn't rule out playing multiple guys Friday at Utah State. Miller is still on staff and still involved. That's fine. But the buck stops with Moore now. He's not panicking. He said he can't wait to get to practice. That's the right attitude for a guy who just admitted his offense needs a jump start. If you want the full look at what's at stake this week, check out "Utah State on a short week? Cougs need an offensive pulse." It's a mess right now. But Pullman has seen messes before. Go Cougs.
Wazzu's Saturday math problem: Fresno takes the ball, Cougs give it back
Here's the math problem for Saturday, and it's not the kind you can solve with a calculator. Fresno State comes to Pullman ranked sixth in the country in turnover margin at plus-seven. Washington State is 119th at minus-four. That gap is the whole ballgame before kickoff even happens. The Cougars have given it away seven times this season. Five of those are Caden Pinnick's doing. The quarterback has been fine when he keeps it short, completing 71% of his throws inside 19 yards. But the moment he tries to push the ball downfield, the wheels come off. He's hit just 2 of 13 passes of 20-plus yards and thrown two picks on those attempts. That's not a matchup problem. That's a decision problem, and it's shown up against Washington and even Duquesne. So what's the counter? Run the ball. Keep the pressure off Pinnick and make Fresno's defense respect something underneath. That gets harder if Kirby Vorhees can't go with that upper-body injury. He's the best weapon Matt Miller has in the backfield, and without him, the offense loses its teeth. We're not going to overthink this one. The Cougars have a chance because the game is at home and the matchup is more even than the records suggest. But turnovers travel, and Fresno's defense feeds on them. Give us the Bulldogs, 24-20. If you need a break from the math, check out "Three Cougs who made the Boeing Apple Cup one to remember.
The Ball is the Boss: Moore's First Pac-12 Test is About Holdin' On
Saturday night in Pullman, the Cougs finally get to play a game that counts in the Pac-12 standings. It's been nearly three years. Problem is, Fresno State is coming to town, and they take the ball away for a living. Plus-seven turnover margin. Sixth-best in the country. Meanwhile, Caden Pinnick has lost five turnovers in four games. That math doesn't add up. Kirby Moore is walking a tightrope. He has to tell his quarterback to protect the ball without making him afraid to throw it. That's a fine line, and Moore knows it. He's been saying all week that every play has a life of its own. That's coach-speak for "don't force it, but don't freeze up either." The ground game might not help. Kirby Vorhees is a gametime decision with an upper-body injury, and the running backs haven't cracked 100 yards against an FBS team all year. The good news? Trey Leckner could finally debut at tight end. That's a weapon they haven't had yet. Defensively, they have to slow down Jayden Mandal and Rayshon Luke, who just put up 167 yards on 11 carries. That's a problem. This game won't decide the season, but it'll tell you a lot. Lose, and you're staring at 1-4 with Utah State and Oregon State on the road. The bowl streak starts looking shaky. Win, and you're 1-0 in conference play with a pulse. If you want the deeper numbers, check out our piece on Pinnick's five turnovers.