Spokesman.com
Cougs jump Arizona early, then watch a 14-point lead dissolve
That first drive was a thing of beauty. Ten plays, 71 yards, Caden Pinnick walking in from 11 yards out. Then Jackquintin Bal picks one off and takes it to the house. 14-0 against a former Pac-12 bully, and Gesa Field was rocking. Felt like the old days. Then the engine stalled. The Cougs' offense went quiet for three quarters. Twenty-two net yards on 20 plays in the second half before a prayer answered on fourth-and-10. Branden Ganashamoorthy hauled in a 46-yard touchdown to make it 31-24, and for a second, you thought maybe. Credit the defense. They held Noah Fifita to a season-low completion rate. They stuffed runs, blocked a field goal, kept the game close while the offense was in a coma. But you can only ask a defense to hold for so long. Arizona scored on its last four drives. The Cougs ran out of gas. It's frustrating because the potential is there. You saw it on that first drive. The question is whether this offense can sustain it. Kirby Moore has some work to do. For deeper thoughts on where the offense is at, check out *"Moore's offense showed some pulse, but the Cougs still left plays on the field."* But here's the thing: we need more of these games. Arizona coming to Pullman, a real fight, a crowd that cared. It felt like a game that mattered. The Cougs are still competing with the big boys. They just need to learn how to finish.
