quarterback

Eshelman looks sharp but Cougs still chasing the Pac-12 pack

Owen Eshelman looks the part. He stands in the pocket, looks downfield, and will take a hit to deliver a third-and-long throw. But after two starts against the best the Pac-12 has to offer, the Cougs are still stuck chasing the pack. Saturday's 31-10 loss to No. 21 Boise State was another game that got away, tied at 10 entering the fourth quarter, then undone by a costly interception. It would be easy to blame the quarterback. Eshelman threw no touchdowns, one pick, and took four sacks. But the issues run deeper. The offensive line is getting flat-out whipped. When your running backs combine for 20 yards on 10 carries, it doesn't matter how patient your QB is. Eshelman completed just 21 of 40 passes while under constant duress. Still, there was something there. A 10-yard scramble on third down. Four-of-five on fourth-down conversions. WSU actually held the ball longer than Boise State, the nation's No. 1 time-of-possession team. It was chaotic, not clean, but chaos at least creates the possibility of a big play. Head coach Kirby Moore says nobody's quitting. With four games left and no bowl to chase, the Cougs need to show improvement, not just spirit. For a deeper look at how one bad snap turned a close game into a lopsided loss, check out "One bad snap cost the Cougs a chance at an upset in Boise." Go Cougs.

Moore's sideline bench talks get real after WSU's bowl hopes vanish

Kirby Moore sat Owen Eshelman down on a sideline bench seconds after the interception. Not later. Not in the film room. Right there, while the game was still happening. That's the kind of moment that tells you where a season has gone. Washington State just lost 31-10 to Boise State. Bowl hopes are dead. First time since 2010 the Cougs have been eliminated before November. Moore's offense gave up four sacks. The running backs combined for 20 yards on 10 carries. That's not a bad night. That's a pattern. The offensive line was recruited for an Air Raid system. They're being asked to win third-and-1. It isn't working. Moore knows it. He said the miscommunication on that pick starts with him. Fair enough. But he's also the guy who waited too long to make the switch at quarterback, and those missed wins are gone. What's left is four games and 14 seniors. No bowl to sell. No national relevance. Just pride and a coaching staff that has to find a way to get something out of nothing. Eshelman talked after the game about standards and what gets revealed when things go wrong. That's the right thing to say. The question is whether Moore can coach him into a couple wins before it's over. For a deeper look at how Boise broke the dam, read "The long run that broke the dam: WSU defense gasps after Boise's 72-yard dagger." Go Cougs.

Boise State's offense is the test WSU's D hasn't passed yet

All season, Washington State's defense has been a little tricky to parse. On one hand, the Cougars have excelled in tough spots, jumping into action after short fields thanks to offensive turnovers. The pass rush has been above average. So has the tackling. But when you're playing No. 21 Boise State, above average won't fly. That's why we're picking WSU to fall Saturday afternoon in Pullman. The Cougars are tasked with doing something only Oregon has done this season: slow down tailbacks Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines. Riley ranks second in the country with 139 rushing yards per game. Gaines has cleared the century mark in each of his last two. Complicating matters is Boise State's average time of possession: 36 minutes, which leads the entire country. That puts serious strain on the defense, especially if the offense commits a turnover. New quarterback Owen Eshelman did well to avoid that in meaningful settings last weekend in his first start. It's a lot to ask out of this WSU team, and there's no shame in losing to this Boise State squad. But the Cougars will have to look elsewhere for their first FBS win of the season. Final score: Boise State 30, WSU 20. If you need a break from the defensive math, go check out how Kamie Ethridge and the Cougs broke down 2026 WBB at Media Day. That squad is still the top of the West, and it's a better kind of stress. Go Cougs.

Owen Eshelman's first start gave Wazzu its best FBS offense yet

Owen Eshelman's first start gave Wazzu its best FBS offense yet, and that's the kind of sentence that makes you wonder what took so long. The Cougs lost 48-30 to Oregon State, which makes it four straight losses, but the offense finally looked like it had a pulse. Eshelman threw for two touchdowns, ran for another, and unlocked Branden Ganashamoorthy for career highs in catches and yards. The running game from the tailbacks? Still stuck in neutral. Maxwell Woods, Kirby Vorhees, and Leo Pulalasi combined for 26 yards on 13 carries. That's not going to cut it. Kirby Moore benched Caden Pinnick after six starts, and the question hanging over Pullman is whether he waited too long. Probably yes. With Eshelman, the Cougs likely beat Utah State, maybe Fresno State, maybe even Washington. Moore defended punting on fourth-and-short from midfield, saying he trusted the defense. The defense gave up 48 points. That math doesn't add up. The good news is Eshelman looked legit. The bad news is Boise State comes to town next weekend, and the Cougs still can't run the ball against FBS teams. For deeper coverage on that Boise State matchup, check out Greg Woods' piece on the first visit from the Broncos since 2017. For now, the take to text a friend: Eshelman might be the real deal, but Moore's clock management and a dead running game are going to make the rest of this season a grind. Go Cougs.

Boise State comes to Pullman for the first time since 2017

The last time Boise State came to Pullman, Tyler Hilinski came off the bench and won it in triple overtime. That was 2017. This Saturday, the Broncos are back at Gesa Field, ranked No. 21, and WSU is still looking for its first FBS win of the season. The Cougs are 14-point underdogs. That feels about right. Boise State has won five straight since losing to Oregon, and running back Dylan Riley is averaging 139 yards per game. Quarterback Maddux Madsen has thrown 13 touchdowns and zero picks. Zero. That offense is a machine, and WSU's defense just gave up 347 passing yards to Oregon State. But there was something to like last week. Owen Eshelman got his first start and looked like a different offense. 32 of 49, 289 yards, two touchdowns, and 136 rushing yards. The running backs? Still stuck in neutral, 26 yards on 13 carries. Moore said it starts up front, and he's right. This is also a full-circle game for Kirby Moore, who played at Boise State and built the coaching connections he uses now. You can read more about what worked for him after the Oregon State win in our piece "Kirby Moore breaks down what worked after the win over Oregon State." It's a long shot. But it's Pullman, and it's Boise State, and that 2017 game still echoes. Go Cougs.

Owen Eshelman and Branden Ganashamoorthy made the scoreboard hurt a little less

You can't sugarcoat a 48-30 loss, especially the fourth straight. But if you watched Owen Eshelman and Branden Ganashamoorthy work together in Corvallis, you saw something that looked a lot like a future. Eshelman, a redshirt freshman making his first start, threw for 289 yards and ran for 147 more. That's the second-most total yards by a WSU quarterback in a single game, ever. He looked nothing like the guy who started the first six games. He trusted his arm, trusted his legs, and trusted Ganashamoorthy, who hauled in 11 catches for 147 yards and a touchdown he described as tunnel vision. The offense put up 30 points, its best against FBS competition all season, and for the first time all year, they didn't turn the ball over (unless you count a meaningless late pick). So that's the good part. The bad part is real. The running game is stuck in neutral, 26 yards on 13 carries from three backs. That's a problem for a coach who made his name unlocking the run at Missouri. And Kirby Moore's decision to punt twice on fourth-and-short in the first half cost them 14 points on the very next play. He says he trusted the defense. It didn't work. But for the first time this season, the Cougars had a quarterback. If Eshelman and Ganashamoorthy keep that rhythm, a few more of these losses might start looking different.

Kirby Moore finally had something to say, and it wasn't about a tie

Kirby Moore finally looked like he had something to say, and it wasn't about a tie. After WSU's 48-30 loss to Oregon State, the head coach showed up to the postgame microphone visibly frustrated, animated, and far more fired up than we've seen all season. For a guy who usually sounds like he just finished a scrimmage, this was a real shift. He benched Pinnick, started Owen Eshelman, and the offense finally looked alive. Eshelman completed 32 of 49 passes for 289 yards and ran for 136 more, the second-most rushing yards by a WSU quarterback in program history. If you didn't know it was his first start, you'd have called your buddy a liar. Moore also punted on fourth-and-short from midfield twice, both times leading to long OSU touchdowns. He defended the calls after the game, saying he has confidence in the defense. That's the right thing to say to the room. But you can tell he's learning. The Cougs are 1-6 and this season is basically a lost cause. But Eshelman changes the look of the rest of the schedule. They might not beat Boise State next weekend, but San Diego State and Colorado State suddenly feel different. Moore took too long to make this call. That's fair to say. But he made it, and that matters. For more on the bright spots from that game, check out our piece on Eshelman and Branden Ganashamoorthy making the scoreboard hurt a little less. Go Cougs.

Braden Atkinson keeps slinging it, now tops in the FBS

Braden Atkinson threw a 90-yard touchdown in the first half and never looked back. The Oregon State quarterback, a sophomore transfer from Mercer, is now the FBS leader in passing yards and touchdown throws. He went 23 of 38 for 347 yards, three scores, and zero picks against Washington State. That brings his season totals to 2,604 yards and 24 touchdowns with just two interceptions. The guy won the Jerry Rice Award as the FCS freshman of the year last season. He looks like he belongs at this level. The Cougars could not stop him, and they could not stop AJ Newberry either. The Oregon State running back, a Vanderbilt transfer, put up 225 total yards and a touchdown. He ran for 105 yards on 11 carries, averaging 9.5 a pop, and caught five passes for 120 more. His 88-yard screen pass touchdown in the second quarter made it 27-3. That was more than WSU could climb back from. The Cougars found some offensive rhythm with a new quarterback, but consistency is still missing. If you want the full picture, check out "Kirby Moore finally had something to say, and it wasn't about a tie" for the head coach's take on this stretch. Go Cougs.

Eshelman and WSU need the offense to show up if they want to beat Oregon State

The rock is on the line, but that's the least of Wazzu's worries right now. Owen Eshelman gets his first college start Saturday in Corvallis, and the kid has barely played. Two snaps. Garbage time against Duquesne. Now he's supposed to fix an offense averaging 12.6 points a game, with a turnover margin that's dead last in the country. That's not a soft landing. Keith Brown, the veteran linebacker who started his career at Oregon, says he wasn't nervous when he faced Ohio State as a true freshman. He felt prepared. Eshelman might feel the same way. He's got the arm and the accuracy. But the Cougs need more than a live arm. They need the whole offense to show up for the first time all year. Oregon State, meanwhile, is rolling. Braden Atkinson is throwing for 376 yards a game. Jesse Legree has 12 receiving touchdowns. The Beavs' offense is ranked fifth in the country, and they just hung 66 on San Diego State. The WSU defense has been the one bright spot this season, but slowing that down is a tall order. Kirby Moore made the switch at QB. He took over playcalling last week. He's trying everything. Now it's on Eshelman to prove the change matters. If the Cougs can't score, it won't matter how well the defense plays. For more on the challenge facing WSU's secondary, check out "WSU's secondary gets its biggest test of the season against OSU's Legree." Go Cougs.

Eshelman finds the end zone, but Beavers build a big lead

Owen Eshelman found the end zone for the first time in his college career Saturday, and that's about the only good news the Cougars got in Corvallis. The redshirt freshman connected with Branden Ganashamoorthy for a 40-yard touchdown late in the second quarter, but by then the Beavers had already built a lead too big to ignore. Oregon State put up 27 points before Washington State could answer with a field goal. The Beavers came out swinging. Jesse Legree is every bit the problem we worried he'd be, the star freshman hauled in a 90-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter, and he hasn't been held under 100 receiving yards all season. That's not a stat you see often. Oregon State's offense kept rolling with an 88-yard screen from AJ Newberry, who piled up 159 scrimmage yards on the day. Washington State's offense stalled near the goal line in the second quarter, settling for a 19-yard field goal from Jack Stevens. Meanwhile, Caleb Ojeda added two field goals for the Beavers, including a 48-yarder to stretch the lead early. This one got away fast. The Cougars are still searching for their first FBS win of the season, and the defense, stout as it's been, had no answer for Legree and company. If you want to know how Eshelman earned the starting job in the first place, check out our earlier piece, "Eshelman walked in asking why, and WSU coaches took notice.

Eshelman walked in asking why, and WSU coaches took notice

Cougs turn to Owen Eshelman at QB, Pinnick benched for Oregon State

Six games, four touchdowns, one change at quarterback. That's where we're at. Kirby Moore benched Caden Pinnick on Monday and will start redshirt freshman Owen Eshelman against Oregon State. It had to happen. Pinnick threw three touchdowns against five interceptions this season. He fumbled away a turnover against Utah State. The offense ranks 133rd out of 138 FBS teams in scoring. That's not Cougar football. Eshelman is a 6-foot-3 kid from Norman, Oklahoma. He threw for 2,507 yards and 29 touchdowns as a high school senior, plus another 19 on the ground. He's only played two snaps in college, both in garbage time against Duquesne. But Moore says he's prepared like the starter for 10 months. We're about to find out if that translates. The Oregon State defense is no joke. The Beavers boast the best offense in the country, and the Cougs are still searching for their first FBS win. Moore called plays for the first time against Utah State, and it didn't go great. But there's nowhere to go but up. Pinnick couldn't throw past nine yards downfield. He took 11 QB-fault sacks, tied for most in the nation. That's not a thing you can fix midseason. Sometimes you just need a new arm. For more context on what we're walking into, check out our earlier piece: "Oregon State looms as Cougs head south still searching for first win." Go Cougs.

Cougs hand Utah State a win with an offense that forgot how to finish

Logan was not kind to the Cougs. Washington State went down to Utah State Friday night and handed them a win the Aggies barely earned themselves. WSU led 16-3 at halftime. Then the offense forgot how to finish. Kirby Moore took over playcalling from Matt Miller, and for a half it looked like something might click. Three field goals. A touchdown. 193 yards. Then the second half happened: 64 total yards, zero points, 1 of 8 on third downs. That's not just a slump. That's a collapse. Utah State didn't suddenly get good. Their quarterback completed 11 of 26 passes. They averaged 2.9 yards a carry. They looked miserable. But the Cougs gave them short fields off two turnovers, a Pinnick fumble and a Jack Pedersen fumble, and that was enough. The defense deserved better. Again. At 1-5 and 0-2 in the new Pac-12, bowl hopes are gone. Oregon State and Boise State are next. The wheels are off. Something else needs to change offensively, and if you want a deeper look at the quarterback situation, we have a piece titled "Caden Pinnick is a good dude. That doesn't fix the QB room." It's worth your time. Go Cougs.

Utah State linebacker strips Coug tight end, flips the game

Utah State linebacker Asher Cunningham made the play of the game, and it wasn't even close. He stripped tight end Jack Pedersen just before Pedersen's knee hit the turf on a third-down play with under eight minutes left. Then he pounced on the ball deep in WSU territory. That set up the Aggies' go-ahead touchdown. Game flipped. Cunningham also knocked the ball loose from Caden Pinnick in the third quarter. Utah State recovered that one too, scored five plays later, and the momentum never came back. The Elon transfer finished with a career-high 17 tackles, half a sack, and two tackles for loss. He now has 52 tackles on the season. That puts him near the top 20 nationally. The guy was everywhere. On the other side, Jirah Leaupepetele did what nose tackles do: the dirty work nobody notices until you watch the tape. The 349-pound Eastern Washington transfer plugged gaps, recorded his first full sack of the season, and stood up his blocker on a critical third-and-short with under three minutes left. He brought down the running back just before the line to gain, forced a punt, and kept WSU alive. Five tackles, tied for third on the team. That's a good day's work. This loss stings. If you want the full picture of how the offense let this one slip, go read "Cougs hand Utah State a win with an offense that forgot how to finish." It's exactly what it sounds like. Go Cougs.

Caden Pinnick is a good dude. That doesn't fix the QB room

Caden Pinnick sounds like a guy you'd be happy to have over for a BBQ. He's thoughtful, accountable, and clearly cares about his teammates. None of that makes him the answer at quarterback right now. The Cougs dropped a 17-16 stunner to Utah State after taking a 16-3 lead into the half. That's three straight losses. Four offensive touchdowns in five games against FBS competition. Pinnick went 23-of-36 for 156 yards and zero touchdowns. In Pullman, that stat line used to mean 400 yards and a couple scores. Now it means the offense is stuck in neutral. Kirby Moore has a decision to make. Pinnick has seven turnovers on the season. The second half produced 64 total yards. Penalties wiped out chunk plays. Jack Pedersen fumbled late, and Utah State turned it into the winning score. Moore was asked about Julian Dugger or Owen Eshelman. He said he needs to evaluate everything. That's coach-speak for "I don't have a great answer yet." Pinnick owned it. Said it breaks his heart. He's a 20-year-old trying to follow a line of Cougar QBs who set a high bar. That's not his fault. But running him out there every week when the offense can't move might not be fair to him or the team. If you want the full picture of this season's slide, check out "Cougs head south, run into a buzzsaw in Logan." 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.

Who starts at QB for WSU could decide the Utah State game

Friday night in Logan, the Cougs will go through all the same motions they always do. Stretches. Warmups. Jumping jacks. Then the tunnel opens, and something will actually be different. Kirby Moore is taking over playcalling. That alone is a big shift for an offense that ranks near the bottom of the country in scoring. But the real question, the one that decides whether this season has a pulse, is who takes the first snap. Caden Pinnick has been turnover-prone, leading the nation in QB-fault sacks. Owen Eshelman has the arm but hasn't played in a meaningful way. Julian Dugger brings athleticism and hasn't seen much time either. Moore says everyone will get reps, and that the decision comes down to what they see in practice. That sounds like a coach keeping his options open, which is about all you can ask for at 1-4. The good news? Utah State's offense might be even worse. Ten interceptions. 13.3 points per game. Our defense should have a day. Linus Zunk and Matyus McLain ought to be licking their chops. But defense alone won't win this one. The offense has to answer. If Moore picks the right QB, and his new play sheet makes a difference, the Cougs might save the season before it slips into November. If not, bowl eligibility becomes a memory. For a deeper look at what Moore's move means, check out our story on why the Cougs are letting a new voice call plays in Logan. Go Cougs.

Kirby Moore called his own shot. Now can his offense answer

Kirby Moore called his own shot. He took the playcalling duties from his longtime friend and offensive coordinator Matt Miller, because the Cougs' offense has been floundering. Something had to change. Moore understood the urgency. Now comes the hard part: Does it work? We're heading to Logan on Friday night, 6 p.m. on the CW, to find out. And honestly? I'm not optimistic. The prediction here is Utah State 13, WSU 7. That's a tough score to swallow. Quarterback Caden Pinnick could look sharper with a new voice in his ear. Fewer turnovers. Cleaner decisions. But if the problems are more about Pinnick than the plays being called, the Cougs are in the same spot. And it's not just him. Receivers have dropped passes. Routes have come up short. The offensive line hasn't been perfect. The tight ends haven't helped in the passing game. Nobody in that unit gets a pass. But the head of the snake is the quarterback. If Pinnick isn't the answer, Owen Eshelman hasn't seen meaningful time, and Julian Dugger would have to prove he can hurt a defense with his arm. That's a thin bench against a Utah State defense ranked fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring. Moore made the right move. It just might not be enough. For more on why the Cougs are changing who calls the plays, check out "Why the Cougs are letting a new voice call plays in Logan." It's a deeper look at what went into this decision.

Kirby Moore talks Utah State, and the quiet work that wins in Pullman

Kirby Moore doesn't raise his voice to explain what wins in Pullman. He just points to the work that doesn't make the highlight reel. Talking Utah State this week, Moore broke down the kind of quiet, repetitive stuff that turns a good Cougar team into a tough one. That's the part of the season that doesn't get a headline, but it's the part that keeps you in games when the crowd gets loud and the road gets long. It's easy to forget, in the middle of baseball midweeks and volleyball preps, that football is still grinding through its own kind of spring. Moore's approach fits Pullman. No flash. Just film, fundamentals, and the kind of patience that only makes sense if you've spent a winter in that town. He knows what Utah State brings. More importantly, he knows what his guys have to bring back. If you're the type who tracks every pitch, we've got you covered with "Cougs Hit the Road for a Pair of Midweek Ballgames in Texas." Different sport, same kind of under-the-radar work that builds a season before anyone notices. Moore would probably approve of the overlap. Go Cougs.

Three Quarterbacks Walk Into a Palouse Fall: Who Gets the Nod

Three quarterbacks, one Palouse fall, and an offense that ranks 130th in scoring. That's where the Cougs are right now. Caden Pinnick has the experience and the knowledge of the playbook. He also has six turnovers in five games and 18 sacks taken. You can't win that way. Owen Eshelman has the arm to stretch the field, but he's a redshirt freshman who has never taken a college snap. Throwing him into a road game at Utah State feels like asking for trouble. Julian Dugger can run like hell and showed it in the bowl game last year, but his pocket presence is shaky, and his passing resume is nine completions in two seasons. Kirby Moore is taking over playcalling. He's been here before, at Fresno State in 2022, his team started 1-4 and then won eight straight when Jake Haener came back. That's the hope. The question is whether anyone in this room can be that guy. The smart money might be on Dugger for a spark, but the Cougs need more than a spark. They need someone who can make the right read on third down and not make a bad play worse. That's what Moore keeps saying. We'll see Friday night. For more on how the Cougs got here, check out our breakdown from the Fresno State loss: "Fresno State gets the edge but the Cougs fought until the final whistle." Go Cougs.

Second-half snaps tell the story of WSU's defensive breakdowns

Keith Brown had to ask the score at halftime. That tells you everything about how Saturday went for the Cougs' defense. The sixth-year linebacker wasn't being cute, WSU had just taken a three-point lead into the break, but Brown was so locked into his own series that he'd lost track of the game. You don't hear that kind of tunnel vision from guys on losing teams very often. But here's the thing: the defense is playing too much, and it's starting to show in the fourth quarter. The numbers are brutal. WSU's giving up 4.3 points in the first quarter, that's top-half of the country. By the fourth? They're allowing 11.3, which is 123rd nationally. That's not a coincidence. That's what happens when your offense keeps handing the ball back. Seven turnovers in four games, and your defenders are racking up 60, 70 snaps a night. Khamari Terrell played 72 against Arizona. Brown logged 69. Those dudes are gassed by the time the game matters. Kirby Moore says it's about complementary football, and he's right. The front can't rush if they're spent, and the back end can't cover if the rush never gets home. The solution isn't just playing more guys, they're thin at key spots, with injuries stacking up. It's about the offense holding onto the ball. That's the real fix, and it's a big reason Saturday's game against Fresno State feels like a fork in the road.

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.

DJ Warner's Arizona roots could fuel a Coug upset under the lights

DJ Warner grew up two hours from Arizona's campus, recruited by those coaches, and now he's suiting up for the other side. Saturday night under the lights in Pullman, he'll shake hands with old friends after the game. He'd prefer to do it with a win. That's the setup for a 4:30 p.m. CBS kickoff where Washington State is a 10½-point underdog against a Wildcats team that hung 42 on Northern Illinois. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita is completing 81 percent of his passes and set a program record for career touchdown throws last week. He's the real problem. But there's history here. WSU has won five of the last seven meetings, and Arizona hasn't left Pullman with a win since 2014. Trent Bray, WSU's defensive coordinator, goes way back with Arizona coach Brent Brennan from their Oregon State days. Brennan called Bray "Uncle Trent" to his kids. That friendship pauses for three hours Saturday. The Cougars need this one. A 1-3 start would put a decade-long bowl streak in real danger. The offense finally showed life against Duquesne, but as we wrote in "Cougs need to prove the offense can show up against FBS defenses," this is the real test. Jack Stevens is 1-for-5 on field goals. Kirby Moore is 1-2 as a head coach. Warner is home for a night. If the Cougs can slow Fifita and get a bounce from their kicker, they might just make those postgame handshakes a little sweeter. Go Cougs.

Fifita shakes off the rust, hits Smith twice to flip the script on Arizona

Jackquintin Bal saw it coming before Noah Fifita let it go. The Washington State safety jumped the route, snatched the ball, and ran 25 yards untouched into the end zone. That pick-six put the Cougs up 14-0 early. It felt like one of those nights in Pullman where the old magic shows up. Then the second quarter happened. Fifita shook off the rust. Arizona's veteran quarterback started slow, but he found Caleb Smith for a 41-yard bomb, then hit him again for a 38-yard touchdown on the very next play. By the fourth quarter, Fifita was dropping a pinpoint over-the-shoulder pass to Isaiah Mizell for an 11-yard score. He finished 22 of 36, 297 yards, four touchdowns. The Wildcats erased that 14-point deficit and never looked back. Bal still had a night. The Arizona State transfer led the team with nine tackles, nearly grabbed a second pick in the end zone, and made open-field stops all over the field. But one great individual performance doesn't win a game when the other side's quarterback finds his rhythm. For the full story on how that early lead slipped away, check out "Cougs jump Arizona early, then watch a 14-point lead dissolve." The script flipped. Fifita improved to 2-0 in Pullman. That one stings. Go Cougs.