running game
running game at Wazzu is a file of 3 stories. The newest of them: “The Cougs are playing for pride this week, not a bowl bid”, “Five-game skid meets the road: Cougs chase first FBS win at SDSU”, and “Moore to Cougs after Fresno dud: The noise is fair, the fix is on us”. Another road game, another uphill climb. Five straight losses. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every running game story on Wazzu, newest first.
The Cougs are playing for pride this week, not a bowl bid
Another road game, another uphill climb. The Cougs are playing for pride this week, not a bowl bid, and that's the kind of honest assessment this season deserves. Coach Kirby Moore's debut year has been a grind, and the numbers back it up: 0-4 on the road, a leaky offensive line, and a running game that can't get traction. The defense has dropped six interceptions, tied for the most in the country, and managed only eight sacks. That's not a recipe for a turnaround. San Diego State is beatable on paper. Their defense ranks near the bottom in several categories, and they're starting a backup QB making his second start. But the Aztecs are sharp at home, and the Cougs haven't shown they can cash in on those opportunities. You can squint and see a win. The rest of us see a 34-24 loss. The Cougs get a bye after this one, and they'll need it. Nine straight games is a slog, especially when the breaks aren't falling your way. For the seniors playing their last road game, that stings. If you want to read about a bright spot, check out our story on Trey Leckner's foot healing up and his impact not missing a beat. That's the kind of fight this team has, even when the scoreboard doesn't show it. Go Cougs.
Five-game skid meets the road: Cougs chase first FBS win at SDSU
Five straight losses. That's the weight the Cougs are carrying into San Diego on Saturday. WSU hasn't beaten an FBS team all season, and after a 31-10 loss to Boise State where they tied the game through three quarters only to watch it fall apart in the fourth, the frustration is real. Owen Eshelman is still settling in as the starter, but the offense around him isn't helping. The running game is basically nonexistent, 53 yards on 33 carries against Boise, and the offensive line is getting beat on stunts and push. Kirby Moore didn't sugarcoat it: they weren't good enough up front. San Diego State isn't exactly rolling either. They've lost two of three, their defense ranks near the bottom of the entire FBS, and they're on their backup quarterback after an injury. Stone Saunders can throw, 369 yards in his first start, but he's not running anywhere. The Aztecs give up yards and points in bunches. That should be an opening for a Coug offense that desperately needs one. This is the third road game in four weeks for WSU, and the bye is next week. A win here changes the conversation. A loss makes that five-game skid feel a lot heavier. For more on who might be missing from the lineup, check out our update on Clemons and Bernard being day-to-day after the Boise loss. Go Cougs.
Moore to Cougs after Fresno dud: The noise is fair, the fix is on us
Six points. One offensive touchdown all season. A stat line that puts WSU near the bottom of 138 FBS teams in just about everything that matters. Kirby Moore stood in the Gesa Field locker room and told his guys the noise is fair. He's right. It is. This offense isn't just struggling. It's historically bad. The Cougars haven't gone without an offensive touchdown twice in a season since 2008, and that's not company anyone wants to keep. Caden Pinnick has six turnovers, he's taking sacks he doesn't need to take, and he's bailing from pockets that are actually clean. The running backs got five carries in the second half. Five. For a group whose retention was supposed to be Moore's biggest offseason win, that's a head-scratcher. There were bright spots. Matyus McLain looked like a menace off the edge, and Jack Stevens drilling a career-long 50-yarder after a 1-for-5 start is a genuine feel-good story. But those are crumbs. Moore says the leadership group has to step up, and he's taking over playcalls. Good. Something has to change. The Cougs are 1-4 with a short week before Utah State, and our Pac-12 power rankings already have the gap drawn. The fix is on them. We'll see if they're actually willing to try something different, or if we're in for more of the same. Go Cougs.