touchdown
Wazzu keeps touchdown in one place: 14 stories so far. The section currently leads with “A Freeman grad named Boen Phelps just broke a Coug heart in Boise”, “One bad snap cost the Cougs a chance at an upset in Boise”, and “Cougs answer Boise State's punch with a Vorhees touchdown, 7-7 at the half”. A Freeman High grad named Boen Phelps just broke a Coug heart in Boise. One bad snap. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every touchdown story on Wazzu, newest first.
A Freeman grad named Boen Phelps just broke a Coug heart in Boise
A Freeman High grad named Boen Phelps just broke a Coug heart in Boise. The junior linebacker, a former walk-on, picked off an Owen Eshelman pass early in the fourth quarter and returned it 13 yards to set up a touchdown that put the Broncos up by 14. That's the kind of play that makes you groan into your beer. Eshelman and running back Kirby Vorhees weren't on the same page, Vorhees went the wrong way, and the ball went right to Phelps. Two plays later, Boise State scored. Game over. Phelps finished with six tackles, but it was Dylan Riley who twisted the knife. The Broncos' star back struggled for three quarters against a WSU defense keying on the run. Then the fourth quarter happened. Riley ripped off a 33-yard score right after the pick, then bounced outside for a 72-yard dagger on the next possession. He finished with 128 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. Ranked No. 6 nationally in rushing entering the game, he's now at 963 yards for the year. One bad snap. One missed read. That's the difference between a tight game and a runaway loss. For deeper coverage on how that fourth quarter unraveled, check out "One bad snap cost the Cougs a chance at an upset in Boise." Go Cougs.
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One bad snap cost the Cougs a chance at an upset in Boise
One bad snap. That's all it took. Owen Eshelman and Kirby Vorhees got their wires crossed on a simple route, and the ball landed in a Boise State linebacker's hands. Just like that, a tied game turned into a 31-10 loss. It stings because the Cougs were right there. For three quarters, WSU's defense held firm against one of the best rushing teams in the country, bottling up Dylan Riley until the fourth quarter finally broke them. The offense, though? Stuck in the mud all day. Eshelman had some nice moments with his legs, but the downfield passing game was missing, and the running backs combined for 20 yards on 10 carries. That's not going to beat anyone, let alone a ranked team. Kirby Moore's first season is officially a lost one at 1-7, and the postseason is gone. But here's the thing: a month ago, a tied game in the fourth quarter against Boise State felt impossible. The Cougs aren't good, but they're less bad than they were. That's not a victory lap, but it's something. For more on how that pick unfolded, check out "Moore's sideline bench talks get real after WSU's bowl hopes vanish." Go Cougs.
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Cougs answer Boise State's punch with a Vorhees touchdown, 7-7 at the half
Kirby Vorhees punched it in from a yard out, and just like that, the Cougs were even with Boise State at the half. 7-7. Martin Stadium had something to yell about. Owen Eshelman found Daniel Blood for 13 yards to set it up, and Vorhees finished the job. That drive answered Boise State's opening punch, Sire Gaines up the middle for nine yards on a 33-yard Maddux Madsen setup. The Broncos answered back with a field goal as time expired, taking a 10-7 lead into the locker room. This is the spot. WSU came in needing its most complete game of the season. A 1-6 record. Bowl eligibility on the line. A 13½-point underdog at home. First-year head coach Kirby Moore facing his old team, the one he starred for alongside his brother Kellen. The Broncos are on a five-game win streak, the presumptive Pac-12 favorites, and their offense has spent more time on the field than anyone in the country. None of that matters in the second half. What matters is whether the Cougs can finish a drive and stop one. For more on how the team got here, check out our preview on Terrell saying run his way and Boise State will find out. It sets the table for what the second half has to deliver. 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.
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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.
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.
Cougs need to prove the offense can show up against FBS defenses
If the Cougs can't score against FBS defenses, Saturday in Tucson is going to feel a lot like the last two weeks. One offensive touchdown and four turnovers across two games against that level of competition. That's not going to cut it against Arizona, even if the Wildcats have been generous enough to force only one turnover all season. The good news: the offensive line that just ran for 300 yards against Duquesne is back intact. They don't need to duplicate that number, but they need to make Arizona respect the run. If they can't, it's going to be a long day for whoever is taking snaps. On the other side, the defense needs to get to Noah Fifita. He's completing 80 percent of his throws. That's not a typo. But he's also taken eight sacks, and when he's pressured, his numbers drop. Jaylen Thomas already has a pick-six this season. Another one would help. The problem is Arizona ranks 18th nationally in pass blocking, so Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk have their work cut out for them. The Cougs have talked about being more detail-oriented since Week 1. They'll need every bit of that attention to detail to pull the upset. If you want a look at how things went sideways last time these teams met, check out our story from that game: "Arizona lands a punch Wazzu never quite answers." Go Cougs.
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.
Arizona lands a punch Wazzu never quite answers
The Cougars did the rope-a-dope thing Saturday, and it turns out Homer Simpson was right: at some point you have to punch back. Wazzu brought Arizona back to Pullman for a messy, physical grudge match, and for one glorious stretch it looked like the old magic might hold. Safety Jackquintin Bal, an Arizona kid, no less, broke on a Noah Fifita pass, put the receiver on his back, and danced into the end zone for a 14-0 lead. The defense was suffocating. Sacks on each of the first two drives. Arms in passing lanes. Chaos for the Wildcats' quarterback. Then Arizona scored 31 of the next 34 points. The pattern is getting hard to ignore. The Cougars have great defensive players, but not enough depth to sustain that level through four quarters, especially when the offense can't give them a breather. Caden Pinnick was miles from good, though he bounced back from mistakes the way you'd expect from a former Big Sky Freshman of the Year. The offense is still finding its way, and it's costing this defense. The solace? No more Power Four teams on the schedule. WSU should have one of the better defenses in the Pac-12. But as we saw Saturday, that doesn't matter much if the offense can't land a single counterpunch. For more on the special teams situation that didn't help matters, check out our piece on Max Dean's migraines making punting a game-time call. Go Cougs.
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.
Another Late Night Letdown as Cougs Can't Finish the Job at Gesa
That 14-0 lead felt like something, didn't it? Caden Pinnick punched one in on the ground, then Jackquintin Ball jumped a route and took it to the house. Gesa was loud. The old ghosts were stirring. Then Arizona remembered it had Noah Fifita and Tre Spivey, and the whole thing flipped. The Cougs hung around. Pinnick found Branden Ganashamoorthy for a 46-yard score late, cutting it to seven with seven minutes left. That's the part that stings. The defense got a stop, then couldn't push Arizona out of field goal range. Michael Salgado-Medina drilled a 51-yarder with two minutes left, and that was that. 34-24. This was the best effort of the year, which tells you where the bar is. Pinnick is now up to five turnovers in four games. The offensive line gave up three more sacks. The run game still isn't there. The secondary got torched for seven passes of 15-plus yards. All of that adds up to 1-3 and a lot of the same questions. The good news? Pac-12 play starts next week against Fresno State. First meeting in Pullman since 1994. The bad news is the same problems keep showing up. If you want to dig into how the offense left plays on the field, our story on Moore's unit has the details. Go Cougs.
Chris King called it and the Cougs made it happen twice
Chris King saw it before the rest of us did. He called his shot, and then the Cougs went out and made it happen. Not once. Twice. That's the kind of thing that makes you sit up a little straighter in your seat, whether you're watching from the stands in Pullman or squinting at a stream in an apartment in Seattle. This isn't a story about luck. It's about a team that heard the prediction, believed it, and backed it up on the field. Twice. That's hard to do. Most teams get one. The Cougs got two, and King gets the credit for seeing what was coming before the rest of us caught on. We've got more on the Cougs' recent work if you want to dig in. Our piece on the Barb Chandler Classic breaks down how the weekend went, and it pairs nicely with what King and the offense are building. You can find that one on the site. But for now, let's just sit with this: King called it, the Cougs delivered, and they did it twice. That's not a fluke. That's a team that knows what it is. Go Cougs.