wide receiver
wide receiver at Wazzu is a file of 3 stories. The newest of them: “Kirby Moore knows how to pronounce Boise, and how to beat them”, “Boise State week hits a snag as Tripp and Clemons hobble in”, and “Owen Eshelman and Branden Ganashamoorthy made the scoreboard hurt a little less”. Kirby Moore knows how to pronounce Boise. Ashton Tripp is day-to-day with an ankle. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every wide receiver story on Wazzu, newest first.
Kirby Moore knows how to pronounce Boise, and how to beat them
Kirby Moore knows how to pronounce Boise. The Washington State coach spent his playing days at Boise State, so he's heard plenty of Idahoans correct the Z-sound newcomers reach for. Now he's bringing his Cougs, 1-6 and still searching for their first FBS win under him, against the No. 21 Broncos for homecoming. That's a full-circle moment that probably stings a little if you're competitive. The good news: Owen Eshelman looked like a different offense last week against Oregon State. Nearly 300 yards passing, two touchdowns through the air, one on the ground. The bad news: Boise State's rushing attack ranks eighth in the country, and the Broncos have a running back averaging 139 yards per game. WSU's defense is going to have to tackle, and tackle well, to give Eshelman a chance. The receiver room is thin. Tony Freeman is out for the year. Darrius Clemons is doubtful. That leaves Branden Ganashamoorthy, Daniel Blood, and Tank Hawkins carrying the load, with two guys who've barely played all season ready to spell them. It's not ideal against a ranked team. Mathematically, bowl eligibility is still possible. Realistically, it would take five straight wins. That's asking a lot from a team that hasn't shown it can string one together yet. But the quarterback change gave fans something to text about. If Eshelman repeats that performance, maybe the Cougs make it interesting.
Boise State week hits a snag as Tripp and Clemons hobble in
Ashton Tripp is day-to-day with an ankle. Darrius Clemons is on crutches. And Boise State rolls into town this weekend ranked 21st in the country. That's not ideal. The offense was starting to look like something. Owen Eshelman put up 289 yards and two touchdowns against Oregon State, and the run game finally had some teeth. But now the left tackle who's held that spot since 2023 might not be available, and Clemons, 20 catches, 218 yards, seven starts, is getting his ankle evaluated. Kirby Moore said depth at receiver is thin already after Tony Freeman's ACL in the Apple Cup. So if Clemons is out, you're looking at Daniel Blood, Tank Hawkins, and Branden Ganashamoorthy to carry the load. Ganashamoorthy just posted career highs last weekend, so maybe that's something. On the other side, the defense might actually get some help. Malachi Wrice and Michael Hughes are expected to play full speed. Hughes got 30 snaps back against Oregon State after missing five games. Wrice hasn't played since Week 2. If those two can spell McLain and Zunk, that's a real boost. Moore also put to rest any talk about NIL deciding playing time. Said the best players play. That came up after the decision to bench Caden Pinnick for Eshelman. Moore said Eshelman had turnover issues in camp but kept preparing like a starter. He's grown. We saw it Saturday.
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.