SEATTLE - Washington State quarterback Caden Pinnick had the kind of Apple Cup debut that comes with plenty of bruises and a few flashes of promise.
The new Cougars starter started slowly, then found more of his playmaking in the second half, but his late interception helped close the door on Washington State in a 24-10 loss to No. 17 Washington on Sunday in Seattle.
Pinnick finished with 142 passing yards, 61 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground, but the turnovers told the bigger story. He was charged with two interceptions, and the Cougars as a team gave it away three times.
“Obviously when you commit two turnovers, you’re not helping the team. I’ve just got to play better, prepare better and mostly help give my guys a chance to actually have a chance to go win something. You can’t weigh down the team with two turnovers like that.”
He said the Cougars ran into a Washington defense that made life difficult in ways they hadn’t fully seen coming.
“What we were expecting … didn’t exactly happen how we planned it. There was a lot of first times for us seeing (UW pressure).
Hats off to them, they are a good team and they are going to make adjustments on the fly. It was cool to see our team adapt around that.
We just fell short.”
Third down was another major problem. Washington State went 0-of-11, a number Pinnick pointed to without sugarcoating what it meant.
“That is how the ball rolls sometimes. We cannot really plan that.
We’ve definitely got to get better and got to improve on that part of the game. When you go 0-of-11, you are not going to win a lot of games on third down.”
Pinnick’s touchdown came on a designed play that he said had been in the works for a while, with the line and Leo Pulalasi doing their jobs to make it happen.
“That was something we’ve been designing for a minute, something we felt confident in the (offensive) line did their job of blocking their guys, and I believe it was Leo (Pulalasi) that got up there and got the block on the linebacker. When everyone does their job right, that is how it’s going to look.”
Even after taking hits, Pinnick made it clear he wasn’t coming out.
“When you get hit, you take some hits these years and you start to get used to it. I wasn’t going to come out under no circumstances. I can’t quit on my guys like that.”
He also had praise for coach Moore’s style on the sideline, calling him steady and measured.
“Coach Moore is very low-key, and a very poised coach, which I love … He’ll come up occasionally and go, ‘Hey, I thought you did well here; keep the drive going,’ just kind of positive affirmations here and there. But the majority (of time), he is trying to coach the whole team so he can’t just lock in on one guy. But he does a great job at what he does.”
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WSU Showed One Big Concern Fans Cant Ignore After Washington Loss
Washington State left its season opener with a 24-10 loss to No. 17 Washington, but the Cougars did have some encouraging signs on one side of the ball. The defense held up well in key spots, especially against the run and inside the red zone, while the offense showed flashes without ever finding steady rhythm for long stretches.
Kirby Moore pointed to the need for cleaner offensive execution as the main takeaway after the game, and the Cougars also have a personnel situation to monitor at receiver. Tony Freeman went down with a knee injury late in the first quarter, and Moore said he will have an update on Freeman later this week, leaving another layer of concern as Washington State turns the page. [Read more 🡒]
Wazzu Still Has An Apple Cup Chance After A Brutal Setback
The first half of the Apple Cup has been a slog for Washington State, with the Cougars headed to the break trailing No. 17 Washington 10-0 after an offense that never really found its footing. Wazzu managed only 37 yards before halftime and went 0-for-5 on third downs, a rough start against a Huskies defense that has tightened the screws whenever the Cougars have tried to build momentum.
Still, the game is not out of reach because Washington States defense has kept it from getting worse, including a goal-line stand that helped preserve some hope. The bigger concern may be on the offensive side, where top wide receiver Tony Freeman went down with a non-contact knee injury and is doubtful to return, leaving the Cougars to figure out how to generate enough playmaking in the second half to turn a frustrating afternoon into something far more competitive. [Read more 🡒]
Cougars Showed Apple Cup Fight Before Familiar Mistakes Took Over
Washington State did enough on defense to make the Apple Cup interesting for long stretches, and there were moments when the Cougars looked like they might turn a choppy, tense game into something more. Caden Pinnick managed the offense unevenly but also gave the Cougars a spark with his legs, while the defense kept producing the kind of stops that can change a rivalry game if the offense cashes in.
Instead, familiar problems kept piling up. Turnovers blunted promising drives, and the kicking game left points sitting on the field before Washington State finally got a field goal late. By then, the damage was mostly done, and the Cougars were left with another reminder that effort and resistance are only part of the equation when a rivalry game starts tilting on the details. [Read more 🡒]