Kirby Moore was hired to bring a different feel to Washington State, but through two games, the offense has gone nowhere fast.
The Cougars have managed just 17 points across their first two outings, converted only two third downs and looked every bit the part of a team that has been outmatched, first by Washington and then by Kansas State. Saturday’s 34-7 loss in Manhattan dropped WSU to 0-2 for the first time since the 2016 season.
That kind of start puts the spotlight squarely on Moore in his first season at the top. The Moore family name carries serious weight in the Pacific Northwest - Kellen and Kirby formed a familiar pairing at Boise State in the early 2010s, while their father Tom coached at Prosser High School - and Kirby arrived at Washington State with a reputation as an offensive mind who could give the program a lift.
Instead, the Cougars have looked predictable and flat. After back-to-back defensive-minded hires, Washington State turned to Moore as the fresh face with home-state ties and a background as an offensive play caller. The expectation wasn’t that he would duplicate the late Mike Leach, but it was fair to expect more production than this.
At this point, the simplest fix is the one that needs to happen: Moore should take over the play-calling duties, whether that lasts for the foreseeable future or the rest of the season. Whatever Washington State is doing now is not working, and with next week’s home opener against Duquesne coming up, the Cougars can’t afford to keep sleepwalking on offense. The fact that the first two losses came against Big Ten and Big 12 opponents with more resources doesn’t change the need for a reset.
In Other News...
Washington States Offensive Debate Just Got Harder To Ignore
Washington States 0-2 start has put the spotlight squarely on an offense that has had trouble finding any rhythm, and the latest game only sharpened the concern. Caden Pinnick managed just 65 passing yards, while the protection in front of him has become a clear issue, with Ashton Tripp and Kyle Martin drawing low pass-blocking grades as the Cougars have struggled to give the quarterback time or space to operate.
With the schedule moving on, the debate inside the program is no longer whether the offense needs a reset, but how far that reset should go. Changes in playcalling are being considered, and lineup adjustments are now part of the conversation as Washington State looks for any combination that can make the passing game more functional before the early-season slide gets harder to fix. [Read more 🡒]
Cougars Showed Fight Against Washington But One Problem Still Looms
Washington State showed some grit in its matchup with Washington at Alaska Airlines Arena, but the result still tilted the wrong way in a 3-1 loss. The Cougars put together 46 kills and hit .228, which was enough to keep stretches of the match competitive, even as Washington finished with 61 kills and a .289 hitting percentage.
Kambree Rodriguez did a little of everything with 19 digs and seven assists, while Naomi White added 10 kills and four blocks and Audrey Hollis chipped in 15 assists and 15 digs. The effort was there, but the gap in offensive efficiency remained the issue, and it is the kind of problem Washington State will need to clean up if it wants to turn tight nights into wins. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Is 0-2 But This Texas Tech Loss Changed The Debate
Oregon States 35-24 loss to Texas Tech added a fresh layer to the early-season Pac-12 conversation, and for Washington State that matters because the leagues pecking order is already getting tested in September. The Beavers had enough production from Jesse Legree and Braden Atkinson to stay in the game, but the late controversy around a call in Lubbock made the result feel heavier than a typical nonconference setback, especially with the conference trying to establish some stability across a mixed weekend.
Washington State is still sorting through its own issues after first-year coach Kirby Moore pointed to offensive struggles following the loss to Kansas State, so the Cougars are watching these results with a practical eye. Boise States win over Memphis, Washingtons narrow escape against Utah State and Colorado States lopsided victory over Southern Utah all fed into a busy opening stretch, but Oregon States trip to Texas Tech may end up being the one that shifts how the leagues second tier is viewed for now. [Read more 🡒]