Washington State may have settled on a better version of its offensive line, and the timing could not be much better with Arizona coming to Pullman this weekend.
Coach Kirby Moore said Monday the Cougars plan to roll with the same five starters that handled last weekend’s game against Duquesne: Ashton Tripp at left tackle, Jonny Lester at left guard, Noah Dunham at center, Nick Bakken at right guard and Jaylin Caldwell at right tackle.
That alignment was a noticeable shift from the previous two games, when WSU opened with redshirt junior Kyle Martin at left guard and Lester at right tackle. Lester had never started at that spot before, and the results weren’t nearly as clean.
Against Duquesne, the Cougars benched Martin, slid Lester back inside and inserted Caldwell at right tackle. The move paid off immediately.
WSU ran for 316 yards, its highest total in two decades, and quarterback Caden Pinnick wasn’t sacked. The five-man group also graded out well by Pro Football Focus, posting a 72.7 pass-blocking grade and a 72.1 run-blocking grade, both team highs through three games.
Caldwell and Lester were especially sharp in pass protection. Caldwell earned an 86.3 pass-blocking grade, while Lester checked in at 83.3.
For Lester, that kind of success at left guard fits the pattern. It’s been one of his better spots, while last season three of his four worst games came when he was forced to play right tackle because of injuries.
The run game was humming across the board, too. All five linemen posted run-blocking grades above 69, and the Cougars turned that into a rare explosive day on the ground, with two 100-yard rushers in the same game for the first time since 2005.
Moore said WSU will need more than just the starting five to keep the line fresh.
“we’re gonna need all six of those guys to keep each other fresh throughout the season,” he said, pointing to Martin as part of the mix. Martin has the lowest offensive PFF grade on the team at 28.1 and a pass-blocking grade of 0.0.
Moore also gave an update on kicker Jack Stevens, and the message suggested WSU is not ready to move on yet. Stevens is 1-for-5 on field goals this season and missed from 30 yards Saturday, then also missed an extra point for the first time in his career. That kind of start usually puts a kicker on shaky ground, but Moore sounded like a coach who wants to see a response in practice first.
“We’re gonna go back to work. I think that’s the most important thing for us,” Moore said.
“Operation, there’s been snap issues. There’s been protection issues.
Obviously, we missed one there on Saturday. Jack’s made a ton of kicks throughout the offseason.
Looking forward to seeing him make a bunch of kicks this week in practice and building up to Saturday.”
If Washington State does decide to make a change, transfer Miguel Arenas would be the likely option. He has handled kickoff duties this fall and appears to have the stronger leg.
On the injury front, Moore said cornerback Jalil Tucker remains “day-to-day” after getting hurt in the Apple Cup on Sept. 6.
Tucker, an Oregon State transfer, sat out the next game against Kansas State and was in street clothes on the sideline. He dressed and warmed up against Duquesne, but did not play.
“Just made the decision there close to game time that he wasn’t gonna go,” Moore said. “We gotta see where he’s at here this week and anticipate being close to game time there on Saturday.”
WSU has already tried a couple of different answers in Tucker’s spot. Against Kansas State, redshirt senior Kai Rapolla got the nod and had a rough outing, missing two tackles and allowing 3 catches on 4 targets. Against Duquesne, the Cougars shifted nickelback Jamarey Smith to cornerback and used safety Jackquintin Ball, and that arrangement looked more stable.
If Tucker remains out against Arizona, that same setup appears to be the one Washington State will lean on again.
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For Washington State, the challenge is less about a single hot stretch than the kind of threat Arizona has been able to bring into these meetings before. Recent trips to Pullman have featured their share of decisive plays and standout performers, and this version of the Wildcats looks capable of forcing the pace again. The Cougars will have to sort out Fifita quickly, because the way Arizona handled Northern Illinois suggests the margin for error is going to be slim. [Read more 🡒]