Ryan Leaf didn’t waste any time getting to the point after Washington State’s 26-6 loss to Fresno State.
The former Cougar and current TV analyst, who called the game on USA Network, sees an offense that needs a real jolt before things get worse. And with Washington State headed to Utah State for a 6 p.m. Friday game on The CW, he thinks a dramatic shakeup is coming.
Leaf said it wouldn’t shock him if Matt Miller loses play-calling duties and Caden Pinnick is benched for a stretch. His view is blunt: the Cougars need something more than a tweak.
“It wouldn't surprise me if Matt Miller is stripped of play-calling duties and (Caden Pinnick) sits down for some period of time,” he said. “There has to be an injunction - that's a touchstone word around college football these days - so let's characterize it that way. It's time for a temporary restraining order on the offense.
“Utah State is next but then you have Oregon State in two weeks and Boise State the week after. Those two games could be really ugly unless you get the offense moving.”
Leaf has become a familiar postgame voice around Cougar football, and part of what makes his take land is how direct he is. He doesn’t dress things up.
He doesn’t overreact either. That same even-keeled style was on display during the broadcast, including a sharp one-liner about Cougar punter Max Dean, who worked as a plumber before finding football, and is apparently no stranger to the way the offense has been operating.
In Other News...
Washington State Faces A Dangerous Spot It Can't Afford To Blow
After a flat 26-6 loss to Fresno State, Washington State heads into Friday night looking for a steadier showing against Utah State, another team trying to get its footing after a recent setback. The matchup brings together the two lowest-scoring offenses in the Pac-12, a reminder that both sides are fighting for answers as much as points.
Kirby Moore was left to acknowledge how poorly the Cougars played last time out, and the margin for error only gets thinner from here. Utah State comes in after a 37-18 loss to Boise State, but Bronco Mendenhall sounded encouraged by his teams offensive production, and the Aggies are still sorting through their quarterback picture with Grady Brosterhous starting and McCae Hillstead back in the mix after injury and performance issues. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Enters Fresno State Showdown With Pac-12 Control At Stake
Recent Pac-12 play has started to sort out the contenders, and Boise States latest stretch has put a little more heat on the league race. The Broncos have been part of a week-by-week reshuffling that has also included fresh looks at team performance, individual production and coaching choices, all of it feeding into the bigger picture of who can still seize control as the season moves forward.
The matchup with Fresno State looms as the next real checkpoint, and it carries more than just one more conference result. For Washington State observers, it is the kind of game worth tracking closely because it can ripple through the standings and shape how the rest of the Pac-12 chase is viewed. Boise State has a chance to tighten its grip, but the path there runs through a Fresno State team that could still change the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
WSU Fans Got An Early Look At A Key 2026-27 Question
Washington State used Parents Weekend at Friel Court to give fans a first real look at where the mens basketball roster stands heading toward the 2026-27 season. The public scrimmage featured two evenly split teams playing two 12-minute quarters, with Crimson edging Gray 47-41, and it offered a useful snapshot of how the Cougars pieces are starting to fit together as the program keeps sorting through roles and lineup combinations.
Five players especially stood out in the workout, each showing traits that could matter once the games count next season. The starting lineups for both the Crimson and Gray squads also gave a hint at how Washington State is thinking about its depth and its options, leaving fans with an early answer to one of the bigger questions surrounding the roster: who is ready to take hold of meaningful minutes when 2026-27 arrives. [Read more 🡒]