Washington State heads to Logan on Friday carrying plenty of baggage and not much momentum. The Cougars were beaten 26-6 by Fresno State, fell to 1-4, and left their fanbase staring at another frustrating offensive outing.
A road trip to Utah State offers a fresh setting, but not much else is guaranteed to change. Washington State needs something different, and fast.
The Aggies aren’t exactly rolling either. Utah State has losses to Idaho State, UW, Utah and Boise State, with its only win coming against Troy. The offense has been rough enough to put the team among the more ineffective groups in the country, though the Aggies still have nine offensive touchdowns against FBS opponents compared with just three for Washington State.
That gap is partly explained by context. WSU piled up points against Duquesne, while Utah State dropped a game to a strong Big Sky team. The Cougars have also scored four times on defense and special teams, which helps mask some of the offensive struggles.
Even so, both teams arrive with major issues.
Utah State has leaned on two quarterbacks with limited success. McCae Hillstead was expected to start but has dealt with injuries, while Grady Brosterhous has produced six touchdown passes and six interceptions and has been sacked 14 times. He’s also rushed for 232 yards, giving the Aggies a quarterback who can at least create something with his legs.
Running back Javen Jacobs is averaging six yards per carry, and Eli Wood has been the top receiving target with 30 catches for 388 hashes.
On defense, safety Brevin Hamblin leads Utah State with 43 tackles and has an interception, while linebacker James Jennette has two sacks.
This is not the same Aggies team Washington State rolled for 628 yards in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl last December, and it’s also not the same Cougars team that did the rolling.
Brosterhous is the player to keep an eye on. He’s been Utah State’s better quarterback and he’s willing to run, which matters against a Washington State defense that has struggled to keep contain. He may not rip off huge plays, but if he finds space, he can make life difficult.
One number jumps off the page: sacks. Utah State has allowed 17, while Washington State has given up 18, with the Aggies ranking 129th and the Cougars 132nd nationally in that category. Neither team has been getting much pressure of its own - Utah State has six sacks and WSU has five - though the Cougars have shown more consistent pressure lately.
The matchup that could decide things is Washington State’s linebackers against Brosterhous. He’s going to run, and that means the Cougars will need a spy and clean angles whenever he tries to escape. Safety Charger Doty, a one-time WSU verbal, is another familiar face in this one.
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Ryan Leaf Just Turned Up The Heat On Washington State's Offense
Washington States offensive issues are drawing attention beyond Pullman after the Cougars loss to Fresno State, with TV color analyst Ryan Leaf suggesting the pressure is now squarely on coordinator Matt Miller. The Cougars have some immediate chances to clean things up, but the bigger concern is that the offense has not looked settled enough to inspire much confidence heading into a tougher stretch of the schedule.
Leaf pointed to the possibility that Miller could lose play-calling duties if the struggles continue, and he also raised the idea that quarterback Caden Pinnick might see his role shrink. With Utah State, Oregon State and Boise State on deck, the margin for patience is getting thinner by the week, and Washington State needs a quick offensive answer before the seasons next few tests start piling up. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]