Week 6 is bringing a little clarity - and a lot of pressure - to the Pac-12 race. Boise State and Fresno State headline the weekend with a matchup that could shake up the top of the conference, while Oregon State, San Diego State and the rest of the field are trying to keep pace as the standings start to separate.
Boise State stays at No. 1 after rolling past Utah State 37-18 to collect its first-ever Pac-12 conference win. The Broncos now turn right around for rivalry week, and the road trip to Fresno State looks like one of the toughest conference tests on their schedule. The winner of that game will be in prime position to make the Pac-12 championship game.
Fresno State isn’t giving up any ground either. The Bulldogs are coming off a 26-6 win over Washington State in Pullman, and they’ve clearly joined Boise State and Oregon State as one of the league’s top three teams.
Now comes the chance to prove it. Hosting Boise State this weekend gives Fresno State a shot to jump to the top of the Pac-12 and push itself into the College Football Playoff picture.
Oregon State holds steady at No. 2 after making a statement in Fort Collins. The Beavers went into Colorado State’s Canvas Stadium in front of more than 40,000 fans and left with a 56-26 win that was out of hand by the start of the fourth quarter.
Now they’re back in Corvallis for a run of games that could keep the momentum rolling: San Diego State this week, Washington State next week, and then a massive road game against Fresno State on Oct. 31.
San Diego State makes one of the week’s biggest jumps, moving up to No. 4 after a 31-29 win over Texas State. The Aztecs were shorthanded, but they still found a way to grab their first-ever Pac-12 conference win.
Another road upset would change the picture fast, and they’ll get that chance in Corvallis against Oregon State. If the Aztecs can win there, they’d move to 2-0 in Pac-12 play and into the upper tier of the conference.
Texas State slips to No. 5 after letting a fast start get away against San Diego State. The Bobcats were outscored 21-0 in the third quarter and couldn’t recover, dropping them to 0-1 in Pac-12 play.
The offense again did enough to nearly reach 30 points, but the defense has now allowed 30 or more in four games this season. Texas State is idle this weekend before a Thursday game on Oct. 15 against Colorado State.
Colorado State drops to No. 6 after another rough night on defense. The Rams were burned again in a lopsided loss, and defensive coordinator Tyson Summers was fired midgame by Jim Mora.
Even with the defensive issues, Colorado State’s offense keeps showing up and putting points on the board. The Rams get a bye this week, which gives them extra time to prepare for Texas State’s explosive offense.
Washington State falls to No. 7 after another flat showing on offense in a 26-6 loss to Fresno State. That result dropped the Cougars to 1-4 on the season.
They’ll try to get things moving in the right direction this week when they head to Logan to face Utah State, which is also 1-4. Head coach Kirby Moore has taken over play-calling duties, and this game could give the WSU offense a real chance to build some momentum.
Utah State remains at the bottom of the rankings after a 19-point loss to Boise State. The Aggies fell behind by 14 after the first quarter, and the game never really tightened up from there.
In Other News...
Washington State Needs Answers Fast In A Game That Could Reset Everything
Washington State heads into Saturday needing something closer to a clean reset than a simple bounce-back. At 1-4, the Cougars are staring at a conference game against Utah State that carries an early-season weight neither side expected, with both teams still chasing their first league win. Kirby Moore is expected to stick with Caden Pinnick at quarterback, and the bigger question around Pullman is how much the offense can be tweaked to give him a better chance to settle in.
Utah State brings its own urgency and its own plan, likely leaning on Grady Brosterhous under center while trying to make life difficult for Pinnick. The Aggies have a pass rush piece in Matyus McLain who has begun to show real disruption off the edge, and Washington State will have to sort out protection quickly if it wants this game to look less like a stress test and more like a turn in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
WSUs Offensive Struggles May Not Be On The Line After All
Washington States offense has been searching for answers as the Cougars work through a rough stretch at quarterback and across the front. Caden Pinnick has battled turnovers and taken too many sacks, and coach Kirby Moore has already stepped in to handle playcalling while signaling that the staff may lean on multiple quarterbacks in the weeks ahead, with Julian Dugger and Owen Eshelman among the names in the mix.
The offensive line has also been under the microscope after recent personnel changes, but the picture may be more complicated than a simple line issue. The Cougars have certainly given up sacks, yet Pro Football Focus data points to Pinnick taking a sizable share of the blame on quarterback-fault sacks, which leaves Washington State sorting through a messy mix of protection problems and quarterback play as it tries to stabilize the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Is Leaning On One Captain After A Frustrating Loss
After a frustrating loss to Fresno State, Washington State leaned on one of its most steady voices in Kaden Beatty. The interior tackle and team captain has long been one of the programs most visible leaders, the kind of player who handles media availability and promotional duties because of his communication skills as much as his role on the field.
Beattys postgame remarks fit that profile. He spoke candidly about what went wrong and made clear the Cougars need sharper play across the board, not just from one side of the ball or one position group. For a team trying to reset quickly, having a captain willing to address the disappointment head-on matters almost as much as the corrections that follow. [Read more 🡒]