Washington State’s offense spent most of Saturday’s first half looking stuck in the mud, but the Cougars at least found a way to walk into the break level with Fresno State.
The early part of the game was defined by missed throws, hesitation and negative plays as WSU struggled to get anything going at Gesa Field in Martin Stadium. The Cougars had just 65 yards with fewer than two minutes left in the opening half, and even that number didn’t tell a flattering story because the offense simply wasn’t doing much with the possessions it had.
Caden Pinnick’s day opened with a pair of rough passes to Brendan Ganashamoorthy. On WSU’s second offensive snap, Pinnick fired a throw near the left numbers that was well behind his receiver. His next attempt to Ganashamoorthy was even further off, sailing wide along the right sideline and into the Fresno State bench.
The Cougars’ second series brought more frustration. Pinnick had room to throw, but hesitated and was dropped by Loyal Mouzon for a sack. Later, Pinnick scrambled on third down and ran straight into traffic, while Maxwell Woods tried to bounce a run outside only to backtrack and lose 3 yards.
For long stretches, the offense looked flat and out of sync. Still, kicker Jack Stevens gave WSU a lift with two field goals, a 32-yarder with nearly 9 1/2 minutes left in the first half and then a 50-yarder on the final play to send the teams to halftime tied 6-6.
The one real burst from the Cougars came from Kirby Voorhees, who hopped over a defender on a 14-yard run that got the home crowd buzzing on “Parents Weekend.”
WSU finished the half with 116 yards. Pinnick’s stat line looked tidy enough - 11-for-16 for 82 yards - but the overall performance was as rough as it has been for the Cougars in any half this season.
In Other News...
Washington State Suddenly Has An Offense Crisis Kirby Moore Can't Ignore
Washington States Pac-12 opener turned into a long night in Fresno, where the Cougars managed just six points in a 26-6 loss and came away with more questions than answers on offense. The defense did enough to keep the game from getting completely out of hand, and Jack Stevens gave the team a small bright spot by knocking through both of his field-goal attempts, but the bigger issue was clear from the start: Washington State could not find any rhythm putting points on the board.
Kirby Moore said the offense will be reevaluated before the next game against Utah State, and that can mean more than just a few tweaks around the edges. When a coach opens the door to possible changes at quarterback or even at play-caller, it signals a deeper level of concern, and the Cougars now have a short week to sort out what needs fixing before the next kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Cougars Already Have A Crowd Problem After An Ugly Conference Debut
Washington States first Pac-12 game of the season did not go the way anyone around the program wanted, with Fresno State handing the Cougars a 26-6 loss in a flat conference debut. It was the kind of opener that leaves more questions than answers, especially for a team trying to establish itself early and give its fan base something to latch onto.
The aftermath only added to the uneasy feeling. The Cougars offensive players did not speak to the media after the game, leaving head coach Kirby Moore as the lone available voice, while the performance and the reaction from fans quickly turned the spotlight toward bigger concerns about where this team is headed. After a night like that, the conversation in Pullman is no longer just about one loss, but about whether the start of conference play has already exposed a troubling ceiling. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Just Hit A Point Cougs Fans Feared
Washington States rough start got a little rougher Saturday night, as Fresno State handed the Cougars a 26-6 loss and left them searching for answers on offense. The Cougars could not find much rhythm all night, finished with fewer than 150 yards, and managed only a 3-for-14 mark on third down as the Bulldogs controlled the game from there.
The bigger concern for Washington State is where this leaves the season now. The Cougars are 1-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play, a spot few around the program wanted to be in this early, especially after being held scoreless in the second half. There is still time to steady things, but the margin for error is shrinking fast. [Read more 🡒]