Weekly Pac-12 coach meetings have a way of turning into routine business. But when Washington State comes up, the conversation keeps drifting to the same pair of names.
This week, San Diego State coach Sean Lewis was the latest to call out the Cougars’ edge presence in plain terms, starting with senior Linus Zunk and junior Matyus McLain.
“Dynamic edges,” Lewis said in a matter-of-fact tone.
That wasn’t an isolated reaction. Zunk and McLain - the 6-foot-6, 264-pound and 6-5, 263-pound bookends starting at defensive end - were also the first names on Boise State’s list a week earlier. Two weeks before that, Oregon State coaches had them near the top of their own tape-study notes.
WSU defensive coordinator Kirby Moore doesn’t lean into the praise the way opposing coaches do, but he did lay out why the two fit together so well.
“First, it’s their measurables - they have really good length, they have twitch (and they have) the ability of play from different angles,” Moore said.
“Linus can play with a little bit more power at times. Matyus has some really good twitch on the perimeter of making moves on (offensive) tackles, and creating a rush. They are able to set edges in the run game … and they’ve been a huge part of us stopping the run early in games.”
The pairing stands out not just because of what they do on the field, but because of how differently they arrived at Washington State.
Zunk grew up in Berlin, Germany, and was originally a basketball player before football entered the picture. He spent two seasons as an exchange student at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee High School, a small private school in Georgia, then signed with Vanderbilt out of high school. He played in all 26 games for the Commodores, including one start, across his final two seasons there.
McLain came from a much different background. The Idaho small-town product won only two games in his entire career at Priest River, then accepted the only scholarship offer he had - Idaho - and spent three seasons with the Vandals before landing at WSU.
McLain carries himself with an easygoing confidence, always upbeat and smiling. Asked about the grind of playing for a 1-7 team, he kept it simple.
“I’ve lost before - it happens,” McLain said. “The only thing you can do is keep going. I am not going to roll over and quit, and I don’t think anyone else in the locker room is going to do that, either.”
He also revealed a way he clears his head away from football: painting.
“For a few hours … on Sunday night, I will turn on the tape and let that play while I paint,” McLain said.
“I’ve painted a LEGO ‘Star Wars’ scene and my dog in a cowboy hat.”
The production line from Zunk and McLain hasn’t been overwhelming on the stat sheet - the two have combined for three sacks and six quarterback hurries - but opposing coaches keep seeing enough disruption to put them on the weekly mention list. McLain’s own view of the film backs that up.
“Watch the tape, we are all over the (offensive) line,” McLain said. “It is no question about it.”
In Other News...
Washington State Still Has One Big Problem Heading Into Week 9
Washington State heads into Week 9 still searching for its first Pac-12 win of the season, and the latest stretch has only sharpened the focus on what first-year coach Kirby Moore wants to see from his team. As the Cougars turn their attention to San Diego State, the conversation around the program is less about style points and more about putting together a cleaner, more complete effort after a run of uneven results.
Moore has kept the emphasis on getting the Cougars to play a full game, which has become the central measuring stick as they try to steady themselves. The matchup also brings a familiar backdrop, since Washington State and San Diego State have met in each of the last three seasons, with the Cougars winning the past two, but this years trip comes with WSU installed as a slight underdog and still carrying the weight of that conference skid. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Suddenly Has Two More Problems It Cant Afford
Washington State left its matchup with Boise State still searching for traction in FBS play, and now Kirby Moore is dealing with a pair of injuries that only add to the pressure. Wide receiver Darrius Clemons and safety Jeremiah Bernard both missed the game and are listed as day-to-day, leaving the Cougars with a couple more lineup questions as they try to steady a season that has yet to produce a league breakthrough.
The bigger concern may be what happened up front. Moore said the Cougars are weighing changes along the offensive line after the unit gave up 16 pressures and two sacks against Boise State, a reminder that the problems on both sides of the ball are starting to stack up. With Washington State still winless against FBS competition, even small fixes now carry outsized importance. [Read more 🡒]
Boise States Strong Finish Changes The Feel Of The Pac-12 Race
Washington State had a chance to measure itself against one of the leagues early front-runners, but Boise State left the weekend looking very much like a team built to stay in the Pac-12 race. The Broncos went into Pullman and beat the Cougars 31-10, a result that nudged Boise State to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play while putting it level with Oregon State at the top of the standings.
For a league still sorting itself out with recent results and a crowded schedule ahead, the win carried the kind of weight that can reshape the conversation for a few weeks. Washington State now has to regroup in the middle of a stretch that also includes games for Oregon State, Texas State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Utah State, with the Cougars left to wonder how quickly Boise State can turn a strong start into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]