Pullman could get a little louder than usual on Saturday, and not just because Washington State is opening Pac-12 play against Fresno State.
The Leaupepetele family may have a front-row seat to the best collision on the field: Washington State defensive tackle Jirah Leaupepetele, listed at 350 pounds, lined up across from Fresno State left guard Jonah Leaupepetele, listed at 325. If Jonah is back in the lineup after missing the past few games with an injury suffered in the season opener against USC, the brothers could end up trying to move each other in opposite directions all afternoon.
Kirby Moore, in his first year coaching WSU, already knows the storyline has his attention.
“I know he is fired up,” Moore said with a smile. “Jirah loves competing, and I know he is looking forward to competing against family.”
Jirah sounds just as ready. He and Jonah haven’t faced each other on a football field since 2022, when they were teammates at Apple Valley High School in California’s San Bernardino County and helped the program finish as the Division III CIF Southern Section runner-up. Since then, Jirah spent three seasons at Eastern Washington, appearing in 24 games before transferring to WSU this offseason.
The brothers didn’t need long to circle this one on the calendar once Jirah made the move.
They checked the schedule right away to see when the Cougars and Bulldogs would meet, and, as Jirah put it, “That is when the smack-talk started,”
That family chatter has continued into game week. Jirah said he called Jonah on Sunday to see how he was feeling and to try to get a read on the game plan.
“I asked him … how he feels about the game plan, trying to get some stuff out of him,” Jirah Leaupepetele said. “He wasn’t really trying to tell me anything.”
Jirah is coming off his strongest outing in a WSU uniform, finishing with four tackles and his first career sack for the Cougars. And while he has nothing but praise for Jonah off the field, that respect won’t soften the edge once the ball is snapped.
“That is my best friend right there. You know, I love him to death,” Jirah Leaupepete said. “But when we step on that field, and he is across the line … and is wearing a different-colored jersey, that is as tough of a time as it gets.”
He described Jonah as “very hard-working - and very stubborn,” adding, “When he has something he wants to do, he does it.”
If Jonah plays, both brothers will have the comfort of family nearby. Washington and Rhonda Leaupepetele, their parents, are expected in Pullman for the matchup.
“It is exciting to put our last name out there … and represent our family,” Jirah Leaupepete said.
“And at the end of the day, he is still my little brother.”
In Other News...
WSU Needs Its Running Backs To Matter Again Against Fresno State
Washington State entered the season expecting its running back trio to be one of the more dependable parts of the offense, but that edge has faded in the recent stretch of FBS losses to Washington, Kansas State and Arizona. The ground game has been quiet enough that coach Kirby Moore has already acknowledged the need to get the backs more involved, and that could mean looking for them in the passing game as much as on handoffs.
That need becomes even more obvious with the offense stalling on third down and giving the ball away at the wrong times, the kind of problems that put extra pressure on every possession. Fresno State gives the Cougars a chance to reset in front of a home crowd, and if Washington State is going to turn its offense back into something more balanced, the backs need to become a factor again before the game script starts to drift away from them. [Read more 🡒]
WSU Fans Have One Big Reason To Hate This New Hoops Schedule
The Pac-12 has finally laid out Washington States mens basketball path for the upcoming season, and it gives Cougars fans plenty to circle on the calendar. The slate is built around the usual Wednesday and Saturday rhythm, with a few Sunday and Thursday dates mixed in, and it includes a marquee home meeting with Gonzaga on January 6 that should draw plenty of attention in Pullman.
Still, one date stands out for reasons WSU fans probably wont love. The Pac-12 Tournament is set for March 9-13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which means the Cougars now have to map out the regular season with a long trip and a whole lot at stake hanging over the final stretch. For a team trying to make every home game count and survive a demanding conference schedule, that late-season setup is impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State's Pac-12 Opener Hinges On A Few Cougars Fixing Two Problems
Fresno State has opened the 2028 season looking like a team that can beat you in a couple different ways, with a defense that has been forcing mistakes and an offense capable of hitting quick-strike plays. That makes Saturdays Pac-12 opener a useful early test for Washington State, which will have to sort out a matchup that already appears to be shaped by a few key players, from Cougars quarterback Pinnick to defensive lineman Leaupepetele.
For Washington State, the bigger issue is less about the stage and more about the details. Fresno States turnover defense has been a problem for opponents, and the Cougars cannot afford to give away possessions if they want to control a game that could swing on one or two sequences. Add in the threat of Bulldogs running back Rayshon Luke and the expectation is clear enough: Washington State has to be cleaner with the football and sharper in a few individual battles just to give itself a real chance. [Read more 🡒]