PULLMAN -- Washington State came out flying and put Arizona on its heels early, but the Cougars couldn’t fully cash in on the fast start and went into halftime with a 17-14 lead.
The opening sequence had everything WSU wanted. The Cougars went tempo, hit quick passes and finished the first drive with an 11-yard touchdown run from Caden Pinnick. Then the place erupted when Jackquintin Bal stepped in front of Noah Fifita, picked him off and took it 25 yards the other way for a pick six.
Washington State’s defense set the tone early, too. The Cougars got to Fifita twice in the first stretch, with sacks from Linus Zunk and Jirah Leaupepetele.
Arizona settled in after that. The Wildcats cleaned up their protection, sped up the passing game for Fifita and answered with two touchdowns, both going to Tre Spivey.
The pressure did return for WSU when it needed another stop, though. Zunk split a sack with Josh Wedel and Matyus McLain drew a holding call, helping force a three-and-out.
Offensively, the Cougars have moved the ball, but a handful of mistakes have kept the scoreboard from reflecting it. Pinnick threw a costly interception on a flea flicker, lofting a ball that never had a realistic chance. That turnover helped set up the Bal pick six soon after.
Later, Pinnick slid a yard short, turning what could have been a first down into a punt. And when Washington State got Jack Stevens into range for a 39-yard field goal, the operation broke down again. Arizona’s front came through untouched and blocked the kick, leaving the kicking issues front and center even though the miss wasn’t on Stevens.
Pinnick also got a break just before halftime. He threw a ball to nowhere, but Arizona’s defender couldn’t hang on to what should have been an easy interception. Washington State survived that mistake, and Stevens made the Cougars pay off the reprieve with a clean 33-yard field goal.
At the break, WSU has plenty to build on. The offense is averaging 5.2 yards per play and has been crossing midfield with regularity, but the Cougars have to finish drives and stop giving the ball away.
Discipline has also tilted toward Washington State so far. Arizona was hit with three major penalties on the Cougars’ last drive of the half, while WSU picked up just two pre-snap penalties, one on each side of the ball.
If the Cougars keep working the short throws to the boundary and let Pinnick use his legs, they should be able to stay in rhythm. Defensively, the job is clear: bracket Spivey and keep harassing Fifita.
In Other News...
Kirby Moores Washington State Debut Comes With Real History Attached
Kirby Moores first season at Washington State arrives with more weight than a standard coaching debut, because the matchup on the other sideline also carries its own layers. Fresno State comes in under second-year coach Matt Entz, a proven winner who built his reputation at North Dakota State, and the Bulldogs have already shown the kind of balance that can make a September or early-season test feel much bigger than the calendar suggests.
There is also some familiar coaching overlap in the backdrop, with Moore now trying to put his own stamp on the Cougars after stops as an offensive coordinator at Fresno State and Missouri. Meanwhile, Fresno State has gotten important recent production from quarterback Jayden Mandal and running back Rayshon Luke, giving the Bulldogs a steadier profile as Moore steps into a game that connects his present job to parts of his past in more than one way. [Read more 🡒]
Jack Bal Is Forcing A Bigger WSU Role Than Anyone Expected
Jackquintin Bal did not arrive at Washington State with the kind of fanfare that usually comes with a season-shaping defensive piece, but he has worked his way into that conversation fast. The Arizona State transfer has started the last three games for the Cougars, and his snap count has climbed each week as he has become more comfortable in the defense. He also leads the team with nine tackles and turned in one of the defenses biggest plays of the year with a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown against Arizona.
What makes Bals rise more interesting is how steady it has been. Pro Football Focus credits him with missing only two tackles all season, which fits with the kind of reliability Washington State has needed while dealing with an injury to another player in the secondary. Kirby Moore has praised Bals mindset and the way he has handled the opportunity, and for the Cougars, his emergence has started to look less like a fill-in and more like a role they will have to keep finding room for. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Faces An Early Home Test It Cant Take Lightly
Washington State is back at Martin Stadium for its first true Pac-12 home test of the season, and Fresno State brings just enough intrigue to make this one feel less routine than a typical early conference date. The Bulldogs arrive at 3-1 after a relatively soft non-conference slate, but they have still shown enough on offense to demand attention, with quarterback Jayden Mandal steering the attack and giving the Cougars a different kind of challenge than they have seen so far.
For Washington State, the game also sets up a few individual matchups that could shape the afternoon. Fresno State receiver Josiah Freeman has been one of the names to track, while cornerback Simeon Harris will be part of the Cougars' effort to keep the Bulldogs from finding easy answers outside. Early conference games can punish a team that assumes the record tells the whole story, and this is the sort of home opener in league play that can reveal whether Washington State is ready to handle the details that matter. [Read more 🡒]