Washington State finally got its shot at the new Pac-12 on Saturday night, and the opener did not look like the fresh start Cougars fans had been promised.
Instead, it looked a lot like the old familiar problem: a team that can’t move the ball, can’t create excitement and, in the words of the source reporting, is “bad right now. Worse, it is boring.”
That’s what made the mood in Pullman so sharp. The home crowd, described as a loyal group willing to make long trips because they love the Cougs, let its frustration show after Washington State opened with three weak offensive drives.
This was supposed to be the easier path. After years of surviving as the smallest program in a bigger league, the Cougars were supposed to benefit from a setup where everyone else had the same limitations.
Their history and experience, the thinking went, should have made them a leader in the rebuilt Pac-12.
Instead, Washington State is 0-1 all-time in the conference it helped create, and the early signs are ugly.
The game also sharpened the contrast with Oregon State, the Cougars’ natural companion in this rebuild. The Beavers are being held up as the team that looks ready to thrive in the new landscape, while Washington State is still searching for anything that resembles explosive offense. The Cougars’ inability to stretch the field has only been made worse by the season-ending absence of wide receiver Tony Freeman.
That leaves Washington State leaning on a kicking game that, according to the source, is the only offense showing signs of life - and even that has come with its own issues, though the kicker now appears to be working through the yips.
Across the conference line, Oregon State is building its case in a very different way. Freshman receiver Jessee Legree is tied for the national lead in receiving touchdowns with Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, and his nine touchdown catches are three times as many as every Washington State player has combined.
That kind of production matters on the field, but it matters just as much in the recruiting pitch and the donor pitch. The Beavers can sell a program with momentum, a place where players can compete against Boise State and still draw attention from bigger schools later.
Washington State, by comparison, has a much harder sales job.
“Come to Pullman. We still don’t win many games, but you’ve got a great shot at playing time! And the fans won’t boo much longer, they’re almost hoarse.”
The frustration goes beyond one bad night. Colorado State fired its defensive coordinator in the middle of a game on Saturday, and the source argues it’s hard to imagine anything that embarrassing matching the final five minutes of Washington State’s performance. That’s where the concern lands for the Cougars: not on one opponent, but on the idea that there is no real structural excuse for them to look this rough now that they are back in a conference.
For two years after the original Pac-12 collapsed, Washington State was out in the wilderness. Even so, the Cougars made bowl games in both seasons and climbed as high as No. 18 in the College Football Playoff rankings in one of them. They entered this new era with a chance to set the tone among the programs they helped bring together.
Right now, though, they don’t look like a team ready to lead anything. If this doesn’t change soon, Washington State may end up finishing in this Pac-12 the same way it did in the old one.
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 Faces An Early Offensive Problem It Cannot Ignore
Washington States first-half offense in its Pac-12 opener at Martin Stadium was stuck in a place the Cougars cannot afford to linger, with little rhythm and even less production. The unit managed just 116 yards before halftime and had to settle for two Jack Stevens field goals, including a 50-yarder that tied the game at 6-6, a sign that the defense and special teams were doing their part while the offense searched for answers.
Caden Pinnick finished the half 11 of 16 for 82 yards, but the numbers did not tell the whole story, as several throws missed their mark and the drive-killing sack added to the frustration. For a team trying to set the tone in league play, the bigger concern is not just the score but whether Washington State can clean up the execution quickly enough to keep this from becoming a familiar problem. [Read more 🡒]