Washington State had every chance to steady itself on Friday night. Instead, the Cougars turned another winnable game into another gut punch, blowing a 13-point lead and falling 17-16 to Utah State at Maverik Stadium in Logan.
For a team already coming off one of its ugliest losses in recent memory, this one landed hard. The offense never found a real rhythm, the mistakes piled up, and even a defense that did enough to keep things manageable couldn’t save it. Washington State dropped to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in the rebuilt Pac-12 Conference.
The Cougars changed playcallers this week, with coach Kirby Moore taking over those duties from offensive coordinator Matt Miller after last weekend’s mess against Fresno State. The result was different only in degree, not in outcome. Washington State still looked stuck, still looked limited, and still looked like a team that can’t get out of its own way.
The numbers tell the story. Quarterback Caden Pinnick finished with 156 passing yards on 36 attempts and added a turnover, his seventh of the season.
The passing game leaned heavily on checkdowns and screens, with little success pushing the ball downfield. The run game wasn’t much better.
Remove Leo Pulalasi’s 54-yard touchdown run in the second quarter - which came after a Utah State unsportsmanlike penalty following a sack - and the Cougars managed just 47 yards on 31 carries, a brutal 1.5 yards per attempt.
Even with some early life, the offense couldn’t hold it together. Washington State scored on its first three drives, all field goals, and found the end zone for the first time in two weeks. The Cougars had 193 total yards in the first half, which was more than they produced in the entire loss to Fresno State.
Then everything unraveled.
Washington State gained only 64 yards after halftime, didn’t score again, averaged less than 1 yard per carry, managed just 2.2 yards per play and went 1 of 8 on third down. Two turnovers in its own territory - fumbles by Pinnick and tight end Jack Pedersen - handed Utah State the kind of field position that can flip a game in a hurry. The Aggies cashed in for a momentum-changing touchdown and later the go-ahead score.
The Cougars also hurt themselves with 10 penalties, including several costly ones in scoring range. Whatever Moore changed at the top of the playcalling sheet, it didn’t stop the slide. Washington State’s offense continued to produce numbers that evoke the Paul Wulff era rather than anything a program with higher expectations wants to see.
Utah State wasn’t exactly sharp either. The Aggies finished with 236 total yards, 21 fewer than Washington State, and their offense only really came alive after getting short fields in the second half. Quarterback Grady Brosterhous completed 11 of 26 passes for 150 yards, while the Aggies averaged just 2.9 yards per carry.
But they made enough plays when Washington State handed them the chance.
The Cougars’ defense again did its part for long stretches, especially up front, where it helped keep Utah State’s ground game in check. But that effort went to waste once the offense stalled out after halftime and the turnovers started.
With Oregon State and Boise State waiting in the next two weeks, the situation is only getting more precarious. For a team that came into the new Pac-12 hoping to establish itself near the top, Washington State now looks like one of the conference’s worst teams.
The Cougars needed Friday night. They didn’t get it.
In Other News...
Washington State's Latest Collapse Exposes A Problem Fans Know Too Well
Washington State had every reason to feel in control at halftime against Utah State, carrying a 16-3 lead and looking positioned to turn a close game into a needed win. Instead, the Cougars were stuck reliving a familiar kind of frustration, one that has shadowed the program too often when a game tightens and the margin for error disappears.
The second half brought a complete stall, with Washington State managing only 64 yards after the break and giving away the kind of possessions that can flip a result in a hurry. Utah State turned those mistakes into two touchdowns off fumbles and walked out with a 17-16 win, leaving the Cougars to sort through another collapse that felt avoidable and all too recognizable. [Read more 🡒]