Washington State’s offense was hard to watch Saturday, and first-year coach Kirby Moore made it clear afterward that nothing on that side of the ball is safe heading into Friday’s game against Utah State.
After a 26-6 loss to Fresno State in the Cougars’ Pac-12 opener at Gesa Field, Moore said everything on offense will be re-evaluated on a short week. That includes the quarterback spot after sophomore Caden Pinnick turned in what was easily the worst start of his WSU career, and it also leaves room for the kind of sweeping changes that usually only get talked about after a night like this.
The numbers told the story fast. Washington State managed just 182 yards, turned it over twice, averaged 4.5 yards per pass and got almost nothing going on the ground. By the second half, the home crowd’s frustration was so obvious that the Cougars were nearly collecting more “Boo” encores than first downs.
Pinnick never found a rhythm. He missed throws with and without pressure, and when he tried to make plays on designed runs or scrambles, he kept running into Fresno State defenders. Then came the sequence that really buried any hope of a clean reset.
On the first play of the second series after halftime, Pinnick was in the shotgun calling signals when the snap bounced off his hands. Running back Kirby Voorhees moved in to block, but instead kicked the ball into a group of Bulldogs, who recovered the fumble at the WSU 25. Fresno State didn’t score on that possession because its field goal was blocked, but the damage to the mood in Pullman was already done.
“The fans deserve better,” WSU defensive lineman Caden Beatty said.
For all the mess on offense, the defense again did enough to keep things from getting even uglier. Fresno State’s best damage came on the trick stuff - flea-flickers, reverse counter sweep runs and end-around runs by receivers. The Cougars were on the field for nearly 36 minutes and still allowed 375 yards and two touchdowns, but they held up better than the final score might suggest.
“Great job by Fresno State flicking it back (on plays) … on a little trickery,” Beatty said.
The one WSU player who actually found a way to put points on the board was kicker Jack Stevens, who had been stuck in a slump. He connected on both of his field-goal tries, drilling a 32-yarder with nearly 9 1/2 minutes left in the first half and then burying a 50-yarder on the final play to tie the game at 6-6.
Stevens’ review this week should be rather brief.
In Other News...
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 🡒]
Washington State Just Hit A Point Cougs Fans Feared
Washington States rough start got a little rougher Saturday night, as Fresno State handed the Cougars a 26-6 loss and left them searching for answers on offense. The Cougars could not find much rhythm all night, finished with fewer than 150 yards, and managed only a 3-for-14 mark on third down as the Bulldogs controlled the game from there.
The bigger concern for Washington State is where this leaves the season now. The Cougars are 1-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play, a spot few around the program wanted to be in this early, especially after being held scoreless in the second half. There is still time to steady things, but the margin for error is shrinking fast. [Read more 🡒]