Washington State’s offense took a clear step forward Saturday, but the Cougars’ defense kept dragging the whole operation back into familiar trouble.
That contrast was hard to miss in the first half, when redshirt freshman quarterback Owen Eshelman helped WSU build some momentum while the defense kept giving up chunk plays on the ground. Eshelman threw an interception for the third straight game, but he also guided the Cougars to two touchdowns before halftime. One came on his own 4-yard scramble, and the other on Kirby Vorhees’ 2-yard run.
Eshelman finished 16 of 20 for 161 yards, putting him on pace for a single-game career high in passing yards. He also added 34 rushing yards, and Washington State’s offense totaled 215 yards while crossing midfield on its first four possessions.
The problem was that SDSU kept finding room to run.
Javion Kinnard scored on touchdown runs of 9 and 10 yards, and the Aztecs’ backfield duo of Lucky Sutton and Kinnard piled up 129 first-half yards. First-year WSU coach Kirby Moore made it clear at halftime that the run defense was bothering him.
“We’ve got to do a better job leveraging blocks,” Moore said in a television interview at halftime.
The issues showed up immediately. On SDSU’s second snap, cornerback Khamri Terrell lost outside containment, and Sutton burst through for a 43-yard gain. Later, Kinnard powered in from 9 yards out to finish the Aztecs’ opening drive after he beat safety Jeremiah Bernard at the line of scrimmage and slipped into the end zone.
It looked a lot like what happened a week earlier against Boise State, when Dylan Riley ripped off touchdown runs of 72 and 33 yards in the fourth quarter to blow open what had been a close game in Pullman.
There was at least one bright spot beyond Eshelman’s work. Caleb Northcroft, a Pullman High School product who accepted a preferred walk-on spot late this summer after playing last season at NCAA D3’s Whitworth College, made his first WSU reception Saturday. The catch came in the first half, an 11-yard grab from Eshelman with four minutes left in the first quarter.
Northcroft had told WSU Cougars on SI last week that he felt he was getting closer to seeing the field for the first time, and he got that chance against SDSU.
Moore had hinted there could be changes along the offensive line heading into the game, but Washington State stuck with its usual starting five: Ashton Tripp at left tackle, Jonny Lester at left guard, Noah Dunham and center, Nick Bakken at right guard and Jaylin Caldwell at right tackle.
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Washington State Just Hit Another Painful Low This Season
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There were some signs of life on offense, with quarterback Owen Eshelman helping the Cougars move the ball through the air and adding two rushing touchdowns of his own. But the defense had trouble slowing San Diego State on the ground, giving up 202 rushing yards, and Washington State could not turn enough of its chances into points to change the direction of a season that has become increasingly difficult to salvage. [Read more 🡒]