Kirby Moore knows what one sudden strike can do to a game.
He also knows the Washington State Cougars may need a couple of them down the stretch, especially with the team still searching for its first Pac-12 win and heading on the road to face San Diego State on Saturday. One number hangs over that matchup: WSU has gone 179 minutes, 50 seconds without forcing a turnover, dating back to the opening kickoff of the loss to Utah State on Oct. 9.
That’s why the Cougars are talking about taking the ball away if the opportunity comes. As defensive back Jamarey Smith put it: “When you get that chance and opportunity, take it,” WSU defensive back Jamarey Smith said. “You work so hard for it - go for it and take your shot!”
Three players, in particular, could swing the outcome.
The first is safety Jaylen Thomas, who looks like a natural fit to exploit what San Diego State quarterback Stone Saunders showed in his first career start last Saturday against Colorado State. Saunders, a transfer from Kentucky, went 23-of-33 for 369 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions, including one late in the first half that safety Tre’Shawn Moore turned into a 38-yard pick-six.
Saunders showed plenty of arm strength and the ability to drive the ball into tight windows. But his first start also exposed a quarterback still adjusting to the speed of the moment.
His anticipation was a step slow at times, and he leaned heavily on his first read. Thomas, who has a knack for reading quarterbacks and jumping mistakes, could be the guy to punish that.
He already showed that instinct on the defensive touchdown he scored against Kansas State.
Another name to watch is wide receiver Brandan Ganashamoorthy. San Diego State has had trouble keeping the lid on the passing game all season, allowing touchdown catches of 40 or more yards in half of its eight games - against Toledo, Texas State, Oregon State and Colorado State. The Aztecs have also given up 18 receiving touchdowns, the most in the conference.
That lines up well for Ganashamoorthy, whose role has grown with Caden Pinnick at quarterback and grown even more since Owen Eshelman took over the starting job. A track and field standout with speed to burn, he looks like the kind of receiver who can turn one opening into a backbreaking play.
Special teams could matter just as much. Washington State kicker Jack Stevens has steadied himself after an early-season slump, and Miguel Arenas - along with Stevens at times - handles kickoffs. This week, the assignment is simple: keep the ball out of Jaylon Hawkins’ hands.
Hawkins leads the country with three kickoff return touchdowns. He ripped off a 100-yard return against Portland State in the opener, then went back-to-back weeks with scores on returns of 96 yards against Texas State and 97 yards against Oregon State.
Washington State hasn’t allowed a special-teams return touchdown this season, but there’s no reason to test it. If Arenas can’t send it into the end zone, then Jack Ellison and Kayo Patu need to be ready to help finish the job in coverage.
In Other News...
Washington State's New Pac-12 Push Hinges On Who Defines This Roster
David Riley has already been laying the groundwork for Washington States 2026-27 roster, sorting through the transfer portal and his wider contacts as the Cougars prepare for an important third season under him. With the reshaped Pac-12 changing the stakes around every program, WSUs early look at the team is less about finished products than about projection, with a tiered rundown of who should be in line for regular minutes and what each piece might mean once the season opener against Davidson arrives.
What stands out in that kind of preview is how much of the Cougars identity still depends on a handful of players settling into clear jobs. There are newcomers expected to claim major responsibilities alongside returning pieces, and the balance Riley strikes there will shape both the early rotation and the longer-term ceiling. For Washington State, the real question is not just who made the roster, but which players end up defining it when the games begin to count. [Read more 🡒]
WSUs Lost Season Has Cougars Playing For Something Bigger
A rough season has left Washington State with little left to chase in the standings, but there is still something inside the program worth tracking down the stretch. Trey Leckner has emerged as a key part of the offense after missing the first four games, giving the Cougars a reliable option at tight end even as the team searches for its first FBS win and tries to push through the noise of a 1-7 record.
Inside the locker room, the focus has shifted to finishing in a way that honors the veterans who have been through the whole climb. Matyus McLain and Jamarey Smith are among the players talking about the importance of sticking together for the seniors, with the rest of the roster trying to make sure the final weeks carry meaning beyond the record. [Read more 🡒]
Jimmy Rogers Is Testing Cougs Patience With His WSU Exit Explanation
Jimmy Rogers short run at Washington State is already getting a second look, and not just because it ended after 11 months. The former Cougars head coach recently revisited his exit, saying the job he stepped into was not the same one he believed he was being hired for, while also pointing to the upheaval around the athletics department during his time in Pullman.
The backdrop makes the story even harder to separate from the timing of his departure. Washington State has gone through significant leadership changes, with athletic director Anne McCoy fired and president Kirk Schulz retiring, and Rogers has now moved on to Iowa State after previously leading South Dakota State. What still hangs over the Cougars is the part of the story Rogers did not fully spell out, especially given the broader questions about how much of his decision was tied to what he believed was ahead when he took the job. [Read more 🡒]