Washington State’s best shot at pulling off an upset at Kansas State starts with a defense that has to create something out of nothing.
The Cougars head into Saturday’s 9 a.m. kickoff in Manhattan as 17½-point underdogs, and the formula for a surprise win is pretty clear from their own side of the ball: generate pressure, force a turnover or two, and give an offense that has already sputtered a cleaner path.
That begins up front, where Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk could be in line for another busy day. The two edge rushers combined for nine quarterback pressures in last weekend’s Apple Cup, and they’ll be staring down a Kansas State offensive line that includes left tackle Ryan Howard, who played his first career college game in a lopsided win last weekend, and right tackle Gus Hawkins, who appeared in seven games last season before an injury ended his year.
If McLain and Zunk can bother senior quarterback Avery Johnson, Washington State has a chance to make the game messy. If they can’t, Kansas State can probably control the flow.
The Cougars also have to do more than simply hang around. Last week in Seattle, they showed some fight late, but the overall numbers were rough: three turnovers, two missed field goals and a 0-for-11 mark on third down.
Quarterback Caden Pinnick and offensive coordinator Matt Miller can’t let the offense get stuck chasing a dead-end plan, especially after last weekend’s heavy diet of runs up the middle. Pinnick was at his best when he got outside the pocket, and that could be a useful route again against the Wildcats.
Washington State may have to do it without top receiver Tony Freeman, who is dealing with a knee injury he suffered in the first quarter of the Apple Cup. Freeman also handles punt and kick returns, and the Cougars’ replacements had a rough time, mishandling one punt and one kickoff each.
The offensive line has its own challenge. In the Apple Cup, Washington State allowed one sack on 13 pressures, and Kansas State brings another test with pass rushers Wendell Gregory, Darien Whitaker and Jordan Allen.
That trio combined for one sack and nine total pressures in last weekend’s easy win over FCS Nicholls. The attention will be on tackles Ashton Tripp and Johnny Lester, but the interior could matter too, especially with left guard Kyle Martin posting a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade of just 8.7 last week.
There’s also the ground game, which didn’t offer much in Seattle. Washington State’s running back trio of Kirby Vorhees, Maxwell Woods and Leo Pulalasi totaled just 38 rushing yards, while Pinnick led the team with 61. If the Cougars are going to steal this one, they need more from that backfield.
The path is narrow, and the circumstances aren’t friendly. Washington State is on a short week, kicking off at 9 a.m. on its body clock, and it’s walking into a second straight loud road setting. That leaves the defense with one obvious job: take the ball away.
As tight end Jack Pedersen put it on the short turnaround: “It all just happens a little bit quicker. The 9 a.m. kick I don’t think will be an issue.
I mean, we’re playing football, right? So you should be excited no matter what.”
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The concern only deepens with Tony Freeman in danger of missing the game because of a knee injury, leaving Washington State without its top receiver and kick returner. That puts even more pressure on the players asked to fill those roles, and the margin gets thinner still when the return game is already an issue. On the other side, Kansas State has been one of the nations more dangerous teams in that area for years, which makes this opener feel less like a tune-up and more like an early test of how much the Cougars can absorb. [Read more 🡒]
WSUs Upset Hopes May Hinge On One Huge Offensive Question
Washington State gets an early kickoff against Kansas State in a first-ever meeting between the programs, and the Cougars are still trying to settle their offense after the loss to Washington. The challenge only looks tougher against a Kansas State defense that should force WSU to be sharper from the start, especially with the game landing in the kind of morning window that can turn every possession into a test of focus.
Complicating matters is the uncertainty around Tony Freeman, the Cougars top receiver and return man, after he went down with a knee injury on his first-game snaps against Washington. WSU opened last week with three turnovers, two missed field goals and no points until the fourth quarter, so the margin for error is already thin if the Cougars are going to give themselves a real shot at an upset. [Read more 🡒]