Darrius Clemons doesn’t need a long speech to diagnose what’s gone wrong for Washington State’s offense. He goes straight to the point, and he didn’t soften it this week.
“There’s always more to do,” Clemons said. “There’s always more meat left on the bone. We’re not winning games, so it obviously hasn’t been good enough.”
That’s the kind of blunt assessment that fits the 6-3, 217-pound Portland native, who has 14 catches for 157 yards through four games. It also tracks with a WSU offense that has had trouble finding rhythm early in the season. Clemons said the fix starts with the basics: finish the plays that come your way and do the dirty work when the ball isn’t in the air.
“Just make our plays,” Clemons said. “Especially when the ball comes to us, we expect to make the play. Just do that at a consistent rate and then in the run game, block who we're supposed to block when we need to block them.”
Clemons is coming off his best outing of the season, finishing with four catches for 57 yards against Arizona last weekend. Even with that step forward, he sees the offense as a unit still searching for cleaner execution, including in the passing game where Caden Pinnick has shown flashes of excellence but also dealt with turnovers and decision-making issues.
“If he throws me the ball, my job is to catch it,” Clemons said. “He expects me to catch it.
That’s all a receiver really can do. If the ball is in the air and it's coming my way, I expect to make the play.”
The receiver room has also been dealing with a thin margin ever since Tony Freeman was lost for the season with a torn ACL after playing just 10 snaps at Washington. Clemons said Freeman’s absence is felt well beyond the depth chart.
“First and foremost, you're just missing a great human being in the receiver room,” Clemons said. “Obviously, he's still around, but his presence on the field is definitely missed.
I think above all else, he's just a great person to be around. A great person to play football with.
So obviously praying for him, hopefully he gets healthy sooner rather than later.”
Clemons has been credited with one dropped pass this season, and he made clear he doesn’t view that as acceptable.
“I think any receiver would say one is too many,” Clemons said. “When Caden puts the ball in the air and my job is to catch it, he expects me to catch it.
I think everybody on the team expects you to catch it. When the ball is in your hands or coming your way, the program is in your hands, essentially.”
In Other News...
Washington State Heads Into Fresno State With Two Big Injury Concerns
Washington State heads into its matchup with Fresno State still sorting through its health on both sides of the ball, and the latest availability report leaves a few important questions hanging over the Cougars. Running back Kirby Vorhees is listed as questionable because of an upper-body injury, while tight end Trey Leckner is probable and could be in line for his season debut after being sidelined for most of the year by a foot issue.
The defensive side has taken a harder hit. Linebacker Nylan Brown is expected to miss significant time with a foot injury, and several other Cougars defenders are listed as doubtful or out, leaving the staff to manage depth as the week moves on. For a team trying to keep momentum heading into a road game, the injury report may end up shaping just as much of the conversation as the matchup itself. [Read more 🡒]
WSUs Jirah Leaupepetele Faces A Fresno State Twist Few Fans Saw Coming
Jirah Leaupepeteles next game carries a personal angle as much as a football one. The Washington State defensive lineman is preparing to line up against Fresno State, where his brother Jonah plays right guard, setting up the kind of family crossover that usually adds a little extra buzz to an otherwise ordinary Saturday. It also gives their parents and other relatives a chance to make the trip to Pullman and watch both sides of the family storyline unfold in one place.
The twist, of course, is that the matchup may not look the way it first seemed. Jonah is listed as questionable and is not expected to play because of an injury, leaving the possibility of a brother-versus-brother showdown hanging in the balance. Even so, the family presence in the stands gives the game a personal layer, and for Jirah, the emotional backdrop will be there whether or not the on-field collision ever happens. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Faces A Defining Pac-12 Test Against Fresno State
Early-season growing pains have already given Washington State plenty to clean up, and Kirby Moore has been stressing that the lessons have to show up fast as the Cougars head into their Pac-12 opener against Fresno State. This is the kind of matchup that can reveal a lot in a hurry, especially for a team trying to settle in after the opening stretch and prove it can handle a more demanding opponent on both sides of the ball.
The spotlight falls first on Caden Pinnick, who will need to answer Fresno States aggressive defense with poise and decisiveness, while Washington States defensive line is expected to make life uncomfortable for the Bulldogs offense. Jayden Mandals tendencies give the Cougars a clear scouting target, but it may be the defensive backs who end up carrying the heaviest load in coverage if this game turns into the kind of test that exposes every small mistake. [Read more 🡒]