PULLMAN – Here ’s a first look at Washington State’s home game against Fresno State on Saturday afternoon.
What is it?
To kick off competition in the rebuilt Pac-12, WSU hosts Fresno State, looking to turn around a 1-3 start to the season. In the teams’ first meeting in Pullman since 1994, WSU coach Kirby Moore squares off against the program that gave him his first FBS coaching gig – he worked as the Bulldogs’ receivers coach/offensive coordinator from 2017-22.
In the Cougars’ third straight home game, it’s possible that tight end Trey Leckner makes his season debut after missing the season’s first four games with a foot injury.
Where is it?
Gesa Field at Martin Stadium in Pullman.
When is it?
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
Where can I watch it?
USA Network will broadcast the game.
Who is favored?
As of Monday afternoon, WSU was around a 21/2-point favorite in most sportsbooks.
How did the Cougars fare last week?
In a 34-24 loss to Arizona, WSU took an early lead thanks to one touchdown from QB Caden Pinnick and a pick-six from safety Jackquintin Bal, but Arizona wasted no time leveling the game and won the second half, 20-7. The Cougars drew within one score late on a long touchdown pass from Pinnick to receiver Branden Ganashamoorthy, but that’s as close as they came, falling to 1-3 to open Moore’s debut season.
Pinnick completed 24 of 41 passes for 241 yards, two total touchdowns and two turnovers, one interception and one fumble. He’s now lost five turnovers this season, and the Cougars are up to seven as a whole, good for a total turnover margin of minus-4, which is tied for No. 119 nationally. It’s been a key reason behind some of the struggles of offensive coordinator Matt Miller’s group.
The Cougars played an OK game on defense, but they couldn’t slow down Wildcat QB Noah Fifita, who went 22-for-36 passing for 297 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. WSU also couldn’t limit receiver Tre Spivey, who hauled in seven catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
Four Cougar defenders played at least 60 snaps, led by cornerback Khamari Terrell with 72, perhaps opening a window into some of the reasons why WSU’s defense wore down in that game: Its best players were on the field too long.
“It adds up in fact that you’re going against a really good quarterback,” Moore said, “and we were very aggressive on defense, and you saw that in the first half. Over time, he’s gonna make some plays. He’s gonna create some passes downfield, and they had the quick drive right there, and just keeping our guys fresh because the coverage and the front, and it’s all gotta work together. If the front is tired and we’re not getting the rush that we want to, well, that’s affecting the back end. That’s what we gotta get solved there in the third quarter, and it really starts playing complementary football.”
In the third quarter, WSU slogged through some listless football, putting up several forgettable numbers: zero points, 149 total yards, 44 rushing yards, two three-and-outs, four punts and three sacks taken, giving Pinnick 10 sacks taken on the season. That opened the door for Arizona to turn a three-point deficit into a four-point lead, cushioning two more scoring drives in the fourth frame.
In the end, it added up to more question marks for WSU’s offense (two turnovers) and its special teams units, which had one field goal blocked and gave up a 39-yard punt return. The Cougars have now had two field goals blocked and given up two long punt returns, including a 62-yarder against Kansas State in Week 2.
The only bright spot on WSU’s special teams group has been punter Max Dean, who battled migraines in Saturday’s game to record five punts for 200 total yards, an average of 40 yards. He’s now averaging 45.2 yards per punt, which ranks No. 14 in the country.
Scouting Fresno State …
The Bulldogs, off to a 3-1 start to the season, are led by second-year head coach Matt Entz and quarterback Jayden Mandal. They began the year with a 39-0 road loss to USC before bouncing back with three straight wins: 49-3 over Sacramento State, 26-10 over San Jose State and 38-24 over Rice, the last of which unfolded last weekend.
Fresno State, which ranks No. 6 in the country with a turnover margin of plus-7, have the Pac-12’s best defense so far. The Bulldogs are allowing just 19 points per game, which ranks at the top in the conference, and star cornerback Simeon Harris has already collected three interceptions. As a team, Fresno State has also recovered three fumbles, tied for the conference lead.
The Bulldogs have also registered nine sacks, second in the conference, including two from linebacker Titus Khajavi and one apiece from six different players. Their Pro Football Focus pass rush grade of 65.3 ranks third in the Pac-12.
“That’s gonna be really important,” Moore said, “to make sure we take care of the football.”
On offense, Mandal has completed 67 of 104 passes (64%) for 789 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. His top target has been senior receiver Josiah Freeman – who was in his true freshman redshirt season in 2022, Moore’s final year at Fresno State – has totaled 18 catches for 261 yards and two touchdowns.
“The receiver was there when I was there. He was a really good, athletic player,” Moore said. “You see him show up on third downs and a lot of different situations.”
But a lot of the Bulldogs’ offense has also come from veteran running back Rayshon Luke, the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week. In Fresno State’s win over Rice, he tallied a game and career-high 167 yards with one touchdown on just 11 carries, giving him 240 rushing yards total on the season. He’s also averaging 6.7 yards per carry, which ranks third in the Pac-12.
What happened last time?
WSU and Fresno State’s last meeting came in 2024, when the Cougars eked out a 25-17 road win in Fresno. The Cougars got a key pick-six in the fourth quarter from cornerback Ethan O’Connor, who went on to transfer to Miami over the offseason.