WSU set to host Arizona in matchup of legacy Pac-12 schools | First look

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Sep. 22—PULLMAN — Here is a first look at Washington State's home game against Arizona on Saturday afternoon.

What is it?

Fresh off registering his first win as WSU's head coach with a rout over FCS Duquesne, Kirby Moore leads his club into a primetime matchup against legacy Pac-12 foe Arizona, which has opened the season 2-1. The Wildcats received 12 points in the latest AP Top 25 poll, good for an unofficial No. 36 ranking.

This game was scheduled back in January 2025, when WSU and Arizona agreed to a home-and-home series. The game in Tucson is set for next September.

It's the teams' first meeting since 2023, when the Wildcats stunned the Cougars with a 44-6 win in Pullman. Dating back to 2015, the Cougars won five of the past seven meetings.

Where is it?

Gesa Field at Martin Stadium in Pullman.

When is it?

Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m.

Where can I watch it?

CBS will broadcast the game.

Who is favored?

As of Monday afternoon, WSU was around a 10.5-point underdog in most sportsbooks (fixed from earlier).

How did the Cougars fare last week?

WSU looked a bit sluggish in the first half against FCS Duquesne over the weekend, but thanks to an offensive explosion in the second, the Cougars pulled away with a 48-7 win, their first of the season. In the second half, the hosts scored on back-to-back punt returns , the first from safety Jaylen Thomas and the second from receiver Tank Hawkins, which was the program's first time with two in one game since 1973.

WSU quarterback Caden Pinnick completed 17 of 22 passes for 196 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Cougars, who used a 34-0 second half to put a forgettable first half in the rearview mirror and pull away for good. The hosts also rushed for 316 yards, the program's most since 2006, getting two 100-yard rushers: Maxwell Woods tallied 116 yards on 11 carries and Kirby Vorhees piled 109 yards on 9 carries.

"The good thing to see was more explosive plays. Rushed for 316 yards," Moore said on Monday. "Kirby and Max both going for over 100 yards. Believe the first time in maybe 21 years here at Washington State. Thought Caden did a nice job distributing the football, also again being a playmaker on designed runs and scrambles, creating explosives there. Six-of-nine on third down, only faced two in the second half, which goes back to creating more explosives on first and second down."

Moore was seen on the sideline carrying what looked like a playsheet, and after the game, Pinnick said his head coach had some input in the playcalling department. That helped the Cougars finally wake up on offense, as did the matchup against a winless FCS squad, which couldn't stop the hosts from turning in an efficient 6-for-9 effort on third down — which had held WSU back in its first two losses of the season. Two Cougars, receiver Branden Ganashamoorthy and tight end Jack Pedersen, recorded their first regular-season touchdowns at WSU.

On defense, WSU held Duquesne to just 180 total yards, including just 75 through the air. Defensive end Matyus McLain and safety Jeremiah Bernard led the team with six sacks apiece, and the Cougs registered two sacks: One-half each from Bernard, defensive tackles Kaden Beatty and Damarjhe Lewis and linebacker DJ Warner.

But the Cougars ran into some problems on special teams, their two punt return touchdowns notwithstanding. In the second half, kicker Jack Stevens misfired on a 30-yard attempt from the left hash, making him 1-for-5 on field goals to open the season. He also missed an extra point for the first time in his career. Coaches stuck with him on extra points even after those two misses, but moving forward, keep an eye on whether that holds up or if coaches go to transfer kicker Miguel Arenas, who mans kickoff duties, for field goals as well.

On Monday, Moore was asked directly whether he would consider making a change at kicker.

"We're gonna go back to work. I think that's the most important thing for us," Moore said. "Operation, there's been snap issues. There's been protection issues. Obviously, we missed one there on Saturday. Jack's made a ton of kicks throughout the offseason. Looking forward to seeing him make a bunch of kicks this week in practice and building up to Saturday."

Scouting Arizona …

The Wildcats, who are led by head coach Brent Brennan and quarterback Noah Fifita, have started the season with a win over FCS Northern Arizona, a road loss to ranked BYU and a home victory over Northern Illinois. They're pushing for a spot in the AP Top 25 for the first time since the final week of last season.

Fifita, who was in the middle of a breakout year in 2023 when the Cougars last faced the Wildcats, is off to a torrid start to the season: He's completed 81% of his passes for 834 yards, seven touchdowns and just one interception, earning him Big 12 Player of the Week honors. He's flanked by top running back Kendrick Reescano, who has tallied 127 rushing yards and two scores on 33 carries, while two receivers have led the way for Arizona: Giovanni Richardson has 161 yards on 14 catches, and Tre Spivey has 149 yards and two scores on 12 receptions.

The Wildcats, who had to erase an early 10-0 deficit to blow out Northern Illinois over the weekend, lean on the pass more than the run. They rank near the bottom of the country in rushing attempts per game — they run the ball 43% of the time, which is No. 116 nationally — and their passing offense generates 281 yards per game, No. 34 in the country. Much of that is thanks to Fifita, who became Arizona's all-time leader in passing yards in Saturday's game against Northern Illinois.

"Very accurate passer, ton of completions, can extend plays. He's a playmaker," Moore said of Fifita. "We gotta play team defense. Trust your teammate that he's doing his job. Sometimes you try and force something or you're pressing, and he's able to extend the play and then find guys downfield."

A couple names to know on Arizona's defense are linebacker Taye Brown and edge rusher Cooper Blomstrom, who have combined for two sacks on eight quarterback pressures this fall, making their matchup with the Cougars' new-look offensive line one to watch.

What happened last time?

Back in 2023, Arizona walked into Gesa Field and blew WSU out to the tune of 44-6, a shocking result for a Cougar team that was ranked No. 19 at the time. After scoring an opening touchdown, the Cougs were outscored 44-0 the rest of the game.

That was WSU's second loss in what turned into a six-game skid.

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