Washington State's keys to victory against Duquesne | 2-minute drill

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Sep. 18—Washington State vs. Duquesne

Saturday, 12:30 p.m.

Line: WSU favored by 37 1/2 .

TV: USA Network Radio: 920-AM

Key matchup

WSU OL vs. Duquesne defensive front: Above all, in Saturday's game, the Cougars need a convincing showing on offense. A key reason why they have yet to record one of those this season is because of their offensive line, which currently ranks last nationally in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking grades with a figure of 17.3. Whatever that group looks like on Saturday, it needs to give Pinnick time to showcase his talent.

WSU's coaches made slight adjustments in the second of last week's loss to Kansas State. They benched starting left guard Kyle Martin (0.0 pass-blocking grade) and cleared the way for right tackle Jonny Lester to move back inside and for right tackle Jaylin Caldwell to come off the bench. Could coaches stick with that lineup, or will they put Lester back at right tackle? In his first year-plus starting, he has logged his best games at left guard, but coaches have liked him better at right tackle this fall.

If the Cougars' front five can give Pinnick time, the third-year sophomore could open things up for receivers Darrius Clemons, Daniel Blood and Tank Hawkins, the last of whom started last week but played only one snap. With senior wideout Tony Freeman out for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL, the Cougs need a bit more from that trio.

How the Cougs win…

WSU can win this game all kinds of ways, but perhaps the most important could come on offense. The Cougars' offense ranks last in the country in total yards gained (408 yards) and points per game (8.5). They've had two tall tasks to open the season against Washington and Kansas State. Now with a winless FCS squad coming to town, offensive coordinator Matt Miller's unit could really flex its muscles on Saturday.

Look for the Cougs' front five to provide lots of time for Pinnick, who could throw open his receivers. Running backs Kirby Vorhees, Maxwell Woods and Leo Pulalasi could also get going in the right direction as well.

How the Dukes win…

To hand the Cougs their first FCS loss since Cooper Kupp and Eastern Washington pulled an upset back in 2016, Duquesne could capitalize on what looks like WSU's top weakness, its offense. If the Dukes generate the same type of quarterback pressure that the Huskies and Wildcats have produced, they could give themselves a chance.Lots more would have to go right for Duquesne, whose offense ranks nearly last in the FCS with just 6.5 points per game, but its defense figures to stand the best chance of making things interesting. Leading tacklers Luke Miller and Zach Chambers, both linebackers, would have to help pick up a turnover or two on WSU.

Key stat: 527

That's how many yards per game the Dukes are allowing through their first two games. Duquesne has faced two challenges — longtime coach Jerry Schmitt's group has lost to FBS Air Force and Youngstown State, the latter of which ranks No. 9 in the latest FCS Top 25 poll — but still, the results haven't been pretty for the Dukes.

If the Cougs can gash them a similar way, WSU could roll to an easy victory on Saturday afternoon.

Biggest question

Can the Cougs' offense roar to life in a convincing way? To make those in the WSU orbit feel better about the way this season has opened, the Cougars need to win this game by a lot, which starts with their offense. Pinnick will need lots of time in the pocket, and if he gets it, he could get more receivers — and even tight end Jack Pedersen, who has just three catches for four yards this season — involved .

Quotable

"A lot of it's just communication-wise," Pinnick said of his conversations with Moore. "Whether he can help me, with play clock or situations, and just honing me into what's going on on the sideline after drives. A lot of it, too, is whether we have to simplify plays or concepts, and that's what we gotta do. But at the end of the day, our conversation has always been, 'what can help this offense grow' and obviously, what can he do? Like, what are we hearing that he's not? I think this is a good relationship that me and him have that we're able to talk with each other and establish some things that we need to work on."

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