WSU’s First Win: Observations, Adjustments Heading Into a Fun Arizona Weekend

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It was incredible to be back on the Palouse last weekend for WSU’s home opener. A beautiful Pullman Saturday, a fun environment at Martin Stadium and a big Cougar win. But as the Cougs went into the half leading 14-7, I was concerned. Now, they quelled some of those concerns with an explosive second half, but I’ve noticed a few things after being up close to the team that I want to see them adjust.

The first thing is their mindset, especially on offense, heading into this weekend:

WSU has nothing to lose. Football is meant to be fun, and these guys need to go out there and have fun. You could see the collective weight lifted off their shoulders postgame last week. Yes, competitiveness is important, but it is also important for them to remember that they are playing a game. I think the offense in particular was being too hard on themselves, trying to do too much, and not playing within themselves. They clearly have so much more to offer than the first two weeks, and the best way to play the way they want is to play FREE.

That being said,

WSU has everything to gain. The first two weeks were not to the standard that the offense in particular wanted. But even Kaden Beatty felt that the defense had more to give after giving up 34 to Kansas State (only so much the defense can do if they are on the field all game). The Cougs get another chance to prove that they belong on the field with Power Four opponents, and I hope to see WSU playing loose behind a great home crowd Saturday.

When Caden Pinnick got into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the season, he spiked the ball in frustration. He referenced the offense’s poor play in his postgame comments a few separate times, crediting the fans for showing up despite their lackluster offense, downplaying Saturday’s success due to the quality of the opponent, and even saying his passing touchdown to Branden Ganashamoorthy might have been tipped or intercepted against better competition.

Look, there is some truth to those things, but positivity is the best performance-enhancing drug there is, and everyone showed they are capable of so much more than they had shown through two weeks. Kirby Vorhees said that “he felt like he let the team down” through the first two weeks, as he had fumbled twice, after fumbling only four times all of last season. To me, what you saw against Kansas State and in the first half on Saturday was a team that was pressing, and lacked the confidence necessary to get it done at this level.

Whatever you think of the talent on the roster, it would be hard to believe they were going to have the least efficient offense in all of FBS, especially with what they showed in the second half Saturday, regardless of the opponent. Hopefully, with a great Martin Stadium crowd behind them, they will believe in their own athleticism and look to make some of those big plays they were missing the first two weeks of the season.

Some Other Observations:

Good environment. I think the crowd can really help a young, inexperienced team like this. In Manhattan, they needed a lift when things weren’t going their way. I think a raucous environment can help inspire the offense and give the defense some extra energy as well. Especially with the stadium renovations, if you are making your first trip back for the Arizona game since the upgrades, you will be blown away. The in-stadium experience is electric compared to years past.

Tempo. WSU needs to stay in tempo and take some shots. I know a lot of people after the Duquesne game are thinking, well, “it’s only Duquesne.” And while that may be true, let me offer you the first half. Sure, the Cougs had 234 yards of offense in the first half, but they only had 14 points. While their physical talent was allowing them to dominate the line of scrimmage and move the ball, everyone watching will tell you it was ugly, disjointed, and not good enough.

Everything changed in the second half, however, as the Cougs went with some more tempo and proceeded to put together a 75-yard and a 90+ yard scoring drive. That wasn’t simply because of the opponent (see the first half). It had to do with the crispness and efficiency with which they moved the ball. The athletes are going to get faster and bigger next week, and the schemes will be better, but I want to see the Cougs continue to build on that rhythm. You are going to have to come up with some big plays at some point, and I would rather see the Cougs take those shots and live with the result than look back and wonder what could have happened if they had (like in the Apple Cup).

They also have to take what the defense gives them. Greg Woods of the Spokesman-Review posted a video displaying some of the easier throws Caden Pinnick wasn’t taking advantage of through 10 quarters. Part of the reason for the failures on third downs was awful first and second downs, and sometimes you just have to take the easy yards when they are given to you.

For a young quarterback and a young coordinator, learning to take the easy yards is so important. The more you take what they give you, the more it opens up the rest of the field, leading to those shot plays WSU has been lacking. Overall, the Cougs did a better job of putting Pinnick, Woods/Vorhees, and the wide receivers in position to succeed by taking pressure off of them and simplifying their responsibilities: ‘DO YOUR JOB.’ I want to see that continue.

Now, It’s Time for Arizona

This weekend sets up a vintage Pullman weekend as old friend Arizona comes to town for a primetime national TV showdown. Hopefully, WSU can make a game of it, finding their footing on offense and letting the home crowd get into the game and help them down the stretch.

This wouldn’t be some sort of historic upset. There are serious questions about Arizona at the skill positions, not unlike Washington. However, Noah Fifita is a stud, and he is going to make things difficult on you. The offensive line will have to continue to show improvement, giving the skill players time to make plays against a Power Four D-Line. Arizona isn’t on the same level as K-State or Washington’s defense, but they will still be a formidable opponent.

I am interested to see how WSU’s defense fares against Arizona’s pass-heavy offense. The Wildcats average the 15th-most passing yards per game in the country at 306, partially because they don’t run the ball very often. WSU has had a lot of success defending the passing game, allowing just 177 passing yards per game. Washington State will look to take a similar approach to Week 1 and force the Wildcats to run the ball.

Not to mention, Wazzu has beaten Arizona in 5 of their last 7 meetings, including three of four in Pullman… some of them coming in pretty dominant fashion. Think: Gardner’s 55-point half, De Laura’s 4 interceptions, Borghi with two touchdowns on senior night in the fog, and Falk’s 69-7 victory. However, in Arizona’s last visit, Noah Fifita torched Cam Ward and the #19 Cougs on Homecoming. He won’t have Tetairoa McMillan or Jonah Coleman with him this time, though, as both are now in the NFL.

Until WSU proves they can move the ball consistently, it’s hard to pick them against this quality of competition, but if they get a similar defensive performance to the Apple Cup, and back it up with some points, they will be in this game.

Ultimately, though, these first four games won’t tell us everything we need to know about Washington State. They won’t play an opponent on a relatively equal playing field until Fresno State next weekend. Arizona, Washington, and Kansas State simply offer a steep challenge for a first-year HC, a young, inexperienced OC, and a 20-year-old sophomore QB. Would I expect WSU to compete in these games in year two or three of Kirby Moore’s tenure, even with the gap in resources? Yes, absolutely. It’s just a really hard landing to try and get your footing in the first four games of your career.

And as far as the Duquesne game goes… I think they turned a corner on offense in the second half, but we won’t really know until we see it against an FBS team. Even if WSU loses to Arizona on Saturday, they still have so much to play for in a wide-open Pac-12, where I think their defense is going to wreak havoc.

Can’t wait to be back in Pullman this Saturday, this time as a fan, to soak in all of the festivities that make WSU so special. I hope the game lives up to the moment, as it has so many times in recent years. Hopefully, we watch this team continue to build and grow into a Pac-12 title contender!

Go Cougs!

Check out the latest episode of the Win Or Lose Podcast, where former sports reporter and avid Coug fan Adam Lewis and I discuss Cougar football:

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