Story by
The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
5 thoughts from WSU's loss to San Diego State | Rewind
- Story byThe Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash.
- 5 thoughts from WSU's loss to San Diego State | Rewind
Nov. 1—SAN DIEGO — At some point in the fourth quarter, not long after Washington State angled toward mounting a comeback against San Diego State in Saturday's game, things began to feel a bit eerie.
Driving down the field, the Cougars were facing a 26-14 deficit. Moments later, quarterback Owen Eshelman pulled a read option and jogged untouched into the end zone, letting out a good scream as he did so. All of a sudden, as listless as this WSU effort felt only a few moments prior, the visitors were angling toward a comeback.
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It conjured memories of a certain game from two years ago: In 2024, in a road game against San Diego State, the Cougars were looking at a 26-14 hole in the fourth quarter. They made up the ground in the fourth quarter, sandwiching two John Mateer touchdowns around a Buddah Al-Uqdah interception, a string of winning plays to pull off a stunning rally.
These Cougars had no such luck Saturday night. Their final drive petered out around midfield, where right tackle Jaylin Caldwell was called for a false start, coach Kirby Moore took his final timeout to prevent the ensuing 10-second runoff and Eshelman's final two passes fell incomplete, handing the ball back to the Aztecs.
With six straight loss es, WSU (1-8, 0-5 Pac-12) has three games left to find its first FBS win of the season. The Cougars are idle next week, giving them a chance to rest for the first time after nine games.
Here are five thoughts from the game.
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1. WSU has to generate more sacks
After nine games, the Cougars have generated only eight sacks, which ranks No. 134 of 138 FBS teams. That's not exactly what Moore had in mind when he landed transfers Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk out of the transfer portal last winter. WSU did not produce any sacks in Saturday's game, the second straight sack-less game the team has played.
This season, McLain and Zunk have had few issues creating havoc in backfields, but the sacks have eluded them. On Saturday, they largely struck out on both fronts. WSU engineered only six pressures on SDSU redshirt freshman quarterback Stone Saunders, according to Pro Football Focus, including two from McLain and one from Zunk.
Simply put: The Cougars have to get more pressure on quarterbacks, and they have to bring them down when they have the chance. On one play in Saturday's game, cornerback Khamari Terrell had Saunders wrapped up for what looked like an easy sack, but Saunders wiggled free.
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2. It's probably time to abandon the run game altogether
WSU running backs Kirby Vorhees, Maxwell Woods and Leo Pulalasi combined for only 34 yards on 14 carries, an average rush of 2.4 yards. Here is how they have fared in eight FBS games this season.
—Washington: 16 carries, 38 yards.
—Kansas State: 17 carries, 72 yards.
—Arizona: 17 carries, 59 yards.
—Fresno State: 12 carries, 45 yards.
—Utah State: 19 carries, 77 yards.
—Oregon State: 13 carries, 26 yards.
—Boise State: 10 carries, 20 yards.
—SDSU: 14 carries, 34 yards.
That comes out to an average of 15 carries for 46 yards, some of the worst numbers in the country. It's clear the problem comes in large part from the Cougars' offensive line, which can't move bodies in short-yardage situations. Maybe that group can solve some things for its final three games of the season, but it's more likely that WSU can find success by doing away with the running game for the most part.
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3. Cougars' perimeter tackling left a lot to be desired
WSU's last two opponents, Boise State and San Diego State, were wise to realize something: They couldn't generate many yards up the middle, where Cougar defensive linemen have done well to bottle things up, but they could very easily bounce to the outside and jet upfield.
That's how SDSU running back Javion Kinnard scored both of his touchdowns, making WSU defenders like nickelback Jamarey Smith and Jeremiah Bernard miss on his way to the end zone. The Cougars missed 10 tackles in this one, according to PFF, which is better than the 16 they missed against Boise State.
But when you aren't getting sacks and aren't generating many turnovers — even with safety Jaylen Thomas' interception, his third of the year, the Cougs have forced only six turnovers, which is tied for No. 121 nationally — you have to tackle well. WSU has not done so recently.
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4. WSU's offense sustained drives well, but finishing remains elusive
The Cougs converted 9 of 14 third downs in Saturday's game, an encouraging development to one of the team's biggest weaknesses all year, which allowed them to sustain several drives. They scored one touchdown on a drive that chewed up nearly five minutes and covered 75 yards, then another on a series that elapsed 6 minutes , 15 seconds and went 64 yards. WSU converted 5 of its first 6 third downs, including two on Eshelman keepers.
But the Cougs couldn't always finish their long drives. In the third frame, they used up 6:25 to march 40 yards in 13 plays, but on a third-and-10, Eshelman showed his inexperience by committing a costly intentional grounding penalty, resulting in a loss of 14 yards.
That set up a fourth-and-long from the 35, which meant a 53-yard field goal try for kicker Jack Stevens. His attempt went wide left and well short, scuttled by the rainy and windy conditions.
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The Cougs also missed a chance to capitalize on Thomas' interception, which landed their offense at the Aztecs 36. They ran three plays, got to fourth down and couldn't convert.
5. The bye comes at a good time for WSU
Every coach in America will say the same thing about their team's bye week: It comes at a good time. But it's especially true for these Cougars, who will get an extra week to prepare for a home game against Colorado State, which harbors the worst defense in college football.
Theoretically, WSU shouldn't need much help taking down such a lowly defense, but the Cougars also managed 20 points against an SDSU defense that had given up point totals of 41, 66 and 56. With a week off, look for Moore and the Cougs to make the adjustments they need to earn their first FBS win of the year.
