WSU Whimpers Out Against Fresno State, 26-6, Falls to 0-1 in Conference Play

Fresno State dominated Washington State, holding the Cougars’ offense out of the end zone to win 26-6. WSU falls to 1-4 and is now 0-1 in conference play.

Washington State was off to the new Pac-12 era in Pullman against the Fresno State Bulldogs. It was a gorgeous mid-70s day in Pullman as WSU was celebrating Family Weekend. A really solid crowd filled Martin Stadium before kickoff.

The Cougs came in 1-3 with three really tough Power Four opponents: Washington and Kansas State on the road, and Arizona last weekend at home. The Bulldogs took a much different path to their 3-1 record, with wins against teams ranked No. 138 (Sac State), No. 121 (SJSU), and No. 123 (Rice) in ESPN’s FPI.

The Cougars were -2.5-point favorites and looking to get off to a 1-0 start in conference play.

The first half was fairly uneventful, going 6-6 into the half, not what you call a barn burner. Washington State didn’t even record a first down in the first quarter, forcing the defense to come up big once again.

Fresno State got inside Washington State’s five-yard line twice, unable to convert touchdowns either time.

In the first instance, Fresno was lined up for a 4th and 1 before a false start set them back and forced a chip-shot field goal. The crowd was awesome and certainly played a factor in the early movement.

All of the in-stadium enhancements are incredible. Red, white, and blue during the national anthem, lights off and phones on for “Back Home.” The crowd was engaged and ready to cheer, which they didn’t get to do much of.

Jack Stevens DRILLED a 50-yarder to end the half to knot things up after a fairly successful two-minute drill from Pinnick and the offense.

Washington State got the ball to start the second half and began with a sack and an inside handoff on third down. From that point on, WSU essentially did nothing on offense, including a fumble on the first play of their drive to set up Fresno State’s touchdown to go up 13-6.

Just about nothing good happened in the second half for Washington State. Just an absolute debacle. Three-and-out after three-and-out. A heroic performance from the defense, to say the least, to keep Fresno State to as low of a scoring output as they did.

Time of possession was 35:59 to 24:01, WSU was 3-14 on 3rd down and 0-2 on 4th, finishing with 30 rushing yards.

With the game in hand, Washington State had less than 150 yards of offense. To be completely honest, Caden Pinnick looked unplayable tonight, finishing 21/34 for 152 yards and a pick. They just looked lifeless in almost every facet. Simply put, they have looked like one of the worst offenses in the country so far.

Coug fans are going to be mad about this one, and rightfully so. Bowl eligibility feels fictitious at this point. SOMETHING needs to be done about the offense. Kirby Moore and Co. have had a lot working against them through 5 weeks: an absolutely brutal schedule, Tony Freeman going down ten plays in, the injuries to the tight ends, and now Vorhees.

All of that being said, he cannot get a pass for tonight. To play like this, at home, on Family Weekend, behind this crowd, is unacceptable. And whatever you think of the talent on this roster, they CANNOT be this bad.

It is going to be major gut-check time for the Cougs next weekend in Logan, two teams reeling and in big-time need of a win. The Aggies are coming off a 37-18 loss in Boise today also dropping them to 1-4.

WSU will face Utah State on a short week this Friday at Maverik Stadium at 6 p.m. on the CW.