Arizona’s Homecoming game isn’t until next month, but this week feels like a bit of a reunion. For the first time since departing for the Big 12, the Wildcats will face one of the teams they left for dead in the Pac-12.
Literally.
Washington State, along with Oregon State, were the only Pac-12 members not to join a new conference in 2024. Instead, those two played as independents for two years and worked with the league to form a new Pac-12, one that features several former Mountain West schools as well
as Texas State (!!) and Gonzaga.
The current WSU team is 1-2, winning 48-7 over an FCS school last weekend after losing twice on the road to power conference teams.
To better understand the Cougars, we reached out to Nate Dahl of SB Nation sister site Coug Center for some insight and a score prediction. Below are his trustful answers to our suspicious questions:
AZ Desert Swarm: Other than the quality of competition, what was different about Washington State’s win on Saturday compared to the losses at Washington and Kansas State?
Nate Dahl: “It took a half for the Cougs to really begin to not only separate from Duquesne, but also differentiate themselves offensively from their prior two games. In the second half, you began to see a little more creativity in the play calling and the concepts they’ve tried running against Washington and Kansas State come to fruition. A great example was Kirby Vorhees’s 58-yard touchdown run to end the third quarter. A great blocking scheme helped create a lane for Vorhees and allowed the line to quickly get to the second level. That was the explosiveness WSU had been desperately searching for.”
WSU has traditionally had great quarterbacks, but Caden Pinnick has only thrown for 403 yards in three games. What are his strengths, and where does he still need to improve in order to become the next great Cougar QB?
“Caden Pinnick is an incredible athlete who adds a new wrinkle to the offense with his legs. His ability to escape pressure and keep defenses honest on option plays is lethal. It’s especially helpful to have that athletic ability behind an offensive line that has had some issues in their first two games against FBS opponents. When Pinnick had time to throw against Duquesne, he showed off his accuracy to the tune of a 77.3 completion percentage. However, there are some worries that due to his height, he may have trouble seeing over the line. His legs may also be a bit too lethal as there are times he might be looking to scramble a little too early. If he’s going to put his name next to the other great Cougar quarterbacks, he’s going to have to show a better pocket presence and deliver some more explosive passes downfield.”
Who are the skill players that figure to be the most used in this matchup?
“WSU loves its running backs this year. They’ve split the workload evenly between Vorhees and Maxwell Woods. They’ll be featured a lot. Wide receivers Daniel Blood and Darrius Clemons have led the way with 10 catches each. They’ll likely continue to be Pinnick’s top two targets. Brandon Ganashamoorthy has started to break in with his first reception coming in Week 2 against Kansas State and four in the win over Duquesne. Keep an eye on him to continue to expand his role. But everybody is still waiting for the uber fast Tank Hawkins to make a splash play on offense. He’s only had two catches so far, but if they can scheme something up for him in space, his speed makes him incredibly dangerous. He housed his first touchdown on punt return against Duquesne, but can he do it on offense now.”
How would you describe WSU’s defense, and what chance do you think it has to slow down Noah Fifita and the Arizona attack?
“WSU’s defense has impressed so far. They’re led up front by transfers Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk. They also have veteran Keith Brown at linebacker, who missed the 2025 season with an injury. In the secondary, Jaylen Thomas has been their playmakers with a pair of interceptions, including a pick-six at the first half buzzer against K-State. In Week 1 against Washington, they did a fantastic job of getting some pressure on Demond Williams and limited the Huskies running backs to just 76 yards on 19 carries. They got gashed the following week at K-State however by some long runs, including a backbreaking 75-yard TD. They rebounded with a better performance against Duquesne. Despite some of the pressure they had gotten against Washington, it still took them till Week 3 to register their first sack. If they’re going to be successful against Noah Fifita and this Arizona offense, they have to apply some pressure and finish the sacks they haven’t been able to get. Defensive coordinator Trent Bray will have to dial up some blitzes to put some heat on. If they can’t get home on pressure, Fifita may have an easy day picking apart a secondary that has been shaky at times.”
What’s the early assessment of head coach Kirby Moore and his coaching staff?
“Kirby Moore’s first offseason was impressive. He brought in some talent from the portal like McLain, Zunk and Hawkins. He also brought in a great staff headlined by former Oregon State head coach, and Pullman native, Bray. Though Moore’s start has definitely had some growing pains, there’s been times where you can see some of the struggles that come with being a first time head coach like clock management and perhaps taking too long to decide on a tough fourth down decision. After not scoring on offense against Kansas State, Moore said he would get more involved in the playcalling and was seen holding a playsheet on the sidelines for the first time this season. He hasn’t has an easy landing with two tough opponents to start, but the future is still bright for Moore.”
Prediction time. Do the Cougars take down an old Pac-12 rival or does Arizona win in Pullman for the second time in a row and 13th time in 20 visits? Give us a score pick.
“I think WSU is going to show out in this game. This has been a greatly anticipated matchup since it was announced. The crowd should be great and bring an awesome September atmosphere. After a good get-right win over Duquesne, I think the Cougar offense will look improved from their first two matchups and the defense will keep the Wildcats at bay. While I originally predicted this as a close loss for the Cougs in our season predictions, I think I have to switch my pick for the bit. I’ll take the Cougs 24-20 in a nail-biter.”
