Washington State went 3-of-14 on third down against Fresno State, punted after three plays six times, finished with 30 rushing yards and 182 total yards, and did not score an offensive touchdown for the second time this season. Caden Pinnick finished 21-of-34 for 152 yards with an interception, missing throws and throwing short of a receiver behind a line that let Fresno State sack him multiple times.
Then Moore went to the podium and said everything on offense "obviously we've got to re-evaluate moving forward," called the performance not good enough and said WSU fans deserve better. He also put the starting quarterback job back on the table, listing a change at the position among the things the staff has to look at before Friday, without committing to benching Pinnick, who stayed in through a 20-point fourth quarter while Julian Dugger and Owen Eshelman watched. Moore also volunteered the number his staff had set on Tuesday to win the game, 27 points, and noted the offensive line has given up 13 sacks in five games. Washington State lost to Fresno State 26-6 in Week 5.
So the week is simple to watch, if not simple to fix. Washington State is 1-4, its worst start since 2010, and Fresno State's win was the first in that program's Pac-12 history. Utah State sits in exactly the same place, 1-4 and 0-1 in the league after losing 37-18 at Boise State on the same night.
If Moore's re-evaluation is real, this is where it should be visible, and not in vague terms. Watch the first two downs. Watch whether Washington State hands the ball off on second-and-6 instead of living on third-and-9. Watch who takes the first snap, and whether the backup appears at all.
A few other threads worth tracking inside that:
- The receiving group. Tony Freeman, WSU's leading returning receiver, tore his ACL in the season-opening loss to Washington and is out for the season, and against Fresno State the production without him scattered across six players with nobody topping 21 yards. Leo Pulalasi had 4 catches for 16, Jack Pedersen 3 for 21, Trey Leckner back from a four-game absence for 1 catch and 8 yards, Darrius Clemons and Daniel Blood combining for 6 for 62 with a dropped third-down conversion. A functioning passing game needs somebody to become the guy. Leckner's return gives Pinnick, or whoever plays, a tight end who can win the intermediate throws WSU kept missing.
- The defense finishing. It posted a season-high seven tackles for loss, with Isaiah Hung leading the team in tackles, Khamari Terrell recovering a fumble, Jirah Leaupepetele forcing a fourth-down fumble and Matyus McLain adding two tackles for loss and a shared sack. If the offense holds a lead this week, the defense has to make it stand for four quarters, something it has not done against anyone better than an FCS opponent.
- The kicking. This one is genuinely fixed, at least for a week. Jack Stevens made both his attempts, including a career-long 50-yarder that tied the game at halftime and was WSU's first make from 50-plus since 2024, and Damarjhe Lewis blocked a Fresno State field goal for the second straight game.
Washington State at Utah State, Friday, 6 p.m. PT, The CW Network
The model still likes the Cougars on the road, at about 55%, mostly because Utah State has been bad in the same ways for longer. A win keeps a thin Pac-12 title-game path breathing. The Cougars' championship-game chances sit near 12% in the branch where they win in Logan and near 3% in the branch where they lose. Neither number is a season to plan around, but the difference is the whole practical value of this game.
Boise State at Fresno State: root for Fresno State
The team that just embarrassed Washington State is the one to pull for Saturday night, 7:30 p.m. PT on The CW. Fresno State is a 57% home favorite, and a Fresno State win adds about 2.4 percentage points to Washington State's title-game odds, which land at roughly 9% in the branch where the Bulldogs win, roughly 7% in the branch where Boise State does.
Full numbers are in the interactive guide, and the simulation details are in the methodology.