Still looking for first FBS victory, WSU hits the road to take on Oregon State | F…

The teams find themselves on opposite ends of the conference standings — the Cougars at the ... It's a homecoming of sorts for Cougar defensive coordinator Trent Bray, who spent a large chunk of his coaching career with the Beavers, including as their head coach for the 2024 season and part of the 2025 campaign before being fired.

It will also be the first start for WSU QB Owen Eshelman, who is taking over the starting duties and replacing Caden Pinnick, Cougar coach Kirby Moore announced on Monday. The Cougs lost two fumbles, one from quarterback Caden Pinnick and one from tight end Jack Pedersen, both of which turned into Aggie touchdowns in the second half.

WSU, which scored only its fourth touchdown in five FBS games in this game, could not generate any consistent offense in the second half. After getting two field goals from kicker Jack Stevens and a long touchdown rush from Leo Pulalasi in the first half, that production vanished in the second, and the Cougars totaled just 64 total yards of offense in the final two quarters.

All told, it was more of the same from WSU and Pinnick, who is now one of only three quarterbacks in the country to attempt at least 150 passes and total less than 1,000 yards. That highlights one of the biggest flaws in his game, which has hampered his offense: He can't or won't stretch the field vertically, forcing the Cougars to try and grind out long drives, which has not been a recipe for success in the long run.