en-us SportSpyder - The Latest Washington State Cougars Football News https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/news Volleyball Brings Pac-12 Schedule to Bohler - Washington State University Athletics - Official Athletics Site Javascript is required. Thu, 01 Oct 2026 20:25:13 GMT Naomi, Audrey, Kryssa, Riley Baker https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58158073 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58158073 false false He sees a defensive battle coming down to 1-2 plays at end, plus his score prediction Thu, 01 Oct 2026 16:19:43 GMT Jamey Vinnick https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58154931 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58154931 true false Back in the Pac, Soccer Hosts OSU - Washington State University Athletics - Official Athletics Site Javascript is required. Five freshmen played their first college match. Thu, 01 Oct 2026 16:07:09 GMT https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58154775 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58154775 false false The first Saturday of October marks the start of conference play in the rebuilt Pac-12, which fared well against the spread in September. Thu, 01 Oct 2026 15:00:55 GMT Jon Wilner https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58153934 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58153934 false false The Cougars have lost seven turnovers on the season, leaving their defense to shoulder an increased workload. Thu, 01 Oct 2026 02:10:45 GMT Greg Woods https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58149336 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58149336 false false Thu, 01 Oct 2026 16:49:31 GMT https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58155341 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58155341 false false PULLMAN — A few minutes after halftime began and Washington State players filed into their locker room, the sparkly new crimson-and-black lair that was remodeled over the summer, linebacker Keith Brown turned to a teammate with a question. “What’s the score?” asked the sixth-year linebacker. It was Saturday evening, and WSU had just taken a three-point lead on visiting Arizona into halftime, but Brown was none the wiser, according to his retelling. Brown and the Cougars’ defense had yielded a pair of scoring drives, and because quarterback Caden Pinnick had thrown an interception, that unit had to be on the field for one extra drive. As the rest of the game unfolded, the Cougs lost one more turnover, a fumble from Pinnick on a play where was trying to throw the ball away as he was getting tackled. That was the seventh turnover WSU’s offense has committed this season, which has spawned all kinds of other problems, perhaps this above all: The Cougars’ defense has been tasked with playing tons more snaps, lots more drives, putting them at risk of tiring themselves out when they shouldn’t have to. For his part, Brown says it isn’t much of a problem. “I don’t even think about it, man,” Brown said. “As a defender, you’re so excited to go out there and play, no matter what…. We just go out there every single series, and that series right there is the only thing I’m worried about. I don’t care if I just came off the field or the offense has been out there for a while. I’m excited to go out there and play.” That may be the case, but it also means WSU defenders are playing heavy amounts of snaps. Check out some of the total snap counts from the Cougars’ loss to the Wildcats last weekend. Cornerback Khamari Terrell led all defenders with 72 snaps. Then came Brown, who logged 69, followed by defensive backs Jackquintin Bal with 67 and Jamarey Smith with 61. That was the second time at least three WSU defenders played at least 60 snaps each, joining the team’s earlier loss to Kansas State: Defensive backs Kai Rapolla, Jaylen Thomas and Smith all cleared the 60-snap mark. Headed into WSU’s next game, a home matchup with Fresno State to kick off Pac-12 play, two defenders have hit the 200-snap threshold: Thomas leads the team with 225 snaps while Brown is on his heels with 222. Several others are in the area, including Smith at 199, linebacker DJ Warner at 196 and safety Jeremiah Bernard at 192. Does that add up over time? Or does it all come out in the wash for a bunch of 19-to-22-year-olds? “It adds up in fact that you’re going against a really good quarterback,” WSU coach Kirby Moore said, referring to Arizona’s Noah Fifita, “and we were very aggressive on defense, and you saw that in the first half. Over time, he’s gonna make some plays. He’s gonna create some passes downfield, and they had the quick drive right there, and just keeping our guys fresh because the coverage and the front, it’s all gotta work together. If the front is tired and we’re not getting the rush that we want to, well, that’s affecting the back end. That’s what we gotta get solved there in the third quarter, and it really starts playing complementary football.” Perhaps no single stat illustrates the point better than this: WSU’s defense ranks in the top half of the country in points allowed in the first quarter, permitting just 4.3, which ranks No. 57 nationally. In the fourth quarter, the Cougars are allowing an average of 11.3 points, which ranks No. 123 nationally, only about a dozen spots up from last in the country. Think about the way WSU’s defense was operating in the first quarter against Arizona. Defensive end Linus Zunk earned a sack on the first play of the game. Bal snagged that pick-six. Then later in the first quarter, defensive tackle Jirah Leaupepele got home for another sack. “Just doing my job,” he said about that play. The Cougs (1-3) couldn’t replicate that level of production in the second half. The Wildcats won the second half to the tune of 20-7, averaging nearly 7 yards per play, keeping Fifita clean the rest of the game. In other words, WSU defenders wore down as the game unfolded, which is partially to be expected of a group headed out onto the field so often. The Cougars have lost seven turnovers on the season, remember? Only 18 other teams in the country have committed more. That sets up defensive coordinator Trent Bray’s unit with more and more series, and while the Cougars could certainly be doing more on defense — their inability to get much pressure on Fifita in Saturday’s second half loomed large, as did a long touchdown rush K-State broke off earlier this month — check out their their high snap counts and you start to understand the root of the issue. So what’s the solution? Play more defenders? That isn’t feasible in all of WSU’s position groups. Cornerback Jalil Tucker, a starter in Week 1, has missed the last three games with an injury. Linebacker Nylan Brown was out last week. Defensive ends Malachi Wrice a... Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:28:10 GMT Greg Woods https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58148646 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58148646 true false For three seasons on the Arizona State University football team, he was simply known as Jack Bal - and he was fine with that. At the time, ASU was going to be h Wed, 30 Sep 2026 23:19:31 GMT Todd Milles https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58147935 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58147935 false false Cougars wore a variation of the uniform in Fort Collins last year Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:58:49 GMT Jamey Vinnick https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58147697 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58147697 false false – Thirteen Washington State Cougars are in the NFL. Here is how they faired this past week. Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:49:32 GMT https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58147569 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58147569 false false WSU WOMEN’S GOLF HEADS TO TACOMA - Washington State University Athletics - Official Athletics Site Javascript is required. The Cougars will play 36 holes Monday, October 5. Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:49:24 GMT Mallory Brock https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58147565 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58147565 false false WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY MOVE UP IN RANKINGS - Washington State University Athletics - Official Athletics Site Javascript is required. The meet will be streamed by . Wed, 30 Sep 2026 21:57:54 GMT Dut Benjamin https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58146873 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58146873 false false Cougars Head South for Duck Invitational - Washington State University Athletics - Official Athletics Site Javascript is required. Gonzaga had six returners and five new athletes. Wed, 30 Sep 2026 21:57:47 GMT Gabriella, Yura, Ava-Monet, Chisato, Lorelei Timmons-Herrin https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58146872 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58146872 false false Iowa State will once again be a contender in the Big 12 Conference under the guidance of head coach Jimmy Rogers. Wed, 30 Sep 2026 21:03:46 GMT Dana Becker https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58146159 https://sportspyder.com/cf/washington-state-cougars-football/articles/58146159 false false