Washington State suffered a 17-16 loss to Utah State at Maverik Stadium, marking the Cougars' third consecutive defeat according to a October 9 report. The loss was fueled by a second-half offensive collapse in which the Cougars were held to only 64 total yards.
The Cougars struggled with turnovers and penalties throughout the game. Quarterback Caden Pinnick lost a fumble, and tight end Jack Pedersen lost a fumble in the fourth quarter; both turnovers resulted in touchdowns for the Aggies. Additionally, Washington State committed 13 penalties for a total of 133 yards.
In the second frame, Washington State broke a five-quarter touchdown drought when running back Leo Pulalasi scored on a 54-yard touchdown run. The play followed blocks from offensive linemen Jonny Lester and Noah Dunham.
Utah State secured the win with scores in the third and fourth quarters. In the third frame, quarterback Grady Brosterhous threw a touchdown pass to Eli Wood. In the fourth quarter, Javen Jacobs scored a rushing touchdown to give the Aggies a 17-16 lead.
Washington State's offense struggled to move the ball late in the game, failing to score on two scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter. Pinnick completed 23 of 36 passes for 156 yards.
The game featured injuries to the Washington State lineup, including left tackle Ashton Tripp, who exited in the first quarter and returned wearing a boot. Washington transfer Maximus McCree replaced Tripp for the remainder of the contest.
Entering the game, it was uncertain if Pinnick would start following a two-turnover performance against Fresno State. While coach Kirby Moore previously stated everything would be under reevaluation, he chose to start the same starters including the quarterback.
Washington State, now 1-5 and 0-2 in the Pac-12, will travel to Corvallis to face Oregon State next Saturday.
