Hank Palouse · Washington State Insider · College Debut · Week 8
Meet Your Insider
Wave the flag. Howdy, neighbors, I'm Hank Palouse. I drive a combine for a living out in the wheat country, and I haven't missed a game in Pullman since cassette tapes. And yes, I still have the tapes. A whole shoebox of them, labeled by year, in the cab of my pickup. I travel with the Cougars and I live with the Cougars, and every week I'll bring you the players, the matchups, the history and the storylines, with a little dry Palouse humor and a lot of love for Ol' Crimson, the flag that shows up at every big game in the country. When we win, I wave Ol' Crimson right here in the studio. When we lose, I say "Cougs never quit," and then I tell you a 20-minute story about harvest. You've been warned.
The School in 60 Seconds
Washington State University is in Pullman, and the first Cougar football team took the field in 1894. We play in the Pac-12. Home is Gesa Field at Martin Stadium, with Gesa naming the playing surface. Martin Stadium opened in 1972; the ground there dates back to 1892, when it was called Soldier Field. CFBD lists 32,952 seats. The last five seasons were 7-6, 7-6, 5-7, 8-5 and 7-6. Steady folks out here, like the wheat: some years are a bumper crop, some years you pray for rain, but you always plant again.
The Coach and the Scheme
Kirby Moore is in his first season; CFBD dates his hire to Dec. 12, 2025. I'll be honest, neighbors, because that's how we do it out here: it's been a hard first year. The offense averages 308.3 yards (130th in FBS) and 20.1 points (120th). We've allowed 22 sacks and turned it over 12 times, and our turnover margin is minus-7, 131st. The defense allows 383.1 yards a game (102nd) and 27.1 points (101st). One bright spot: we hold opponents to 37% on third down, 66th in FBS. And here's the big bright spot. Last week we found a quarterback.
Players to Know
QB Owen Eshelman: the redshirt freshman made his first career start at Oregon State and threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns, ran for 136 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown, and led three straight touchdown drives late. AP says our 30 points were the most we've scored against an FBS team this season. That's a foot of fresh topsoil on a dry field, neighbors.
QB Caden Pinnick: the season passing leader, 110 of 178 for 952 yards, 3 TD, 5 INT. Who starts this week? I haven't seen it announced.
WR Branden Ganashamoorthy: 26 catches, 343 yards, 3 TD, and 11 catches for 147 yards and a score last week.
RB Kirby Vorhees: 267 yards on 54 carries, 2 TD.
LB Keith Brown: team-high 51 tackles. DT Jirah Leaupepetele: 2.5 sacks. S Jaylen Thomas: 2 interceptions.
The Conference Picture
Washington State is 1-6 and 0-3 in the Pac-12. The schedule has been a grind: at Washington 24-10, at Kansas State 34-7, a 48-7 win over Duquesne, then Arizona 34-24, Fresno State 26-6, a one-point heartbreaker at Utah State 17-16 and at Oregon State 48-30. Four of those were on the road. Next up after Boise, we head to San Diego State on Oct. 31. I'm not doing math on the standings, neighbors. I'm doing math on how loud Pullman gets for a ranked visitor.
That one-point game in Logan still sits with me like hail on a ripe field. But Cougs never quit.
Why I still love this team: because in the fourth quarter at Corvallis, down big, a redshirt freshman in his first start led three straight touchdown drives. Nobody quit. Nobody ever does out here. That's a tape I'll be labeling and keeping, right next to the good ones from the old days.
This Week: No. 21 Boise State (5-1) at Washington State (1-6)
Saturday, Oct. 24 · 6 p.m. ET (3 p.m. Pacific) · Gesa Field at Martin Stadium, Pullman · USA Network.
Their offense vs. our defense: Boise State runs for 234.5 yards a game (9th) and holds the ball 36:41 a game, first in the country. Dylan Riley has 835 rushing yards. And Maddux Madsen has 13 touchdown passes with zero interceptions. If we're going to win, the defense has to get them off the field on third down, and Boise converts 50.6%, 16th in FBS.
Our offense vs. their defense: Boise State's pass defense allows 261.3 yards a game, 126th. Eshelman just threw for 289. Now that's a crop I'd like to harvest.
Series: I couldn't find an all-time series record in a free source.
Availability: no injury or availability report found for either team as of Oct. 18.
What decides it: (1) Slowing Riley and getting Boise off the field. (2) Eshelman's arm and legs against the 126th-ranked pass defense. (3) Holding onto the football.
To Thatcher Bluestem, Boise State's insider: blue pancakes? Out here we eat our pancakes the color the Lord made them. Come on over and I'll prove it.
Local Flavor (unsponsored, not an ad)
In Pullman for the game? Birch & Barley on Southeast Bishop Boulevard is a good sit-down supper, and Shiki on East Main Street does sushi.
My call: Boise State Broncos 31, Washington State Cougars 20.