Defense Sets the Tone in WSU’s Crimson & Grey Game

After Julian Duggar took a simulated sack to end the “first half,” the defense held a 17–13 lead. Next up in the “third quarter,” they practiced their two-minute drill.

In his two-minute drill, Pinnick started with a nice throw over the middle for a first down, but four straight incompletions stalled the drive. Blood broke free behind two defenders, but the throw just fell ahead of him.

Eshlemen fared slightly better, delivering a really nice 15-yard pass to save a 2nd & 16. He fit it into a tight window to Noah Westbrook, who got out of bounds. They managed a “game-tying” field goal as time ran out before they could progress further.

In the “lockout” period (essentially an overtime situation), the defense forced field goal attempts from Pinnick and Duggar. Eshlemen committed the first turnover of the day, losing Jemeriah Bernard sneaking back inside for the interception.

Tank Hawkins gave the offense a spark with a nice end-around down to the three-yard line, breaking outside for 20 yards. Beau Phillips punched it in from the two.

But the defense continued its dominant day to win the spring game. Defensive end Malachi Wrice dropped back into coverage, and Pinnick put it right in his hands. A really consistent, and frankly dominant, performance from the defense.

Who won the QB battle between Caden Pinnick, Owen Eshlemen, and Julian Duggar?

Pinnick was the most in control of the offense, and I think that’s what the coaches see as well. He’s an elite scrambler and a solid passer. None of the QBs were able to accomplish much over the middle of the field, but reps were limited.

Eshlemen is clearly the #2 in the coaches’ eyes based on the opportunities he was given today. He probably profiles as a better passer than Pinnick, but a slightly less dynamic scrambler. Again, it’s a very small sample size, but the best throw of the day belonged to Owen.

Duggar is super athletic, which is obvious even with non-live reps. With plays being blown dead so quickly, he didn’t get to fully showcase his running ability. He does look more confident throwing the ball, completing short passes with an assertiveness we didn’t see last fall. Ultimately, though, he’s still too limited to pushing the ball downfield to make a serious push for the starting job.

Eshlemen is not out of the race, but in my opinion, it seems like Pinnick will be the guy jogging out on the field Labor Day weekend.

What offensive weapons stood out, from returning stars to new sparkplugs?

With Tony Freeman out due to injury, most of the offensive touches went to transfer receiver Daniel Blood (Missouri). Both Eshlemen and Pinnick missed him on deep shots, but he showed he can get open and looks like a very complete receiver with solid vertical speed.

Gannashamoorthy continues to be an awesome story and had easily the most explosive play of the day with his long touchdown catch. The Cougs’ receiver room has plenty of depth and playmakers to complement a strong returning group of running backs.

How did the defensive overhaul look?

The defense was fantastic. The defensive line generated a consistent push all day, producing multiple tackles for loss and creating problems for the quarterbacks. Outside of one busted play, they were consistently in the right position.

Trent Bray did a great job reloading this defense with serious athletes. To be fair, a spring game like this tends to favor the defense since they’re so familiar with the offense’s tendencies. Still, they showed real promise. They might not be the strength of the team like they were last season under Jimmy Rogers, but they should be able to make big plays and support the offense this fall.

Overall

This looks like a pretty complete team for first-year head coach Kirby Moore. They have a clear plan and identity. Whoever wins the starting QB job will have to learn on the fly, but both candidates clearly belong at this level.

The ceiling of this team will depend on whether one of the quarterbacks truly blossoms, which is definitely a possibility.