3 Washington State X-factors who could make the difference against Utah State

Both sitting at 1-4, the Washington State Cougars and Utah State Aggies are in dire need of a victory in Pac-12 action Friday night.

They can also breathe a little sigh of relief over the schedule.

No team in the country has played three nationally-ranked opponents on the road like Utah State is in losses to then-No. 19 Washington, then-No. 17 Utah and then-No. 22 Boise State.

“They’ve had very good competition,” WSU coach Kirby Moore said of the Aggies. “With that, they’ve held their own.”

WSU’s schedule has not been much easier with losses at Washington, Kansas State and at home against Arizona and Fresno State.

“They were playing good teams,” Utah State coach Bronco Mendenhall said. “And with good teams comes … growing pains in terms of consistency, not capability.”

Here are a couple of Washington State players (and a coach) who could lead the Cougars to their first road victory in the Pac-12 against Utah State.

Kirby Moore, new offensive play-caller

Yes, he is the rookie head coach for the Cougars. But this is his comfort zone.

And one thing the WSU has sorely lacked much of the season is a rhythm in the offensive play-calling to consistently get positive yards and sustain drives - and then take chances down the field.

Sep 6, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington State head coach Kirby Moore looks on from the sidelines against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter at Husky Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The best guess is that Moore - who will still be on the field receiving advice from former offensive coordinator Matt Miller and others in the coaches’ booth - will stick with quarterback Caden Pinnick as the starter Friday to see if a new play-calling cadence - a new voice - can help aid the sophomore.

Moore has talked about how aggressive Utah State’s defensive front is in getting to the quarterback. The Aggies have also shown a little more vulnerability to the inside run in recent weeks on defense, so WSU could lean on tailbacks Kirby Vorhees, Maxwell Woods and Leo Pulalasi to provide an early spark and help this offense gain some early traction.

Kirby Vorhees, running back

Yes, Woods was the leading rusher in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl game against this same opponent nearly 10 months ago, totaling 117 yards on nine carries in the 34-21 victory.

Sep 19, 2026; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars running back Kirby Vorhees (9) carries the ball for a touchdown against the Duquesne Dukes during the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Woods should be utilized heavily again. But Vorhees is built as an interior punisher who can charge through traffic and break loose for big gains - and take a little bit of the starch out of this Utah State defense’s aggressiveness.

If WSU can reach a rushing total similar to what Boise State (185 yards) accumulated last week, or what Troy (169 yards) gained two weeks ago, that would be a welcome step in the right direction for this run game, especially on the road.

Matyus McLain, defensive end

In three of its past four games - all against ranked teams nationally on the road (UW, Utah, Boise State) - Aggies’ signal callers have been picked off at least once and were sacked a minimum of three times in each loss.

Sep 19, 2026; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars defensive end Matyus McLain (9) celebrates after play against the Duquesne Dukes during the second half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Heck, in last year’s bowl game, former quarterback Bryson Barnes threw an interception and was sacked three times by the WSU defense.

Utah State will likely go with Grady Brosterhous as the starter Friday, with the possibility of McCae Hillstead seeing some action. Last week at Boise State, the duo was sacked six times.

This is a matchup over which the WSU defense line, and redshirt junior edge rusher Matyus McLain, in particular, should be licking its chops.

McLain is coming off arguably his best game of the season against Fresno State with two tackles for loss and a half-sack while creating the most havoc in the Bulldogs’ offensive backfield.

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