WSU has glaring issues to clean up before Arizona comes to Pullman

The Cougars enter Week 4 with the worst field-goal percentage in the FBS

Washington State Cougars quarterback Caden Pinnick (12) throws against the Duquesne Dukes during the second half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

First-year Washington State University football coach Kirby Moore noticed a few more smiles around headquarters over the weekend after the Cougars' 48-7 victory over Duquesne on Saturday.

Especially from the players.

"I think our guys have some confidence from that (Duquesne (game)," Moore said. "They made some good plays on the field."

But now, feisty Arizona - which is receiving votes just outside the weekly Associated Press top-25 poll - comes to Pullman.

Here are three things WSU needs to address before its first night game of the season Saturday against the Wildcats:

1. Quicker start ... in the first half

First-year starting WSU coach Kirby Moore was much more approving Monday of his offense’s ability to create explosive plays and play better complementary football.

He just wants to see it sooner.

WSU began its first offensive series Saturday against Duquesne with a bad snap that resulted in an 11-yard loss - and then quarterback Caden Pinnick’s interception into double coverage.

Sensing the unit needed a spark, Moore called a direct-snap play for Maxwell Woods on the second drive - a play he said he ran a number of times while the offensive coordinator at Missouri.

Woods ripped off a 45-yard run, setting up the Cougars’ first touchdown on Kirby Vorhees’ 8-yard run.

The quality of play - and the tempo - increased in the second half with three consecutive touchdown-scoring drives to push to a 35-7 lead.

“We want to start faster,” Moore said.

2. Holding penalties won't fly

On Saturday, the Cougars were called for six offensive holding penalties. Five of them were accepted.

Three of them came against tight end Jack Pedersen.

Favorable down-and-distance situations, especially against good teams, are something Moore has discussed time and time again behind the offense’s struggles this fall.

Much like Washington and Kansas State in the first two weeks, Arizona brings a ton of pressure on defense. Moore pointed to the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales’ vast experience successfully running those units previously at Arizona State and San Diego State, adding that there is a real “complexity” to his scheme.

The Cougars are going to really need to clean up those mistakes from Saturday with the same expected starting offensive-line lineup - Ashton Tripp at left tackle, Jonny Lester at left guard, Noah Dunham at center, Nick Bakken at right guard and Jaylin Caldwell at right tackle - before the showdown with Arizona,

3. Locate the middle of the goalposts

By now, everyone knows Jack Stevens is in the middle of a kicking slump.

After his 30-yard miss Saturday early in the second quarter, Stevens is now 1-for-5 this season on field goals, which ranks as the worst in the country in FBS football.

In the second half, he missed his first PAT kick after a Cougars’ touchdown.

Moore was asked Monday if he was mulling a kicking change, especially after he conceded that Stevens’ field-goal miss was on the sophomore.

The coach is sticking with the South Carolina product, who made his first eight field-goal attempts last season to tie a program record, finishing 16-for-19.

Moore wasn’t around for that season, but said he saw Stevens convert a lot of kicks during the offseason to stick with him.

“Looking forward to seeing him make a bunch of kicks this week in practice, and building up to Saturday,” Moore said.