WSU Cougars set to open Pac-12 play vs head coach’s old team

The WSU Cougars wrapped up their non-conference schedule last Saturday, and they made a run at an Arizona team that is receiving votes for the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

College Football AP Top 25: Major shuffle in Week 4

While WSU fell 34-24 to the Wildcats to drop to 1-3 overall, the Cougars led 17-13 at halftime, and head coach Kirby Moore wants his players to remain positive about what they’ve done so far.

“All three (losses), you look at the margins and we had opportunities there,” Moore said on the latest edition of Seattle Sports’ Cougs Weekly to former WSU star Michael Bumpus. “… None of our players’ heads should be down. They should have their head up. Obviously it’s been a long month, there’s some lessons we’ve learned. We’re excited to start conference play on Saturday against Fresno.”

Saturday’s upcoming home game against Fresno State has significance for a few reasons for the Cougs. Not only is it WSU’s first conference game in the revamped Pac-12, but the Prosser-bred Moore will be facing the program where he spent his longest tenure so far as a coach. Moore joined Fresno State’s coaching staff as wide receivers coach in 2017, and over his six years with the Bulldogs he graduated to taking on passing game coordinator and eventually offensive coordinator duties.

“There’s been a lot of turnover, but I was fortunate there to learn a ton,” Moore said. “Someone’s got to take a chance on you, and that was my first position job was working for (then head coach) Jeff Tedford there in 2017. Kalen DeBoer was our offensive coordinator and then staying with Kalen, so a good six years there. Learned a ton of offensive football and just running the program. And they’ve got a ton of tradition there. They’ve won a lot of championships so it’s gonna be a very competitive game on Saturday.”

Going into conference play, Moore said he and his team aren’t straying away from what is directly in front of them.

“It’s about the right now. We can talk about goals and all those things – it’s about Fresno State. … There’s a great opportunity there Saturday night to establish what we wanna be in the Pac-12 conference.”

Catch the WSU Cougars radio broadcast of Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. game on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports app beginning at 4:30 with the pregame show.

Cougs Weekly with WSU Cougars head coach Kirby Moore and former WSU wide receiver Michael Bumpus airs at 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.

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