WSU defense shined in today’s Crimson & Grey game, winning both “halves” of the uniquely formatted contest.

On the first possession of the day, WSU moved the ball down the field confidently with a balanced attack on the ground and through the air. Pinnick, who started the first series, displayed elite scrambling ability but didn’t see anything downfield. His one longer attempt on the first drive went into double coverage, was tipped, and easily could have been intercepted. Jack Stevens nailed a 43-yarder after a Kaden Beatty sack on 3rd and 6. The defense stood tall on 3rd down.

Duggar took the second possession with the #2s, and it was a little choppy. He did look more confident moving the ball down the field.

Eshlemen took the third series and almost hit a deep shot to Daniel Blood down the left sideline, but just slightly overthrew him. But of note: this meant he was playing with the #1s.

The WSU defensive line is getting a solid push up front, with some TFLs and consistent pressure in the backfield—even though the QBs aren’t live. After one quarter, the defense led 9–3, as they are awarded points per stop.

Duggar led the offense down the field with a combination of short throws and his elite running ability, but they eventually sputtered, settling for Jack Stevens’ second field goal of the day. Duggar looks more confident with intermediate throws than he did in the fall, but he still isn’t attempting much downfield.

The first touchdown of the day came on a 44-yard bomb from Caden Pinnick, as Branden Gannashamoorthy broke free and caught the ball in stride. It was a defensive breakdown, but still nice to see some explosiveness from the offense.

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.