PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State opens Pac-12 play Saturday night against Fresno State, and the matchup carries some extra meaning for a pair of Cougars.
Head coach Kirby Moore spent the 2017 season as a graduate assistant at Fresno State under then-head coach Jeff Tedford. Moore also worked alongside Kalen DeBoer, who was the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator at the time.
Fresno State was coming off a 1-11 season before Moore arrived. The Bulldogs went 10-4 in his first season there.
“Just learning from him on offense,” Moore said of his time with Tedford. “Fresno was coming off a 1-11 season. And then Jeff just instilling that belief in the players. And we ended up going 10-4 that year.”
Now, Moore will return to face his former program as WSU’s head coach.
The game is even more personal for defensive lineman Jirah Leaupepetele.
Leaupepetele transferred to Washington State from Eastern Washington and will face his younger brother, who plays for Fresno State. It will be the first time the brothers have played against each other after previously sharing the field in high school.
“As soon as the schedule came out, that’s when the smack started talking,” Leaupepetele said.
The family is expected to be in attendance Saturday night, and Leaupepetele already has a preference for which colors they should wear.
“They better be wearing 98 and crimson and gray,” he said.
Despite the family connection, Leaupepetele said the matchup will have to be treated like any other game once the Cougars take the field.
“Just got to take it as any other opponent,” he said. “Prepare the same way I would as if it was anyone else. Win my one-on-ones, win my matchups, and do what I can to help the team win. At the end of the day, he’s still my little brother.”
The Cougars enter conference play at 1-3 following Saturday’s loss to Arizona. Moore said the start of Pac-12 play gives his team a clean slate.
“It’s a clean slate,” Moore said. “Our guys are battle-tested. They’ve played great competition.”
WSU and Fresno State kick off Saturday night at 6:30 at Gesa Field.
COPYRIGHT 2026 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
