WSU ready to decide on starting offensive line, putting focus on Christian Hilborn and Rod Tialavea

PULLMAN – Shortly after Washington State took its first loss of the season, a 45-24 setback to Boise State last weekend, John Mateer took responsibility for many of the sacks he took.

The Cougars’ quarterback explained he could have done more to avoid the sacks, particularly before the snap.

But the numbers say what they say. Mateer took seven sacks, the most WSU has yielded in a single game in three seasons. Four went against the Cougars’ offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus, which gave one to right tackle Fa’alili Fa’amoe and one apiece to Rod Tialavea and Christian Hilborn, who are splitting snaps at left guard.

That experiment will last no longer, coach Jake Dickert said Wednesday. As the Cougars work through their bye week and prepare for their Oct. 12 road test against Fresno State, they will solidify their starting five offensive linemen and make an announcement before the game, an effort to prevent the forgettable type of pass-blocking effort they endured against Boise State.

All told, the Cougars allowed 14 pressures, including 10 quarterback hurries and four sacks.

Fa’amoe has been rotating in at right tackle because injuries only allowed him to make his season debut two weeks ago. When he’s been in the game, coaches have left Tialavea in at left guard and moved Hilborn to the bench. When Fa’amoe has been out, Hilborn has played right tackle, where he’s been solid. But left guard is his most natural position.

Dickert and offensive line coach Jared Kaster are ready to find a permanent starting five, and the decision won’t involve left tackle Esa Pole, center Devin Kylany or right guard Brock Dieu. It will revolve around Tialavea and Hilborn, the latter of whom has been starting on WSU’s offensive line since the final game of the 2021 season.

Through five games, Hilborn has earned a PFF pass-blocking grade of 72.1, third best among the Cougars’ offensive linemen. He has allowed eight pressures, per PFF, which says he has six hurries, one hit and one sack. Many of those have come when he’s playing right tackle, which isn’t as natural a fit for him.

“I thought (Hilborn) did a really good job of bouncing inside,” Dickert said. “He’s elevated his game. … Even being a three-year starter, he’s taking his game to the next level, and that’s a credit to Christian and his mindset.”

Tialavea has accumulated a pass-blocking grade of 56.9, lowest among the WSU offensive linemen, second worst among all graded WSU pass-blockers for the season (which includes wide receivers, running backs). He has allowed 10 pressures, per PFF, which says he has seven hurries, one hit and two sacks.

Tialavea, a redshirt junior, was pressed into action late last season when Pole exited early from a loss to Cal with an injury. Tialavea came in and played left guard, moving Hilborn over to left tackle. Tialavea started each of the next two games of the season at left guard.

In the run-blocking department this season, Hilborn has graded out the worst of any run-blockers on the team, collecting a PFF grade of 39.1. Tialavea has earned a grade of 50.8, slightly better than Fa’amoe, who is at 50.3.