It’s been a long month for the Washington State University football program, but its players will go home for Christmas break with smiles on their faces.
The Cougars led nearly the whole game as they defeated Utah State, 34-21, Monday in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on the blue turf at Albertson Stadium in Boise. They finish the season with a 7-6 record.
Washington State scored on its second drive when quarterback Zevi Eckhaus threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to receiver Mackenzie Alleyne to take a 7-0 lead.
For the rest of the first half, the defense stuffed Utah State, even after Eckhaus threw two first quarter interceptions deep in Cougar territory. The Aggies missed a field goal, then threw an interception of their own. The Aggies went to the locker room at halftime trailing 14-0, outgained 242-49.
The second half featured more of an offensive show.
Washington State kicked two third quarter field goals to extend the lead to 20-0 before Utah State answered with a two-yard touchdown run by quarterback Bryson Barnes. Barnes was eventually knocked out of the game with an injury. His replacement, Jacob Conover, threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes.
But the Cougars answered with two of their own, Eckhaus threw a 39-yard score to receiver Landon Wright and backup quarterback Julian Dugger, who came in when Eckhaus experienced leg cramps, ran 34 yards for a touchdown.
The Cougars dominated the offensive statistics. They recorded 30 first downs to Utah State’s 13. They outgained the Aggies 628-254. Eckhaus threw for a season-high 334 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. Maxwell Woods became the Cougars’ first 100-yard rusher this season with 117 yards on only nine carries.
The Cougars finish their season with seven wins and six losses. They needed a win in their final regular season game against Oregon State in late November to secure the bowl bid.
Since then, Coach Jimmy Rogers announced he was leaving to coach Iowa State. His defensive coordinator, Jesse Bobbit, was named interim coach, even though he’s also leaving for Iowa State. A quick search led to the Cougars hiring Prosser, Washington native Kirby Moore, the offensive coordinator at Missouri, as their 36th head coach.
Moore was in Boise to watch his new team. He spent some of the game in the broadcast booth with the Cougar radio team. He’s also been assembling the staff that will coach the 2026 edition of the Cougars. The university recently announced Pullman native Trent Bray, who was fired as Oregon State’s coach earlier this season, will return to the Palouse as defensive coordinator. The search for the rest of the staff is ongoing.
In addition to assembling a staff, Moore must convince as many players as he can from the current roster to stay in Pullman, including the 28 new players who signed letters of intent earlier this month.
The Cougars will lose two dozen seniors who have no more eligibility. Several other players have announced they will enter the transfer portal when it opens on January 2.
