Tag: Washington State

Washington State dismantles Utah State in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Zevi Eckhaus passed for 334 yards and three touchdowns to help Washington State record a 34-21 victory over Utah State on Monday afternoon in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at Boise, Idaho.

Eckhaus completed 26 of 44 passes and was intercepted three times for the Cougars (7-6), who won for the third time in the past four games. Mackenzie Alleyne, Hudson Cedarland and Landon Wright caught scoring passes, Julian Dugger rushed for a touchdown and Joshua Meredith, who was named the Potato Bowl MVP, had eight receptions for 84 yards.

Defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit served as Cougars interim coach for the bowl game and received the celebratory “fry bath” as the final seconds ticked off.

Bobbit coached after Jimmy Rogers departed to become head coach at Iowa State. Bobbit also will exit to be Rogers’ defensive coordinator with the Cyclones.

Utah State’s Brandon Barnes completed 9 of 21 passes for 116 yards and one interception and added a rushing score for the Aggies (6-7), who lost their second straight game. Barnes sustained a concussion on a running play with 11:58 left in the game and missed the rest of the contest.

Jacob Conover entered and threw touchdowns passes to Brady Boyd and Javen Jacobs for the Aggies.

Ike Larsen, Dylan Tucker and Gio Kafentzis had interceptions for Utah State, which fell to 1-5 in Potato Bowls.

Matthew Durrance had an interception as the Cougars won their first bowl game since the 2018 Alamo Bowl during Mike Leach’s reign as coach. Maxwell Woods rushed for 114 yards on nine carries and added 35 yards on three receptions.

Washington State led 20-0 and was driving before Kafentzis intercepted Eckhaus. The Aggies then drove 60 yards on five plays with Barnes scoring on a 2-yard keeper to get Utah State on the board with 2:27 left in the third quarter.

The Cougars responded as Wright beat double coverage to haul in a 39-yard touchdown pass from Eckhaus to make it 27-7 with 14:11 remaining in the game.

Barnes was injured on the next drive as he gained 9 yards and was involved in a fierce head-to-head collision with Washington State’s Cale Reeder. He was helped off the field and ruled out a short time later.

Conover completed the drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Boyd to pull the Aggies within 13 with 10:09 left.

Dugger, the Cougars backup quarterback for the bowl game, scored on a 34-yard run to make it 34-14 with 4:06 remaining. Conover answered with a 26-yard scoring pass to Jacobs with 1:48 to play.

Eckhaus threw two touchdown passes as Washington State dominated the first half and led 14-0 at the break. The Cougars outgained the Aggies 242-49 in the half.

The Cougars struck first as Eckhaus connected with Alleyne on a 41-yard scoring pass with 7:08 left in the opening quarter.

Washington State increased its lead to 14 when Eckhaus threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Cedarland.

Jack Stevens kicked field goals of 23 and 25 yards in the third quarter to boost the Washington State lead to 20.

Washington State outgained Utah State 628-254.

–Field Level Media

In midst of change, Washington State battles Utah State in Potato Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Washington State and Utah State get a head start on their upcoming future as conference mates when they square off Monday afternoon in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at Boise, Idaho.

Utah State is exiting the Mountain West and will join the Cougars in the reconfigured Pac-12. The two teams will be meeting regularly moving forward.

Both teams went 6-6 in the regular season. Washington State has won three of the previous five matchups against the Aggies, including a 49-28 home victory last season.

“I’m really excited about the game,” Utah State coach Bronco Mendenhall said of the Potato Bowl. “The regional flavor of the game, I think, is really good for not only Utah State, but also Washington State. I like the matchup. I think there’s a lot of intrigue. I think it’s two really good football teams that are motivated.”

The Cougars are in a midst of a coaching transition after one-year head coach Jimmy Rogers departed to become the head man at Iowa State. Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore has been hired as next season’s coach.

Defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit will serve as interim coach for the bowl game and then depart to become Rogers’ defensive coordinator with the Cyclones.

Bobbit said he attitudes of the players have been good despite the coaching upheaval.

“There’s been a really good energy,” Bobbit said after a recent practice. “I talked about the team being spirited the last time we talked. And there’s been a little bit of a lull at certain times. … Guys were getting after it, competing in a two-minute drill early on, some pass rush stuff.”

Bobbit followed Rogers to Washington State from South Dakota State after the latter served for two seasons as the Jackrabbits’ head coach.

One player who followed the pair to Pullman is safety Matthew Durrance, who has 55 tackles and one forced fumble this season.

“We’re trying to finish it out the right way,” Durrance said. “We want to go with a win. It’s been a crazy year. I feel we put all this to bed with a win and go out the right way.”

The Cougars finished the regular season with a 32-8 thumping of visiting Oregon State.

Utah State fell 25-24 to visiting Boise State in its last game. The Aggies let an 11-point, third-quarter lead get away.

Utah State is making its sixth visit to the bowl on the Blue Turf but the Aggies lost four of the other five.

Quarterback Bryson Barnes has stood out for Utah State. He has passed for 2,687 yards and 18 touchdowns against just four interceptions while also leading the squad with 733 rushing yards and setting a school record for quarterbacks with nine scores on the ground.

“There is a certain style that I play and obviously people don’t want to see their quarterback taking those types of hits,” Barnes said. “But there is not a fiber in my being that doesn’t want to go out there and give every last thing I’ve got.”

Star defensive back Noah Avinger (84 tackles, team-best three interceptions) has started six games at cornerback and six at safety. Avinger and linebacker John Miller (team highs of 109 tackles and 7.5 sacks) are the leaders of the Utah State defense.

The Cougars are playing in their 20th bowl game and ninth in the past 10 full seasons.

Washington State quarterback Zevi Eckhaus will be starting his 10th straight game. He has passed for 1,760 yards and 12 touchdowns against nine interceptions. He is the lone experienced QB on the roster after season-opening starter Jaxon Potter said earlier this month that he will enter the transfer portal.

Defensive end Isaac Terrell spearheads the Cougars’ defense with a team-high 12 tackles for loss, including a team-best seven sacks.

–Field Level Media

Reports: Washington State to hire Missouri OC Kirby Moore as coach

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Washington State is working to wrap up a deal to hire Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore as its new head coach, according to multiple reports.

Moore, 35, spent the past three seasons with Missouri. He will be taking over a program that is entering a new era in the rebuilt Pac-12.

Moore is the younger brother of New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore. Kirby Moore played at Boise State (2009-13) with his brother, who went 50-3 as a college starting quarterback.

Kirby Moore was spotted Wednesday arriving at the airport located between Pullman, Wash., and Moscow, Idaho, according to the Spokesman-Review of Spokane.

Moore would replace Jimmy Rogers, who went 6-6 in one season with the Cougars before recently leaving to become the Iowa State head coach.

Moore began his coaching career at the College of Idaho in 2014. Among other stints, Moore served under Chris Petersen (his coach at Boise State) at Washington and now-Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer at Fresno State.

Moore is from Prosser, Wash., located 167 miles from Pullman.

–Field Level Media

Iowa State tabs Washington State’s Jimmy Rogers as next head coach

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Iowa State announced the hire of Jimmy Rogers as its next head coach Friday evening to replace Matt Campbell, who is reportedly heading to Penn State.

Rogers, 38, just concluded his first season at Washington State, leading the Cougars to a 6-6 record and the program’s second consecutive bowl appearance.

“Jimmy Rogers is a rising star in college athletics who has very strong ties to the Midwest both as a player and as a coach,” Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said in a school news release. “He has been on my short-list ever since the first time I met him. He immediately impressed me with his interest in Iowa State University and told me during our first visit several years ago that he wanted to be the next head coach at Iowa State.

“Since our initial meeting, I have stayed in close contact with him and have been very impressed with his work ethic and understanding of what it takes to be successful at Iowa State. He is a proven winner who has demonstrated throughout his career that he will fit our culture.”

Rogers previously spent the 2023-24 seasons as head coach at FCS South Dakota State, his alma mater where he received an internal promotion from defensive coordinator. In his first season as a head coach, he led the Jackrabbits to their second consecutive FCS championship.

Rogers has a 33-9 record over three seasons as a head coach.

“My family and I are excited to be joining the Iowa State University community and the Cyclone football program,” Rogers said in a school news release. “Iowa State has been one of the nation’s top programs for the last decade and we look forward to building upon its upward trajectory. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity that Jamie Pollard has given me to lead the Cyclones.

“From the administration, to the alumni and current student-athletes, this University has everything needed to compete at the highest level in college football. I am honored to be given this opportunity and responsibility and cannot wait to get started!”

Rogers agreed to a six-year team, the school announced. Annual salary terms were not disclosed.

He has big shoes to fill, replacing Campbell, who hasn’t officially been announced yet as Penn State’s next coach.

Campbell leaves Iowa State after 10 seasons, having led the Cyclones to a 72-55 record — a .567 win percentage that is the best by a coach in modern program history — and eight bowls after Iowa State made eight total bowls in the 37 years before his arrival.

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) passes the ball against the Washington State Cougars during the first half at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Late safety lifts No. 18 Virginia over Washington State for fifth straight win

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No. 18 Virginia erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and took its only lead on a safety with 2:41 left for a 22-20 victory over Washington State on Saturday night in Charlottesville, Va.

The Cavaliers (6-1) won their fifth consecutive game and became bowl eligible for the first time since 2021 with the dramatic win in the school’s 100th homecoming game.

It was the first meeting with the Cougars (3-4), who took a 20-10 lead into the fourth quarter before the Cavaliers launched the rally with a 97-yard drive, capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by Harrison Waylee with 9:45 to play.

Ja’son Prevard intercepted Zevi Eckhaus to set up Will Bettridge’s game-tying 34-yard field goal for Virginia with 2:55 remaining.

Kam Robinson and Hunter Osborne tackled Washington State running back Kirby Vorhees in the end zone for the decisive safety.

Chandler Morris passed for 179 yards as the Cavaliers improved to 5-0 at home. Jahmal Edrine caught five passes for 102 yards, and Cam Ross added a touchdown run.

Eckhaus threw for 183 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions and also ran for a score. Joshua Meredith had seven receptions for 108 yards and a TD.

The six victories are the most in a season for Virginia under fourth-year head coach Tony Elliott.

The winning streak is the Cavaliers’ longest since 2007, which was also the last time they were 6-1.

Eckhaus was 5 for 5 on his first drive, finding Meredith in the end zone from 32 yards out for an early 7-0 lead.

The Cavaliers countered, leveling the score at 7-7 on a 19-yard run by Ross with 4:48 left in the first quarter.

Eckhaus punched it in from the 1 to put Washington State back on top 14-7 midway through the second quarter.

The lead reached double figures at 17-7 on Jack Stevens’ 37-yard field goal 35 seconds before intermission.

The Cougars took a 20-10 lead into the fourth quarter after the teams traded field goals in the third.

–Field Level Media

Oct 4, 2025; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott celebrates with defensive lineman Jacob Holmes (23) during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium. Virginia defeated Louisville 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

Washington State challenges No. 18 Virginia’s high-scoring offense

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Washington State will attempt to slow down No. 18 Virginia when the programs meet for the first time on Saturday night in Charlottesville, Va.

The Cavaliers (5-1) are riding a four-game winning streak and have scored at least 30 points in every game, winning their last two in overtime before a bye last weekend.

Virginia has scored 258 points through six games and needs only two touchdowns and two extra points to match last season’s total of 272 points in 12 games.

After flying over 2,000 miles and losing a tough one last weekend at then-No. 4 Ole Miss, the Cougars (3-3) earned 2,500 more frequent-flier miles this week and have another chance to defeat a ranked team.

The Washington State defense allowed 439 yards against the Rebels, marking the third time an opponent has racked up more than 400 yards this season.

Virginia was held to a season-low 237 yards in a 30-27 OT win at Louisville in its most recent game on Oct. 4, but the Cavaliers are still averaging 489.2 yards (11th nationally) and 43 points (eighth) per game.

“Obviously, we have another challenge this week, a really good Virginia team that has weapons all over the field,” first-year Cougars coach Jimmy Rogers said Monday. “Really explosive on the perimeter, great running back, great quarterback. This week will be a challenge just as much as last week and we’ve got to come out and play hard and clean up some of the things that we didn’t execute as well last week to have a shot in this game.”

After allowing 59 points in consecutive losses to North Texas (Sept. 13) and rival Washington (Sept. 20), Washington State has surrendered only 27 points total in its last two games.

During that turnaround, Rogers said he has gone from wondering “do we have a clue of what’s going on” to thinking “we’re understanding the coaching and it’s getting better.”

“It’s going to be a battle of who can play the hardest, but at the same time, who can play sound and under control,” Cavaliers coach Tony Elliott said Tuesday. “That’s going to be the challenge.”

“We’re going to have to play a very physical brand of football this week,” Elliott added. “We’re going to have to play sound. We can’t make mistakes, and we’ve just got to match their energy if not exceed it.”

A sixth win on Saturday would be the most in a season for Virginia since Elliott took over in 2022.

Chandler Morris has passed for 1,428 yards with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions to lead the Cavaliers. J’Mari Taylor has rushed for 465 yards and eight TDs and Trell Harris has a team-high 384 yards on 26 receptions.

Zevi Eckhaus has posted three straight games with two touchdown passes since replacing Jaxon Potter under center for the Cougars. Kirby Vorhees leads the team with 244 rushing yards and Tony Freeman has 30 grabs for 304 yards.

Virginia is 4-0 this season at Scott Stadium. Washington is seeking its first road victory against a Top 25 team since a 17-14 win at No. 19 Wisconsin in 2022.

The teams are scheduled to meet again in 2031 in Pullman, Wash.

–Field Level Media

Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) and quarterback Austin Simmons (13) celebrate after a college football game between Ole Miss and LSU at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. Ole Miss defeated LSU 24-19.

No. 4 Ole Miss puts 5-0 start on line vs. Washington State

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Ole Miss has risen to No. 4 in the AP poll.

The Rebels (5-0) are one of five teams undefeated in SEC play, but they’re the only one with three conference wins.

Head coach Lane Kiffin doesn’t want his players to lose their edge as they venture out of conference play to meet Washington State (3-2) on Saturday morning in Oxford, Miss. Judging by the betting lines, the Cougars are expected to lose by more than 30 points.

“In college football, you have to come to play every week,” Kiffin said. “We’ll challenge them to not listen to the noise.”

After Saturday, Ole Miss will play five of its last six games against SEC opponents, including road games against No. 10 Georgia and No. 6 Oklahoma the next two weeks.

“We’ll worry about those other ones later,” Kiffin said.

Kiffin said starting quarterback Austin Simmons “is getting closer to 100 percent” after suffering an ankle injury in Week 2. But the coach has no need to rush Simmons back because of how well Trinidad Chambliss has played in his absence.

“We have two great starting quarterbacks,” Kiffin said, “two better than the one for most teams.”

Chambliss, a senior transfer from Division II Ferris State, has stacked up at least 300 passing yards and 50 rushing yards in each of his three starts. He was named the AP National Player of the Week last Monday after producing 385 yards of total offense and a touchdown pass while leading a 24-19 victory against then-No. 4 LSU before the Rebels entered an open date.

“Trinidad is a great story and an inspiration to kids from smaller schools, even lower-class-level high schools,” Kiffin said. “It’s really awesome.”

Ole Miss’ defense has shown dramatic improvement the last two games. After allowing 526 yards to Arkansas in a 41-35 victory four weeks ago, the Rebels held previously undefeated Tulane to 282 in a 45-10 win and LSU to 254.

Kiffin said the improvement has happened since the defense had “a hard meeting” the day after the game against Arkansas.

Washington State, which also comes off an open date, has played good defense in its three victories — holding Idaho, San Diego State and Colorado State to a combined 26 points. But the Cougars allowed 59 points in each of their losses, falling to North Texas by 49 points and Washington by 35.

Visiting Kiffin’s team will be, by far, their biggest challenge to date.

“These environments are what you live for as a coach,” said Washington State head coach Jimmy Rogers. “This is the pinnacle of the sport. You’re playing the No. 4 team in the country with a really great program and a great coach that has a lineage of success throughout his career.”

Rogers is in his first season with the Cougars after two seasons as head coach at FCS South Dakota State.

“Our guys are going to have to come out and play hard and play for 60 minutes and be locked into the game and not get caught up in the emotion of where they’re at or what the score is or how many fans are there,” Rogers said.

–Field Level Media

Sep 6, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) poses against the UC Davis Aggies during the third quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Washington State undecided on QB1 for Apple Cup vs. Washington

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It’s generally not a good sign when your school reaches its rivalry week and isn’t sure who will start at quarterback.

But that’s the situation Washington State coach Jimmy Rogers finds himself in heading into his first Apple Cup against visiting Washington (2-0) on Saturday in Pullman, Wash.

Rogers said he’s prepared to re-evaluate the position after third-year sophomore Jaxon Potter was benched at halftime of a 59-10 loss at North Texas last weekend after going 16 of 23 for 139 yards with three interceptions. Potter started each of the Cougars’ first three games of the season.

“If we don’t open this and make it competitive, what does it say to the team?” Rogers said. “We’re looking for answers right now, and we’re looking for a competitive depth, and we’re looking for guys that want to continue to grow. It’s not just at the quarterback position.”

Redshirt freshman Julian Dugger and fifth-year senior Zevi Eckhaus are expected to compete for the starting QB job in practice this week.

The Cougars (2-1) needed a last-second field goal to beat Idaho of the Football Championship Subdivision 13-10 in the season opener before a 36-13 homecoming victory against San Diego State.

The Huskies, who are coming off a bye, have no such problem. Sophomore Demond Williams Jr. has completed 34 of 49 passes for 480 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. He has also rushed for 132 yards and a score.

Washington’s Jonah Coleman tied a modern-day school record five rushing touchdowns in a 70-10 victory against FCS powerhouse UC Davis on Sept. 6. Coleman has 288 yards rushing and seven scores through two games.

The Cougars won the rivalry game 24-19 last year in a game played at Lumen Field in Seattle, the home of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.

Washington leads the all-time series 76-33-6.

“It’s good to be back at it,” Huskies coach Jedd Fisch said of returning from the bye. “We’re looking forward to this week. Our team is really focused on getting the (Apple Cup) trophy back here in Seattle and we’ll do everything we possibly can to get that done. All of our energy, all of our passion, is on the Apple Cup.”

–Field Level Media

Washington State Cougars quarterback Zevi Eckhaus (4) walks through smoke before the game against the Washington Huskies at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Wazzu delays naming QB1 until game day

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Four quarterbacks engaged in a competition to start for Washington State are still fighting it out, leaving head coach Jimmy Rogers to declare he won’t name his QB1 until the season opener on Aug. 30.

The Cougars open with Idaho and staged a four-way battle for the starting quarterback job after John Mateer transferred to Oklahoma. Mateer was the replacement for Cam Ward, who went to Miami and became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft.

Rogers is making no guarantees about extending the streak of breakout passers but promised tight lips for the next two weeks as the Cougars sort out their depth chart.

“You guys won’t know so, I’ll never tell you. You’re gonna see it on game day,” he said. “There’s a battle continuing to happen. Proud of the guys as far as their maturity and how they handled it and we’ll see how it shapes.”

Returning senior Zevi Eckhaus started in Mateer’s place in the Holiday Bowl and has been credited with better conditioning by Rogers.

in the Holiday Bowl start, Eckhaus and the Cougars lost to Syracuse 52-35. He completed 31 of 43 passes for 363 yards with three TD passes and two picks, and opened the shootout with a touchdown run.

Jaxon Potter, a redshirt sophomore in his third season in the program, and redshirt freshman Julian Dugger are considered the closest competition for Eckhaus, who is the most experienced.

Potter attempted only two passes last season. Dugger transferred from Pitt, where he appeared in just one game and completed 7 of 13 passes and rushed for 88 yards in a six-overtime loss to Toledo in the GameAbove Sports Bowl.

Eckhaus said he’s confident he’ll be the starter.

“I don’t think you can ever stop finding ways to be a better leader. I think that’s what separates me,” he told 4 News this week.

Sophomore Ajani Sheppard transferred from Rutgers and has been less involved in live team drills.

–Field Level Media

Oregon State head coach Trent Bray watches his team compete during the Oregon State Spring Game at Reser Stadium on Saturday, April 19, 2025, in Corvallis, Ore.

Pac-12 inks TV deals for Oregon St., Wazzu home games

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Oregon State and Washington State home football games will be back on The CW this coming season, with CBS and ESPN also in the mix, as part of a media rights deal the Pac-12 Conference signed with the three networks.

The Pac-12 made the deals with an eye toward the 2026 season, when the league will add five current members of the Mountain West Conference — Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State, Colorado State and Boise State — along with Gonzaga from the West Coast Conference.

Gonzaga does not have a football program, so to qualify for the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the Pac-12 will need to bring in at least one additional full-time member with a football program.

The CW will handle nine games while ESPN and CBS (along with Paramount+) will get two games apiece. In 2024, The CW broadcast nine games, with the other four shown on Fox.

In Week 2 on Sept. 6, The CW will showcase previews of the new Pac-12 with Washington State hosting San Diego State and Fresno State visiting Oregon State. Washington State and Oregon State will meet in a home-and-home series in November.

ESPN will broadcast Cal at Oregon State on Aug. 30 and Houston at Oregon State on Sept. 26. CBS has the Apple Cup on Sept. 20 featuring Washington State at Washington and Washington State at Oregon State on Nov. 1.

Financial terms were not disclosed for the deal.

Despite having just two schools in the conference in 2024, Pac-12 football averaged 431,000 viewers over 12 telecasts last season on The CW and 1.99 million on the two Fox games.

–Field Level Media