Despite another chaotic December, Cougars hoping to mash Aggies in Idaho Potato Bowl

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Dec. 21—Washington State defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit kept his message brief in the Cougars' team meeting shortly after head coach Jimmy Rogers' abrupt departure for Iowa State in early December.

Bobbit was following Rogers to Ames, Iowa, but he first decided to step up as the Cougars' interim head coach through WSU's participation in Monday's Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise.

"Biggest thing I had to say was 'I look forward to finishing this out on the right note and being here for you guys and giving you my best,' and then the seniors took over from there," Bobbit said. "They stood up 'Coach, I want to talk; Coach, I want to talk,' and the room erupted. There was a spirit and a fight that started from literally the instant that this came together."

WSU will face soon-to-be Pac-12 Conference foe Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at 11 a.m. Pacific time (noon Mountain time) on Monday at Boise State's blue-turfed Albertsons Stadium.

The venue fittingly sets the stage for a handoff of the Cougar football keys from Rogers' protege, Bobbit, to the Cougars' 36th head coach Kirby Moore, a Prosser, Wash., native who grew up rooting for the Cougs but followed his brother, Kellen, to Boise State and graced the Smurf-turf during a five-year college career.

The Cougars' new coach is in Boise this weekend, but won't don a headset until the new year as Bobbit and the Cougars finish their 2025 campaign.

"There is an incredible spirit within the team," Bobbit said. "There's music playing, the guys are enjoying it, they're rallying behind the message of 'We're doing this to finish the season with this group.'"

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Finding joy in a difficult time

Bobbit confirmed earlier in the week that he would be following Rogers to Iowa State after WSU's bowl game to serve as the Cyclones' defensive coordinator.

The former WSU graduate assistant said it was an emotional decision for him to leave a place that has hosted several significant moments in his life, but that the opportunity to work at ISU was too great to pass up.

Despite losing their head coach to a Power Four school for the second time in as many seasons, the Cougars are by and large staying together to finish what they started.

It's a familiar position for senior quarterback Zevi Eckhaus, whose legacy with Cougar football truly transformed into what it is today when he was named the starter for WSU's Holiday Bowl game vs. Syracuse at the end of last season.

"Unfortunately, there have been certain things that have been thrown at us," Eckhaus said. "Every single time I feel like this community, this organization, the people around have found a way to stick together. That's why you go around the world and you hear 'Go Cougs,' no matter where you're at."

The Potato Bowl is not only the Cougars' final game together — for the seniors, it's also the last game of their collegiate careers.

"To be able to do what I set out to achieve over a year ago, it means a lot to me," Eckhaus said. "Everything that these guys have been through, to be able to finish on the right foot. I think we deserve it. I think these guys have worked for it, making sure that we're finishing the right way."

For every senior, the final game of their careers is a bittersweet reality.

"I'm trying to make the most out of every moment with these guys," right tackle Christian Hilborn said. "I love this team, so it's hard saying bye."

Other seniors like safety Cale Reeder and wide receiver Josh Meredith said that the weight of that reality has not set in yet.

"I try not to think about it too much, but it's hard not to," Meredith said. "I haven't cried or shed a tear yet, but I'm sure after that game there might be some floodgates."

Cougs ponder their futures

Some Cougs, such as sophomore center Kyle Martin, who said "I'm a Coug" in a post-practice news conference this week, have committed to WSU beyond the bowl game.

Others have a lot to figure out as a new coaching staff arrives to ring in a new era of Cougar football in the revamped Pac-12 Conference, which will feature Moore's alma mater Boise State, Oregon State, the Cougars' Potato Bowl opponent, Utah State and others.

As of Saturday night, there are 15 Cougs in the transfer portal, including nine key contributors.

Some Cougs who reportedly intend to enter the portal, such as linebacker Keith Brown and defensive tackle Max Baloun, are not in playing shape, Bobbit said.

Others, such as running back Kirby Vorhees, wide receiver Carter Pabst and cornerback Kenny Worthy III, have elected not to play in the bowl game, Bobbit said.

However, a number of Cougs who intend to enter the portal, including redshirt freshman linebacker Anthony Palano and junior wide receiver Tony Freeman, made the trip to Boise and will play on Monday.

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Scouting the Aggies

Utah State, led by first-year coach Bronco Mendenhall, went 6-6 overall.

The Aggies suffered a pair of 20-plus-point losses to then-No. 19 Texas A&M and No. 18 Vanderbilt, while claiming wins over Mountain West teams Air Force, San Jose State, Nevada and Fresno State.

Utah State lost a heartbreaker to Boise State, 25-24, to end its regular season.

Senior quarterback Bryson Barnes led the Aggies with a 60% completion percentage for 2,687 passing yards, with 18 touchdowns and four interceptions.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Milford, Utah, native, is not afraid to make plays with his legs either. In fact, he is the Aggies' leading rusher with a team-best 176 carries for 733 yards and nine touchdowns on the season.

"He's kind of reckless — in a good way," Bobbit said of Barnes. "He's out there, not acting like a quarterback, he's lowering his shoulder and trying to make plays happen."

USU will play without its top wide receiver, Braden Pegan, who opted out of the game and announced his intention to enter the transfer portal after making 60 catches for 926 yards.

Brady Boyd was USU's No. 2 option, with 42 catches for 644 yards, while the Aggies' two top running backs and top tight end have accounted for 717 yards through the air.

"They're a talented offense, but also a tough scheme," Bobbit said. "We've got to be able to attach to routes and execute and do our job and not try to do someone else's job or do too much and if we can just execute, communicate, get aligned, we should have success."

USU's defense allowed 28.3 points and 424.4 yards per game this year. WSU enters the contest with the superior defensive unit, with 20.2 points and 303.3 yards allowed per game.

However, Eckhaus is not taking the Aggies for granted. Sportsbooks give the Aggies the slight edge.

"You don't make a bowl game by luck," Eckhaus said. "They're a good football team and they deserve our best."

Can the Cougars win?

Unlike the last three WSU bowl games, the Cougars have arrived in Boise with a decent projected chance to win thanks to a senior-heavy roster and a number of starters who plan to play, despite already declaring their intentions to enter the transfer portal.

The Cougars are 0-4 in bowl games since 2019, having last hoisted a postseason trophy in 2018 when the late Mike Leach, quarterback Gardner Minshew and the Cougs beat Iowa State in the Alamo Bowl.

WSU will have its starting quarterback, starting offensive linemen, four of its top five receivers, a running back rotation that features Angel Johnson, Maxwell Woods and Leo Pulalasi and all but one starter from a defense that ranked 18th in the nation in total defense in 2025.

"I think that we owe it to each other and to ourselves to give everything that we have and leave it all out there and at least be able to look in the mirror that next day, Tuesday morning and say, 'You know, I gave it everything that I had and I think that's the only thing that really matters,'" Eckhaus said. "And you know, life goes on after that."

The basics

What: WSU (6-6) vs. Utah State (6-6)

Where: Albertson's Stadium, Boise, Idaho

When: 11 a.m. Pacific time, Monday

TV: ESPN

Radio: KHTR-FM (104.3), KCLX-AM (1450)

Spread: Utah State -1.5 (Fanduel)

Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2268, staylor@lmtribune.com, or on X or Instagram @Sam_C_Taylor.

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