Cougars mash Aggies in Idaho Potato Bowl to end 2025 season on high note

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Dec. 23—BOISE — Tears were shed, hugs were given and potatoes rained from the sky in the moments following Washington State's first postseason win since some of the current Cougars themselves were in middle school.

For the first time since 2018, the Washington State Cougars won a bowl game, beating the Utah State Aggies — a Pac-12 team starting next year — 34-21 on Monday in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at Boise State's blue-turfed Albertsons Stadium — a Pac-12 venue as of next year.

WSU (7-6) gained 628 yards behind quarterback Zevi Eckhaus' 368 yards of total offense, and the defense pitched a first-half shutout, turning the Aggies (6-7) away in the red zone twice.

And several Cougars celebrated the sweet — or in this case salty — taste of victory by munching down as many french fries at once as they could.

After losing their head coach before a bowl game for the second time in as many seasons, the Cougars were victorious.

Interim head coach Jesse Bobbit, who in a matter of days will join former coach Jimmy Rogers at Iowa State, even took a bite of a raw potato after guiding the Cougars to the dominant victory. He also joined Potato Bowl MVP Joshua Meredith, who reeled in a career-high eight catches for 84 yards, in throwing potatoes into the hyped up Cougar football crowd during the postgame ceremony.

"Incredibly proud to be able to lead these guys, but it was them. The leadership that took control all year long, but especially in these last couple weeks, through the adversity," Bobbit said. "To see the smiles and laughter on these guys' faces is really what it's all about, and I'll be forever grateful to these guys for the impact that they've had on my life."

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An ode to the Air Raid

Free from his former boss' run-first approach, WSU offensive coordinator Danny Freund called his best game of the year.

Perhaps as an ode to this fact, Freund and the Cougars opened the game with 10 straight passes, including all nine offensive plays of the opening drive.

The approach worked as the Cougars' advanced to the Utah State 15-yard line, but came away empty handed after a rare miss from kicker Jack Stevens, who finished the game 2-for-3 on field goal attempts and was perfect through four extra point tries.

Eckhaus also returned to his high-flying passing roots. While a three-year starter at FCS Bryant, he regularly threw 30 or 40 — and at times well over 50 — passes in a game.

On Monday, the senior from Culver City, Calif., tossed a Cougar career-high 44 passes to total a season-high 334 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He also ran for 34 yards.

"I thought coach Freund did a great job just putting us in good positions," Eckhaus said. "I thought the boys did a great job regardless of if it was a touchdown, a field goal, an interception. I thought the guys kept responding well and you saw it in the success."

WSU outgained Utah State 628 to 254 on offense.

Eckhaus connected on deep touchdown passes of 41 and 39 yards to redshirt freshman wide receivers Mackenzie Alleyne and Landon Wright.

Meredith, the Cougars' leading pass-catcher and the game's MVP, made his best catch of the night shortly after Eckhaus had missed him in the end zone. With his number dialed again, the senior from San Diego leapt above his defender and brought the ball down with him for a 20-yard gain.

The MVP's play set up senior tight end Hudson Cedarland, who last year was a linebacker, to get open in the back of the end zone for the Gig Harbor, Wash., native's first career touchdown, which made it 14-0 Cougs in the second quarter.

The Aggies later turned the Cougs away on a fourth-and-1, red-zone attempt right before halftime when WSU senior running back Angel Johnson was stuffed up the middle.

While WSU left some points off the board, it ultimately did not matter as the Cougs added 20 points in the second half, capped by backup quarterback Julian Dugger's 34-yard touchdown run to put WSU up 34-14 with 4:06 left in the game.

With a stout passing attack, redshirt freshman running back Maxwell Woods broke loose for 117 yards on nine carries — the first and lone WSU running back to record a 100-yard game this season.

A defensive standard

Three of Eckhaus' 44 pass attempts found their way into enemy paws.

However, as the WSU defense had done all year, it made those mishaps merely asterisks in what was a sensational game for Eckhaus, senior linebacker Caleb Francl, senior safety Matthew Durrance and many more.

The first pick was a stroke of bad luck, as an Aggie defender tipped the ball into the hands of another defender who tipped the ball into Ike Larsen's hands for the interception.

Immediately following the turnover, Francl made the solo tackle of Utah State quarterback Bryson Barnes for no gain.

Three plays later, USU attempted a field goal and missed.

As a unique dual-threat QB, Barnes led the Aggies in rushing this season with more than 700 yards.

On Monday, Barnes passed for 116 yards and ran for 7.

The senior QB left the game in the fourth quarter after a head-on collision with a Cougar defender. Jacob Conover replaced him and tossed two touchdowns.

Francl made eight total tackles, including one tackle for loss for WSU.

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After Eckhaus' second interception on the ensuing possession, the Cougs once again clamped down and kept the Aggies off the board.

Durrance, who had not picked off a pass since last December's FCS playoffs with South Dakota State, jumped a ball in the end zone for an interception and promptly ran over to the Cougars' sideline, leapt up to the bench and bathed in the jubilant glory of Cougar nation.

For Francl, making two red-zone stops after turnovers to preserve the Cougars' two-score lead is precisely what WSU's standard is all about.

"There's a lot of older guys on that defense too that have been around for a long time," Francl said. "And when stuff like that happens, they tend to pick the younger guys up in those roles. And it's just a mentality you go out there with every drive."

Cougars finish the right way

In a matter of days, Bobbit and likely a number of other WSU assistants will be bound for Iowa State to help Rogers begin his Big 12 tenure.

But Monday was all about the Cougs.

WSU safeties coach Pete Menage served as defensive coordinator and called the defense from the booth as Bobbit patrolled the sidelines during a college game for the first time since 2022 in his capacity as interim head coach.

"The coaches, they set the foundation. As players, we have to run with it," Eckhaus said. "There are a lot of seniors on this team who wanted nothing more than to win this game. And we knew what it takes and they did a great job of exemplifying that throughout the prep and obviously on the field today."

For guys like Mereidth, who spent their whole career at Wazzu, Monday was extra sweet.

"It's almost like a perfect ending for me," Meredith said. "Been to four bowl games, didn't win one until today. So, you know, it's bittersweet. I wish I could run back with these guys another season, but I'm excited to see what comes for the future for this team."

Washington State 34, Utah St. 21

First Quarter

WSU — Alleyne 41 pass from Eckhaus (Stevens kick), 7:08.

Second Quarter

WSU — Cedarland 1 pass from Eckhaus (Stevens kick), 4:43.

Third Quarter

WSU — FG Stevens 23, 11:25.

WSU — FG Stevens 25, 7:31.

USU — Br.Barnes 2 run (Rinker kick), 2:27.

Fourth Quarter

WSU — L.Wright 39 pass from Eckhaus (Stevens kick), 14:11.

USU — Boyd 21 pass from Conover (Rinker kick), 10:09.

WSU — Dugger 34 run (Stevens kick), 4:06.

USU — Jacobs 26 pass from Conover (Rinker kick), 1:48.

A — 17,031.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING — Washington St., Woods 9-117, Dugger 4-45, Pulalasi 7-36, Eckhaus 14-34, Johnson 6-24, Freeman 1-(minus 1). Utah St., Jacobs 3-24, Conover 3-17, M.Davis 5-7, Br.Barnes 13-7, Garcia 1-6, (Team) 1-(minus 1).

PASSING — Washington St., Eckhaus 26-44-3-334, Dugger 2-3-0-39. Utah St., Br.Barnes 9-21-1-116, Conover 5-6-0-78.

RECEIVING — Washington St., Meredith 8-84, Alleyne 3-63, Woods 3-35, Freeman 3-33, Leckner 2-51, Noga 2-39, Ganashamoorthy 2-14, L.Wright 1-39, Neal 1-7, Johnson 1-6, Cedarland 1-1, Pulalasi 1-1. Utah St., Jacobs 5-46, Boyd 4-99, M.Davis 3-35, Garcia 1-10, Kaio 1-4.

MISSED FIELD GOALS — Washington St., Stevens 32. Utah St., Rinker 30.

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

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