Washington State Shuts Down Late Comeback Attempt to Defeat Utah State in Potato Bowl

The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl took place on Monday afternoon, and the Washington State Cougars powered through the Utah State Aggies en route to a 34-21 victory

Here’s everything important that happened as the Cougars buried the Aggies to take home the bowl victory.

Cougs Didn’t Let Early Mistakes Overwhelm Them

The first quarter was certainly a rollercoaster for the Cougars’ offense, with all four of their drives ending with a bang, either for better or worse. It began with a rough missed 32-yard field goal by kicker Jack Stevens, before they bounced back with a drive finishing in a 41-yard touchdown pass to receiver Mackenzie Alleyne. The offensive prowess was quickly evaporated, however, as quarterback Zevi Eckhaus proceeded to throw interceptions on each of the two next drives.

Despite these early issues, unlike at earlier points in the season, Washington State continued to push forward. They crossed the goal line once more in the first half with a one-yard TD pass to junior tight end Hudson Cedarland, which was just his second reception of the year. They started the second half with two consecutive field goals, and some more issues arose, but the Cougars came out on top.

Wazzu Defense Smelled Blood in the Water

Utah State’s offense came into the game with solid main pieces including dual-threat quarterback Bryson Barnes and running back Javen Jacobs, but an opt-out from their top receiving threat Braden Pegan and an injury to starting right tackle Trey Andersen left them vulnerable. Those weaknesses were exploited early and often by the Cougars, and the Aggies were completely neutralized.

They surrendered 21 points in the second half, but the foot was clearly taken off the gas pedal as the Wazzu offense had done their part to put the game out of reach. The Cougs’ unit finished the day with three sacks, five tackles for loss, four pass breakups, and two interceptions, putting together an impressive all-around performance.

Signs of the Future

The usual suspects made their contributions to secure the bowl win, including Eckhaus, WRs Tony Freeman and Joshua Meredith, and linebacker Buddha Peleti. However, an insurgence of youth into the Cougars’ game plan paid immediate dividends and likely gave incoming head coach Kirby Moore a sense of optimism going into 2026.

Alleyne’s 63 yards and a touchdown through the air, freshman wideout Landon Wright’s 39-yard touchdown snag, and freshman running back Maxwell Woods’ 117 rushing yards on just nine carries were a major help by some solid underclassmen. With the new coaching staff taking over for the upcoming season, and transfer portal madness right around the corner, the youth takeover definitely gave some high hopes to Wazzu fans for the immediate and long-term future.

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