battle
battle at Wazzu is a file of 3 stories. The newest of them: “Boise State runs over Cougs in 31-10 loss at the Kibbie”, “Cougs and Aztecs trade goals, settle for a draw”, and “Cougs take Oregon State to the edge but can't close it out”. Boise State ran the ball down the Cougs' throats Saturday, and the final score at the Kibbie Dome, 31-10, doesn't tell the whole story, but it tells enough. A 3-3 draw against San Diego State feels like one of those games where you leave the field not sure whether to be relieved or frustrated. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every battle story on Wazzu, newest first.
Boise State runs over Cougs in 31-10 loss at the Kibbie
Boise State ran the ball down the Cougs' throats Saturday, and the final score at the Kibbie Dome, 31-10, doesn't tell the whole story, but it tells enough. This one felt like a fistfight in a phone booth. The Broncos came in with a plan and executed it. Wazzu hung around for a half, trading punches and even knotting it up at 7-7, but Boise's ground game wore the defense down. By the fourth quarter, the Cougs looked like a team that had been in the wrong weight class. Still, there are things worth holding onto. The defense didn't fold early. The offense had moments. If you want the real breakdown, without the press-club jargon, go find Kirby Moore's postgame comments in our piece "Kirby Moore breaks down the Boise State game without the coachspeak." He's honest about what worked and what didn't. But let's not pretend. A 21-point loss at home stings. The Kibbie is supposed to be where weird things happen for the Cougs. Saturday, the weird thing was a Boise State running back finding holes that shouldn't have been there. Credit where it's due: the Broncos earned this one. For the Cougs, it's back to the film room. The season isn't over, but the margin for error just got thinner. Go Cougs.
Cougs and Aztecs trade goals, settle for a draw
A 3-3 draw against San Diego State feels like one of those games where you leave the field not sure whether to be relieved or frustrated. The Cougs traded goals with the Aztecs all afternoon, and neither side blinked. That's soccer. You take the point and move on, but you also know there were chances to steal it. This is a team that keeps finding ways to stay in fights. They don't fold, even when the other side answers every push. That matters. It's not always pretty, but it's honest. If you missed our preview earlier this week, "Soccer lines up Thursday with San Diego State in an afternoon tilt", it's worth a look to see how this matchup was shaping up before the first whistle. Also worth noting: this Cougs-and-Aztecs draw lands in a week where former Cougs are making noise elsewhere. Our "Week 6 NFL check-in finds former Cougs making plays" tracks the guys still grinding in the league. And if you want to follow the ones who stayed on the pitch, "Six Cougs on MLS rosters and a few more knocking on the door" has the full roster rundown. For now, the Cougs held the line. They didn't lose. They didn't win. They settled for a draw, and sometimes that's the honest result. Go Cougs.
Cougs take Oregon State to the edge but can't close it out
Cougs took Oregon State to the wire in Corvallis, and for a minute there it looked like the magic might hold. It didn't. WSU had chances, had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead late, and just couldn't get the final stop or the final play. That one stings more than the blowouts because you know they were close enough to taste it. This team has fight. That's not a participation trophy line, it's the truth. They've been in every game this season, and they keep finding ways to make it interesting. But interesting doesn't win in the win column. The difference between "almost" and "did" is execution when it matters most, and right now the Cougs are still searching for that closing punch. If you want to see how the offense has been trending, Kirby Moore's breakdown after the Arizona loss is worth your time. He's honest, and he doesn't sugarcoat what needs to get fixed. The patterns from that game showed up again here. Pullman's not hanging its head. That's not how we do it. But this one leaves a bruise. Go Cougs.