bowl game
bowl game at Wazzu is a file of 3 stories. The newest of them: “The Cougs are playing for pride this week, not a bowl bid”, “Why one Coug keeps catching passes through a 1-7 season”, and “Eshelman looks sharp but Cougs still chasing the Pac-12 pack”. Another road game, another uphill climb. Trey Leckner has 12 catches for 98 yards this season. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every bowl game story on Wazzu, newest first.
The Cougs are playing for pride this week, not a bowl bid
Another road game, another uphill climb. The Cougs are playing for pride this week, not a bowl bid, and that's the kind of honest assessment this season deserves. Coach Kirby Moore's debut year has been a grind, and the numbers back it up: 0-4 on the road, a leaky offensive line, and a running game that can't get traction. The defense has dropped six interceptions, tied for the most in the country, and managed only eight sacks. That's not a recipe for a turnaround. San Diego State is beatable on paper. Their defense ranks near the bottom in several categories, and they're starting a backup QB making his second start. But the Aztecs are sharp at home, and the Cougs haven't shown they can cash in on those opportunities. You can squint and see a win. The rest of us see a 34-24 loss. The Cougs get a bye after this one, and they'll need it. Nine straight games is a slog, especially when the breaks aren't falling your way. For the seniors playing their last road game, that stings. If you want to read about a bright spot, check out our story on Trey Leckner's foot healing up and his impact not missing a beat. That's the kind of fight this team has, even when the scoreboard doesn't show it. Go Cougs.
Why one Coug keeps catching passes through a 1-7 season
Trey Leckner has 12 catches for 98 yards this season. That matters because he missed the first four games, and because the Cougs are 1-7. Most guys would check out. Leckner is not most guys. He redshirted in 2023, started climbing in 2024, and earned the starting tight end job in 2025. Then he got hurt. Now he's back, catching fourth-down conversions against Boise State, and talking about playing for the seniors. That's the part that hits. This team has 14 seniors. Keith Brown has played 482 snaps this season, 12th most among all linebackers in the country. He's playing his sixth year. Matyus McLain and Jamarey Smith both said the same thing Monday: they're playing for those guys. Not for a bowl game. Not for the noise outside the building. For each other. The Cougs have lost five straight since beating Duquesne. They've switched quarterbacks. They've switched play-callers. None of it has fixed the scoreboard. But Leckner says the will to win is still there, and that building momentum for next year matters. That's a hard thing to sell in a 1-7 season. But watching Leckner run routes like he's got something to prove, it's easier to believe. If you want the full picture of where this team's head is at, read our preview of the San Diego State trip: "Five-game skid meets the road: Cougs chase first FBS win at SDSU." It sets the table for what comes next. Go Cougs.
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Eshelman looks sharp but Cougs still chasing the Pac-12 pack
Owen Eshelman looks the part. He stands in the pocket, looks downfield, and will take a hit to deliver a third-and-long throw. But after two starts against the best the Pac-12 has to offer, the Cougs are still stuck chasing the pack. Saturday's 31-10 loss to No. 21 Boise State was another game that got away, tied at 10 entering the fourth quarter, then undone by a costly interception. It would be easy to blame the quarterback. Eshelman threw no touchdowns, one pick, and took four sacks. But the issues run deeper. The offensive line is getting flat-out whipped. When your running backs combine for 20 yards on 10 carries, it doesn't matter how patient your QB is. Eshelman completed just 21 of 40 passes while under constant duress. Still, there was something there. A 10-yard scramble on third down. Four-of-five on fourth-down conversions. WSU actually held the ball longer than Boise State, the nation's No. 1 time-of-possession team. It was chaotic, not clean, but chaos at least creates the possibility of a big play. Head coach Kirby Moore says nobody's quitting. With four games left and no bowl to chase, the Cougs need to show improvement, not just spirit. For a deeper look at how one bad snap turned a close game into a lopsided loss, check out "One bad snap cost the Cougs a chance at an upset in Boise." Go Cougs.