Cougars
Cougars at Wazzu is a file of 91 stories. The newest of them: “WSU's secondary gets its biggest test of the season against OSU's Legree”, “The Rock Is Real WSU and OSU Make Their Rivalry Official”, and “Golf squad grabs third at Bryson with Burcham and Borgida pacing the pack”. Jesse Legree has not been held under 100 receiving yards once this fall. Noah Dunham looked confused when a reporter asked about the rivalry rock. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every Cougars story on Wazzu, newest first.
WSU's secondary gets its biggest test of the season against OSU's Legree
Jesse Legree has not been held under 100 receiving yards once this fall. Not once. That stat alone should make any Coug nervous heading into Corvallis. The freshman leads the country with 12 receiving touchdowns and has won Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors all six weeks of the season. Zero drops on 54 targets. He's the kind of problem that keeps defensive coordinators up late. WSU's secondary gets its biggest test Saturday. Cornerbacks Jalil Tucker and Khamari Terrell will likely draw the Legree assignment, and they'll need help from the pass rush. Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk will have to generate pressure on QB Braden Atkinson, but OSU's line has only given up two sacks all season. The weak spots are there: right tackle Teko Shoats has been dinged for 10 pressures, and right guard Tyler Voltin has given up two sacks. The Cougs need to find them. On offense, Owen Eshelman gets the start after Caden Pinnick's turnovers and inability to stretch the field. If Eshelman can connect early, tailbacks Maxwell Woods and Kirby Vorhees might finally get room to run. That's a big if. This is a longshot, but it's not impossible. For deeper context on how Trent Bray's defense has been building toward this, check out "Bray's defense brings the heat, and a little revenge, to Corvallis." Go Cougs.
The Rock Is Real WSU and OSU Make Their Rivalry Official
Noah Dunham looked confused when a reporter asked about the rivalry rock. That's fair. A 50-pound, two-part rock formation, half basalt and half granite, isn't the first thing you expect to play for on Saturday. But it's real. It's here. And it might be the most fitting trophy two schools could have. The rock comes from Biggs Junction, a spot halfway between Corvallis and Pullman. It's made from Missoula flood erratics, boulders carried by the same ancient floods that shaped the land under both campuses. A WSU grad named Jesse Lyon came up with the idea while sitting on his porch, thinking about what ties the Cougs and Beavs together. He landed on the floods. Then he landed on the rock. There's something right about this. The trophy isn't official yet. It won't get hoisted at midfield. It'll live in the winner's alumni association building. But it was made by an OSU geologist who isn't even a football fan, using rocks from the ground both schools share. That's not forced. That's earned. Keith Brown hadn't heard about it either. Once he did, he smiled and said what every Coug is thinking: "Let's go win the rock." For a deeper look at where these two schools stand now, read *"It hurts: Beavers rising while Cougs slide in the new Pac-12."* Go Cougs.
Golf squad grabs third at Bryson with Burcham and Borgida pacing the pack
Golf squad grabs third at Bryson with Burcham and Borgida pacing the pack. Third place at the Bandon Dunes-hosted Bandon Bryson is a solid finish, and the Cougs got there on the backs of Max Burcham and Nick Borgida. Burcham closed with a 70 to tie for sixth individually, and Borgida matched him shot for shot to finish right there alongside. That's the kind of one-two punch you need when the wind kicks up on the Oregon coast. The whole squad grinded through three rounds, and coming out third in a field that size means something. If you want the full picture of where this team's legs are at, go back and read "Cougs test the legs against the nation's best in Wisconsin." That trip showed them what elite competition looks like, and you can see the carryover here. They're not just showing up. They're learning, adjusting, and stacking results. Burcham and Borgida have been steady all fall, and this tournament was no different. The rest of the lineup held their own too. Nobody folded. That's the kind of depth that makes a spring season interesting. Go Cougs.
Cougs test the legs against the nation's best in Wisconsin
There's a certain kind of fun in finding out how far you can push yourself, and the Cougs are about to get a full lesson in that this weekend. Washington State heads to Wisconsin to test the legs against the nation's best, and it's exactly the kind of challenge that tells you what a team is made of before the season really settles in. Nobody is pretending this will be easy. The Badgers have a reputation for turning their home pool into a grind, and the Cougs are walking in with eyes open. But that's the point. You don't learn much from swimming against folks you already know you can beat. You learn when the water gets rough and the competition doesn't let up. This is a chance to see who steps up when the spotlight is brightest, and for a squad still finding its rhythm, that's valuable no matter what the scoreboard says. We've already seen flashes of what this group can do. The early work in the Head of the Snake opener set a solid tone, and the home pool slate started with a clean sweep against Seattle U, with Whitaker leading the way. Those results matter, but they were warm-ups. This is different. This is a measuring stick, and the Cougs aren't shying away from it. Win or lose, we'll know more about this team after this one. That's the fun part. Go Cougs.
Cougs split singles matches as Nakagawa and Harper pace day two
Day two in the desert was a split decision, and that's okay. The Cougs took the singles court and came away with a pair of wins, with Nakagawa and Harper doing the heaviest lifting. You love to see it when the upperclassmen steady the ship after a long weekend of tennis. It wasn't a clean sweep, and it didn't need to be. This part of the fall is about testing the legs and finding out who's got the gas tank for the long rallies. Nakagawa looked sharp, Harper looked composed, and the rest of the squad got the kind of reps you can't buy in practice. Splitting matches on day two isn't a headline, but it's a solid foundation. If you've been following along, you already know these Cougs don't shy away from a challenge. They opened the season by testing the legs against the nation's best in Wisconsin, and they carried that same grit into the Northwest Regionals. This weekend is just another chapter in the same story: get out there, swing big, and learn something. The wins are nice. The progress is better. And with a few more matches left in the tournament, there's still time to stack a couple more Ws before heading back to Pullman. Go Cougs.
Cougs set the tone early with a solid Head of the Snake opener
The Head of the Snake opener isn't just a nice way to start a tournament. It's a statement. Cougs came out and set the tone early, which is exactly what you want when the matches stretch across multiple days and the margins get thin. You don't win these regionals in one afternoon. You win them by stacking good days, and starting with that kind of punch makes everyone else in the bracket take notice. It's the kind of start that carries weight. When you're grinding through day three and day four, that early momentum is what keeps the energy up. We've already seen the payoff in the singles wins and the three straight victories that followed. This group isn't just showing up. They're competing with purpose. And it's worth noting the other big news out of Pullman right now. The football team is making a change at quarterback, turning to Owen Eshelman after six games. Different sport, same idea: sometimes you need a spark to reset the tone. The tennis team found theirs on the court. The Cougs on the gridiron are hoping Eshelman provides that same jolt. For now, the racquets are doing the talking. A solid opener sets the table. The rest of the tournament is about keeping that foot on the gas. If they keep playing like this, the deep runs will take care of themselves. Go Cougs.
Cougs stack three more wins on day four of regional play
Three wins in one day. That's how you take a regional. The Cougs stacked another three on day four, and at this point, you stop counting and start enjoying the run. The doubles squad already owns the Northwest Regionals, no qualifiers needed, as we wrote earlier, and the rest of the team is catching up fast. It's the kind of depth Pullman built on, and it's showing. You don't get days like this without everyone pulling their weight. The singles are sharp. The doubles are clinical. And the whole operation looks like a team that has been here before, even if the roster is young. That matters. We've been covering some rough patches this season, quarterback changes and losses that stung, so it's good to see the racket sports side of things reminding everyone what Cougs do best. If you missed our story on the doubles squad locking in their spot without qualifiers, go find it. It pairs well with this run. For now, it's simple: keep stacking. Keep showing up. Keep making Pullman proud. Go Cougs.
Cougs grab two singles wins in third day of Northwest Regionals
A pair of singles wins on day three of the Northwest Regionals. That's the headline from the courts, and for a Coug team that has been fighting for traction, you take the clean wins where you can find them. No drama, no drawn-out rallies, just two players finishing their matches and putting a W on the board. It's not the kind of day that fills a highlight reel, but it's the kind of day that builds a season. One point at a time. One match at a time. Elsewhere in Cougar sports this week, the big story has been the quarterback change. If you missed it, we covered Owen Eshelman taking over under center in "Cougs turn to Owen Eshelman at QB, Pinnick benched for Oregon State." That one got the town talking. And over in football, the offense hit a wall against Utah State, something we broke down in "Cougs hand Utah State a win with an offense that forgot how to finish." That one stung. But today, it's regionals. Two wins. No more, no less. A Coug can take that. Go Cougs.
Cougs turn to Owen Eshelman at QB, Pinnick benched for Oregon State
Six games, four touchdowns, one change at quarterback. That's where we're at. Kirby Moore benched Caden Pinnick on Monday and will start redshirt freshman Owen Eshelman against Oregon State. It had to happen. Pinnick threw three touchdowns against five interceptions this season. He fumbled away a turnover against Utah State. The offense ranks 133rd out of 138 FBS teams in scoring. That's not Cougar football. Eshelman is a 6-foot-3 kid from Norman, Oklahoma. He threw for 2,507 yards and 29 touchdowns as a high school senior, plus another 19 on the ground. He's only played two snaps in college, both in garbage time against Duquesne. But Moore says he's prepared like the starter for 10 months. We're about to find out if that translates. The Oregon State defense is no joke. The Beavers boast the best offense in the country, and the Cougs are still searching for their first FBS win. Moore called plays for the first time against Utah State, and it didn't go great. But there's nowhere to go but up. Pinnick couldn't throw past nine yards downfield. He took 11 QB-fault sacks, tied for most in the nation. That's not a thing you can fix midseason. Sometimes you just need a new arm. For more context on what we're walking into, check out our earlier piece: "Oregon State looms as Cougs head south still searching for first win." Go Cougs.
Cougs hand Utah State a win with an offense that forgot how to finish
Logan was not kind to the Cougs. Washington State went down to Utah State Friday night and handed them a win the Aggies barely earned themselves. WSU led 16-3 at halftime. Then the offense forgot how to finish. Kirby Moore took over playcalling from Matt Miller, and for a half it looked like something might click. Three field goals. A touchdown. 193 yards. Then the second half happened: 64 total yards, zero points, 1 of 8 on third downs. That's not just a slump. That's a collapse. Utah State didn't suddenly get good. Their quarterback completed 11 of 26 passes. They averaged 2.9 yards a carry. They looked miserable. But the Cougs gave them short fields off two turnovers, a Pinnick fumble and a Jack Pedersen fumble, and that was enough. The defense deserved better. Again. At 1-5 and 0-2 in the new Pac-12, bowl hopes are gone. Oregon State and Boise State are next. The wheels are off. Something else needs to change offensively, and if you want a deeper look at the quarterback situation, we have a piece titled "Caden Pinnick is a good dude. That doesn't fix the QB room." It's worth your time. Go Cougs.
Coug doubles squad owns the Northwest Regionals, no qualifiers needed
The Cougar doubles squad rolled through the ITA Northwest Regionals without needing a single qualifier. That is not a typo. That is a statement. You don't stumble into that kind of weekend. You earn it. And this group did, match after match, leaving no doubt who the best team in the region was. No play-in rounds. No scrambling for a spot. Just straight-up owning the bracket from the first serve. This follows a pattern we have seen all fall. The Cougs gave Colorado State everything they could handle, just not a win earlier this season, and that fight carried over. They snuck into a tie for second out in Tacoma, and that'll play. But this regional title is different. It is clean. It is decisive. It is the kind of result that makes you wonder what happens when they get a full spring schedule in front of them. Pullman does not always get the headlines in tennis. That is fine. The Cougs do not need them. They just need a court, a ball, and a chance to prove it. They proved it this weekend. Go Cougs.
Cougs gave Colorado State everything they could handle, just not a win
They don't hand out moral victories in the Mountain West, but if they did, the Cougs would have earned a framed certificate in Fort Collins. Colorado State got the win, sure, but Wazzu made them sweat for every last possession. That's not nothing. This team has a habit of showing up in the moments that look toughest on the calendar. They don't flinch. They don't fold. They just run out of clock. There's a difference between getting beat and getting outlasted, and Saturday felt like the latter. CSU made a play or two more. That's the whole story, and it stings. But here's the thing about a loss like this: it travels. It shows up in the film room on Monday. It proves the gap between "close" and "closed" is smaller than the record suggests. If the Cougs keep bringing that same edge, the close ones start tipping the other way. That's not a prediction. That's just how the math works when effort is consistent. We've got more on where this team goes from here. If you want the full picture of how the weekend shook out, check our piece on the Cougs sneaking into a tie for second out in Tacoma. Different arena, same fight. For now, take the loss, keep the lesson, and get ready for the next one. Go Cougs.
Cougs sneak into a tie for second out in Tacoma, and that'll play
Cougs snuck into a tie for second place out in Tacoma, and you know what? That'll play. It's not a trophy, but it's a seat at the table. For a program that keeps grinding through the fall without a ton of fanfare, finishing in a knot near the top of the pack is a solid return. The kind you can build on. The kind that makes you feel a little better about the work happening when nobody's watching. We've been talking about that quiet work a lot lately. If you missed it, go back and read what Kirby Moore had to say about Utah State and the stuff that actually wins games in Pullman. Same kind of energy. No flash, just execution. This weekend's results in Tacoma fit that mold. The Cougs went out, took their cuts, and ended up in a spot that matters. Second place is not first, but it's a long way from the bottom. And in a regional field packed with talent, that says something about the depth and the fight in this group. It's the kind of weekend you text your buddy about. Not a headline, but a fact. Cougs tied for second. That'll play. Go Cougs.
Cougs Take Their Swing at ITA Northwest Regionals This Weekend
Tennis is the sport you forget about until the bracket comes out and suddenly you care a whole lot. That is where we are this weekend. Cougs Take Their Swing at ITA Northwest Regionals, and it is the kind of tournament that sorts out who has the legs for the long season and who is just happy to be there. No judgment either way, but we know which side Pullman prefers. The ITA Northwest Regionals are the first real test of the fall. You get the whole conference in one room, plus a few programs that make you wonder why they are in the Northwest at all. Our Cougs are not going up there to make friends. They are going up there to stack wins and earn a name in a bracket that does not forgive slow starts. Fall tennis is quiet work. No crowds, no band. Just baseline rallies and the sound of a ball getting crushed. If you want to know what that kind of quiet work looks like in another sport, go read "Kirby Moore talks Utah State, and the quiet work that wins in Pullman." Same principle. Different field. Same Coug mentality. For now, eyes on the draws. Eyes on the singles and doubles brackets. And eyes on our people making Pullman proud in a gym that has no Cougar head at center court. Go Cougs.
Kirby Moore talks Utah State, and the quiet work that wins in Pullman
Kirby Moore doesn't raise his voice to explain what wins in Pullman. He just points to the work that doesn't make the highlight reel. Talking Utah State this week, Moore broke down the kind of quiet, repetitive stuff that turns a good Cougar team into a tough one. That's the part of the season that doesn't get a headline, but it's the part that keeps you in games when the crowd gets loud and the road gets long. It's easy to forget, in the middle of baseball midweeks and volleyball preps, that football is still grinding through its own kind of spring. Moore's approach fits Pullman. No flash. Just film, fundamentals, and the kind of patience that only makes sense if you've spent a winter in that town. He knows what Utah State brings. More importantly, he knows what his guys have to bring back. If you're the type who tracks every pitch, we've got you covered with "Cougs Hit the Road for a Pair of Midweek Ballgames in Texas." Different sport, same kind of under-the-radar work that builds a season before anyone notices. Moore would probably approve of the overlap. Go Cougs.
Cougs Take the Fight to Logan for a Friday Night Tilt
Friday night in Logan. That's the kind of trip that separates the curious from the committed, and the Cougs are packing their bags for it. A short hop over the border, a hostile crowd, and a chance to do something loud on the road. This is exactly the kind of tilt that used to define these programs, and it's good to see it back on the schedule. You don't take a Friday night game lightly, especially not in that building. The Cougs know what they're walking into. We've spent plenty of time this season trying to make sense of the postseason picture, and if you haven't checked out our breakdown of the Pac-12 bowl math, you should. It's still a mess, but at least it's our mess. This game, though, is about the here and now. It's about showing up, playing physical, and leaving Logan with a win instead of excuses. The details matter, but the vibe is simple: Cougs on the road, under the lights, with something to prove. Nobody is pretending this is a marquee matchup for the neutral fan. But for us? This is the whole point of being a Coug. You show up for the ones that don't look glamorous on paper. You take the fight to their place and you see what you're made of. Pullman travels well, and Friday night should be no different. Go Cougs.
Cougs settle in at fourth place after two rounds in Corvallis
Four rounds turned into two, and the Cougs are sitting fourth in Corvallis. Not where they want to be, but they're still in it. Golf is a long weekend, and the leaderboard can shift faster than the wind across the Palouse. The team has shown they can hang with the field, and the next two rounds are where you either fold or find another gear. This follows a stretch where the Cougs have been grinding on the road. We covered the Friday night tilt in Logan, and the Oregon trip had swings worth remembering and forgetting. All of it adds up. Corvallis is just the latest stop, and fourth place after eighteen holes is a position, not a verdict. If you want the full breakdown of who stepped up and where the strokes went, check out "Harrison Leads the Charge as Cougs Hold Their Own in Corvallis." It fills in the gaps between the scores. For now, the take is simple: the Cougs are alive, the course is tough, and the next two rounds will tell us what this squad is made of. No need to overthink it. Go Cougs.
Cougs Hit the Road for a Pair of Midweek Ballgames in Texas
Baseball is heading south. Washington State is in Texas this week for a pair of midweek ballgames, and if you are stuck in a February gray sky, this is the kind of trip you envy. Two games. Warm weather. No conference pressure yet. Just Cougs swinging bats somewhere that does not smell like fertilizer and wet gravel. That is the whole point of these midweek trips. Get out of Pullman. See some sun. Tighten up the bullpen before the Pac-12 schedule starts grinding. Texas baseball is not a joke, but neither is a lineup that has been putting in work since January. If Wazzu can take one of these, that is a good trip. Take both, and you start feeling like something is cooking. For more on how Coug sports are stacking up this week, check out our piece on volleyball, "Schroeder on the mic: WSU volleyball preps for Rams and Bobcats", because that program is also on the road and also worth your time. But back to the diamond. Two games. No excuses. Go get a couple Ws, then get back on the bus. Go Cougs.
Cougs settle into the pack after day one in Tacoma
Day one in Tacoma, and the Cougs are right in the middle of it. After 18 holes at the Oregon State Invitational, Washington State sits in a tie for seventh on a leaderboard that is packed tight. That is not a bad spot. Not when there is still a round to play and not when the margin between the Cougs and the top five is just a handful of strokes. This team has shown it can settle in and grind. The course at Tacoma Country Club is no joke, and the field is deep. But if you watched this group in Corvallis last month, where they held fourth after two rounds, you know they do not panic. The quiet work matters. That is something Kirby Moore talks about in our piece on what wins in Pullman. The same approach applies here. No flash. Just steady, Coug-level golf. Day one is about finding your footing. Day two is about making a move. Check out "Kirby Moore talks Utah State, and the quiet work that wins in Pullman" for more on that mindset. For now, the Cougs are alive in Tacoma. That is all you need. Go Cougs.
Harrison Leads the Charge as Cougs Hold Their Own in Corvallis
Corvallis is never easy. The Beavers have a way of making you earn every blade of grass, and Saturday was no different. Harrison stepped up and led the charge, and the Cougs held their own in a place where wins don't come cheap. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't supposed to be. But this team showed a grit that's been missing at times this season, and that matters more than the final margin. We've seen the Cougs take the fight to Logan for a Friday night tilt, and we know the swings in Oregon can be brutal. This one in Corvallis felt like a step in the right direction, not a celebration, but a foundation. Harrison was the guy making the plays when it mattered, and the rest of the roster followed his lead. That's the kind of thing you build on. The noise after Fresno was fair. The fix, as Moore put it, was on them. This game in Corvallis suggests they're listening. Go Cougs.
Cougs wrap up in Oregon with swings to remember and forget
The swing from the top of the Oregon Ducks' stadium was a thing of beauty. The swing that followed, the one that left a Cougar hitter staring at his bat like it had betrayed him, was the kind you try to forget before the bus ride home. That's the story of this weekend in Eugene. Wazzu wrapped up its series against the Ducks with moments that will make the highlight reel and moments that will make the film session sting. It wasn't all bad. It wasn't all good. It was Cougar baseball in April, which means you take the wins, you shrug at the losses, and you get back on the bus. If you want the full picture of where this team's head is at, go read the piece we ran after the Fresno State dud, "Moore to Cougs after Fresno dud: The noise is fair, the fix is on us." That locker room honesty is the same energy they carried into Oregon. The bats showed up in flashes. The pitching held when it had to. But a series on the road in the Pac is never clean, and this one left a few scratches. The take you can text a friend: the Cougs are still figuring out who they are at the plate, but the fight is there. That matters more in May than it does in March. Go Cougs.
Moore to Cougs after Fresno dud: The noise is fair, the fix is on us
Six points. One offensive touchdown all season. A stat line that puts WSU near the bottom of 138 FBS teams in just about everything that matters. Kirby Moore stood in the Gesa Field locker room and told his guys the noise is fair. He's right. It is. This offense isn't just struggling. It's historically bad. The Cougars haven't gone without an offensive touchdown twice in a season since 2008, and that's not company anyone wants to keep. Caden Pinnick has six turnovers, he's taking sacks he doesn't need to take, and he's bailing from pockets that are actually clean. The running backs got five carries in the second half. Five. For a group whose retention was supposed to be Moore's biggest offseason win, that's a head-scratcher. There were bright spots. Matyus McLain looked like a menace off the edge, and Jack Stevens drilling a career-long 50-yarder after a 1-for-5 start is a genuine feel-good story. But those are crumbs. Moore says the leadership group has to step up, and he's taking over playcalls. Good. Something has to change. The Cougs are 1-4 with a short week before Utah State, and our Pac-12 power rankings already have the gap drawn. The fix is on them. We'll see if they're actually willing to try something different, or if we're in for more of the same. Go Cougs.
Cougs Rack Up Four More Wins at the Duck Invitational
Four more wins. That's a good weekend, no matter how you slice it, and the Cougs came back from the Duck Invitational with a full wallet. You don't always get that in early-season golf, where the weather and the course can turn on you faster than a Pullman wind gust. But Wazzu went out there, put together a steady stretch, and handled business. It's the kind of result that builds a little momentum before the big stuff. You win four in a tournament and you start believing the next one is there for the taking. We like the sound of that. We also like the way this team has been trending, and it's worth remembering the Cougs were already smiling in the desert earlier this month. If you missed that one, go check out "Three Cougs went low in Arizona and left the desert smiling." It pairs nicely with this. Golf is a lonely sport, but the scoreboard is a team thing. Four wins means somebody stepped up every round, and that's the kind of depth that travels well. Spring is still young, but this is exactly the start you want. Keep it rolling, Cougs. Go Cougs.
Cougar Classic Day Two wraps with Pullman still standing and plenty to talk about
Pullman is still standing. That's not nothing after two days of Cougar Classic tennis, where the wind did its usual Palouse thing and the Cougs just kept swinging. Day Two wrapped with the home team holding serve, literally and figuratively, and giving us plenty to chew on as the weekend hits its stride. You don't win a tournament in February. But you can set a tone. And this squad looks like they showed up ready to own their court. The doubles point has been a weapon all weekend, and if you missed the early action, you should go back and read "Doubles point locked in early as Cougs clean up to open the weekend." It tells you exactly how this team wants to start every match: fast, clean, and with a partner who has your back. What's fun about this group is they don't seem to care who's across the net. They stared down the Dawgs and didn't blink, that's a real thing, and it carries. You can feel it in the way they move between points. No panic. Just work. We've got more coming from the courts, but for now, take a breath. The town is still here. The Cougs are still winning. And there's a lot of tennis left to play. Go Cougs.