Cougars
Cougars at Wazzu is a file of 91 stories. The newest of them: “Boenning's final round pushes Cougs to seventh in Coeur d'Alene”, “CBS Gets a Palouse Throwback as Arizona Visits Pullman”, and “Bisgrove Cards Another Top Finish, Takes Second at Ram Classic”. Boenning's final round was the kind of finish that makes you glad you stayed up for it. Arizona's trip to Pullman this weekend means CBS is getting a real Palouse throwback, and frankly, it's about time the national folks remember what a Saturday in November looks like out here. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every Cougars story on Wazzu, newest first.
Boenning's final round pushes Cougs to seventh in Coeur d'Alene
Boenning's final round was the kind of finish that makes you glad you stayed up for it. The Cougs climbed to seventh place at the Coeur d'Alene tournament, and if you watched how Boenning closed things out, you saw a golfer who didn't just play the course, he attacked it. Seventh isn't a trophy, but it's a step. And on a leaderboard that packed some serious competition, the Cougs held their ground when it mattered. That's the kind of grit we've been seeing across the board lately. If you missed our piece on the Oregon State game, "Cougs take Oregon State to the edge but can't close it out," you saw the same fight, just a different result. That one stung. This one feels a little better. Both tell you something about this team: they don't fold easy. Pullman doesn't get a lot of golf headlines, but Coeur d'Alene is close enough to feel like home turf. And when a Coug plays that well in a tight field, it's worth a mention. No hype. Just respect for a round that moved the needle. Go Cougs.
CBS Gets a Palouse Throwback as Arizona Visits Pullman
Arizona's trip to Pullman this weekend means CBS is getting a real Palouse throwback, and frankly, it's about time the national folks remember what a Saturday in November looks like out here. The Wildcats roll into Martin Stadium for a game that doesn't need a fancy storyline, it's two programs that have been through the wringer, still scrapping, still showing up. That's the kind of football that built this place. You don't come to Pullman for the bright lights. You come because the wind's cold, the grass is beat up, and the Cougs are going to make you earn every yard. This Cougar team has been close. If you caught our piece on the Oregon State loss, you know they took the Beavers to the edge but couldn't close it out. That one stung. But this group doesn't quit, and a home game against a conference rival is exactly the kind of stage where they can flip the script. Arizona's no pushover, but neither is a team that's been grinding in the Palouse all fall. So CBS gets to see what we see every week: a town that packs a stadium in the middle of nowhere, a team that fights, and a whole lot of Cougs who never left. Tune in. It'll be worth it. Go Cougs.
Bisgrove Cards Another Top Finish, Takes Second at Ram Classic
Josh Bisgrove did it again. The Cougar golfer carded another top finish, taking second place at the Ram Classic. That puts him right back in the conversation as one of the steadiest players on the roster. Second place is nothing to shrug at, especially when you're grinding through a field that doesn't hand out favors. Bisgrove keeps showing up, keeps posting scores, and keeps making Pullman proud from wherever the Cougs tee it up. It's been that kind of stretch for WSU golf. If you want a full picture of how the fall season is shaping up, check out our piece on "Boenning's final round pushes Cougs to seventh in Coeur d'Alene." That one rounds out the story of a team that's finding its rhythm, even if the scores don't always scream glory. Bisgrove's consistency is the headline here, but it's part of a bigger trend. The Cougs are competing. We don't need to pump this up into something it isn't. Second place is second place. But when a Coug keeps knocking on the door like this, you notice. You root. And you wonder if the next one might be the one he takes. Go Cougs.
Cougs finish nonconference clean, hang on to beat Seattle U 2-1
Seattle U made it interesting late, but the Cougs held on 2-1 to finish nonconference play without a blemish. That is clean work. No drama before the real stuff starts, unless you count a few nervous minutes at the end. We will take it. This team has been stacking wins all month. If you missed the way they handled business over the weekend, go find "Doubles point locked in early as Cougs clean up to open the weekend." That one captures the tone: get ahead, stay ahead, don't look back. Today looked a little different, Seattle U didn't go quietly, but the result is the same. A win is a win, and a perfect nonconference slate is a perfect nonconference slate. Now the schedule flips. The games that count for seeding start soon. This group has earned the right to walk into that with some confidence. They have also earned the right to not get too comfortable. Conference play does not care about September. 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.
Long Beach State hands Cougs an L, no Palouse magic this time
Long Beach State came to Pullman and stole the magic. The Cougs dropped one they probably expected to win, and the Palouse didn't produce its usual late-game spark. It happens. This team has been rolling, you saw it in the doubles point win we covered earlier, where they locked in and cleaned up to open the weekend. That version of the Cougs is the one we know. This one just didn't have the same bounce. You can't win them all at home. The crowd was there. The energy was there. But Long Beach State had answers, and they didn't flinch. It's a frustrating loss, especially after the football team buried Duquesne in a second-half avalanche and the golf squad sits pretty heading into Coeur d'Alene's third round. The rest of Wazzu sports is humming. This one stings because it felt winnable. But here's the thing about Cougs: we don't hang on one loss. We know what this group can do. They've shown it. So you take the L, you learn from it, and you get back to work. No panic. Just Pullman grit. Go Cougs.
Cougs pack the bags, point the van toward Eugene for a Duck Invite
The vans are pointed south, the bags are packed, and the Cougs are rolling toward Eugene for the Duck Invite. That is a real road trip, not a metaphor. Pullman to Eugene is a haul you know by heart if you have made it, past the wheat, down the Gorge, across the border into a place that smells like trees and wet grass. This weekend, the team gets to trade the Palouse wind for whatever March looks like in the Willamette Valley. You do not drive that far for a participation ribbon. The Duck Invite is a chance to go throw marks and times that mean something, to shake off the indoor season and remember what it feels like to compete in daylight. Eugene is track country, whether you like the Ducks or not. That makes it a good place to show up loud. Nobody is pretending this is a championship meet. It is an invite in March. But it is also the first real sign that spring is coming, and after a Pullman winter, that alone is worth the drive. The Cougs will line up, compete, and point the van back north with something to build on. That is the deal. That is the weekend. Go Cougs.
Second-half avalanche buries Duquesne as Cougs roll 48-7
That first half felt like a team still shaking off the bus. The Cougs looked tight, a little sloppy, and Duquesne hung around long enough to make you wonder. Then the second half started and the avalanche buried them. 48-7 is the kind of score that looks routine on paper but was earned in a flood of explosive plays and defensive pressure that simply would not let up. The Dukes came to Pullman ready to scrap. The Cougs took their best shot, adjusted at the break, and then just steamrolled. This is the kind of win that tells you more about the second half than the first. When a team can flip a switch that cleanly, it means the coaching staff found the right words and the players locked in. If you want to hear how that adjustment happened straight from the guy calling the plays, our piece with Kirby Moore breaks down exactly what it took to get there. It pairs well with this one. The Cougs handled business. No drama, no excuses, just a second-half beatdown that left no doubt. That is the standard in Pullman. Go Cougs.
Duquesne rolls into Pullman for Wazzu's first home test
Duquesne rolls into Pullman this weekend, and for the first time this season, Wazzu gets a real gut-check at home. The Dukes aren't here to sightsee the Palouse. They're coming off a solid nonconference run of their own, and they'll test whether this Coug squad can handle pressure when the other side has a pulse. We saw the boys clean up through the early slate, but let's be honest, Seattle U and Long Beach State aren't exactly the gauntlet. That loss to the Beach stung, and you could feel the absence of any home-court voodoo that afternoon. Now, with real fans in the stands and the familiar chill of a Pullman evening, we get to see what this team is made of. Duquesne plays tough, they're disciplined, and they won't fold if the Cougs get hot early. This is the kind of test that tells you if the nonconference record is real or just a padded stat sheet. For a deeper look at how the Cougs got here, check out our piece on how they finished nonconference clean against Seattle U. That one showed the grit. This one shows the ceiling. Go Cougs.
Fresno State on the Palouse as Cougs Kick Off New Pac-12 Era
Fresno State is coming to Pullman, and that feels like the right way to kick this thing off. The new Pac-12 era starts with a familiar kind of game: a Mountain West team rolling into Martin Stadium, a bunch of Cougs in the stands, and a chance to remind everyone what this place sounds like when it matters. Fresno State has been a pain in the past. They play hard, they travel well, and they won't be intimidated by the flag or the flagpole. Good. That is exactly the kind of opponent you want for a debut that means something. This isn't just another non-conference tune-up. This is the first real marker of what the conference looks like now, and it starts on the Palouse. No neutral site. No dome. Just cold air, late kickoff buzz, and a team that has been waiting for a chance to prove the rebuild is real. If you want the full picture of what the Cougs are walking into, Kirby Moore broke down the Fresno State tape on this week's *Cougar Football Hour*, and it is worth your time. He sees things most of us miss, and he does not waste words. For now, get ready. The schedule is set. The van is pointed toward Eugene for a Duck Invite. And Fresno State is on its way here. That is a lot of reasons to show up. Go Cougs.
Cougs grind through another round in Wisconsin, no fluff, just golf
Three rounds in the books at the Badger Invitational, and the Cougs are still grinding. No dramatics. No late-round heroics. Just steady golf in Wisconsin, where the wind probably did what Wisconsin wind does and the scores reflect a team that keeps its head down. Washington State is sitting where they earned it, and that's fine. Not every trip needs a trophy to be worth the miles. This is the kind of week where you remember that golf is a grind sport. You show up, you play your ball, and you see where you land. The Cougs landed in the middle of the pack, and if you've been following along, you know this team doesn't flinch. They'll take the reps and move on. For more on how they got there, check out "Cougs settle into ninth at the Badger Invitational, no drama." It's exactly what it sounds like. No hype, just the scorecard. Meanwhile, the rest of the fall schedule is filling in. The Boise trip is already in the rearview, and Duquesne is coming to Pullman for the first home test of the season. That one will have a little more noise. But for now, it's fairways and greens in the Midwest. The Cougs keep working. Go Cougs.
Cougs settle into ninth at the Badger Invitational, no drama
Ninth place at the Badger Invitational is not going to make anyone text their buddies with all-caps excitement, but it is what it is. The Cougs settled in there without much drama, which honestly feels about right for a young squad still figuring out who they are under pressure. No meltdowns, no heroics, just solid, mid-pack golf in Wisconsin. That's fine for now. This team has shown it can hang, and sometimes the lesson is that not every tournament needs to be a thriller. If you want to see them when the stakes feel a little higher, go back and read about the nonconference soccer finish in "Cougs finish nonconference clean, hang on to beat Seattle U 2-1." That one had some teeth. This golf round? It's a building block. You take the reps, you learn the course management, and you move on to the next one. The take to text your buddy: "Cougs golf finished ninth. No drama. They'll be fine." Go Cougs.
Kirby Moore Breaks Down the Offense After Arizona
Kirby Moore sat down after the Arizona game and didn't sugarcoat anything. He broke down the offense the way you'd expect from a guy who spent his Saturday watching his unit grind through a Pac-12 road game. No excuses. Just film, mechanics, and what needs to click. That's the kind of talk Pullman actually respects. Moore walked through the adjustments, the reads, and the moments where the Cougs either hit or missed. It wasn't a victory lap. It was a coach who knows the margin between a good drive and a stalled one is smaller than a play call sheet. If you watched that game and wondered why certain routes looked open but the ball didn't go there, Moore answers that. He doesn't hide behind jargon. This is the stuff that doesn't make the highlight reel but makes the difference in November. If you want the full picture from Tucson, we already had a piece on the things that won't show up in a box score. Moore's breakdown fits right next to it. Read them together. That's where the real story lives. The offense is still finding its rhythm. Moore knows it. The players know it. But hearing him talk through it, you get the sense he trusts what he sees. That matters more than a clean stat line. Go Cougs.
For the Leaupepetele brothers, Sunday dinner looks a lot different now
Jirah Leaupepetele called his brother Jonah this week, not to talk trash for once, but to fish for intel. Jonah, Fresno State's starting right guard, wasn't giving anything up. Fair enough. The problem? Jonah's listed as questionable and isn't expected to play Saturday when the Cougs host the Bulldogs. So the first-ever on-field matchup between these two brothers will have to wait. That doesn't mean this weekend is meaningless. Far from it. Their parents, Tony and Rhonda, are driving up from Apple Valley with the other five kids and a whole mess of grandparents, nieces, and nephews. Jirah made it clear what colors they better be wearing. The Leaupepetele family has earned this moment. Jirah transferred in from Eastern Washington and has become a force on the interior of WSU's defensive line, notching his first sack as a Coug last week against Arizona. Jonah earned the starting job at Fresno State as a redshirt freshman before the injury. Even if they don't line up across from each other, they'll share the same field. That's enough for a family that watched these boys grow up sharing a bedroom, one yelling at video games, the other trying to sleep. This is the kind of story that reminds you why Cougar football matters beyond the score. For more on how this weekend is shaping up, check out our piece on how the Cougs stared down the Dawgs and didn't flinch. Go Cougs.
Cougs Take the Show to Boise, No Passport Needed
Boise gets a little more Cougar gold this weekend, and you don't even need to dig out your passport. The Wazzu soccer team is loading up the bus and heading south for a road trip that feels more like a Palouse field trip than a border crossing. It's a chance to see what this squad looks like away from the friendly confines of the Lower Soccer Field, where they've already stacked up some early-season work. We've been tracking the build-up, and if you missed how they handled business against Duquesne in Pullman or gutted out that 2-1 win over Seattle U, go find "Cougs finish nonconference clean" on the site. The Cougs' nonconference wins over Duquesne and Seattle U show exactly how they've been getting it done. This Boise trip is a different kind of test. No home crowd. No familiar turf. Just a bus ride, a hotel, and a game that counts. The Cougs have already shown they can grind out a result when things get tight, and they've also taken a loss on the chin from Long Beach State. So we know they're not invincible. But that's fine. You learn more from the bus rides than the home stands, and this team is still figuring out exactly who they are. I'll be watching how they start. If they come out like they own the place, that tells you something. Go Cougs.
Cougs sit pretty heading into Coeur d'Alene's third round
The Cougs are sitting pretty heading into the third round in Coeur d'Alene. That's not a bad place to be. Idaho in the fall is a good look, and apparently, so is Washington State on the leaderboard. You don't get to "sit pretty" without earning it, and this team has put in the work to put themselves in position. We like that. It's been a solid stretch for Cougar golf. If you missed it, go back and check out "Bisgrove Cards Another Top Finish, Takes Second at Ram Classic." That kind of consistency is exactly what you want to see rolling into a weekend like this. The Ram Classic was a statement, and now they're building on it in Coeur d'Alene. We've also got eyes on the final round, because we know how these things go. Boenning pushed the Cougs to seventh last time out, and that kind of finish shows depth. You need more than one hot club to make noise in a tournament. This group looks like they've got a few. So here we are. Third round. The Palouse is a long way from the pine trees up north, but the Cougs seem right at home. Keep the foot down. Don't get cute. Just play your game. Go Cougs.