losing streak
Wazzu keeps losing streak in one place: 3 stories so far. The section currently leads with “Saturday night under the lights in Pullman with nothing left to lose”, “Trey Leckner's foot healed. His impact on the Cougs didn't miss a beat”, and “Kirby Moore knows how to pronounce Boise, and how to beat them”. Saturday night in Pullman. Trey Leckner's foot finally healed, and somehow the Cougs' offense didn't lose a step without him. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every losing streak story on Wazzu, newest first.
Saturday night under the lights in Pullman with nothing left to lose
Saturday night in Pullman. Seven-thirty kick. Nothing left to lose. That is the situation for these Cougars. Washington State hosts Colorado State this weekend, and if you have not checked the standings lately, here is the short version: WSU is 1-8. Zero FBS wins. Six straight losses. Worst season since 2009. The bye week gave Kirby Moore's team a chance to breathe, but the last time we saw them, they lost 26-20 at San Diego State in a game where the comeback ran out of gas. Here is the thing, though. Colorado State might be exactly what this team needs. The Rams have lost six of seven. Their defense ranks dead last in the country, giving up 44 points and 542 yards per game. They just allowed 669 yards to Boise State. Their own coach said he has never been involved with anything like it, and he meant that as an insult to his own team. WSU opened as a 9.5-point favorite. That feels real. The Cougars have problems, 68 rushing yards against SDSU, eight sacks all season, missed tackles everywhere, but Colorado State's defense makes everyone look competent. If Owen Eshelman and the offense can get the run game going against the worst run defense in the country, this might be the night the streak ends. For the full picture on where this team sits in the conference, check out the Pac-12 power rankings. The top spot is not Pullman, but Saturday is a chance to stop the slide.
Trey Leckner's foot healed. His impact on the Cougs didn't miss a beat
Trey Leckner's foot finally healed, and somehow the Cougs' offense didn't lose a step without him. That's not a compliment to the offense. Washington State still can't run the ball, still can't block for the quarterback, and ranks 135th out of 138 FBS teams in points per drive. But Leckner himself? He's been a bright spot in a dark season. He missed almost a full calendar year, spring ball, summer workouts, fall camp, the first month of games, with a broken foot that wouldn't stay fixed. When he finally returned in October, he picked up right where he left off. Twelve catches on 13 targets. Zero drops. A reliable pair of hands for a freshman quarterback who needed them. On a critical fourth-and-short against Boise State, Leckner sold the defense on a fake, caught a quick pass, and fell forward for the first down. The Cougs scored a few plays later. That's the kind of detail you have to latch onto when the big picture is this ugly. Leckner isn't a bruiser at 6-3, 243 pounds. He's a finesse tight end in a program that didn't even use them under Mike Leach. He's also a Swiss Army knife who blocks well in pass protection and runs routes like a receiver. He's not the reason the Cougs are losing. He might be one of the only reasons they're still competitive.
Kirby Moore knows how to pronounce Boise, and how to beat them
Kirby Moore knows how to pronounce Boise. The Washington State coach spent his playing days at Boise State, so he's heard plenty of Idahoans correct the Z-sound newcomers reach for. Now he's bringing his Cougs, 1-6 and still searching for their first FBS win under him, against the No. 21 Broncos for homecoming. That's a full-circle moment that probably stings a little if you're competitive. The good news: Owen Eshelman looked like a different offense last week against Oregon State. Nearly 300 yards passing, two touchdowns through the air, one on the ground. The bad news: Boise State's rushing attack ranks eighth in the country, and the Broncos have a running back averaging 139 yards per game. WSU's defense is going to have to tackle, and tackle well, to give Eshelman a chance. The receiver room is thin. Tony Freeman is out for the year. Darrius Clemons is doubtful. That leaves Branden Ganashamoorthy, Daniel Blood, and Tank Hawkins carrying the load, with two guys who've barely played all season ready to spell them. It's not ideal against a ranked team. Mathematically, bowl eligibility is still possible. Realistically, it would take five straight wins. That's asking a lot from a team that hasn't shown it can string one together yet. But the quarterback change gave fans something to text about. If Eshelman repeats that performance, maybe the Cougs make it interesting.