Mountain West
Mountain West at Wazzu is a file of 3 stories. The newest of them: “Reverse Sweep Complete: Volleyball Punches Back at Boise”, “Oh look, WSU football found the cellar and the lights are off”, and “Boise owns September, but the Cougs are still a question mark”. Boise State had the Cougs on the ropes. The Pac-12 power rankings are out, and WSU football is sitting at the bottom. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every Mountain West story on Wazzu, newest first.
Reverse Sweep Complete: Volleyball Punches Back at Boise
Boise State had the Cougs on the ropes. Wazzu volleyball dropped the first two sets on the road Wednesday night, staring down what looked like a clean sweep the other way. Then they decided they weren't done. The Cougs punched back, hard, rattling off three straight to complete the reverse sweep and walk out of Boise with the win. That kind of grit is what you remember when the schedule gets long. You can catch the full travel details and what the team had to say in our earlier piece, "Cougs hit the road and left an impression on Boise State," for the drive-by-drive. For now, just know this: they got punched, they stood up, and they finished it. That matters more than the final line score ever could. It is exactly the kind of fight you want to see before the Pac-12 slate tips off, speaking of which, keep an eye out for the women's basketball tip times we published, because the whole athletic department seems to be finding its stride right now. This volleyball squad is playing like they know something we don't. Go Cougs.
Oh look, WSU football found the cellar and the lights are off
The Pac-12 power rankings are out, and WSU football is sitting at the bottom. Dead last. Number eight. The Cougs lost to Utah State 17-16, dropping to 1-5 on the season, and the Hotline's take is brutal: "destined for a 2-10 season." Readers asked where the second win comes from, and the answer was basically, maybe they stumble into another one. Ouch. That's the kind of week it was. Meanwhile, Boise State handled Fresno State 38-31 with a 13-play, all-run drive that was pure Boise grit. Oregon State wiped San Diego State 66-14. The conference is moving on without us. The real story in this week's rankings isn't just the order, it's the math. The Pac-12's path to the College Football Playoff runs through the Group of Six. Boise State is the only team in the conference that can clear the 12-1 bar. The rest of us are just trying to figure out if two losses becomes the threshold by December. For WSU, that's a long way off. First, they've got to find a second win. Kirby Moore is making a change at quarterback, with Owen Eshelman getting the start against Oregon State. If you want the full breakdown on that, check our piece on the QB switch. The Cougs head to Corvallis still searching for their first win of the season. It's not pretty, but it's where we are. Go Cougs.
Boise owns September, but the Cougs are still a question mark
Boise State owns September. That much is clear. The Broncos are sitting at 3-1, holding the inside track for that Group of Six playoff berth, and they've got the resume equity to survive a slip in conference play. They averaged 237 rushing yards per game this month. That's almost identical to their 2024 playoff run. You don't need a spreadsheet to see that. The Cougs? We're a question mark. 1-3, and we haven't faced a single Group of Six team yet. That changes Saturday against Fresno State, and frankly, we need the answer. The Hotline's hunch is that what we saw against Arizona will be substandard. I hope they're wrong, but I'm not betting against the data. The rest of the league is sorting itself out. Oregon State looks like a real contender. Fresno State finishes fast, which is a problem for us. San Diego State is a mess. Colorado State can't stop anybody. If you want to know where the Cougs are headed, keep an eye on Trey Leckner's return. That story is worth a read. But the bigger question is whether this team can hang with the rest of the conference. We'll find out Saturday. Go Cougs.