tackling
3 stories filed under tackling on Wazzu. The newest of them: “That Eshelman Run Felt Like a Comeback but the Fourth Quarter Had Other Plans”, “Boise State's offense is the test WSU's D hasn't passed yet”, and “Khamari Terrell tackles like he's the only one on the field”. That Eshelman run felt like a comeback. All season, Washington State's defense has been a little tricky to parse. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every tackling story on Wazzu, newest first.
That Eshelman Run Felt Like a Comeback but the Fourth Quarter Had Other Plans
That Eshelman run felt like a comeback. For a moment, it looked like the Cougs had pulled the same trick they did against San Diego State two years ago. Down 26-14 in the fourth, Owen Eshelman pulled a read option, jogged untouched into the end zone, and let out a scream. You could feel the shift. The ghosts of that 2024 rally, Mateer touchdowns, an Al-Uqdah interception, were in the building. But these Cougars are not those Cougars. The final drive died at midfield. A false start. A timeout to stop the runoff. Two incomplete passes. The ball went back to the Aztecs, and WSU walked off with its sixth straight loss. This team is 1-8 and still looking for its first FBS win. The bye week comes at a good time, but the list of problems is long. Eight sacks in nine games ranks 134th out of 138 teams. The run game is averaging 46 yards per game. Perimeter tackling is letting opponents bounce outside for touchdowns. The offense can sustain drives but can't finish them. There's talent here. We talked about that with Solomon Kipchoge bringing a Pac-12 title home to the Palouse. But one win in nine games says more about decisions than ability. The Cougs have three games left to prove they can put it together. The next one is against Colorado State's terrible defense. If they can't win there, the questions get a lot harder. Go Cougs.
Boise State's offense is the test WSU's D hasn't passed yet
All season, Washington State's defense has been a little tricky to parse. On one hand, the Cougars have excelled in tough spots, jumping into action after short fields thanks to offensive turnovers. The pass rush has been above average. So has the tackling. But when you're playing No. 21 Boise State, above average won't fly. That's why we're picking WSU to fall Saturday afternoon in Pullman. The Cougars are tasked with doing something only Oregon has done this season: slow down tailbacks Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines. Riley ranks second in the country with 139 rushing yards per game. Gaines has cleared the century mark in each of his last two. Complicating matters is Boise State's average time of possession: 36 minutes, which leads the entire country. That puts serious strain on the defense, especially if the offense commits a turnover. New quarterback Owen Eshelman did well to avoid that in meaningful settings last weekend in his first start. It's a lot to ask out of this WSU team, and there's no shame in losing to this Boise State squad. But the Cougars will have to look elsewhere for their first FBS win of the season. Final score: Boise State 30, WSU 20. If you need a break from the defensive math, go check out how Kamie Ethridge and the Cougs broke down 2026 WBB at Media Day. That squad is still the top of the West, and it's a better kind of stress. Go Cougs.
Khamari Terrell tackles like he's the only one on the field
Khamari Terrell slaps himself on the helmet after a tackle. Once. Twice. Then he gets back up and does it again. That's the kind of focus a cornerback needs when Boise State rolls into town with the nation's second-best rusher, Dylan Riley, averaging 139 yards per game. The Broncos rank ninth in the country as a team on the ground. That's a problem for a WSU defense that just gave up 48 points to Oregon State and missed 18 tackles in the process. But here's the thing: the Cougars have actually tackled pretty well this season overall. PFF gives them a 61.4 grade, which is 93rd nationally and fifth in the Pac-12. Not elite, but a real step up from where this program has been. Jake Dickert's 2024 team finished fifth-to-last in tackling grades. Jimmy Rogers' 2025 squad finished dead last. So credit to defensive coordinator Trent Bray, cornerbacks coach Brandyn Thompson, and the rest of the staff for getting this group to wrap up. Terrell himself has only missed three tackles on 339 snaps. Keith Brown, the veteran linebacker, has missed six on 418 snaps. Redshirt freshman nickel Jamarey Smith has missed exactly one. The Cougs have been solid up the middle, too, with guys like Leaupepetele and Kaden Beatty stacking runs. The problem is on the edges, where Oregon State gashed them.