Cougs to play Utah state in Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Cougars defensive ends Buddha Peleti and Raam Stevenson celebrate after making a stop during a previous game this season. The Cougars are heading to Boise to play against Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
COURTESY PHOTO/WASHINGTON STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
PULLMAN — The Washington State University Cougars football team (6-6) is set to play Utah State (6-6) in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise on Monday, with kickoff at 11 a.m. This will be the Cougs’ 20th bowl game in program history and ninth in the last ten full seasons.
WSU enters this bowl game following a major 32-8 win over the Oregon State Beavers at the end of November. During this game, the Cougar defense had one of its strongest outings of the season as they held the Beavers scoreless until the fourth quarter.
Against Oregon State, the Cougars recorded six sacks and seven tackles for a loss while forcing three turnovers. Senior linebacker Parker McKenna le the defense with seven tackles and defensive end Isaac Terrell added 1.5 sacks.
Cougars senior quarterback Zevi Eckhaus guided the offensive effort where he threw for 197 yards and a touchdown while adding 63 rushing yards and a second score on the ground. In this victory, the offensive passing game spread the ball effectively, with seven receptions and junior receiver Tony Freeman alone made seven catches for 84 yards.
WSU will be led by Defensive Coordinator and linebackers coach Jesse Bobbit, who was named Interim Head Coach in the bowl after Jimmy Rogers departed from the team earlier this month.
Utah State is entering the bowl following a close 24-25 loss to Boise State at the end of November. During this game, graduate quarterback Bryson Barnes led the team with 184 yards on 13-of-31 passing and added 89 yards rushing on 18 attempts with one touchdown.
USU’s junior running back Javen Jacobs put up a team-high 92 yards on five catches with one TD against the Broncos, while Miles Davis finished with 36 yards on eight carries with one TD.
The Cougars have scored an average of 21.58 points per game while holding their opponents to 20.17. Utah has scored an average of 31.75 points on the season while holding its opponents to 28.25.
Throughout the 2025 season, the Cougars held six opponents to 10 points or less and have gone 5-1 in those games and held four of those to single-digit points, which is the most for the team since 1994.
As Washington State heads into its 20th bowl appearance, it will be seeking its first bowl win since 2018 in the Alamo Bowl. This will also mark WSU’s first appearance in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.