Washington State Gears Up for One Final Ride Under Interim Coach Jesse Bobbit in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
For one more day, Jesse Bobbit holds the reins at Washington State. The interim head coach will lead the Cougars into Monday’s Famous Idaho Potato Bowl before heading to Ames to take over as Iowa State’s defensive coordinator. After the final whistle in Boise, the program officially transitions to new head coach Kirby Moore - who’s already on site and getting a firsthand look at his soon-to-be team.
Bobbit, who’s guided the Cougars through a turbulent stretch, spoke Sunday about the handoff and his early impressions of Moore.
“I’ve had a couple of conversations with Coach Moore, and he seems like a great dude,” Bobbit said. “I know Washington State is in good hands, and they’re going to have success moving forward with him.”
It’s been a season of change for Wazzu, and Monday's bowl game will be a capstone of sorts - a final chapter for Bobbit, and for several players, including quarterback Zevi Eckhaus and safety Tucker Large, who joined him at the pregame press conference.
For Eckhaus, this moment carries a familiar weight. It was under similar circumstances last year that he made his first start in the Holiday Bowl. Now, he’ll take the field one last time as a Cougar, closing out a whirlwind journey in Pullman.
“Definitely been a wild ride,” Eckhaus said. “You come into a season with expectations - and that’s good, you should - but sometimes things don’t go the way you planned.
That’s kind of what happened this year. The most important thing is staying true to who you are, and for me, that’s being the best person, player, and teammate I can be.
I get the chance to do that one more time tomorrow, and I’m excited for it.”
That sentiment echoed across the table. For Large, a senior playing in his final collegiate game, the moment is about legacy and gratitude.
“This bowl has been going on for, I think, 25 years or whatever it was,” Large said. “So being a part of history like that is always cool.
And just being a senior this year, knowing it’s my last game ever, just putting it all on the field. Zevi can speak to that too - it’s one last opportunity to go out and be together as one.”
Eckhaus added that the team had to earn this shot. A postseason berth wasn’t guaranteed heading into the final week of the regular season, and the Cougars had to dig deep to get here.
“This wasn’t promised for us going into that last game,” he said. “We still had to win to be here.
I’m just proud of the team - their ability to fight through everything this season, all the ups and downs, and give us one more opportunity to be together. We’re really grateful for this.”
While the game is the main event, the bowl experience has offered more than just football. The Cougars have made the most of their time in Boise, soaking in the activities and bonding as a team one last time.
“I’ll probably say the sledding,” Large said with a grin. “It was pretty fun, seeing everyone go down that hill.”
Eckhaus chimed in with his own highlight: “Last night, we went to a hibachi restaurant. Got some good food. Our chef was doing some crazy tricks - it was fun.”
Bobbit, too, was all smiles recalling the team’s sledding adventure: “I don’t know if any of us really knew what to expect with the whole sledding experience. But that was awesome - taking that first leap, going headfirst down that thing, pileups at the bottom.
It was a blast. No one got hurt, but it was a blast.”
Now, the Cougars turn their focus to the field. One last game.
One final ride together. For Bobbit, it’s a send-off.
For Moore, it’s a glimpse of what’s to come. And for the players, it’s a chance to finish the season - and in some cases, their college careers - on their own terms.