In a Washington State season that has gone sideways in plenty of ways, Jack Stevens has turned into one of the few reliable constants.
That looked almost unthinkable after his opening stretch. Stevens began the year 1-of-6 on field goals, but he has settled in and now has eight straight makes. He has also handled extra points without a miss since the Duquesne game.
His latest work came in Saturday’s 31-10 loss to Boise State, when he converted his only attempt, a 47-yarder, with no trouble at all. A week earlier in Corvallis, he knocked through a 19-yard chip shot in a place that has given him problems before.
Against Utah State, he hit from 50, 43 and 40 yards, making him the first WSU kicker since Jason Hanson in 1991 to connect on three field goals of at least 40 yards in a game. And versus Fresno State, Stevens drilled kicks from 32 yards and a career-best 50 yards.
While much of the offense has sputtered, Stevens has given the Cougars something they can count on.
Keith Brown has been doing the same in a different way.
The 6-1, 244-pound sixth-year linebacker continues to grind through a 2026 season that is ending far from the way he wanted it to. Even in a rough year, he keeps showing up and doing the dirty work. He has not missed a defensive snap since the Fresno State game, and against Boise State he again filled up the stat sheet with nine tackles and one for loss.
Brown’s 60 tackles put him tied for fifth in the Pac-12, and his 482 snaps rank 12th among all linebackers nationally.
There’s a parallel here to Kyle Thornton’s 2024 season at Washington State, when a veteran linebacker finished strong. Brown’s final college chapter is headed for disappointment and no postseason, which makes the arc all the more frustrating. He also missed all of 2025 after spending years trying to find his place in college football.
Still, his impact has gone beyond the production. Brown has been one of the most visible Cougars this season, answering for the losses and offering measured, thoughtful commentary while the defeats piled up.
In a season where so much has gone wrong, that matters.
In Other News...
Washington State Homecoming Collapse Leaves A Brutal Reality To Face
Homecoming was supposed to bring a lift, but instead Washington State watched a promising afternoon turn into another painful reminder of how far the season has slipped. The Cougars hung around with Boise State on Oct. 24 and were still level deep into the game before the Broncos pulled away late, turning a tied contest into a lopsided finish in Pullman.
The loss left Washington State at 1-7, ending any realistic path to a bowl berth and adding more pressure to a season that has already gone off the rails. Kirby Moore did not hide his disappointment afterward, and his focus now has to be on finding some kind of improvement in the stretch run, even if the bigger goal is already out of reach. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Is In A Grind It Didnt Expect At Halftime
For a Washington State team still trying to establish a rhythm at Gesa Field, the first half was all about staying patient and making Boise State work for every inch. The Cougars answered an early Broncos touchdown with a long, methodical march that tied the game and shifted the tone, leaning on Owen Eshelman to keep the offense moving and extend drives with timely third- and fourth-down conversions.
Boise State still went into the break with a 10-7 edge after adding a field goal before halftime, but the bigger story was how hard the Broncos had to grind to get there. Washington State controlled the pace long enough to make this look nothing like the kind of easy road script Boise State might have expected, and the Cougars had already shown they could keep the game within reach if the offense continued to execute. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Already Facing Early Pressure In Pac-12 Debut
Washington States first-ever Pac-12 conference game came with a dose of early reality against Boise State, and the opening sequence looked every bit like the kind of spotlight game that can expose a young team in a hurry. The Cougars had some encouraging flashes from quarterback Owen Eshelman, who made a few notable plays to keep drives moving, but the broader rhythm never fully settled as Boise State controlled key moments on both sides of the ball.
The Broncos set the tone by capitalizing on their chances and making Washington State chase the game from the start, while the Cougars tried to answer with a mix of offensive resilience and defensive adjustments. Even with Eshelman finding some moments to build on, Washington State spent much of the game dealing with field-position pressure and missed opportunities, a rough combination in a conference debut that already carried extra weight. [Read more 🡒]