Pac-12 Week 9 is setting up to redraw the race at the top, and Boise State still sits in the driver’s seat.
The Broncos keep the No. 1 spot after a 31-10 win over the Cougs in Pullman, a game that was knotted at 10-10 heading into the fourth quarter before Boise State’s ground game took over and the offense ripped off 21 unanswered points. That makes the Halloween matchup with Texas State even more interesting, because the Bobcats bring a different kind of stress test to a Boise State defense that has had its moments of trouble in the secondary this season.
Texas State made the week’s biggest jump, climbing two spots after surviving Utah State 20-17 at home. It was tighter than many expected, but the Bobcats found a way to win in a game where the offense did not have its sharpest showing.
That matters heading into a road trip to Boise State, where Texas State can make a real statement. The Bobcats have just one Pac-12 loss this season, and a win would leave them in prime position to reach the Pac-12 championship game.
Oregon State comes out of its bye week with momentum and a little more good news. Beaver fans got a boost when star wide receiver Jesse Legree announced he would return to Corvallis for his sophomore season.
Now the schedule gets serious fast. Fresno State starts a demanding three-game stretch that also includes Texas State and Boise State, and the Bulldogs are dangerous enough to wreck Oregon State’s College Football Playoff hopes.
Oregon State’s offense has been humming, but Fresno State will be aiming to slow the pace and control the football in a Pac-12 After Dark showdown.
San Diego State remains one of the toughest teams to pin down. The Aztecs have beaten Fresno State and Texas State in Pac-12 play, but losses to Oregon State and Colorado State have left the picture murky.
Even in a 56-49 loss to the Rams, SDSU’s offense put up points; the issue was the defense not coming up with enough stops. This week offers a chance to steady things at home against a WSU team that has struggled.
Colorado State also moves up, rising to No. 6 after its offense carried the day in the 56-49 win over SDSU. The Rams’ defense did just enough to create the opening, and now Utah State comes to town with an offense that has been quiet for most of the season. If Colorado State can steal a few stops, it should have a path to another win.
Utah State nearly pulled off an upset against Texas State before falling to 2-5. The Aggies held a potent Bobcats offense to 20 points, but their own attack stalled at 17 against a Texas State defense that has not exactly been elite. Saturday brings another opportunity, this time against Colorado State, and Utah State will probably need a bigger offensive output to get it done against a Rams defense described as historically bad.
Washington State drops to the bottom after the loss at Boise State. The offense that showed up against Oregon State never really surfaced against the Broncos, and Boise State’s lines controlled the game on both sides of the ball.
The Cougs now get a softer runway, with SDSU and Colorado State on deck and a bye in between. If that offense can rediscover what it had against Oregon State, WSU can still make some noise in the next two weeks.
In Other News...
WSU Brings Back A Road Look Fans Havent Seen In Years
Washington State is taking a road look into San Diego State that longtime fans have not seen in years, pairing white helmets with crimson logos, white jerseys and crimson pants for a combination that adds a little throwback feel to the week. The Cougars have spent this season working through a range of uniform pieces, and the program has made a habit of turning the reveal into its own small event, with players serving as the face of each rollout.
This time, wide receiver Tank Hawkins handled the modeling duties, continuing a pattern of letting different players front the uniform reveals while a few familiar faces have shown up again from last years batch. For a team still building its weekly identity on the road, the look is part style and part routine, another small detail that helps set the tone before kickoff even arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Faces A Brutal Road Test With One Clear Edge
Washington State heads into its ninth straight game of the season with a chance to lean on one area where the matchup appears friendliest: the passing game. San Diego State has had to rebuild its secondary because of injuries and departures, which creates at least some opportunity for the Cougars to test the back end and look for shots downfield on a road trip that otherwise has plenty of landmines.
The challenge is that San Diego State still brings real stress points on offense, starting with a pair of productive running backs in Javion Kinnard and Lucky Sutton. Redshirt freshman Jaylon Hawkins adds another layer as both a return threat and a receiving option, so Washington State cannot afford to get too comfortable even if the aerial matchup tilts in its favor. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Has A Must Fix Problem Before San Diego State
The frustration coming out of the loss to Boise State was easy to hear in Kirby Moores comments, and it centered on a problem Washington State cannot afford to carry into the next week. The Cougars offense never quite settled in, with quarterback Owen Eshelman finishing 21 of 40 for 191 yards without a touchdown and throwing one interception, and Moore made it clear the protection in front of him needs to be better.
Moore also pointed to the kind of messy details that can snowball fast for an offense, including communication breakdowns along the line and a Boise State pass rush that kept the Cougars uncomfortable. With San Diego State next on the schedule, Washington State is facing an early test of whether it can clean up those issues quickly enough to give Eshelman a cleaner picture and the offense a chance to function the way it needs to. [Read more 🡒]