Washington State heads into Week 9 still searching for its first Pac-12 Conference win, but the betting market sees a chance for the Cougars to finally break through on Saturday at San Diego State.
First-year coach Kirby Moore said his biggest priority is simple as the season enters its final stretch.
“It’s playing a full 60-minute game,” Moore said on his weekly “WSU Football Coaches Show” Sunday with SWX Local Sports.
“Obviously we’re all trying to problem solve, and put a better product on the field.”
That need was on display Saturday against Boise State. Washington State looked like it might stay inside the number as a 13 1/2-point underdog, but the 21st-ranked Broncos seized control in the fourth quarter with three touchdowns in a seven-minute span and rolled to a 31-10 win in Pullman.
Even with that result, the Cougars have been a profitable team against the spread at 5-3 overall. They now enter Saturday’s trip to San Diego as a 2 1/2-point underdog, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, with the total set at 48 1/2 points.
There is also a road trend working in Washington State’s favor. The Cougars are 3-1 against the spread away from home this season.
Their lone road miss came Sept. 13 at Kansas State, where they were 17 1/2-point favorites and lost 34-7. In their other road games, they covered as 23 1/2-point underdogs in a 24-10 loss at then-No.
17 Washington, as 5 1/2-point underdogs in a 17-16 loss at Utah State on Oct. 9, and as 18 1/2-point underdogs in a 48-30 loss at Oregon State on Oct. 17.
Saturday’s matchup also gives these teams another familiar date. Washington State and San Diego State are set to meet for the third straight season and the fourth time overall.
The Cougars have won the last two meetings, taking a 29-26 decision in San Diego in 2024 and beating the Aztecs 36-13 in Pullman in the second game last year. San Diego State’s only win in the series came in 2011, a 42-24 result in San Diego.
The Aztecs come in 2-6 against the spread, and they are 0-2 this season when favored by 1 1/2 points or more, including as a 1 1/2-point road favorite at Colorado State.
All eight Pac-12 teams are in action Saturday. The early Week 9 betting lines, listed in Pacific Time, are:
Colorado State (+6.5) at Utah State, 12:30 p.m. Saturday (USA Network)
Washington State (+2.5) at San Diego State, 4 p.m. Saturday (CBS Sports Network)
Texas State (+11.5) at Boise State, 7 p.m. Saturday (The CW)
Oregon State (-5.5) at Fresno State, 8 p.m. Saturday (USA Network)
The Cougars have been close to a first conference victory under Moore, and Washington State Cougars On SI is calling for them to get it done Saturday.
In Other News...
Washington State Suddenly Has Two More Problems It Cant Afford
Washington State left its matchup with Boise State still searching for traction in FBS play, and now Kirby Moore is dealing with a pair of injuries that only add to the pressure. Wide receiver Darrius Clemons and safety Jeremiah Bernard both missed the game and are listed as day-to-day, leaving the Cougars with a couple more lineup questions as they try to steady a season that has yet to produce a league breakthrough.
The bigger concern may be what happened up front. Moore said the Cougars are weighing changes along the offensive line after the unit gave up 16 pressures and two sacks against Boise State, a reminder that the problems on both sides of the ball are starting to stack up. With Washington State still winless against FBS competition, even small fixes now carry outsized importance. [Read more 🡒]
Boise States Strong Finish Changes The Feel Of The Pac-12 Race
Washington State had a chance to measure itself against one of the leagues early front-runners, but Boise State left the weekend looking very much like a team built to stay in the Pac-12 race. The Broncos went into Pullman and beat the Cougars 31-10, a result that nudged Boise State to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play while putting it level with Oregon State at the top of the standings.
For a league still sorting itself out with recent results and a crowded schedule ahead, the win carried the kind of weight that can reshape the conversation for a few weeks. Washington State now has to regroup in the middle of a stretch that also includes games for Oregon State, Texas State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Utah State, with the Cougars left to wonder how quickly Boise State can turn a strong start into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Just Found Something Real In A Rivalry Win
An exhibition win over Washington is never just another tune-up for Washington State, even if the result wont go in the regular-season standings. David Riley treated the 84-80 victory as more than a November checkpoint, pointing to how valuable a game like that can be for shaping the Cougars identity and giving them a better sense of what they want to be before the season starts for real.
Ronnie Harrison looked like the kind of transfer who can steady a new group in a charged setting, giving Washington State the kind of inside-out production that travels. The seniors presence was a big part of why the Cougars could leave the floor with something concrete from a rivalry game, and Rileys postgame message suggested the next question is how much of that edge becomes part of the teams everyday formula once the games begin to count. [Read more 🡒]