If Washington State is going to shake off its 0-2 start, Saturday feels like the kind of setup a team has to cash in on.
Duquesne is coming to Pullman for its third straight road game to open the 2026 season, and the Cougars are trying to use their home opener at Gesa Field in Martin Stadium to put the Kansas State loss behind them. For that to happen, a few WSU players need to tilt the game early.
Zevi Eckhaus is the obvious place to start. The dual-threat sophomore has landed on this kind of list for a third straight week, but the angle has changed.
Against Washington and Kansas State, he was in survival mode. This week, the expectation is bigger: a breakout.
The matchup points that way. Duquesne has already had trouble with running quarterbacks, allowing Air Force’s Liam Szarka to score two rushing touchdowns and Youngstown State’s Beau Brungard to pile up 111 rushing yards and two more touchdowns while also throwing for 290 yards and six scores.
The Dukes also haven’t gotten much heat on the quarterback, with no sacks in two games. That matters for a WSU offense that has only one offensive touchdown in two games and badly needs a fast start.
It also matters because of what Eckhaus has already been through this week. After the loss at Kansas State, he went through a rough postgame press conference before later offering an I’ll-be-better statement at his weekly media gathering. A big performance Saturday would be a clean way to put that sequence behind him.
On the other side of the ball, Jett Thomas looks like another player who could swing things. First-year coach Kirby Moore has spent the week praising the San Jose State transfer’s preparation, saying it stretches until 9 or 10 p.m. nightly in the football office. That work showed up against Kansas State, when Thomas intercepted Avery Johnson twice in the first half, including a 50-yard return for a touchdown on the final play of the first half.
Duquesne quarterback Carson Camp could give WSU’s secondary more chances. Through two games, he has completed 12 of 27 passes for 105 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. If the Cougars are going to turn that into turnovers, Thomas looks like the defender best positioned to be in the right place.
Then there’s Tony Freeman’s absence, which has changed the shape of WSU’s passing game. After returning, the starting wide receiver suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of the Apple Cup, taking away the Cougars’ most proven deep threat.
That leaves more pressure on the rest of the receiving group, especially Tre’Shon Blood. The Missouri transfer showed a little of what he can do in the Apple Cup, catching five passes for 57 yards, including a 32-yard completion from Eckhaus. He also had a 26-yard catch for Missouri in 2025 in limited action as a junior.
But Blood was quiet against Kansas State, finishing with two catches for 14 yards and not even seeing a target until the third quarter. Moore made it clear in Monday’s press conference that Blood needs a larger role in the offense going forward.
That makes Blood another name to watch. He’s the kind of receiver whose quick burst can turn a simple catch into a touchdown, and WSU could use exactly that kind of play against Duquesne.
In Other News...
Washington State Finally Gets Relief In A Spot That Needed It Most
Washington State is getting a needed boost in the secondary heading into its matchup with Duquesne, with coach Kirby Moore saying cornerbacks Jalil Tucker and Khamari Terrell will be available. For a position group that can get tested quickly, simply getting bodies back matters, and it gives the Cougars a little more flexibility as they try to settle in early in the season.
Moore also laid out a broader injury picture that still leaves some questions hanging. Malachi Wrice and Mike Hughes are expected to be out, while Trey Leckner is moving forward in practice and Peyton Read is expected to be ready, and the coach also pointed to the growth of Caleb Northcroft and Kaden Beatty. For Washington State, the encouraging part is that the roster appears to be trending the right way, even if a few key pieces are still working their way back. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Thomas Is Giving WSU A Huge Boost In His New Role
Washington State has been searching for dependable answers in the secondary, and Jaylen Thomas has become one of the most interesting ones as he settles into a new spot. The redshirt sophomore made the move from cornerback to safety and has looked comfortable there, showing the kind of range and playmaking ability that can change a game in a hurry for a defense that needs steady impact players.
Against Kansas State, Thomas showed exactly why the switch has mattered, coming away with two interceptions in one quarter and turning one of them into a pick-six. The performance earned him Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors, and even the celebration stood out, with a backflip after the touchdown return. The bigger question for WSU is how much more there is to come now that he seems to have found a role that fits. [Read more 🡒]
Cougars Let Another Winnable Match Slip Away At Home
Washington States womens volleyball team had another opportunity to make Bohler Gym matter on its side, but Long Beach State walked out with a 3-0 sweep after the Cougars could not turn enough of their better stretches into finished points. The numbers were close enough to suggest a tighter night than the final score showed, with Washington State finishing with 34 kills and a .184 hitting percentage while Long Beach State posted 38 kills and hit .220.
Mary Healy led the Cougars with 11 kills and 13 points, Madyn Cervellera added eight kills and 14 digs, and Audrey Hollis handled 19 assists as Washington State kept searching for a steadier rhythm. The frustrating part for the Cougars is that home matches like this are the ones they need to cash in, and instead another one slipped away before they could put real pressure on a ranked-caliber opponent. [Read more 🡒]