Greg Woods

Raam Stevenson’s face crept into a wry grin. He was sitting atop a podium, not far from the field where his Washington State team reached bowl eligibility with a 32-8 dismantling of Oregon State, and as a key cog in the Cougars’ defense, he could see where this question was going.

PULLMAN – Say what you will about Washington State’s offense.

PULLMAN – Here is what to watch for when Washington State completes its regular-season slate with a home matchup against Oregon State, set for 3:30 p.m. Saturday on The CW.

PULLMAN – Back in August, when the heat was still sweltering and the sun was still beaming down on Washington State’s practice field, Josh Meredith opened up a little. Headed into this season, he was taking things a little personally, he said. He was tired of a certain perception that followed him around, that he was nothing more than a slot receiver who could find soft spots in zone defenses.

PULLMAN – Mason McCormick sat in Jimmy Rogers’ office in Brookings, the small town in South Dakota where a dynasty was unfolding beneath their feet. It was November 2020, and due to the coronavirus pandemic, their South Dakota State team was idle. They went on to play a spring season, but as the virus ravaged the world, the Jackrabbits had some time this fall.

After a short getaway to the islands, Washington State is headed back stateside with a fourth-place finish.

As Washington State’s regular season nears its end, as coach Jimmy Rogers’ debut season sunsets, the Cougars have all but scrapped practicing tackling. At least in the most physical ways.

If Washington State’s offense reaches the next step, if the Cougars snap out of the second-half lulls and the stagnant runs and the occasional turnover to beat Oregon State and earn bowl eligibility this weekend, Jimmy Rogers thinks it will look something like this.

PULLMAN – Maybe Washington State is a second-half team.

PULLMAN – Washington State will likely play a second game against Oregon State with a depleted offensive line.

PULLMAN – Here is a first look at Washington State’s home game against Oregon State on Saturday.

PULLMAN – In the days leading up to Washington State’s final game of the season, a road test against a surging James Madison team, it felt fair to wonder about what the next step for Jimmy Rogers’ team was.

HARRISONBURG, Va. – In recent practices, Washington State defenders have been working on getting out of their breaks faster. They’ve been working on trusting their eyes, giving themselves permission to go make a play when they see an opportunity.

In a 24-20 loss to No. 21 James Madison on Saturday, you could point to a pair of back-breaking touchdowns the Cougs’ defense surrendered.

Only a few minutes after his Washington State team fell apart in the fourth quarter of a loss to Virginia, coach Jimmy Rogers sat at a table and discussed the result with reporters. The crowd noise had clearly bothered the Cougars, who committed five penalties in the fourth quarter alone, leading to a late collapse.

Here is what to watch for when Washington State takes on No. 21 James Madison at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

When his Washington State club is looking at another long flight to play a team from another walk of life, Tucker Large doesn’t get too creative. While some teammates might watch movies or listen to music, the veteran safety likes to keep things businesslike.

PULLMAN – Jesse Bobbit squints and looks out of his office window, a fifth-floor perch with a picturesque view of Gesa Field, where his Washington State defense has made mincemeat of nearly every opponent that has dared set foot in the place this fall. On this November morning, sunlight bathes the entire scene in brilliant colors, the green turf and the crimson Cougar logos and even the occasional white speck on Bobbit’s beard, belying the defensive coordinator’s young age of 31.

PULLMAN – As college football’s early signing period nears, Washington State’s next class is rounding to form.

PULLMAN — When Washington State is playing its best basketball, when the Cougars are whipping the ball around the perimeter and forcing misses and flying around in transition like heat-seeking missiles shot out of a howitzer, David Riley’s vision begins to zoom into focus.

PULLMAN – Across the last few years, as NIL and the transfer portal have tightened their grip on the college football ecosystem, Washington State has operated in a liminal space in between.

PULLMAN – Over the offseason, when Washington State coaches hit the transfer portal to look for a tight end, they didn’t need long to identify Ademola Faleye, who was looking to move on from Michigan State. Listed at 6-foot-7, he had the size they were looking for, and they figured they could develop him into a reliable pass-catcher.

PULLMAN – Coach Jimmy Rogers kept his cards close to the vest on the topic of wide receiver Devin Ellison departing the program.

PULLMAN – Here is a first look at Washington State’s road game against No. 21 James Madison on Saturday.