PULLMAN – No longer are the Washington State Cougars losing to vastly inferior football programs. It seems they’ve passed that ailment over to the Nevada Wolf Pack.

The restoration project in Reno isn’t going as planned, and Jay Norvell’s Wolf Pack (0-3, 0-0) enter Martin Stadium today in search of their first win. Norvell probably didn’t expect 3-0 at this juncture of his rebuild, but a 2-1 start seemed reasonable with Northwestern, Toledo and Idaho State filling out the first three weeks of the schedule. Heck, even 1-2 would’ve been fine – as long as Nevada took care of business against the FCS Bengals.

Thud.

A preseason pick to finish last in the Big Sky, Idaho State led by as many as 23 in Reno and held off a late Nevada charge to win 30-28. Now the Wolf Pack need their own upset to salvage a poor start. The chances of that happening in Pullman, against the 18th-ranked Cougars? Slimmer than slim.

The line: WSU by 28

The pick: WSU 49, Nevada 17.