WSU ready to send seniors, coaches out on right note against Utah State in Idaho Potato Bowl

BOISE – Since he was a teenager, Tucker Large has been programmed to take things seriously in December, to crank the intensity meter up to 11.

That’s because he spent the first four years of his career at FCS power South Dakota State. Around this time, the Jackrabbits usually found themselves deep in the FCS playoffs, chasing the mountaintop year after year. Starring at safety, Large had a big hand in the group’s defense, which played key roles in SDSU’s playoff runs.

FBS bowl games don’t register the same way.

Ahead of his final game at Washington State, which will take on Utah State at 11 a.m. Monday in the Idaho Potato Bowl, Large and his teammates remain focused. They still want to win, still want to send out their seniors the right way. They’ve soaked up their final practices with each other.

But for veterans who have only known one mindset in late December, like Large, it’s an interesting case study: Can players like him relax a little now, with a bit lower stakes? Or out of habit, are they stuck in one mode?

“When we’re at practice, be locked in, be talkative,” Large said, “and outside of that, enjoy the time. Have fun with your friends, enjoy the relationships. So I think we’ve done a good job trying to do that balance this week.”

No matter his intensity, Large has always seemed to be in the right place for the Cougars, who are in a tricky situation. For about two weeks, they’ve had an interim head coach, Jesse Bobbit, who was the team’s defensive coordinator this season. But shortly after coach Jimmy Rogers decamped for Iowa State early this month, Bobbit decided to follow him there, joining the Cyclones as their next defensive coordinator.

So even though WSU has a new head coach in place, former Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore, Bobbit and the Cougs’ current coaches are the ones working Monday’s bowl game. Some, like Bobbit, will head off to Ames soon. Others might be retained by Moore. Still others will be out of work, trying to find another coaching gig in the weeks ahead.

Then there’s the WSU roster, which is also in flux. As of Sunday afternoon, 14 Cougars had announced they’re planning to enter the transfer portal, which opens on Jan. 2. Per team policy, those guys remain eligible to play in the bowl game, but not all will. A few, like wide receiver Tony Freeman and linebacker Anthony Palano, are expected to play. Others, like wideout Carter Pabst and cornerback Kenny Worthy III, are not.

Let’s also not forget many of the Cougs’ best players are seniors, meaning they’ll be playing their final collegiate games on Monday. That goes for Large, quarterback Zevi Eckhaus and many of the players who helped WSU finish the regular season 6-6 – offensive lineman Christian Hilborn, safeties Cale Reeder and Matt Durrance, linebackers Parker McKenna and Caleb Francl, defensive ends Raam Stevenson and Buddha Peleti, wideout Josh Meredith and the list goes on.

“Things will obviously look a lot different here in a couple days,” Bobbit said.

That they will. But for now, these Cougars still have a game to play, taking on a 6-6 Utah State squad led by first-year coach Bronco Mendenhall, who also took down WSU last winter when he was at New Mexico.

The Aggies’ quarterback is senior Bryson Barnes, a dual-threat facilitator who has completed 60% of his passes for 2,687 yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions. Barnes is also the team’s leading rusher, carrying 176 times for 733 yards and nine touchdowns, good for an average carry of 4.2 yards.

“The biggest thing with him is that he’s kinda reckless – in a good way,” Bobbit said. “He’s out there, not acting like a quarterback. He’s running there, lowering his shoulder, trying to make plays happen. So credit to him for kinda laying his body on the line all the time and making plays happen. He’s impressive, and he can throw the ball from all angles.”

Truth is, though, this WSU team has likely only watched so much Utah State film. Asked to describe the Aggies’ defense, Eckhaus said only, “they play fast, they play physical, they play together.” Eckhaus said it with a wry smile. It’s clear he’s ready to have some fun and end his college career with a bang.

That’s the kind of mindset Large never experienced around this time in years past. He still wants to win, as do all his teammates, but playing in bowl games around Christmastime tends to take the intensity meter down a tick or two.

“A large majority chose to be here to finish this together,” Bobbit said. “The energy and spirit from the first team meeting we had when the change happened has been awesome. The leadership within this team has been awesome. I just really appreciated them allowing me to lead and be a service to them, to finish this out the right way. The prep has been great. The energy of practice, the competition, these guys being able to go at it versus each other one last time for these seniors, and pushing each other. We’re here to finish this out on the right note.”