First look: After win in season-opener, WSU to host San Diego State for homecoming game

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

What is it?

Coming off a narrow season-opening win over FCS Idaho, WSU returns home to host San Diego State for homecoming. The teams will be meeting for the second consecutive year after the Cougars earned a comeback win in California last fall.

Where is it?

Gesa Field at Martin Stadium in Pullman.

When is it?

Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m.

Where can I watch it?

KSKN will broadcast the game.

Who is favored?

As of Monday afternoon, WSU was around a 11/2-point favorite in most sportsbooks.

How did the Cougars fare last week?

WSU coach Jimmy Rogers and the Cougars surprised nearly everyone in their season-opener last week, when they handed starting quarterback duties to third-year sophomore Jaxon Potter, who led one touchdown drive and one game-winning drive, which was capped by kicker Jack Steven’s go-ahead field goal in the final seconds. That helped WSU stave off an upset bid from nearby Idaho, which had an opportunity to take the lead in the final minute, but the Cougars’ defense held them to only a game-tying field goal.

In just his second college game, Potter completed 23 of 30 passes for 208 yards and one touchdown, which went to veteran wide receiver Josh Meredith in the second quarter. He also had few issues leading the Cougs on their winning drive, covering nearly 60 yards in less than two minutes. After the game, Rogers said he named Potter the starter in part because he excelled in late-game simulations during fall camp, and he hit on that bet.

But Potter and WSU’s offense were hardly perfect. Late in the third quarter, Potter and his unit were scuffling, so Rogers pulled Potter for dual-threat transfer Julian Dugger, hoping Dugger could use his running ability to bring the offense back to life. No dice on that front, but it wasn’t all his fault. In two series, the Dugger offense registered two 3-and-outs.

On the ground, the Cougars totaled 22 carries for three yards, the program’s fewest in a single game since 2018. Running back Kirby Vorhees led with 19 yards on six carries, while starter Angel Johnson managed minus-four yards on 10 carries, partially underscoring their offensive line’s struggles in the run-blocking game. On several occasions, the Vandals’ defensive line had no problem getting into the backfield for tackles for loss or no gain.

“I think there was a little bit of lack of communication on who they were moving to, which stemmed from them being able to penetrate the line of scrimmage,” Rogers said. “There are some things schematically that we need to clean up as coaches. The ability to not adjust is on me more than anybody else.

“I’m not putting it on the kids. We coach certain things, but you don’t see every single look, especially against a coordinator that’s been at many places, but we got to adjust better and come out in the second half better than what we did. There’s no question about that, and that’s on me more than anybody else.”

But the Cougs stayed in the game thanks to their defense, which held Vandal quarterback Joshua Wood to just 12 of 20 passing for 33 yards. Idaho enjoyed more success on the ground, where the visitors churned out 188 yards on 45 carries, but WSU’s defense stood tall when it mattered most. On the Vandals’ final series, when they recovered a Johnson fumble deep in WSU territory with an opportunity to take the lead, WSU held them to just a game-tying field goal – paving the way for Stevens’ go-ahead kick.

In his first game as a Cougar, linebacker Caleb Francl led the way with 11 tackles, while redshirt freshman Anthony Palano – who was taking the first defensive snaps of his college career – followed with nine. Safety Matt Durrance and defensive end Malaki Ta’ase forced one fumble each, both of which WSU recovered, and the Cougars totaled five tackles for loss as a unit.

Scouting San Diego State….

Picked to finish eighth in their final year competing in the Mountain West, the Aztecs are coming off a 42-0 win over FCS Stony Brook, which marked the first game for Michigan transfer QB Jayden Denegal. He completed 13 of 25 passes for 207 yards and one touchdown, but the heavy lifting was done by the SDSU rushing attack, which totaled 228 yards on 54 carries.

The tip of that spear was junior running back Lucky Sutton, who racked up 23 carries for 100 yards and two touchdowns, both short plunges near the end zone. Junior Christian Washington also picked up 38 rushing yards on seven carries, and Byron Cardwell Jr. chimed in with 28 yards on seven carries.

SDSU took a 20-0 lead into halftime and never faced any danger on offense. The same was true for the Aztecs’ defense, which held the Seawolves to only 95 yards of offense, 46 through the air and 45 on the ground. That might sound like par for the course for an FBS team against FCS competition – but last season, Stony Brook’s offense averaged nearly 30 points per game and more than 400 yards of offense.

This game was played on Thursday, giving the Aztecs two extra days of rest and preparation for their road trip to Pullman. It’ll be the first SDSU road game for Denegal, who spent the first three years of his career at Michigan, where he appeared in a total of seven games. He was the Wolverines’ backup quarterback in 2023, their national championship season.

At SDSU, Denegal enjoys a solid crop of receivers to throw to, including Texas A&M transfer Jacob Bostick, who caught three passes for 53 yards and a touchdown in Thursday’s game. The Aztecs’ starters are sophomore Jordan Napier, Myles Kitt-Denton and junior transfer Donovan Brown.

“They’re really good on defense,” Rogers said. “I don’t care what level you’re playing or opponent you’re playing – to hold somebody to 95 total yards in a game and shut somebody out with multiple all-conference and preseason award guys, as well as one of the top defensive players in the country playing D-end for them, it’s going to be a challenge. And our guys need to respond to that challenge, and we need to get ready to play our best football this upcoming week.”

What happened last time?

Last fall in San Diego, WSU erased a two-score deficit in the fourth quarter thanks in large part to former QB John Mateer, who passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two more. Linebacker Buddah Al-Uqdah, now at rival Washington, logged a key interception that paved the way for the Cougs’ win – at the time their third of four straight victories.