FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Maxwell Woods knows the way he looks. He’s only 5-foot-10, isn’t particularly bulky, doesn’t exactly look the part of a bruising running back. He still provides a valuable presence in Washington State’s running back corps, which needs a speedy scatback like himself, but he wants to give more.
“I wanna show that I can be physical like everyone else,” Woods said.
Early in WSU’s 20-3 road win over Colorado State on Saturday night, Woods delivered on that desire, breaking a pair of tackles in an early chunk run. His fellow running backs did the same, crossing the century mark before halftime, opening up a seam in the Cougars’ offense that had spent three weeks closed tighter than a vice grip. In the rushing department, they looked more energized than ever.
That keyed the Cougs’ first win in three weeks, snapping a short two-game slide. Their 158 rushing yards were their most in five games this fall. Third-year sophomore Leo Pulalasi totaled 50 yards on three carries, Woods posted 26 yards on three carries and starter Angel Johnson registered the best showing of his Cougar career, picking up 32 yards on eight attempts.
WSU, which took a 20-3 lead into halftime, showed even more physicality on defense. Limiting the Rams to their lowest scoring output this season, the Cougs kept quarterback Jackson Brosseau to just 188 yards through the air, including just 81 in the first half. WSU piled up nine tackles for loss and four sacks, the first of which was shared by linebacker Anthony Palano and defensive lineman Bryson Lamb, who engineered the kind of pressure that kept CSU’s offense off-tilt the entire night.
The Rams could hardly get out of their own way, racking up seven penalties for 60 yards. Gadget quarterback Tahj Bullock was used exclusively for running plays, which the Cougars snuffed out to the tune of -10 yards on four tries. But thanks to coverage from safety Tucker Large and cornerback Kenny Worthy III, the latter of whom forced a fumble in the second quarter, the visitors imposed their wills too.
To pile up nine tackles for loss, Washington State (3-2) generated tons of pressure up front, a remarkable development considering starting defensive tackle Max Baloun was lost for the season with an injury last week. Veteran defensive end Raam Stevenson spun inside for a fourth-quarter sack. Linebacker Parker McKenna logged 1 ½ violent tackles for loss. And third-year defensive end Isaac Terrell, who continues to enjoy something of a breakout season, added one tackle for loss.
That’s also to make no mention of transfer defensive tackle Soni Finau, who surged into the backfield for back-to-back sacks in the fourth quarter, unleashing a primal scream in celebration after both. In Canvas Stadium, which had largely emptied out by the time Finau registered his second, he was making some of the venue’s loudest noises. Moments later, Lamb stuck his hand up and blocked a field goal.
In the end, the scoreboard spoke for itself. Colorado State opened with a long field goal, only for WSU to follow with a touchdown strike from quarterback Zevi Eckhaus to wideout Jeremiah Noga, who hauled in a 35-yard pass on the final few shreds of turf in the back of the end zone. Right before halftime, Eckhaus made a far easier throw, maybe the easiest of his career: He found tight end Ademola Faleye, who had faked a block and sprung open the end zone, where nobody was around to defend his 2-yard touchdown catch.
That was all the scoring WSU needed to secure this win, its most lopsided road victory since trouncing CSU in this same stadium two years ago. The Cougars’ defense did well to pave the way, but their offense didn’t look the same in the second half. WSU totaled just 101 yards in the second half, including 35 on the ground. If all you watched of the game was the final two quarters, you might have recognized the wayward rushing attack.
In the second half, Eckhaus completed 6 of 12 passes for 66 yards. Part of that involved the game situation, trying to wind down the clock and leave with the win, but it did leave a little to be desired. It was the Cougars’ first time getting shut out in a half since dropping a dud to Wyoming last season. Before that, the last time it happened was in WSU’s 2022 road loss to USC.
In any case, with this win, the Cougars end up on the right side of what could be a turning point in coach Jimmy Rogers’ first season. For WSU, this was the first of a three-game road stretch, which also features contests against No. 13 Ole Miss — which will rise in the rankings after knocking off fourth-ranked LSU on Saturday — and Virginia, which upset eighth-ranked Florida State the day prior. In terms of schedule structure, this always figured to pose the biggest challenge to WSU.
Now the Cougars get a bye week, their only one of the season. They’ll need the rest. In the fourth quarter, tight end Hudson Cedarland was seen on crutches. It’s unclear what injury he sustained, but even playing as the team’s third tight end, he had brought some important physicality and blocking to the position.
Washington State Cougars defensive tackle Soni Finau (53) reacts after sacking Colorado State quarterback Jackson Brousseau (7) during the second half of a college football game on Saturday, Sep 27, 2025, at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colo. WSU won the game 20-3. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
First quarter
2:03 - WSU 10, CSU 3: Jack Stevens makes a 37-yard field goal to extend WSU’s lead.
The Cougars tried to convert a fourth and 1 before a false start pushed them back and forced the field goal attempt.
8:49 - WSU 7, CSU 3: Zevi Eckhaus lofts a ball to Jeremiah Noga for a 35-yard touchdown.
Eckhaus was 3 for 3 on the drive for 64 yards.
WSU QB Zevi Eckhaus with a dime to WR Jeremiah Noga, who hauls it in for a 35-yard TD strike. Cougs cover 82 yards in 5 easy plays.
11:32 - CSU 3, WSU 0: Colorado State’s opening drive stalls and the Rams settle for a 50-yard field goal by Isaiah Hankins.
WSU defensive lineman Isaac Terrell sacked reserve quarterback Tahj Bullock to push the Rams back seven yards to set up second and long before the field goal attempt.
Second quarter
0:00 - WSU 20, CSU 3: Colorado State kicker Hankins misses a 44-yard field goal to end the first half.
1:05 - WSU 20, CSU 3: Eckhaus rolls out and finds Ademola Faleye for a 2-yard touchdown.
Eckhaus is up to 123 yards and two touchdowns so far.
Maybe the play call of WSU OC Danny Freund’s Cougar career: He schemes open TE Ademola Faleye, who faked a block and sprung wide open in the end zone. Easy pass from Zevi Eckhaus.
Colorado State made the move from Week 1 starting quarterback Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi to Jackson Brousseau last week against Texas-San Antonio. Brousseau led the Rams on two fourth-quarter touchdown drives before losing by one point.
Similarly, Washington State elected to start Zevi Eckhaus at quarterback in the Apple Cup. Eckhaus was solid through three quarters before rival Washington separated itself in the fourth quarter.
Head coach Jimmy Rogers said after the game that Eckhaus will be the starter moving forward.
Washington State is 2-1 against Colorado State since 2013. The Cougars lost to the Rams 48-45 in the 2013 New Mexico Bowl before winning the next two regular-season matchups, the latest coming in 2023.
