Despite losing its conference, its coach and its quarterback — plus the offensive coordinator, top tailback, leading receiver and so many other impact players — Washington State went bowling for the ninth time in the past 11 years and finished with a winning record.
Oh, and this: The schedule was rugged.
WSU faced four opponents that won at least 10 games and eight that were bowl-eligible.
Yet through a combination of grit, guile, shrewd coaching and the proper alignment of moon and stars over the Palouse, the Cougars won seven games, scared the bejesus out of a playoff team and finished with a blowout victory over Utah State in the Potato Bowl.
So let’s pause momentarily to appreciate WSU’s season — with proper context, of course.
The point here is not to compare the accomplishments to those of teams in the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten or SEC. The Cougars didn’t win 10 games. They were never ranked. And they lost all three matchups with power conference opponents.
But given the ghastly series of events that have walloped WSU for the past two-and-a-half years, including the twin departures of coach Jake Dickert and quarterback John Mateer 53 weeks ago, the 2025 season looks pretty damn good.
Admittedly, the Hotline was a tad skeptical about WSU back in August, largely because of attrition (players and coaches) and partly because of the uncertainty accompanying the arrival of Jimmy Rogers and his staff.
That was our blunder. The Cougars have been a postseason mainstay through all the coaching changes and realignment tumult and player departures, especially quarterbacks, over the past seven years.
They lost Gardner Minshew and went bowling the following season.
They lost Jayden de Laura and went bowling the following season.
They lost Cam Ward and went bowling the following season.
They lost Mateer and went bowling this season.
In fact, the Cougars were remarkably close to producing a truly elite fall. They lost four games (Mississippi, Virginia, Oregon State and James Madison) by a total of 12 points.
Can they replicate the resilience with yet another new coaching staff and another new quarterback and a schedule that features three power conference opponents (Washington, Kansas State and Arizona), in addition to the not-yet-announced lineup of Pac-12 opponents?
We won’t get fooled again.
2025 season grade: A-
Offensive Player of the Year: QB Zevi Eckhaus. Former coach Jimmy Rogers’ great blunder was failing to realize Eckhaus should have been named the starter in training camp. Once he entered the lineup in the Apple Cup, everything changed. His mobility, leadership and tenacity compensated for the lack of elite arm talent. Without Eckhaus, the Cougars would not have made a bowl game.
Defensive Player of the Year: LB Parker McKenna. WSU quietly produced a first-rate defense — it was 29th nationally in yards-per-play allowed — and McKenna was the prime mover. He led the Cougars with 83 tackles and saved his best for the highest-profile game of the season: WSU’s narrow loss at Mississippi.
Best game: WSU 36, San Diego State 13. Nobody realized at the time that the Week 2 victory would become a bright light for the Cougars by the end of the season, after SDSU secured its ninth win. We gave strong consideration to the two-point loss at Mississippi. (WSU was a 34-point underdog.)
Worst game: Oregon State 10, WSU 7. The loss made zero sense at the time, and that hasn’t changed. The Cougars were stout on defense against a malfunctioning foe, but their offense was an abomination that stained the Rogers tenure. How any team can hold an opponent to 60 yards passing and one touchdown and lose is, frankly, beyond our comprehension.
Notable trend: The Cougars beat four opponents that will compete in the Pac-12 next season, with wins over Colorado State, San Diego State, Oregon State and Utah State (in the Potato Bowl).
Half-full outlook: Good luck finding hard evidence to suggest the Cougars are ready to compete for the championship of the rebuilt Pac-12. There are too many unknowns with the transfer portal and staff changes and a first-time head coach, Kirby Moore, taking charge. But the culture of success built a decade ago by Mike Leach appears ingrained.
Half-empty outlook: The coaches powering WSU’s success over the past decade were either sitting head coaches at the time (Leach, Nick Rolovich and Rogers) or were promoted from within (Dickert) and understood the personnel. Moore is a first-timer and an outsider. Yes, he grew up in Washington and attended WSU games as a kid. But there will be a significant learning curve and, as noted above, the schedule is challenging.
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