Washington State Cougars Dominate Utah State Aggies In Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
If you were looking for a metaphor for the 2025 Washington State football season, look no further than Zevi Eckhaus’ final performance in a Cougar uniform. It was brilliant, it was chaotic, and ultimately, it was a winner.
In a game played against the Smurf-turf backdrop of Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Washington State cooked up a satisfying 34-21 victory over Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. It was the program’s first bowl win since 2018, snapping a seven-year drought that felt a lot longer for the faithful in Pullman.
A Fitting Farewell For Eckhaus
Eckhaus, the senior quarterback who has been equal parts hero and heart-attack-inducer this season, decided to go out playing all the hits. He tossed three touchdowns. He also threw three interceptions. It was the full Eckhaus experience. A rollercoaster ride that leaves you a little dizzy but smiling at the end.
Despite the turnovers, when Eckhaus was on, he was on. He finished with 334 yards through the air, surpassing the 11,000-yard mark for his college career. His prettiest moment came early in the fourth quarter, a 39-yard strike to Landon Wright, where he held the follow-through like he was posing for a statue. It was the kind of throw that reminds you why you put up with the interceptions in the first place.
New Faces and Unlikely Heroes
While Eckhaus was doing his thing, the rest of the Washington State offense found a rhythm they’d been searching for all year. Interim Head Coach Jesse Bobbit, filling in for the departed Jimmy Rogers, seemed to unlock something by letting the offense loose.
Redshirt freshman Maxwell Woods, who had a grand total of 108 rushing yards coming into this game, exploded for 117 yards on just nine carries. It is the kind of breakout performance that makes fans start checking the eligibility charts for next season immediately. Even backup QB Julian Dugger got in on the action, using his legs to find the end zone late in the game.
The emotional high point, however, belonged to Tight End Hudson Cedarland. Earlier this year, Cedarland was buried on the linebacker depth chart and had one foot out the door, ready to transfer. A position switch saved his career. On Monday, he caught a touchdown pass, celebrating with an embrace that looked like it carried the weight of a season’s worth of doubt washing away.
The Defense Digs In
On the other side of the ball, Washington State was stingy. Sure, Utah State managed to turn an interception into points and hit a few plays late, but for the most part, Washington State’s defense held firm. They took a 14-0 lead into halftime and never truly let the Aggies threaten the outcome.
It was a bittersweet ending for Safety Tucker Large, a transfer who became the heart of the secondary. He left the game with a knee injury in the second quarter, watching the final celebration on crutches. It was a cruel finish for a guy who helped transform the defense into a legitimate strength this season.
Looking Toward a New Future
As the players doused Bobbit with a bucket of French fries, because what else do you dump on a coach at the Potato Bowl, the reality of what comes next began to settle in. This was a bridge game.
Washington State is stepping into a new era. They’re entering the rebuilt Pac-12 next year. They have a new head coach, Kirby Moore, who was watching from the stands in Boise. And the roster that walks onto the field next fall will look drastically different from the one holding the trophy on Monday.
But for one cold afternoon in Idaho, none of the uncertainty mattered. The drought is over. The fries have been dumped. And Washington State can head into the offseason knowing they finished the job.
