COUGARS CONTINUE ROAD STRETCH SATURDAY NIGHT AT NO. 18 VIRGINIA
Washington State hits the road for the third straight game, heading to Charlottesville for a Saturday night matchup at No. 18 Virginia. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. (PT) on The CW.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State enters the week with a 3-3 record with wins over Idaho, San Diego State and at Colorado State. The Cougars had their fourth-quarter comeback attempt held off, 24-21 at No. 4 Ole Miss last Saturday. Head Coach Jimmy Rogers is in his first year at WSU after coaching the previous two seasons at South Dakota State highlighted by an FCS National Championship in 2023. The Cougars went 8-5 last season, the most wins since 2018, and earned a trip to the Holiday Bowl for the program's eighth bowl game in the last nine full seasons. The 2025 roster features just three returning starters on offense and 75 newcomers. 

COUGAR QUICK GAME
TEAM
• Jimmy Rogers was the first head coach to win his first two games at WSU since Mike Price in 1989 • WSU went 8-5 last season, the most wins since 2018, went 8th bowl in last 9 full seasons, 19 bowls all time • The 2025 Apple Cup was the first Gesa Field sellout (32,952) since 2023 (Oregon State) • 13 Cougs are in the NFL (page 3)

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT (Player Notes Pages 8-11)
• QB Zevi Eckhaus has started last 3 games, beat Colorado State to earn first win as a Coug, has 2 pass TD an all 3 starts in 2025 • DE Isaac Terrell's 4 tackles-for-loss at Ole Miss are tied for the 2nd-most by any player nationally, was the most by a Coug since 2017 (5.0, Hercules Mata'afa, at Utah) • Terrell's 9.5 tackles-for-loss are tied for 6th-most nationally, No. 19 with 4.5 sacks • TE Trey Leckner's 2 TD catches against San Diego State was the 5th 2-TD game by Cougar tight end in program history • C Brock Dieu was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List (Top Collegiate Center) • WR Jeremiah Noga and OL AJ Vaipulu were named to the 2025 Polynesian Player of the Year Watch List • Jack Stevens go-ahead 32-yard FG with three seconds remaining was the 1st last-minute victory since 2019 (54-53, Max Borghi TD run, Oregon State) • Stevens started the season making 1st 8 field goal attempts, matching the best start to a career by a Cougar kicker (Aaron Price) (1992) • TE Beau Baker's first career catch was a 12-yard touchdown in the second quarter of the Apple Cup

VIRGINIA, ACC, TOP-25 OPPONENTS SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will be Washington State's first meeting against Virginia and just the fourth against an ACC opponent. The Cougars dropped a 1979 meeting against Syracuse in Buffalo, beat Miami in the 2015 Sun Bowl in El Paso and dropped last year's Holiday Bowl to Syracuse in San Diego. WSU is seeking  its first win over a Top-25 opponent since a 31-22 home win over No. 19 Wisconsin in 2023 and first road win over a Top-25 opponent since beating No. 19 Wisconsin in Madison in 2022, 17-14.

COLLEGE GAMEDAY RECORD
Dating back to the 2003 season, ESPN College GameDay has had the WSU flag appear throughout the show. The streak reached 327 last week at Oregon. The first appearance came in Austin, Texas (10/4/03) and the streak began two weeks later in Madison, Wisc. (10/18/03). Two flags – Ol' Crimson and Gray – have been flown in the background of the GameDay set. The Gray flag was added in 2014 after Whitey was retired in honor of Steve Gleason's "No White Flags." Appearance No. 217 was its first in Pullman (10/20/18), a 34-20 win over Oregon. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
16,578 - WSU will travel 16,578 miles to and from its 6 road games in 2025
75 - WSU's 2025 roster features 75 new players
47 - 47 players have made their WSU debuts in 2025, 18 who have made their collegiate debut 
21 - WSU returned 21 players who earned a varsity letter in 2024
10 - WSU's 2025 schedule features teams from 10 different conferences 
7 - 7 Cougs were named to the East-West Shrine Bowl Watch List (C Brock Dieu, S Matthew Durrance, LB Caleb Francl, CB Colby Humphrey, RB Angel Johnson, S Tucker Large, OL AJ Vaipulu)
7 - 7 seniors have spent their entire careers at WSU; C Brock Dieu, RT Christian Hilborn, WR Joshua Meredith, WR Leon Neal Jr., RB Dylan Paine (6th), WR Leyton Smithson, DE Raam Stevenson
3 - WSU returned 3 starters, all on offense; C Brock Dieu, RT Christian Hilborn, WR Josh Meredith

JIMMY ROGERS NAMED HEAD COACH
WSU Director of Athletics Anne McCoy announced December 28 that Jimmy Rogers had been named the Cougars' Head Football Coach. Rogers agreed in principle to a five-year contract in becoming the 35th head football coach in program history. Rogers arrived at WSU having spent the last 12 years at South Dakota State University, the past two as head coach. In those two years, he guided SDSU to a 27-3 record, led the Jackrabbits to the 2023 FCS Championship and reached the FCS semifinals last season.

POSTGAME NOTES - AT NO. 4 OLE MISS
• WSU rushed for 127 yards on 28 carries, its third game with 100-plus rushing yards this season • WSU recorded six tackles-for-loss including three sacks • Jaylin Caldwell started at right tackle in his Cougar debut • Zevi Eckhaus threw two touchdown passes, his third straight game with a two touchdown passes • Kirby Vorhees' 46-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was his longest run of the season, first touchdown as a Coug • Vorhees rushed for 88 yards, a season-high by a Cougar running back • Landon Wright's fourth career catch was a 26-yard touchdown in the first quarter, his first career TD • Tony Freeman set career-highs with nine catches and 92 receiving yards, also caught his first career touchdown pass • Parker McKenna recorded 12 tackles, his second straight double-digit tackle game (10, at Colorado State), second this season and eighth of his career • Isaac Terrell matched a career-high with five tackles recorded four tackles-for-loss with two sacks and forced fumble • Terrell recorded WSU's first two-sack game since Soni Finau at Colorado State two weeks ago • Terrell's four tackles-for-loss tied for the eighth-most in WSU single-game history and most since Hercules Mata'afa recorded five in the win at Utah in 2017• Jack Stevens missed his first field goal of the season, had started 8-for-8 to match Aaron Price for the best start by a Cougar kicker to start his career (1992) 

POSTGAME NOTES - AT COLORADO STATE WIN
• WSU allowed just three points, the fewest points allowed since beating San Jose State 31-0 in 2018 (Pullman) • WSU posted its first second-half shutout since 2021 at California (W, 21-6) • WSU blocked a field goal for the first time since 2023 (Jaden Hicks at UCLA) • WSU matched a season-high with three fourth down stops (San Diego State) • WSU's nine tackles-for-loss were a season-high • WSU's four sacks were a season-high • Jeremiah Noga's 35-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter was WSU's longest scoring play of the season • Head Coach Jimmy Rogers notched career win No. 30, owns a career 30-5 head coaching record • Zevi Eckhaus earned his first win as a Cougar quarterback • Leo Pulalasi's 45-yard run in the second quarter was a career long and season long for WSU • Jeremiah Noga caught his first touchdown as a Coug, had one touchdown catch in 2023 for Oregon State • Ademola Faleye's second quarter touchdown was his third career touchdown and first as a Coug (1 in 2021, 1 in 2022 at Norfolk State) • Parker McKenna recorded 10 tackles including 1.5 for loss, his seventh career double-digit tackle game, first as a Coug • Anthony Palano recorded a career-high 13 tackles, previous career high was nine against Idaho • Soni Finau recorded his first career two-sack game, entered game with 1.5 career sacks • Bryson Lamb recorded WSU's first blocked field goal since 2023 (Jaden Hicks, at UCLA) • Tony Freeman had a career-long 42-yard punt return in the first quarter • Jack Stevens connected on both field goal attempts (37, 21), is the first Cougar kicker to start the season 8-of-8 since Blake Mazza started the 2019 season 18-of-18

POSTGAME NOTES - APPLE CUP
• Game temperature was 81 degrees, the hottest game temperature in Apple Cup history • Attendance: 32,952 the first Gesa Field sellout of 2025 and first since 2023 (Oregon State) • WSU recorded three sacks, the most sacks in an Apple Cup since 2012 • WSU recorded seven tackles-for-loss, the most in an Apple Cup since 2015 • WSU had a season-high 14 receivers catch a pass • WSU recorded season-highs in first downs (21) and passing yards (277) • Zevi Eckhaus went 25-of-36 for 277 yards and two touchdowns, also rushed for a touchdown • Devin Ellison (WR) made his WSU debut on offense, first career catch was 18-yard grab in first quarter, caught three passes for 52 yards including an 8-yard touchdown catch in third quarter • Josh Meredith's 48-yard catch in the third quarter was a career long, finished with three catches for 70 yards • Beau Baker's first career catch was a 12-yard touchdown in the second quarter

POSTGAME NOTES - at NORTH TEXAS
• Maxwell Woods set career-highs with five catches for 42 yards • Landon Wright recorded his first career catch, a 34-yard grab in the second quarter • Hudson Cedarland recorded his first career catch, a four-yard grab in the fourth quarter • Caleb Francl recorded his second career sack • Cale Reeder made his WSU debut, finished three tackles • Jack Ellison made his 1st career, made five tackles • Jack Stevens connected on his only field goal attempt (26 yards), is 5-for-5 this season

POSTGAME NOTES - SAN DIEGO STATE WIN
• WSU recorded its first safety since 2021 (blocked punt out of end zone, fog game against Arizona in Pullman) • Jaxon Potter threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns, his first career 3-TD game • Kirby Vorhees set a career-high with 13 carries, finished with 67 yards • Trey Leckner caught a career-high six passes, his first and second touchdowns of the season, second and third of his career • Leckner recorded the fifth 2-TD game by Cougar tight end in program history • Leon Neal Jr. caught his first career touchdown, 18-yard catch in third quarter, finished with two catches for 19 yards • Josh Meredith set a career-high with eight catches for 88 yards • Isaac Terrell recorded his first career sack, a safety in the second quarter

JAXON POTTER DELIVERS WIN IN FIRST CAREER START
Redshirt-sophomore quarterback Jaxon Potter notched a couple firsts in his first career start, the season-opening 13-10 win over Idaho. Potter went 23-of-30 for 208 yards including his first career touchdown pass, a six-yard scored to wideout Joshua Meredith in the second quarter. Potter capped his night going 6-for-6 on his first career game-winning drive, guiding WSU to a nine-play, 59-yard drive before Jack Stevens kicked the go-ahead 32-yard field goal with three seconds remaining.

POSTGAME NOTES - IDAHO WIN
• WSU won its fourth straight season-opener, won its 11th straight game in the series against Idaho • Jack Stevens go-ahead 32-yard field goal with three seconds remaining was WSU's first last-minute victory since 2019 (54-53, Max Borghi TD run with two seconds remaining, Oregon State) • LT Ashton Tripp and LG Jonny Lester each made their first career starts • Tony Freeman started, set career highs with seven catches for 64 yards • Kirby Vorhees set career highs with five catches for 18 yards • Caleb Francl (11), Matthew Durrance (9) Anthony Palano (9) each made set career-highs in tackles in their Cougar debuts • Jack Stevens made his first career field goal (30 yards, 3rd quarter) and his second career field goal was the go-ahead 32-yarder with three seconds remaining

SIX NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS
Washington State announced its team captains for 2025 as voted by the players; OL Brock Dieu, S Tucker Large, WR Joshua Meredith, DT Max Baloun, DE Raam Stevenson, LB Caleb Francl.

13 COUGS HAVE EARNED DEGREES
Four players with college degrees; DL Max Baloun (Physical Education), LB Keith Brown (Social Sciences), LS Colson Brunner (Social Sciences), TE Hudson Cedarland (Management), CB Jamorri Colson (Humanities), DL Darrion Dalton (Business), QB Zevi Eckhaus (Social Sciences), OL Christian Hilborn (Humanities), LB Parker McKenna (Social Sciences), WR Leon Neal Jr. (Marketing), WR Jeremiah Noga (Public Health), RB Dylan Paine (Marketing), DT Mike Sandjo (Human Rights). 

COUGAR FOOTBALL PLUS ONES
Four Washington State players took the plunge this past offseason.
    - C Brock Dieu married his wife Chloe this past summer
    - LG Jonny Lester married his wife Chloe this summer
    - DE Isaac Terrell married his wife Madison this summer
    - DE Malaki Ta'ase married his wife McKinley this past January

MISSION COUGS
A pair of Cougs recently completed their missions; LB Gage Jones spent two years (2022-2023) on a mission in Chile and DE Malaki Ta'ase spent two years (2022-23) on a mission in Ghana.

WALK-AROUND ALCOHOL PILOT PROGRAM AT GESA FIELD
Washington State University announced a new pilot program that will allow walk-around beer and wine sales at Gesa Field. This initiative is designed to enhance the fan experience while maintaining a strong commitment to safety and responsible consumption. Beginning with Apple Cup, fans aged 21 and over with valid, government-issued identification (ID) will be able to purchase beer and wine from general concession stands throughout the stadium, eliminating the need for a designated beer garden. The program follows a successful model already implemented within the state that has gone through a thorough review by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board's enforcement team. The Liquor Board provided final approval at its Sept. 10 meeting. 
 
Key elements of the pilot program per the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board include: 
- No stadium re-entry once a ticket has been scanned. 
- Walk-around beer and wine sales are available through the end of the third quarter. 
- Student section remains alcohol-free with a strict zero-tolerance policy. 
- Limit of two alcoholic drinks per person, per transaction and ID checks for all alcohol purchases. 
- Rogers Field/Cougville becomes part of the ticketed footprint of Gesa Field and will require a game ticket to enter. Fans entering Rogers Field/Cougville will not be allowed to re-enter the stadium once they leave.
 
WSU and Aramark will continue to emphasize responsible drinking through staff training, signage, and enforcement protocols. 

FAN EXPERIENCE ENHANCEMENTS FOR COUGAR FOOTBALL GAMES
Kickoff At The CUB
New this year is the Kickoff At The CUB tailgate, located in the CUB Senior Ballroom. Beginning three hours prior to kickoff, all fans are welcome to enjoy the pregame atmosphere with featured food and drinks – including beer, wine, soda, and cocktails - available for purchase. The CUB Senior Ballroom is located on the second floor of the Compton Union Building.
 
Hollingbery Fieldhouse
New this year, Hollingbery Fieldhouse will not be open to the public. The venue  will be used to host private events for corporate partners of Cougar Athletics.
 
Cougville
Cougville, located on Rogers Field, remains one of the premier pregame tailgate spots on campus. Cougville provides fans with entertainment options for the entire family, including a beer garden for adults and a kids zone with inflatable bounce houses for young Cougar fans to enjoy. Cougville will open two hours prior to kickoff, close once the game begins, then re-open for halftime. Fans must show their game tickets to enter Cougville pregame.
 
Cougar Prowl
Don't miss this gameday tradition as fans gather to cheer on the Cougars as they make their way into Gesa Field. New for the 2025 season, the Cougar Prowl will begin two hours and 40 minutes prior to kickoff and will now start at the Taylor Sports Complex.