SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Washington State football fell to San Diego State, 26-20 Saturday night at Snapdragon Stadium.
The Cougars (1-8, 0-5 Pac-12) fought to the wire with a fourth-quarter scoring drive, highlighted by Owen Eshelman’s 43-yard completion, to make it a six-point game late, but they came up just short.
Eshelman completed 30 of 42 passes for 299 yards and rushed for 34 yards and two touchdowns.
Daniel Blood caught eight passes for 105 yards.
Keith Brown led Wazzu with 11 tackles.
Jaylen Thomas recorded four tackles and added an interception with a 17-yard return.
The Cougars responded to San Diego State’s opening touchdown with a 75-yard, nine-play drive, as Eshelman scored on a 4-yard run and Jack Stevens’ PAT tied the game at 7-all. Eshelman completed 9 of 11 passes for 97 yards as Wazzu finished the first quarter locked at 7-7.
After another San Diego State touchdown early in the second, a WSU 12-play, 64-yard drive that ended with Kirby Vorhees’ 2-yard touchdown run and Jack Stevens’ PAT tied the game at 14-14 with 6:19 left. Eshelman helped keep the drive moving with two third-down rushing conversions and an 18-yard completion to Leo Pulalasi. San Diego State retook a 17-14 lead with a 36-yard field goal before the game went into halftime.
The Cougars were held scoreless in the third quarter despite Jaylen Thomas’ interception, which came after a Keith Brown pass break up and gave Wazzu the ball at the San Diego State 36. That drive ended on a fourth-down incompletion, and San Diego State followed with a 45-yard field goal to move ahead 20-14. WSU’s next possession covered 40 yards in 13 plays before a sack preceded a missed 53-yard field goal, leaving San Diego State ahead 20-14 at the end of the third.
San Diego State extended its lead in the fourth quarter with a seven-play, 67-yard drive, but Eshelman’s 43-yard completion to Blood and a 2-yard Eshelman touchdown run cut it back to a one-possession game, 26-20. WSU later forced a punt and then converted two third downs on their final possession, but the drive ended on downs at their own 48 before the game went final.
PLAYER NOTES
• WSU Game Captains: Kaden Beatty, Keith Brown, Linus Zunk, Ashton Tripp
• Owen Eshelman recorded a four-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter and a two-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth, the second and third rushing touchdown of his career (also: Oct. 17 at Oregon State)
• Eshelman’s first career multi-rushing TD game … went 30-of-42 for 299 yards, also rushed for a team-high 34 yards on 16 carries
• Daniel Blood had a team and career-high eight receptions and 105 yards receiving, his first 100-yard game of his career.
• Kirby Vorhees had a two-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter, his fourth rushing touchdown of the season, ninth as a Coug and 17th rushing touchdown of his career.
• Leo Pulalasi recorded his longest reception of the season with a 18-yard catch in the second quarter
• Pulalasi tied the longest reception of his career (also 18 yards: Sept. 27, 2025 at Colorado State).
• Trey Leckner recorded a career-high seven catches and 59 receiving yards
• Branden Ganashamoorthy’s 23-yard reception in the first quarter was tied for his third-longest reception of the season
• Junior Caleb Northcroft made the first catch of his Cougar career with an 11-yard reception in the first quarter
• Khamari Terrell recorded a PBU in the first quarter, his sixth straight game with a PBU and the 10th of his career.
• Jaylen Thomas recorded his third career interception, his first since recording two against Kansas State on September 12.
• Keith Brown made a game-high 11 tackles, his second career game with double-digit tackles (Oct. 17, 2026 at Oregon State)
• Brown recorded his second career PBU (also: Oct. 9, 2026 at Utah State)
• Linus Zunk recorded a season-high 2.5 tackles for loss and tied a season-high six tackles
TEAM NOTES
• The Cougars recorded three rushing touchdowns, tied for the most in a game this season (also: Sept. 19 vs. Duquesne)
• Eight different Coug receivers recorded a catch, tied for a team-high in a game this season (also: Oct. 3, vs. Fresno State).
• Daniel Blood’s 43-yard reception in the fourth quarter was the second-longest reception by a Coug receiver this season
• WSU forced their third interception of the season and their first in their last four games.
• The Cougars defense tied a season-high seven TFL (also: Oct. 10 vs. Fresno State).
Up next, WSU hosts Colorado State Saturday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m. in Pullman, Wash.