Washington State is still chasing their first Pac-12 Conference and FBS win of the season, after falling 26-20 to San Diego State on the road. The Cougars, now sitting at 1-7 overall and 0-4 in Pac-12 play, just couldn’t quite get over the hump despite showing some fight at Snapdragon Stadium.
A Back-and-Forth Battle Until Halftime
Right from the jump, SDSU looked to set the tone, with Javion Kinnard making a defender miss for a 9-yard rushing touchdown at 7:27 in the first quarter, putting the Aztecs up 7-0. Our Cougars weren’t letting them run away with it though! Owen Eshelman kept the ball himself and rushed up the middle for a 4-yard score, evening things up at 7-7 with 2:19 left in the first.
The second quarter felt like a rollercoaster. Kinnard broke through the WSU defense for his second touchdown of the game, a 10-yard rushing score, and San Diego State was up 14-7 early. But then, a pass interference penalty set up Kirby Vorhees for a 2-yard plunge, and just like that, it was 14-14. Rain started falling, and the Aztecs grabbed the lead again with a 36-yard field goal from Cooper DiLeva. Man, right before halftime, defensive end Kai Wallin picked off Eshelman, giving the Aztecs another possession. It felt like WSU was just trying to hang on, and they did, going into the locker room down 17-14.
Aztecs Pull Away, Cougars Fight Back
The third quarter started with a spark for WSU, as Jaylen Thomas intercepted SDSU QB Stone Saunders, getting the ball back for the Cougars right away. But they couldn’t turn it into points, and DiLeva hit another field goal, this one from 45 yards, extending the Aztecs’ lead to 20-14. This game was just *begging* for WSU to take control, but it just wasn’t happening.
Then, the fourth quarter dropped a gut punch: San Diego State pulled out a trick play, with Bert Emanuel Jr. finding Jackson Ford for a 1-yard touchdown reception. Their two-point conversion failed, but it still pushed the lead to 26-14. Talk about a momentum killer! But WSU didn’t quit. Eshelman came through with a 2-yard keeper touchdown, set up by a huge completion to Daniel Blood, cutting the deficit to 26-20 with 6:55 left. The Cougars were within one possession, showing that fight we all love to see, but they couldn’t complete the comeback.
The Search Continues
Heading into this game, the Cougars’ offense, led by Owen Eshelman, was supposed to find some room to operate against an Aztecs defense that was giving up about 36 points and 462 yards per game. Pre-game chatter was all about WSU needing their offense to kick into gear, and the offensive line had to hold up. While Eshelman did find the end zone twice, and Kirby Vorhees punched one in, those interceptions and the Aztecs’ ability to respond just kept WSU out of reach. We also knew they needed to contain Jaylon Hawkins, who has three kickoff return touchdowns this season. It’s tough, but the search for that first FBS win continues. It’s a grind out there, but you gotta believe they’ll break through eventually…