Previewing the Washington State game

Previewing the Washington State game

After what feels like a really long bye week, the Hoos are finally back in action Saturday night as the Cougars of Washington State make the trip to Scott Stadium. Washington State is in one of the most unique situations in college football as it is one of the only two teams (Oregon State) that remain in the broken-down Pac-12 conference. While more teams are on the way in 2026, for now the Cougars play the Beavers twice a year to determine a Pac-12 winner.

The Hoos coming off of the bye week

Halfway through the season, Virginia has exceeded not only many fan expectations, but national media as well. Wins over then #8 Florida State and undefeated Louisville have lifted the Cavaliers to number 18 in the country entering this matchup. The offense has exploded ranking 11th in the country in yards per game (489.2), averaging 43 points per game. Whether it is the run game that currently averages 217.5 yards per game or the pass game that is averaging 271.7, the Hoos have no doubt been moving the ball efficiently. With that being said, the offense took a back seat two weeks ago in Virginia’s game against Louisville. In the overtime victory over the Cardinals, the Hoos scored two defensive touchdowns (Scoop and score and Kam Robinson pick six). Virginia is 5-1, 3-0 in the ACC tied for first in the conference headed into the Hoos’ final non-conference game of the season. So, after the recovery relaxation of the bye week, the Hoos are a full head of steam coming back home to defend Scott Stadium against Washington State.

Let’s get to know Washington State

The Cougars have had a roller-coaster of a year this season with a lot of ups and downs. They are 3-3 on the year with wins over Idaho, San Diego State, and Colorado State. Not too impressive, however, all of their losses have come against pretty good teams. Their losses include North Texas, Washington, and a 3-point loss to number 4 in the country Ole Miss. North Texas has been one of the better teams in the AAC, Washington is 5-1 out of the Big 10, and of course a 3-point loss to Ole Miss is very surprising.

Washington State has thrown two Quarterbacks out onto the field that have rotated, getting most of the snaps is Zevi Eckhaus alongside Jaxon Potter. Eckhaus originally came from Bryant University before transferring to the Cougars in 2024. This season, Eckhaus has completed 73 passes for 758 yards and 6 touchdowns. He does like to get on the move as he has taken off 32 times for 61 yards and two touchdowns. Eckhaus has been sacked 8 times this season with 4 of them coming against Ole Miss.

As far as offensive weapons go there are not too many intimidating ones. Leading receiver for the Cougars is 5 '8 Tony Freeman who has 304 yards on 30 receptions and a touchdown. On the ground, the leading tailback is Kirby Vorhees with 244 yards and a touchdown. Behind him with some efficient numbers is Leo Pulalisi with 15 carries for 97 yards.

In the redzone, an efficient target for Washington State has been tight end Trey Leckner. Leckner has 11 receptions for 61 yards with two of his catches being for touchdowns. Outside of him, touchdowns have really been spread around the Cougars with one a piece to Tony Freeman, Joshua Meridith, Jeremiah Noga, Landon Wright, Leon Neal, Devin Ellison, and two other tight ends in Ademola Faleye and Beau Baker.

On the defensive side of the ball, the main name to be aware of is defensive edge Isaac Terrell. Terrell has 4.5 sacks on the year as well as 17 tackles. Terrell has also forced a fumble, in fact, the entire Cougars defense has forced four this season. While Washington State has not gotten one interception this season, the defense has held up surprisingly ok in some games, only giving up 24 to Ole Miss, 3 to Colorado State, and 13 to San Diego State.

What needs to happen for the Hoos to become bowl eligible Saturday night

Without a doubt, Virginia is favored in this clash with the Cougars. Virginia is currently 17.5-point favorites with a Moneyline of -1200. Virginia really just needs to stay on schedule offensively and control the tempo of the game. If the Hoos can establish their run game early and set up for some play-action, there should not be any issue scoring. On the defensive side of the ball, there is not one guy that is a terrifying weapon to face. In the past few matchups Virginia has had to worry about some stars in Duce Robinson, Squirrel White, and Chris Bell. Washington State does not have a standout player like that. The Hoos really just need to get after the quarterback early and set the tone, not allowing an inch.

While yes, Washington State almost just beat a top five team, this does not change the fact that Virginia is a much more talented team then the Cougars. Ole Miss started that game slow and struggled to get going but eventually did. As long as Virginia does not come out flat, the Hoos should win Saturday night. On a side note, many people on social media are rumoring this to be the biggest crowd yet this season at Scott Stadium Saturday night. According to some sources, Virginia has already sold more tickets to this game than they did the FSU game, so if the students and season ticket holders show up, the University is expecting larger than 50k. It is a step forward but for Virginia the goal is simple, win one game at a time. As fans and media, it is ok to look ahead at the fact that UVA has a shot to go to Charlotte for the ACC Championship, but the team, coaches, and players all need to understand, it all happens one game at a time.

Go Hoos!