Facing James Madison for the first time, much will be at stake for Washington State and its Sun Belt opponent with the Cougars one win away from a bowl bid and the Dukes knocking on the door of a College Football Playoff berth. How does Wazzu stack up with the top-25 adversary?

Led by a healthier offensive line, the Washington State Cougars moved within one win of bowl eligibility with a surprisingly comfortable win over a quality Louisiana Tech squad. What stood out from Wazzu’s fifth victory?

Continuing to improve running the football and slowing down a solid Toledo rushing attack, Washington State jumped back in the win column in convincing fashion. What does it mean for the program with four games left to play and a bowl bid still in sight?

Despite playing well, the Cougars have lost their past two games on the road as underdogs and need to get back on track starting with a home date against the Toledo Rockets if they intend to play in a bowl game.

Between an early change at quarterback, a mostly non-existent run game, and a surprisingly solid defense, the Cougars have been on a wild ride going 3-2 in the first five games of the Jimmy Rogers era.

Following the loss of Kyle Williams and several other receivers off last year’s squad, the Cougars have leaned more on their running backs and tight ends thus far through five games.

Continuing to play stifling defense against San Diego State, the offense came to play in Week 2 for Washington State, resulting in a thorough beatdown of their future Pac 12 foe to land a second straight win.

With the first depth chart released, it still is a complete mystery who will actually start for the Cougars when they face the Vandals on August 30.

Along with several returning pass catchers such as Josh Meredith, the Cougars added some firepower to their receiving corps this spring, including an electric JUCO transfer.

While there are lots of new players on the 2025 Washington State roster, there are still are a handful of returners that fans should keep an eye on in Pullman.