Preview: Washington State Looking to End Skid as Toledo Comes to Pullman
Looking to snap a two-game losing streak, the Washington State Cougars host the Toledo Rockets in a stylistic non-conference clash that could turn tricky if coach Jimmy Rogers’ team doesn’t control tempo.
Sitting at 3-4, Washington State wants to turn this into a fast, high-volume game with quick decisions at quarterback from Zevi Eckhaus orchestrating the passing game, formation width that creates space for Josh Meredith and the rest of the receivers, and a pace designed to stack possessions behind an efficient ground game led by emerging starter Kirby Vorhees to wear down the opponent as the game progresses. If the Cougs hit on a few explosives early and force Toledo to chase points out of the gate playing catchup, the matchup tilts sharply to the home side’s favor.
Toledo’s blueprint is the opposite: shrink the game, run the ball behind a veteran line with standout backs Chip Trayanum and Kenji Christian, steal extra first downs with efficiency, and make Washington State defend long, methodical drives. The Rockets’ defense has been fundamentally sound and opportunistic under Jason Candle, as they tackle well, they rarely bust coverages, and they force teams to string together perfect drives instead of giving up freebies. Their upset path depends on turning red-zone trips into field goals, not touchdowns on defense, and keeping the Cougars offense on ice on the sideline.
The swing matchup on Saturday sits at receiver versus the Rockets’ secondary. WSU’s wideouts are the best group Toledo will see all regular season compared to MAC competition; if Meredith and company win clean off the line, the road team’s plan evaporates. If Toledo can disrupt timing and tackle at the catch point, however, this could become a possession-by-possession game in the fourth.
It’s not a glamourous non-conference date, but it’s a real football problem for both teams to tackle at Martin Stadium: pace versus patience, volume versus control, and a margin for error that will feel tighter than the rankings may suggest.
