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# Monday Musings: Washington State Finds Run Game, Ends Skid With Win at Colorado State
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/washington-state-cougars-run-game-win-colorado-state/
- Published: 2025-09-30T03:40:20.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T06:18:08.000Z
- Author: Jacob Stevenson
- Tags: Analysis, Zevi Eckhaus, Angel Johnson, Jimmy Rogers, Cougars

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Bouncing back from two ugly losses, the Washington State Cougars got back in the win column by comfortably beating Colorado State 20-3, improving to 3-2 on the season heading into a Week 6 bye.

In the aftermath of the Cougars’ third win, coach Jimmy Rogers said, “We’re excited about certain things we were able to do. There were some positives but things we have do to better at.”

Earning a much-needed week off before traveling to face Ole Miss, here are three takeaways coming out of Washington State’s road victory in Fort Collins:

**Winning the turnover battle**

After coughing up the football eight times and failing to generate a single turnover of their own in two previous losses, the Cougars got back in the win column in large part due to taking better care of the football. Senior quarterback Zevi Eckhaus did a good job managing the game, going 16-28 with 189 yards, two touchdowns, and most importantly, zero turnovers. It goes without saying, taking care of the ball wins football games, and this was the same Washington State team that put their defense in bad positions with turnovers countless times the last two games.

Fortunately, Wazzu protected the football and didn’t gift the Rams short field at any point via turnover. As a result, in the first half, the Cougars scored 20 points and did a great job mixing up throws outside the pocket, deep passes, quarterback runs, and traditional handoffs. As the season moves along, being positive in the turnover differential and being multiple in there offense will be really important for Washington State’s chances of reaching a bowl game.

**A sign of a competent running game**

For the second time all season and first time since a Week 2 win vs. San Diego State, Washington State was able to run the ball effectively. The Cougs rushed 33 times for 158 yards, which comes out to 4.8 yards a carry, their best total on the season. The balance on offense was a big reason for the 20 first half points, helping keep pressure off Eckhaus and keep the Rams’ defense on their heels.

Even with zero points in the second half, partly due to there extremely conservative play calling, the Cougs ran the ball well and efficiently for all four quarters behind Leo Pulalasi’s 50 yards on three carries. Angel Johnson, who was expected to be the number one back heading into the season, added eight carries for 32 yards to pace a stellar rushing effort, while Eckhaus had 30 rushing yards himself. For the rest of the season, the Cougs will need to be able to replicate that success running the ball effectively and using it to set up the passing game as they did on Saturday.

**A bounce back defensive effort**

Arguably the more dominant side of the ball on Saturday, the Cougs’ defense had a massive bounce back effort against the Rams, only giving up three total points after yielding 59 in each of the previous two contests. Bending but not breaking, Washington State forced three turnovers on downs, including two on their side of the field and one near their goal line. They also recovered a fumble on their own 19-yard line and blocked a field goal, while Colorado State missed another one.

At times, Colorado State found success driving down the field, including rushing for 146 yards, only to hurt themselves or get thwarted by a big play by Washington State’s defense in opposing territory. Regardless, it was a definitive positive step forward and it was a huge bounce back effort from the atrocious showing one week earlier in the Apple Cup loss to Washington. Ole Miss will be a similar challenge in two weeks on the road, but a strong rebound performance gives hope for Rogers’ team to be able to compete against a top-25 foe on the road in an SEC venue.