Washington State is officially 1-7, eliminated from bowl eligibility before Halloween, after a brutal 31-10 Homecoming loss to Boise State. This wasn’t just a loss, it was a complete collapse, a picture-perfect fall day turning into an absolute nightmare right in front of the Cougar faithful.
The Palouse Dream Turned Sour
This WSU versus Boise State matchup was supposed to be *the* game, circled by so many on the revamped Pac-12 calendar. A late October battle, 3 PM in Pullman. Crisp 54-degree air, those classic orange and gold leaves lining Glenn Terrell Mall, the sun blazing down on the rolling Palouse hills. You know, that “Cougar country” spirit Keith Jackson always talked about? It was palpable on October 24th, Homecoming weekend. The crowd was hyped, the new LED lights were flashing crimson, the speakers were blaring music so loud the Cougar sideline was dancing. They had the number 21 team in the country, Boise State, on the ropes, tied at 10 heading into the final 15 minutes of play. The energy was electric, radiating from the guys in crimson.
Twenty-One Unanswered Points and a Wild Scene
But then, in about an hour, it all went sideways. WSU gave up 21 unanswered points. Just like that, a 10-10 nail-biter turned into a brutal 31-10 beatdown. The dancing stopped. The Cougars walked back onto the field from the south sideline, dejected, heads low. The energy was long gone. And get this: after Boise State took a 17-10 lead and picked off Owen Eshelman, frustrations boiled over in the stands. Fireball shooters, man. Students reportedly throwing them back and forth at the Boise State players on the north sideline. The student section had already started bailing at halftime, heading for the exits and the bars. Even with those great drone shots on the broadcast trying to paint a magnificent fall night, you could see the empty seats. By the time head referee Gary Reed announced the game was officially over, Martin Stadium was largely covered in Boise State blue.
A Season Over Before Halloween
So, where does that leave our Cougars? A crushing 1-7 record. That’s their worst since 2010. And it’s only October. Bowl eligibility? Gone, just like that, before Halloween even hit. This was supposed to be an early, great memory for Washington State in this new Pac-12 era. Instead, it’s anything but. Nobody could have predicted this kind of brutal finish when this game was first penciled onto the schedule back in May. It’s a long road back from here, Cougs. A really, really long road.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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