Entering Saturday’s matchup against Utah State (2-7), the Aggie defense was allowing over 240 rushing yards per game. That same weakness proved fruitful for No. 21 ranked WSU (8-1), as the Cougs exploded for 303 yards on the ground en route to a 49-28 romp, sealing their first eight-win season since 2018.

“This was a big win, we needed this off the bye week,” head coach Jake Dickert said. “Showing that we’re focused, that we’re determined and we can go out there and handle a bit of noise… We’ll look big picture sometime this offseason, but we’re 1-0 in November and that’s a big deal.”

It was another edition of Palouse after dark, with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff time, and a preview of potential future Pac-12 after-dark games, with USU joining the league in 2026. The win puts the Cougars ahead 3-2 in the all-time series.

WSU did not trail at any point in the game, showcasing dominance from start to finish. The Cougs kicked off to begin the game, forcing a quick punt. The offense would immediately open up the run game, with true freshman running back Wayshawn Parker breaking two runs of over ten yards in a row, to put Wazzu in the red zone.

It was quarterback John Mateer who capped the drive off as he so often does, hitting the Cougs leading receiver Kyle Williams for a 17-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. 

USU responded with a touchdown of its own to tie the game 7-7, but only for a short time. Parker capped a 12-play, 85-yard drive set up by a 25-catch by sophomore receiver Carlos Hernandez, by pounding home a one-yard touchdown run to take a 14-7 lead. 

On the next Cougar offensive possession, they would run 10 plays and go 75 yards, with just two going for over 10 yards. The second of the two was a Mateer 14-yard pass to Williams for their second touchdown connection, carving out a 21-7 second-quarter lead.

Both teams would punt on their next offensive possession before USU led a long drive down to the Cougar 24-yard-line, where senior nickel corner Kapena Gushiken would intercept a wayward pass by Aggie QB Spencer Petras. However, no more points would come in the half, with WSU leading 21-7 after two quarters.

The third quarter started with a bang, as Parker broke off a 75-yard touchdown run, the longest by a Coug since Chris Ivory in 2006, on the first play of the second half. WSU took a quick 28-7 lead.

“He’s been hard on himself, he hadn’t scored in a while, be he scored twice today. I’m super proud of him. That burst he has,” Mateer said. I’m super proud of that guy, and we celebrated it in the end zone.”

In desperation mode, USU went for it from its 34-yard-line on fourth down the next possession, seemingly converting, only for sophomore linebacker Buddah Al-Uqdah to come in and rip the ball away, forcing and recovering the fumble. It was Al-Uqdah’s fifth forced turnover of the season.

“You see dudes try to reach or make that extra effort to get a touchdown or first down, and when I see them do that I always think, why don’t guys punch the ball and try to take the ball away,” Al-Uqdah said. “I tried against San Diego State and missed. So this time I knew I wasn’t gonna miss it.”

The Cougar offense, however, was unable to capitalize, with kicker Dean Janikowski missing a 40-yard field goal attempt.

With the defense responding, forcing another punt, the offense punched back with a six-play drive, highlighted by 29 and 22-yard runs by Parker and sophomore RB Leo Pulalasi respectively, and capped by a one-yard Mateer touchdown run. WSU then led 35-7. The touchdown was Mateer’s 11th of the season rushing, the most in a season in WSU program history.

WSU would allow another score before marching down the field again, with Mateer finding Williams in the end zone for the third time, marking a new single-game career-high in touchdown catches for Williams.

“Kyle’s had a great season. We haven’t always connected on some targets, but he’s a tough cover and can do a lot with the ball in his hands. Sometimes in a dynamic offense, you got to take your turn,” Dickert said. “It was Kyle’s night, and he went out there and made some great plays.”

WSU would eventually cap a late drive with a three-yard touchdown pass from Mateer to tight end Cooper Mathers, before a garbage time 72-yard touchdown run by sophomore RB Derrick Jameson on his first touch at the Division I level. The Cougs would then kneel out the 49-28 win.

Overall, had a great day on the ground, with two tailbacks averaging over 10 yards per carry. Parker averaged 13.5 yards per carry, rushing for 149 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns, and Pulalasi averaged 10.3, rushing for 62 yards on six carries. Mateer also pitched in 55 rushing yards and a touchdown and redshirt sophomore Djouvensky Schlenbaker added 32 yards as well.

“We knew we could be physical up front, and I am really proud of the offensive line. That’s the next step, the domination, running the ball and staying with it tonight,” Dickert said.

The Cougs offensive line led the charge on the ground, but also allowed Mateer time to throw, allowing just two sacks for a combined loss of eight yards.

“The offensive line played their asses off today. We can’t do anything without the offensive line. That’s our forefront, and that’s what gets everything started,” Williams said. “They played a hell of a night.”

The Cougs did allow 395 total yards, but while it would have been nice to have slammed the door a little harder, it was a solid all-around team win, Dickert said. 

Turnovers continue to be a key for the ‘bend but don’t break’ Cougar defense. Offensively, it is smooth sailing when the rushing attack goes. The last time the Cougs ran for 300 yards was in a 37-16 win over Texas Tech in week two.

While he contributed with his legs as per usual, Mateer also had another efficient day passing. He did not turn the ball over, despite a fumble that bounced through the back of the endzone off a USU defender, being ruled a batting foul on the Aggies. 

It was far from a perfect day for the Cougar QB, who admitted to a near interception, but he still went 18-for-24 for 179 yards and four touchdowns through the air, a result of experience, he said.

“Now nine games in, I’m just learning the game and learning how to take better care of the ball. My coaches were really hard on me, and I almost threw one [interception] today,” Mateer said. “I don’t enjoy throwing interceptions, nobody does. So I’ve been hard on myself making sure I take care of the ball. I don’t have to force anything, I can progress and things can still happen.”

WSU entered the game ranked 21st in the first College Football Playoff rankings, and while it was not a spotless performance, the Cougs did what they needed to. 

After entering the season 0-5 after a bye week, Wazzu is 2-0 this season. Although rarely discussed in the locker room, the Cougars have real playoff potential. 

All they can do now is win, and hope the rest sorts itself out, and it started by handling business against a struggling, banged-up USU squad. 

The Cougs now face a two-week road trip to New Mexico and then to Corvallis, Oregon for a Pac-2 matchup with Oregon State. 

“We don’t want to look too big picture,” Mateer said. “It’s encouraging. Just keep on going, we’re so close. There’s no reason to let up now.”