Cougs Have Major Opportunity to Become Bowl-Eligible After Massive Win Over Louisiana Tech

Nov 15, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars linebacker Sullivan Schlimgen (24) celebrates after a play against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in the second half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

Washington State hosted Louisiana Tech in Week 12, and they handled business in a convincing victory to get them back to .500. They controlled the game from wire to wire, and once again showed that when they're firing on all cylinders, they can be a dangerous team.

Going back out on the road to face James Madison in the penultimate game of the 2025 season, the Cougs have a prime opportunity to finish strong and push for a bowl game bid.

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Keep Eckhaus in Stride

Inconsistence has been the reality with Cougs' quarterback Zevi Eckhaus in recent weeks, but he showed promising signs of finding his identity against the Bulldogs. After a few consecutive games of far too many ill-advised throws, he looked poised and confident against Louisiana Tech, heavily leaning into his dual-threat abilities to lead the offense.

He didn't light up the stat sheet, throwing for just 146 yards and one touchdown, but his impact on the game went far beyond the surface numbers. He tacked on 56 yards and two scores on the ground on 11 carries, and kept the LA Tech defense guessing the entire night. He was decisive with his throws, efficient when tucking the ball and running, and simply needs to continue being a game manager moving forward. For the Cougs to finish the season on a high note, Eckhaus replicating his play against the Bulldogs is an essential continuation.

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MORE: Zevi Eckhaus Pairs Productivity With Efficiency as Wazzu Downs LA Tech

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Continue Increasing Defensive Aggressiveness

The Washington State defense was getting after it on all three levels against the Bulldogs on Saturday. They sacked LA Tech's quarterbacks three times, picked up four tackles for loss, broke up three passes, and forced an interception by Colby Humphrey. The entire unit was playing with a much-needed chip on their shoulder and collectively refused to let the Bulldogs generate any offensive momentum.

As the offense continues to work toward finding its rhythm, the defense continuing to suffocate opposing offenses would be an incredible trend for the Cougs to lean on. An impressive JMU offense followed by a poor Oregon State one are on deck, and if the defense can keep up their high level of play, going 2-0 is a very realistic goal for WSU.

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MORE: How Washington State's 2025 Opponents Fared in Week 12

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Keep it Clean

The best way to describe the Cougs' win over Louisiana Tech was clean - plain and simple. They didn't make many of the crippling mental mistakes that have held them back in their losses, and all sides of the ball were operating smoothly and with intent.

Opening as early underdogs to JMU and early favorites over Oregon State, Washington State needs to put together performances similar to last Saturday to give themselves the best chance at winning both games. Small mistakes spiraling into bigger ones have been the team's biggest downfall throughout the 2025 season, and preventing them from piling up should be of the utmost importance to Head Coach Jimmy Rogers and the rest of the coaching staff.

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