Washington State Show Improvement in Homecoming Win Over San Diego State

It was a strong team performance from Jimmy Rogers' Washington State Cougars in their second game of the year, pulling in a 36-13 win over San Diego State.

The homecoming crowd will go home happy after watching redshirt sophomore quarterback Jaxon Potter throw for three touchdowns and the WSU defense held the opposition to two third-down conversions on 13 attempts.

WSU running game also made hefty improvements, netting 139 rushing yards after they netted only three in the season opener.

First Half

San Diego State took a 7-0 lead on their second possession of the game. For a moment, it looked like WSU's rust from the Idaho game had carried over. Then, the momentum started to shift.

At the 5:18 mark in the first quarter, the Cougs capped a six-play, 48-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown pass from Jaxon Potter to Trey Leckner. In the opening moments of the second quarter, Jack Stevens connected on a 49-yard field goal.

The game was then a defensive stale mate until the Cougs backed up the Aztecs into their own end zone and Isaac Terrell sacked Jayden Denegal for a safety.

Getting the ball back at that point, Potter led the Cougars on a quick four-play, 64-yard drive where he connected with Leckner for another touchdown with 26 seconds left in the half. WSU took a 19-7 lead into the break.

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Second Half

On the opening possession of the third quarter, Potter found Leon Neal Jr. for an 18-yard touchdown. Stevens added a 42-yarder on the following possession to extend the lead.

San Diego State answered and got one back with a ten-play, 75-yard scoring drive, capped by a one-yard rushing score by Denegal. The Aztecs' two-point conversion attempt was not successful.

In the next two possessions, the WSU defense forced turnovers on downs. The WSU offense caught a break when a Stevens' field goal attempt was blocked and returned for a touchdown, but was called back for offsides. Steven tried the kick again and made it, but the Aztecs were called offsides again, giving WSU a first down. Julian Dugger then rushed in a three-yard score a few plays later.

The WSU defense backed up SDSU ten yards on the Aztecs' final possession and Potter took a knee three times to end the game.

With a 2-0 record to start the Rogers era, the Cougars will make the trip to Denton, Texas next Saturday (September 13) for a road date against the North Texas Mean Green on ESPNU.

First Half

Second Half

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