BOISE — Against a brilliant blue backdrop, Zevi Eckhaus looked like a sous chef. He raised his right arm and pinched his fingers together, holding the follow-through on one of the best throws of his career at Washington State, which was cruising right along in Monday’s Idaho Potato Bowl.
In his final collegiate game, Eckhaus put his full tableau on display, the good and the bad and the confounding. He threw three interceptions against Utah State. He also tossed three touchdown passes. In other words, Eckhaus went out as himself.
At times this season, that helped the Cougars win games. At others, it helped the Cougs lose them. On Monday, it helped WSU capture its first bowl game win in seven years, heading back to Pullman — into the program’s next era — with a 34-21 win over Utah State.
Before interim coach Jesse Bobbit departs the program, following former coach Jimmy Rogers to Iowa State, he guided WSU to its first bowl win since 2018. Unshackled by Rogers’ run-first approach, Eckhaus completed 26 of 44 passes for 334 yards for the Cougs, whose offense aired it out in ways that never quite happened across the team’s first dozen games of the season.
Through the air and on the ground, WSU’s offense led the way all game, securing a 14-0 lead at halftime. Redshirt freshman Maxwell Woods churned out 117 rushing yards on nine carries, backup quarterback Julian Dugger used a long touchdown rush to finish with 45 yards and the Cougars piled up 253 rushing yards, by far their most on the season.
Eckhaus’ touchdown passes went to three different receivers: to second-year walk-on Mackenzie Alleyne, to junior tight end Hudson Cedarland and to redshirt freshman Landon Wright, who hauled in a 39-yard strike in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter, leading Eckhaus to show off the follow-through at midfield.
And outside a couple stray touchdowns, the Cougs’ defense did what it had all season, limiting scoring and yardage. In his last college outing, veteran safety Matthew Durrance reeled in an interception in the end zone, his first of the season, his first in around a calendar year. Utah State QB Bryson Barnes turned one of Eckhaus’ interceptions into a rushing touchdown before leaving with an injury, giving backup Jacob Conover a chance to complete a jump-ball touchdown pass in the fourth frame.
Otherwise, WSU’s defense looked sharp as ever under safeties coach Pete Menage, who was calling the defense while Bobbit oversaw things as interim head coach. Menage’s future is unclear, same as many WSU coaches and players, making this win special for the program.
The Cougars are on the doorstep of changing forever. They’ve hired a new head coach, former Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore, who was in attendance for Monday’s game. They’re entering the new-world Pac-12, which launches next year. And many of the Cougars who made this win possible are out of eligibility, meaning next year’s team will look wholly different, from coaches to players to everything in between.
But WSU had one more chance to enjoy this season while it lasted, drawing first blood in the first quarter. Eckhaus took a shotgun snap, dropped back and spotted second-year walk-on receiver Mackenzie Alleyne, who did the rest. He hauled it in near the end zone and glided across the goal line, good for his first career touchdown. That gave the Cougs a 7-0 lead.
After a couple fruitless drives, the Cougars padded their lead in the second quarter, in part thanks to offensive coordinator Danny Freund. He schemed third-year junior tight end Hudson Cedarland, who is playing tight end for the first time in his career, wide open in the end zone. He jumped into an embrace with fellow tight end Trey Leckner. It was clear that meant something more to him.
The interesting part is that Cedarland almost avoided that situation entirely. Earlier this year, he nearly walked away from football entirely. He had spent the first three years of his career at the bottom of the linebacker depth chart. He wasn’t particularly close to earning playing time at that position.
So in the spring, he decided to clean out his locker, only to run into former coach Jimmy Rogers. He told him he was ready to hit the portal. But Rogers called tight ends coach Chris Meyers, who smiled and told him something.
“Welcome to the tight end room,” Meyers told him.
Toward the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third, the Cougars missed a couple chances in the red zone, picking up short field goals from kicker Jack Stevens. WSU could have blown things open, after long rushes by running backs Maxwell Woods and Angel Johnson, the group had to settle for chip shots.
Around the middle of the second quarter, WSU’s defense lost perhaps its best player. As he closed in to break up a pass, veteran safety Tucker Large landed awkwardly on his right knee, crumpling to the ground on the sideline. He stayed there for a few moments, visited the injury tent for several more, then he was helped to the locker room with trainers.
He reemerged on crutches and with his leg in a brace, his final collegiate game over too soon. He spearheaded the makeover of the Cougars’ safety corps, which transformed from a costly weakness to a compelling strength, helping WSU finish the regular season ranked among the nation’s best in total defense. After transferring from South Dakota State, Large may have only played one season for the Cougars, but he left an indelible footprint on their program.
Many of his teammates did the same. Wherever they go next, they’ll have potatoes to celebrate with.
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