San Diego State’s bowl hopes hang by a thread after a 56-49 shootout loss in Fort Collins. Now the Aztecs come home for Halloween to face a Washington State team that has lost five straight and is the only team in the Pac-12 without a conference win, with Stone Saunders making his second straight start under center.
WEEK 9: Washington State Cougars at San Diego State Aztecs
WHEN: Saturday, October 31, 2026, 4:00 PM PST | 7:00 PM EST
WHERE: Snapdragon Stadium; San Diego, CA
TV: CBS Sports Network
RADIO: San Diego Sports 760
SERIES RECORD: Washington State leads 3-1
LAST MATCH: Washington State 36, San Diego State 13 (2025)
ODDS: San Diego State -2.5 (O/U 48.5)
San Diego, CA – The SDSU Aztecs (3-5, 2-2 Pac-12) host the Washington State Cougars (1-7, 0-4 Pac-12) in the fifth meeting between the two programs and their first as Pac-12 members. SDSU is coming off a tough 56-49 loss at Colorado State, where the 105 combined points were the most in an Aztecs game in the Division I era, and now needs to win three of its final four games to reach a bowl. Washington State has lost five straight and was officially eliminated from bowl contention last weekend in a 31-10 loss to No. 21 Boise State.
The Cougars have won their last two meetings with the Aztecs. They rallied from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to win 29-26 in San Diego in 2024, then routed the Aztecs 36-13 in Pullman last September. SDSU’s only win in the series came in 2011 at Qualcomm Stadium. Both teams have a bye next week.
For the superstitious, the Aztecs are 6-1 all-time on Halloween.
Get to Know the 2026 Cougars
It has been a harsh debut season for head coach Kirby Moore, the former offensive coordinator at Missouri and Fresno State. After a 24-10 Apple Cup loss and a 34-7 defeat at Kansas State, the Cougars beat FCS Duquesne 48-7 for their only win. Since then: losses to Arizona (34-24), Fresno State (26-6), Utah State (17-16), Oregon State (48-30) and Boise State (31-10). The Cougars were officially eliminated from bowl contention last weekend, the first time that has happened before November in Pullman since 2010.
That said, Washington State hasn’t been easy to put away. The Cougars played first-place Boise State to a 10-10 tie through three quarters last week before an interception opened the floodgates for a 21-0 Broncos fourth quarter.
Offensive Leaders
Moore has made two big changes in recent weeks. He took over play-calling and benched quarterback Caden Pinnick, who still leads the team in passing yards, for redshirt freshman Owen Eshelman. Saturday will be Eshelman’s third career start. Against Boise State he went 21-of-40 for 191 yards with no touchdowns and the costly interception. The offense hasn’t looked much better with him under center, and it ranks among the worst in FBS at under 19 points per game.
The biggest problem is up front. The offensive line gave up 16 pressures and four total sacks against Boise State, and the run game has been mostly nonexistent. The Cougars managed 53 yards on 33 carries last week, and in seven FBS games the tailback trio of Kirby Vorhees, Leo Pulalasi and Maxwell Woods is averaging about 15 carries for 48 yards per game. Moore said he’ll explore shuffling the line this week.
Junior Branden Ganashamoorthy is the top receiver and has played more snaps than any wideout in the Pac-12. The receiver room has been thin since star Tony Freeman tore his ACL in Week 1, and Darrius Clemons (ankle) is day-to-day after missing the Boise State game. Daniel Blood and Tank Hawkins round out the rotation. Kicker Jack Stevens has made eight straight field goals.
Defensive Standouts
Under coordinator Trent Bray, the defense has kept Washington State in most of its games. The problem is big plays. The Cougars gave up three plays of 70-plus yards over the last two weeks, including Dylan Riley’s 33- and 72-yard touchdown runs that put Boise State away. Washington State has missed 93 tackles this season, second most in the Pac-12, and whiffed on 16 against the Broncos. Cornerback Kai Rapolla has been caught out on several of the long plays.
Defensive end Linus Zunk leads the pass rush, linebacker Aiden Sullivan leads the team in tackles, and linebacker Isaiah Hung is a key piece in the middle. Starting safety Jeremiah Bernard (shoulder) is day-to-day. His fill-in, Arizona State transfer Jackquintin Bal, missed four tackles last week. The Cougars also struggled to get after the quarterback, generating just eight pressure plays on Boise State’s Maddux Madsen.
Your 2026 Pac-12 Aztecs
SDSU is 3-1 at home and 0-4 on the road, and the Colorado State game showed both sides of this team. The Aztecs outgained the Rams 565-549 in a game where the 105 combined points were the most in SDSU’s Division I history. But Colorado State quarterback Hauss Hejny, back from a hamstring injury, accounted for five touchdowns, and the Aztecs never fully recovered from a pick-six late in the first half. Down 56-42 late, linebacker Gavriel Lightfoot forced and recovered a Hejny fumble at the SDSU 3, and the Aztecs answered with a 99-yard touchdown drive. Colorado State recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.
Key Offensive Players
Sean Lewis named redshirt freshman Stone Saunders the starter again on Monday, with senior Jayden Denegal still day-to-day with an ankle injury. Saunders was outstanding in his first career start, going 23-of-33 for 369 yards and two touchdowns. That was the most passing yards by an Aztec since Ryan Lindley threw for 413 in the 2011 New Orleans Bowl. The Kentucky transfer is a pocket passer and won’t do much with his legs, but he stood in and delivered. He also threw two interceptions, including the 38-yard pick-six by TreShawn Moore that gave Colorado State a 35-24 halftime lead.
Redshirt freshman receiver Jaylon Hawkins had a career-high 164 yards on six catches and has scored a touchdown in five straight games. Jordan Napier caught a touchdown and Bert Emanuel Jr. converted a two-point try. The backfield is as healthy as it has been all year. Lucky Sutton ran for 98 yards and two scores on 22 carries, and former Ram Javion Kinnard added 94 yards and two touchdowns on just 10 carries. Kicker Cooper DiLeva, who won the Fresno State game with a 53-yarder, remains a weapon.
Key Defensive Players
This is where the concern lies. After eight games, SDSU’s defense ranks 135th of 138 FBS teams in total defense (462 yards per game), 133rd in scoring defense (36 points per game) and 134th against the pass, and it is allowing opponents to convert 47% of third downs. First-year coordinator Demetrius Sumler had to replace a lot, including first-round pick Chris Johnson and edge rusher Trey White.
Linebacker Josh Hunter led the team with 13 tackles at Colorado State and Sione Hala added 12. Safety Mike Lindsay picked off his third pass of the season. Edge rusher Kai Wallin, who had three sacks against Fresno State, will be key against a Washington State line that has struggled to protect.
Keys to a San Diego State Victory
1. Make Eshelman Win It
Washington State can’t run the ball, and its line can’t handle stunts. Boise State proved that. If SDSU stops the run on first and second down, Eshelman will face a lot of third-and-long against the kind of pressure the Aztecs got against Fresno State, when they recorded six sacks. The Cougars faced 17 third downs against Boise State. Put them in that spot again.
2. Protect the Football
Saunders gave Colorado State seven points with a pick-six, and that was the difference in the game. Washington State’s defense is good enough to keep this close, and its offense isn’t good enough to score on its own. Don’t give the Cougars short fields or free points. If Saunders takes care of the ball, Sutton, Kinnard and Hawkins should be able to move it.
3. Take the Shots When They Come
The Cougars miss tackles and take bad angles, and they’ve given up big plays all season. Hawkins is SDSU’s best big-play threat, and Kinnard averaged more than nine yards a carry last week. On defense, the Aztecs need to keep everything in front of them. Washington State has very few ways to create explosive plays, so SDSU shouldn’t give any away.
Prediction
Vegas has SDSU as a narrow favorite, and that feels about right given how bad the Aztecs’ defense has been. But this is the weakest offense SDSU has seen in weeks. The Cougars can’t run the ball, their quarterback is making his third start, and they have scored more than 24 points just once all season. Saunders, Sutton and Kinnard should find room against a defense that has been missing tackles in bunches. Expect a lower-scoring game than last week, with SDSU’s offense doing enough to snap the losing streak against Washington State and stay alive in the bowl race.
Final Score
San Diego State 31, Washington State 20
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