By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: August Frank/Lewiston Tribune
Washington State Cougars (7-6) defeat the Utah State Aggies (6-7) in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, 34-21.
Cougars wide receiver freshman Mackenzie Alleyne had an incredible moment to kick off his first bowl game. He caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Zevi Eckhaus to open the score for the Cougars in the first quarter.
Eckhaus finished the game, completing 26 of his 44 passes, 344 yards, with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Alleyne finished with 63 yards on three receptions. Cougars running back Maxwell Woods ran for 117 yards on nine carries.
The Cougars dominated for most of the game. They led as many as 20-0 by the third quarter. The Aggies scored a touchdown in the third quarter but showed some fight in the fourth, scoring 14 points. Backup quarterback Jacoby Conover completed 5 of his six passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns.
Conover took over for Bryson Barnes after he left the game due to a head-on collision. Passed for 116 yards and ran for 7.
As for Conover, he showed that he can be a leader on the field. Conover threw touchdown passes in the fourth to wide receiver Brady Boyd and running back Javen Jacobs. Boyd finished with four receptions and 99 yards. Jacobs had five receptions for 46 yards and also rushed 24 yards on three carries.
A special mention to Aggies’ defensive back Ike Larson. He recorded his first interception of the season, which came in the first quarter.
Washington State hasn’t won a bowl game since 2018. It’s a great victory for the program, especially after losing their head coach before the bowl game. Jesse Bobbit stepped up, and hopefully, this is a good starting point for the Cougars program heading in the right direction for next season.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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