The Washington State Cougars (6-6) and Utah State Aggies (6-6) are set to face off in the 2025 rendition of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Monday. The Pac-12 vs. Mountain West showdown will kick off at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The Aggies are 1.5-point favorites out in Boise with -118 moneyline odds, and the total has been set at 49.5 points. Here is a preview of the bowl game featuring odds and lines from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Washington State vs. Utah State Preview, Prediction
Washington State Preview
In year two of the downsized Pac-12, the Cougars remained more than competitive against their scattershot schedule. Although Washington and North Texas blew them out early, Washington State beat an eventual nine-win San Diego State squad 36-13 and salvaged a split with Oregon State. The Cougars went on the road to play Ole Miss, Virginia and James Madison and only lost those contests three, two and four points, respectively.
After Penn State swooped in to poach Matt Campbell from Iowa State, though, the Cyclones lured coach Jimmy Rogers away from the Cougars after just one season in Pullman. Washington State promoted defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit to man the ship for the bowl game on an interim basis, before Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore takes over full-time.
Rogers’ exit has led to more than a dozen players intending to enter the transfer portal in January. Running back Kirby Vorhees and cornerback Kenny Worthy III will be among the most notable absentees, to say nothing of defensive tackle Max Baloun, safety Duhron Goodman and center Brock Dieu all being injured.
Zevi Eckhaus, who took over as the Cougars’ starting quarterback midseason, went for 1,760 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions with a 127.9 passer rating and 63.5% completion percentage. He also rushed for 337 yards and eight touchdowns. He might still have top receiver Tony Freeman at his disposal, even if the elite punt returner intends to enter the portal next month. Freeman and Josh Meredith combined for 100 receptions, 1,196 yards and six touchdowns this season, with tight end Trey Leckner standing out as the only other Cougar with at least 20 catches and multiple scores.
Washington State averaged 21.6 points and allowed 20.2 on a per-game basis in 2025.
Utah State Preview
The Aggies started 3-1 this season, picking up wins over UTEP, Air Force and McNeese State while losing by 22 to then-No. 19 Texas A&M. Then-No. 18 Vanderbilt proceeded to beat down Utah State 55-35, while Hawai’i beat them 44-26. The Aggies alternated wins and losses through the second half, beating San Jose State, Fresno State and Nevada between losses to New Mexico, UNLV and Boise State.
Quarterback Bryson Barnes was a serious dual-threat option in 2025, completing 60.3% of his passes for 2,687 yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions. On the ground, Barnes racked up 733 yards and nine touchdowns.
Braden Pegan, who led the Aggies with 937 yards and 60 catches, declared his intention to enter the transfer portal and will not play Monday. That makes former Minnesota and Texas Tech transfer Brady Boyd the top remaining pass-catcher at 42 receptions, 644 yards and seven touchdowns. No other Utah State wideout had more than six catches or 160 yards this season. Running backs Javen Jacobs and Miles Davis combined for 63 catches, 499 yards and five touchdowns, while tight end Broc Lane recorded 19 receptions, 218 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Davis led Utah State running backs with 724 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
Utah State averaged 31.8 points per game this season while allowing 28.2.
Monday will mark Utah State’s fifth trip to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. They lost when they made the trip up to Boise in 2011, 2015 and 2023, but won back in 2012.
Washington State vs. Utah State Pick, Best Bet
Despite their identical records, the Cougars and Aggies present very different profiles. Utah State ranks top-30 in total offense, but bottom-20 in total defense. While the Aggies are giving up more passing yards than all but 17 teams across the country, it remains to be seen if the Cougars can take advantage with their bottom-40 passing offense.
Washington State is a defensive-oriented team, ranking No. 18 in total defense but No. 122 in total offense. With Rogers now at Iowa State, there is a lot of pressure on Bobbit to keep the defense humming, especially given how poor the offense has been at times.
For all of their tough-luck tosses this season, the Cougars just feel a little too shorthanded heading into Monday. After beating San Diego State in Week 2, Washington State proceeded to go 1-5 against teams ranked inside the FPI top 75. Utah State comes in at No. 74. Each of Washington State’s six losses have come by more than 1.5 points, while each of Utah State’s six wins have come by more than 1.5 points.
Utah State opened as a 1.5-point underdog, but is now a 1.5-point favorite. If they can pull off a win against a deteriorating Washington State squad, you might as well go for more value and pick the Aggies to cover as well.
