Week 11 - #21 Washington State vs Utah State: How To Watch, Preview, Time, Storylines

Joe Londergan | 2 Hours Ago

Oct 19, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer (10) throws a pass against the Hawaii Warriors in the second half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images / James Snook-Imagn Images

A 7-1 start for the Washington State Cougars has earned them the #21 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings this week. WSU look to keep their good fortune going on Saturday, hosting a Utah State team that has struggled the majority of the year under interim head coach Nate Dreiling.

Here's everything you need to know about this week's matchup between Cougs and the Aggies.

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Washington State Cougars (7-1, Pac-12/Independent) @ Utah State Aggies (2-6, 1-3 Mountain West Conference)

Date: Saturday, November 9

Time: 7:30 PM PT // 10:30 PM ET

Location: Gesa Field at Martin Stadium - Pullman, Washington

TV: The CW

Radio: WSU Radio Networks

Betting Line: Washington State -20.5 on FanDuel

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Storylines

Cardiac Cougs

In three different games this season, Washington State have completed a fourth-quarter comeback victory. Their most recent was in their last game against San Diego State, where they ofund themselves down 12 points in the fourth, but managed to win 29-26.

"Sometimes it's ugly and you just got to find a way, but that's what really good teams do and that's what we've been able to do this year," Jake Dickert said this week.

A Future Pac-12 Conference Matchup

Utah State will be one of the five teams from the Mountain West Conference joining the Pac-12 prior to the 2026 season. In other words, the Aggies and the Cougars will soon be seeing a lot more of each other.

This season, while the Aggies are 2-6, it's easy to forget that Washington State will be the fourth ranked (AP Poll) opponent that USU play this year (USC, Utah, Boise State).

Offensively, Utah State are led by former Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras this season. The graduate student is fourth in the nation in completions per game with 26.83 and eighth in the nation in passing yards per game with 304.2.

WSU's Playoff Chances

After missing the postseason entirely last year, Dickert has been clear this season that he wants his team to focus on taking things one game at a time. However, that won't stop fans or other observers from thinking about the Cougs' chances of being one of the 12 teams to reach the playoff.

Basically, they would have to climb at-least ten spots to the #11 spot in order for that to happen. Not only would they need to win out, but they would need the help of just about every team ahead of them losing. Given the current state of the Pac-12 Conference, WSU are not eligible to win a conference championship and therefore not eligible for one of the four first-round byes.

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More Reading Material From On SI

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS: Washington State Ranked #21 in First Top 25

What The College Football Playoff Committee Said About Ranking Washington State #21

WATCH: Jake Dickert Talks Washington State's Utah State Matchup in Week 11