Who is favored in Washington State Cougars at Utah State Aggies?

Utah State Aggies are favored on the moneyline.

Washington State Cougars at Utah State Aggies

·Oct 9, 2026·8:00 PM CT·CW·Logan, UT

By JR·2 min read

Washington State(1-4)

Utah State(1-4)

8:00 PM

TLDR: Two teams that have spent the fall looking for points meet Friday, October 9 at Maverik Stadium, and both are still waiting on their first Pac-12 win. Whoever finds an offense first in Logan gets to take a deep breath.

Week 6 · FRI OCT 9, 8:00 PM CT

Washington State

(1-4)

LLWLL

Utah State

(1-4)

LWLLL

Kickoff69°

Washington State and Utah State are both 0-1 in the Pac-12 and both scuffling on offense. The Cougars' attack under first-year coach Kirby Moore has stalled against FBS opponents, and both teams are missing a receiver and a tight end. Utah State showed real offensive life in its loss at Boise State and has home field in Logan, so the game likely comes down to whether that improvement carries over against a Washington State offense that put up 6 points in its latest game.

Washington State Cougars

48-point outburst vs Duquesne shows the offense has a ceiling
Scored 24 on Arizona, best FBS output of the year
Utah State has scored 21 or fewer in every game
Managed 6 points in home loss to Fresno State
WR Freeman out for season, torn ACL
Lost by 14 at Washington, where USU lost by 2

Utah State Aggies

Offense finally clicked at Boise behind QB rotation
Javen Jacobs gave the run game a spark
Played Washington to a 2-point game on the road
Hasn't scored more than 21 all season
Shut out 33-0 at Utah
WR Boncore's status unresolved, TE Nelson done for year

Start with the Cougars, because the offense is the whole story. Kirby Moore is in his 1st season after coming over from Missouri, where he ran the offense, and the attack he has built in Pullman hasn't gotten going yet. Caden Pinnick, the UC Davis transfer, has been the starter. Take out the 48 they dropped on FCS Duquesne and Washington State has 10, 7, 24 and 6 points in its other 4 games. The 26-6 home loss to Fresno State was the low point so far.

Utah State's case is a little more interesting than its record. The Aggies have topped out at 21 points all year and were shut out 33-0 at Utah, but the 37-18 loss at No. 22 Boise State in their first-ever Pac-12 game showed more offense than anything else they've done this season. A quarterback rotation found some rhythm, Javen Jacobs gave the run game some pop, and Eli Wood had a career night. There's no line posted yet, which fits a game the market hasn't had much reason to look at.

There's also a common opponent worth a look. Both teams went to Washington in September. The Cougars lost 24-10 and the Aggies lost 16-14. That doesn't decide anything, but it says Utah State hung with a better team on the road more closely than Washington State did, and the Aggies get this one at home.

Both teams have lost the same pieces, which is a bit odd. Each is down a wide receiver and a tight end. For Washington State it hurts more: T. Freeman is done for the year with a torn ACL and H. Cedarland has been out since August, so a passing game that already struggled has fewer targets to throw to. Utah State listed N. Boncore as unlikely for Boise State with an undisclosed injury, and he's the one to watch this week. J. Nelson is projected to miss the rest of the season.

The early forecast for Logan looks friendly, clear and in the mid-70s with almost no wind, so neither offense gets to blame the weather. The Aggies played their cleanest offensive game of the year at Boise, though the Deseret News also said they got in their own way. The Cougars need to show the Fresno State game was a floor and not a pattern. One of these teams leaves Friday with its first conference win, and the other heads into the middle of October with the season getting away from it.

Washington State Cougars at Utah State Aggies

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