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The long wait finally is over as the Washington State Cougars put their difficult offseason behind them with a 41-19 victory over the Wyoming Cowboys.
The Cougs broke in a new quarterback, but he was hardly inexperienced, and fifth-year grad transfer Gardner Minshew looked comfortable holding the reins of Mike Leach’s Air Raid, throwing for three touchdowns and more than 300 yards.
On defense, the Cougs featured the debut of defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys, last seen shutting down WSU in the 2016 Holiday Bowl when he was coach of the Minnesota Gophers. Despite being perilously thin on the defensive line against a team that wants to run the ball, the defense held up well: Wyoming gained just 206 yards, and their 19 points were largely a product of short fields after mistakes by WSU.
The Cougs were the more talented team, and it showed in the second half as they overcame a three-point deficit. It was a good test for WSU right out of the gates.
We’ve got all the coverage you need, both before and after the game. Go Cougs!