Pac 12 spooky showdown: Wazzu faces off against San Diego State on Halloween

The Cougs (1-7,0-3) are on the prowl once again, as they head to San Diego to take on the Aztecs (3-5,2-2) on Halloween. This is not the first time we have seen this matchup, as these two teams faced off last season, ultimately ending in a 36-13 WSU victory.

The Aztecs had struggled to find the same rhythm they had in the 2025 season, already losing more games (5) in 2026, than they did all of last season (4). SDSU is also coming off a tough 56-49 loss against conference rivals Colorado State. Yet despite the close loss, this team has begun to build some momentum.

San Diego has found some success in freshman quarterback Stone Saunders. Saunders got his first start against Colorado State due to Jayden Denegal dealing with an injury, and boy did he make the most of it. Saunders threw for 369 yards and a 2:2 touchdown to interception ratio, leading SDSU to its highest scoring game since week one. Saunders is set to get the start against Washington State after an impressive performance against CSU, and is looking to continue his strong 2026 campaign against the Cougs.

It has not just been the quarterback success for the Aztecs, as their skill guys have found success as of late. Leading wide receiver Jaylon Hawkins had a huge game against CSU, catching six passes for 164 yards and a touchdown. The Aztecs also have a strong rushing tandem, as running backs Lucky Sutton and Javion Kinnard both rushed for two touchdowns and more than 90 yards against Colorado State.

It has been the same struggles for WSU, as they struggled to get almost anything going offensively against Boise State. While the defense managed to keep it a one score game until the fourth quarter, it became abundantly clear what the problem is.

Wazzu came out strong defensively against the Broncos. Boise State only managed to find the endzone one time through the first three quarters of the game. The Cougs also held strong against BSU running back Dylan Riley, who was the nation’s leading rusher heading into their matchup. Riley eventually had his way, rushing for two 30-plus yard touchdowns in the fourth.

While the defense has continued to be the strong point for Wazzu, they have struggled to give their offense opportunities, forcing only five turnovers on the season.

“We gotta generate turnovers. That is one thing we gotta work like crazy on… We’ve produced five turnovers on the season,” head coach Kirby Moore said.

Where the Cougs must find some momentum is offensively. After a strong showing against Oregon State, it seemed they lost all their momentum against the Broncos. Owen Eshelman was forced to play the hero all day due to offensive line struggles, rushing 23 times for just 33 yards. The pass game also continued to be a big issue for Wazzu, as Eshelman threw for less than 200 yards, and leading receiver Branden Ganashamoorthy had only 58 receiving yards on the day.

The key to this game lies in Wazzu’s success offensively. While the defense has proven they can stay strong, even against ranked opponents, the offense has not reciprocated the same energy. This is looking to be the best matchup possible for WSU’s offense, as the Aztec’s defense has not forced a single opponent to less than 20 points scored this season.

“We’ve got to do a good job of preventing self-inflicted wounds,” Moore said.

The Cougs take on San Diego State at 4 p.m. Saturday Oct. 31 at Snapdragon Stadium.…Read more by KellerRay Hutsell Zandell