Preview: No. 25 WSU Cougars hope to regroup vs Pac-2 rival Oregon St

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: No. 25 WSU COUGARS (8-2) at OREGON STATE (4-6)

Saturday at 4 p.m.

• TV: The CW (Channel 51.1 KUNS-TV in Seattle)
• Radio: 770 AM and Seattle Sports app in Seattle area (pregame starts at 2 p.m.)
• Series record: WSU leads 57-48-3.

What’s at stake?

Washington State heads into the Pac-2 rivalry game coming off a disappointing loss to New Mexico that effectively ended the Cougars’ longshot hopes for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Washington State was ranked as high as No. 19 in the AP Top 25 and reached No. 18 in the CFP rankings, with hopes of winning out and possibly getting a bid for the 12-team playoff. Still, the Cougars are bowl eligible for the eighth time in the last nine seasons. Oregon State can still become bowl eligible, but with the final two games against the Cougars and No. 12 Boise State, the chances are slim. The Beavers have lost five straight.

WSU Cougars-Oregon State key matchup

Oregon State’s ground game is averaging 198.4 yards a game, for 24th in the nation. The Beavers are averaging 42.1 carries per game and they’ve scored 25 rushing touchdowns, 16th nationally. That’s likely the best weapon Oregon State has against Washington State, which allowed New Mexico to gain 360 yards rushing in last weekend’s 38-35 loss.

Players to watch

WSU Cougars: Quarterback John Mateer is averaging 340.2 total yards per game, for fifth nationally. He’s thrown for 2,707 yards with 26 passing touchdowns, fourth-best in the country.

Oregon State: RB Anthony Hankerson has rushed for 14 touchdowns for the Beavers, tying him for seventh on the school’s single-season list with Jacquizz Rodgers. Hankerson needs 111 yards rushing to reach 1,000 for the season.

Facts & figures

Washington State receiver Kyle Williams has 11 touchdown catches, second nationally. … The two teams met last year in Pullman, with the Cougars coming away with a 38-35 win. … Washington State has not reached 9-2 since 2018. … The two teams are the last members of the Pac-12, which fell apart in the summer of 2023 amid realignment. … This is the season’s final game at Reser Stadium. … Next year the Cougars and the Beavers will play each other twice, once in Pullman and once in Corvallis. The Pac-12 had an agreement with the Mountain West for this season, but it wasn’t extended to next year. … Oregon State’s average time of possession in 33:23, fifth nationally.

More on WSU Cougars and college football

• Top 25: WSU Cougars just stay in poll after shocking loss
• New Mexico stuns No. 19 WSU Cougars 38-35 with final-minute TD
• Is it Demond Williams’ time to be UW Huskies QB?
• Mid-November bowl projections for WSU Cougars and UW Huskies