The Couch GM Podcast

Washington State outgained San Diego State 367 to 306, picked up 25 first downs, went 9 of 14 on third down and never punted. They still lost 26-20. Three failed fourth downs, a missed 53-yard field goal and a missed extra point made the difference, and the Cougs go into the bye at 1-8.WSU legend Jack Thompson, the Throwin’ Samoan, joins us for The Recap. He threw for 7,818 yards in Pullman, an NCAA record when he left, and went third overall in the 1979 NFL Draft. He also played for four different head coaches in four years, so he knows what churn does to a program. We start with Jim Walden, his senior-year coach, who passed away in July.Your Coug of the Week plays on Sundays. Gardner Minshew came off the bench in Dallas and threw a touchdown pass on each of Arizona’s last three drives of regulation, and the Cardinals won 33-30 in overtime. Owen Eshelman is the runner-up after a career-high 299 yards.We go around the whole league in Traversing the Pac, where No. 20 Boise State survived Texas State 46-45. Then we get our first look at Colorado State, which has a top-25 scoring offense and the worst defense in the country.Colorado State at WSU, Saturday, Nov. 14, 7:30 PT on CBS Sports Network.Cougs on the Couch is presented by Ben Cowboy Realtor.PRESENTING PARTNER: BEN COWBOY REALTORBen Nikolas, Ben Cowboy Realtor📞 503-201-1934✉️ [email protected]📷 Instagram: @ben_cowboyrealtorLicensed in Washington and Oregon. MacDonald RE Group at Premiere Property Group, LLC.THE RECAP IS PRESENTED BY FORTRESS MEGA, LLCJon R. Erickson, CFP®, CEBS®✉️ [email protected]📞 (425) 646-6000🌐 https://FortressMega.comTHE COUG OF THE WEEK IS PRESENTED BY PADDOCK SPIRITS COAward-winning canned cocktails, made in Pullman, Washington, by Cougs.🌐 https://paddockspiritsco.com📷 Instagram: @paddockspiritsco21+. Please enjoy responsibly.TRAVERSING THE PAC IS PRESENTED BY CONNOR WEBB, ENVOY MORTGAGELicensed in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Arizona. Wherever this conference takes you, I can do your loan there. Buying, or wondering whether a refinance makes sense? Reach out and I’ll walk you through it.🌐 https://LenderConnorWebb.com✉️ [email protected]📞 360-713-2995Envoy Mortgage | NMLS #1529504 | Equal Housing Lender. Not a commitment to lend.FOLLOW THE SHOW📺 Subscribe on YouTube, collab-posted with The Couch GM📷 Instagram: @cougsonthecouch✉️ Coug-owned business and want to sponsor the show? [email protected] with The Couch GM- https://pillar.io/thecouchgmMy Mortgage Lending website- https://www.lenderconnorwebb.comMy equipment list- https://www.amazon.com/shop/thecouchgmLivestream across channels using StreamYard- https://streamyard.com/?fpr=connor-35Connor Webb- Mortgage Loan Originator NMLS #1529504 Envoy Mortgage NMLS #6666www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org

Dylan Haugh and Tate Frazier preview the inaugural season in the newly minted conference that’s headlined by the addition of Gonzaga. We dive into Pac-12 Player of the Year candidates, Tate’s First Team All Pac-12, sleepers in the conference and why Utah State finally landed coaching stability. Pac-12 teams keep 50 percent of their NCAA Tournament credits, Frazier thinks the Pac-12 should be able to get three postseason bids with Gonzaga and the Aggies headlining the conference. Last but not least, Tate gives his “best names” in college hoops. Connect with The Couch GM- https://pillar.io/thecouchgm My Mortgage Lending website- https://www.lenderconnorwebb.com

Baseballism started with free T-shirts at a summer youth camp in Eugene, Oregon. Four club baseball teammates from the University of Oregon handed them out to campers, and years later people were still asking where they got them. So they made more. I sat down with co-founder and CEO Travis Chock at Baseballism HQ in Portland to talk about how a camp giveaway turned into one of the most recognizable brands in baseball. We get into the Kickstarter that started it, running the business out of his garage while he kept his day job, why they put stores right next to big league ballparks, the Field of Dreams shop, designing the Flag Man logo, and what he'd tell anyone trying to build a brand on the side. I'm a Baseballism ambassador, and I'm a customer too. Use code COUCHGM-15 at baseballism.com.

Tied at 10 going into the fourth quarter at Homecoming, and then Boise State scored 21 unanswered in about seven minutes. Washington State is 1-7, 0-4 in the Pac-12, and out of bowl contention before November for the first time since 2010. We go through the whole thing: the drive chart, the two Dylan Riley touchdown runs that accounted for 105 of his 128 yards, and the number that actually explains the afternoon, which is that WSU's longest run went 10 yards and its longest pass went 26. One play over 20 all day. Keith Brown takes Coug of the Week after a nine-tackle afternoon, we go around all eight Pac-12 teams, and Bernie Wilson of Sports Illustrated joins us from the San Diego State beat to preview Saturday. The Aztecs have named Stone Saunders their starter again, so WSU gets a redshirt freshman making his second career start, and the Cougs are only getting 2.5 points on the road. Plus the news that broke Monday: the 2027 Apple Cup moves up three weeks to Saturday, August 28, the first August game in the 118-year history of the series. PRESENTED BY BEN COWBOY REALTOR Ben Nikolas, real estate broker licensed in Washington and Oregon with MacDonald RE Group at Premiere Property Group, LLC.

Owen Eshelman made his first career start at Oregon State and the Cougs finally looked alive on offense: 289 passing yards, 136 rushing yards, three total touchdowns, and 30 points, WSU's most against an FBS team all year. They still lost 48-30. Now No. 21 Boise State comes to Pullman for Homecoming. CouGreat defensive end Mkristo Bruce joins us in The Recap to grade his own keys from last week, talk through his excitement for WSU's newest QB, and throw on the tinfoil hat for a conspiracy or two. Then B.J. Rains of Bronco Nation News joins the Weekly Preview to tell us what Boise brings to the Palouse, and why this one is a reunion: Kirby Moore played at Boise, Matt Miller played and coached there, and the WSU GM spent 27 years in Boise. We also split the Coug of the Week between Eshelman and Branden Ganashamoorthy, go around the whole league in Traversing the Pac, and break down Boise State -13.5 (DraftKings) in Betting for the Week. No. 21 Boise State at WSU, Saturday, Oct. 24, 3:00 PT on USA Network. Cougs on the Couch is presented by Ben Cowboy Realtor.

Washington State led Utah State 16-3 at halftime in Logan and lost 17-16. Seven second-half drives, five punts, two lost fumbles, zero points. The Cougs are 1-5. Then on Monday, Kirby Moore made the call: redshirt freshman Owen Eshelman replaces Caden Pinnick at quarterback and makes his first career start Saturday at Oregon State. Dylan and I break down how we got here in The Recap. Pinnick’s season, an offense that hasn’t scored a third-quarter point against an FBS team, Moore’s first game calling plays, and what this quarterback change says about him as a head coach. Then Chad Doing of Rip City Radio 620, a Coug himself, joins us in the Weekly Preview to talk about his road from Prairie High and Pullman into Portland radio, and what WSU is walking into against an Oregon State team that leads the country in passing and just hung 66 on San Diego State. We also go around the whole league in Traversing the Pac, hand out the Coug of the Week, and break down a betting line that has moved four to five points toward the Beavers since it opened. WSU at Oregon State, Saturday, Oct. 17, 3:00 PT on USA Network. Cougs on the Couch is presented by Ben Cowboy Realtor.

Six points. 182 yards. Boos at Martin Stadium. Fresno State beat Washington State 26-6 on Saturday night, and the Cougs are 1-4 for the first time since 2010. By Monday, Kirby Moore had taken the play-calling away from Matt Miller and said every quarterback will get reps this week. Former WSU quarterback Luke Falk joins us in The Recap to break down Caden Pinnick, the QB question and what Moore calling plays could change. Falk grew up in Logan, which is exactly where the Cougs are headed Friday night. Then Jason Walker of Cache Valley Daily, co-host of the Full Court Press on 106.9 The Fan, gives us the Utah State side in the Weekly Preview. We also go around the whole league in Traversing the Pac, hand out the Coug of the Week, look at a betting line that has moved four points since it opened, and get to your mailbag question: fire the OC, bench Pinnick, or both? WSU at Utah State, Friday, Oct. 9, 6:00 PT on The CW. Cougs on the Couch is presented by Ben Cowboy Realtor.

Washington State led Arizona 14-0 after one quarter and then scored nothing in the third. The Cougs fall to 1-3, and now the part of the season that actually counts starts. Fresno State comes to Pullman on Saturday for the Pac-12 opener, the Bulldogs' first trip to Martin Stadium since 1994, and Kirby Moore lines up across from the program where he spent six seasons and called the plays in a bowl win over WSU. Mkristo Bruce joins us in The Recap to break down a pass rush that finally showed up, and Al Scott of Fresno Sports Magazine gives us the Fresno side in the Weekly Preview. We go around the whole league in Traversing the Pac, hand out the Coug of the Week, and get into a betting card that moved our way overnight. PRESENTING PARTNER: BEN COWBOY REALTOR Ben Nikolas, Ben Cowboy Realtor 📞 503-201-1934 ✉️ [email protected] 📷 Instagram: @ben_cowboyrealtor Licensed in Washington and Oregon. MacDonald RE Group at Premiere Property Group, LLC. THE RECAP IS PRESENTED BY FORTRESS MEGA, LLC Jon R. Erickson, CFP®, CEBS® ✉️ [email protected] 📞 (425) 646-6000 🌐 FortressMega.com THE COUG OF THE WEEK IS PRESENTED BY PADDOCK SPIRITS CO Award-winning canned cocktails, made in Pullman, Washington, by Cougs. 🌐 paddockspiritsco.com 📷 Instagram: @paddockspiritsco 21+. Please enjoy responsibly. TRAVERSING THE PAC IS PRESENTED BY CONNOR WEBB, ENVOY MORTGAGE Licensed in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Arizona. Wherever this conference takes you, I can do your loan there. Buying, or wondering whether a refinance makes sense? Reach out and I'll walk you through it. 🌐 LenderConnorWebb.com ✉️ [email protected] 📞 360-713-2995 Envoy Mortgage | NMLS #1529504 | Equal Housing Lender. Not a commitment to lend. FOLLOW THE SHOW 📺 Subscribe on YouTube, collab-posted with The Couch GM 📷 Instagram: @cougsonthecouch ✉️ Coug-owned business and want to sponsor the show? [email protected] Drop your Utah State week questions in the comments or DM us. Best one gets read on the show.

Kirby Moore finally has his first win at Washington State. The Cougs beat Duquesne 48-7, ran for 316 yards behind a reshuffled offensive line, got two 100-yard backs and returned two punts for touchdowns 2:27 apart in the fourth quarter. It was only 14-7 at halftime, so we break down what changed, hand out the Coug of the Week, and go around the whole Pac-12 in Traversing the Pac. Then it's Arizona week. Arizona Daily Star beat writer Justin Spears joins us to preview the Wildcats and Noah Fifita, who just broke Arizona's career passing record, before Saturday's 4:30 p.m. PT kickoff on CBS. Cougs on the Couch is presented by Ben Cowboy Realtor.

Caden Pinnick stood at the podium in Manhattan and gave the shortest postgame availability of his career. "We just lost. Next question." Two days later he walked it back himself, and what he said Monday was a lot more interesting than what he didn't say Saturday. Sam Taylor of the Lewiston Tribune covers this team for a living, and he joins us to take both pressers apart. What the room actually felt like, why the frustration was aimed at more than the scoreboard, and whether a quarterback owning it on a Monday changes anything on a Saturday. Then Zachary Weiss brings us the other side of this week's matchup, because Duquesne is coming to Pullman and almost nobody around here knows anything about them. Washington State is 0-2 for the first time since 2016, dead last in the country in scoring and total offense, and hosting an FCS opponent in Kirby Moore's first game at Gesa Field. We get into all of it. THIS WEEK'S GUESTS Sam Taylor covers Washington State, LC State and prep sports for the Lewiston Tribune and the Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Murrow College made. X: @Sam_C_Taylor His work: lmtribune.com/writers/sam-taylor Zachary Weiss covers Duquesne for Pittsburgh Sports Now, A10 Talk and Pitt Sports News. X: @ZacharyMWeiss DUQUESNE AT WASHINGTON STATE Saturday, September 19 12:30 p.m. PT on USA Network Gesa Field at Martin Stadium, Pullman BEN THE COWBOY REALTOR, PRESENTING SPONSOR Presenting sponsor of Cougs on the Couch and of the Weekly Preview segment. Ben Nikolas, real estate broker licensed in Washington and Oregon, with MacDonald RE Group at Premiere Property Group, LLC. Buying or selling in WA or OR, Ben is your guy. Email: [email protected] Phone: 503-201-1934 Instagram: @ben_cowboyrealtor Website: https://bennikolas.premierepropertygroup.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ben_cowboyrealtor YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSxsYfFM3cdxV9AOOSm0k5w THE RECAP IS PRESENTED BY FORTRESS MEGA Jon Erickson, Pullman High and Wazzu grad, and a financial planner who does it differently. Near retirement and want less stress and more free time? Start the conversation at FortressMega.com. Jon Erickson is an investment adviser representative. This is a paid endorsement. Nothing in this episode is investment advice or a recommendation, and it does not reflect the experience of any client. COUG OF THE WEEK IS PRESENTED BY PADDOCK SPIRITS CO Award-winning canned cocktails made in Pullman, Washington, by Cougs. Best in Class for vodka-based ready-to-drinks at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. paddockspiritsco.com 21+. Please enjoy responsibly. TRAVERSING THE PAC IS PRESENTED BY CONNOR WEBB AT ENVOY MORTGAGE Licensed in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and Arizona. Wherever this conference takes you, I can do your loan there. LenderConnorWebb.com [email protected] 360-713-2995 Envoy Mortgage, NMLS #1529504. Equal Housing Lender. FOLLOW THE SHOW Instagram: @cougsonthecouch