Live stream information and how to watch online as the Washington State Cougars host Montana State in Week 1 of the 2017 college football season.
The Washington State Cougars were one of the streakiest teams in college football in 2016. Head coach Mike Leach guided the Cougs to eight straight wins during the middle of the season, but opened with two losses and lost three in a row at the end to finish 8-5 overall.
As usual, the Washington State passing attack was one of the best in the nation. The Cougars averaged 362.5 passing yards per game through the air, which ranked third in the country. Quarterback Luke Falk completed 443 of 633 pass attempts (70 percent) for 4,468 yards and 38 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.
Falk averaged 343.7 passing yards per game in 2016, which ranked fourth in the nation, and is first among all returning FBS passers. Not just a system quarterback, Falk is one of the best pro QB prospects in the nation. The senior will be without two of his favorite targets from last season – Gabe Marks and River Cracraft – but Tavares Martin and Robert Lewis are poised for a big season. The Cougars also welcome back running backs James Williams, Jamal Morrow and Gerrard Wicks, who each ran for more than 475 yards last season.
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Defensively, Washington State returns nine starters from a unit that showed marked improvement a year ago. Last season the Cougars ranked third in the Pac-12 in rush defense (134.2 rushing yards allowed per game) and ranked 50th nationally in scoring defense (26.4 points allowed per game).
Leading tackler Peyton Puelluer and top pass rushers Hercules Mata’afa and Nnamdi Oguayo are back to lead what should be a solid front seven, and the secondary returns both cornerback and both safety starters from last year’s group.
Montana State at Washington State: How to watch online
- Date: Sept. 2, 2017
- Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Pullman, WA
- Venue: Martin Stadium
- TV Info: FS1
- Live Stream: Fox Sports Go
Led by former Wazzu assistant Jeff Choate, Montana State was 4-7 last season but played FBS bowl team Idaho tough before losing 20-17. The FCS Bobcats return quarterback Chris Murray, the Big Sky Freshman of the Year, who ran for 12 touchdowns, threw for six and was responsible for 1,638 yards of total offense.
Though Washington State is a heavy favorite, the Cougs have suffered two straight losses to FCS opponents. Portland State upset the Cougars 24-17 in 2015 and Eastern Washington left Pullman with a 45-42 win last season. In fact, Washington State hasn’t started a season 1-0 since 2011.