Coug it

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To "Coug it" is a tendency of the Washington State University Cougars football team to lose games via late-game collapses,[1] odds-defying losses, "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory",[2][3] and otherwise choking.[4][5]

The tendency has been observed since at least the 1983 season and the phrase appeared in the 1984 edition of Chinook, the WSU yearbook.[6] The concept was then popularized as "to Coug" by sportswriter John Blanchette in his Spokesman-Review column following the 1985 Cougars' 16–21 home loss to Arizona State in which they outgained the Sun Devils 445 yards to 217.[4][7][8]

Couging it has been a part of WSU athletics culture for decades[1][8] and the concept is frequently referenced in Pacific Northwest news media following a particularly embarrassing or surprising loss by the Cougars.[1] Washington State University administrators have run internal and external campaigns to downplay the concept,[8] and coaches, fans, and players have sought to reclaim the phrase via on-field success.[9]

Football

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The Cougs were said to have Coug'd it by media outlets in the following college football games.

Season Opponent Result Notes
1975 Washington[5][10] L 27–28 WSU led 27–14 with three minutes to go at the UW 14 yard line, then gave up a 93-yard interception return on 4th and 1, and then a 78-yard touchdown pass that bounced off Cougar defenders before being caught by Husky WR Spider Gaines. Head coach Jim Sweeney resigns after the game.[11]
1983 UCLA[6] L 14–24 "heart-breaker loss" that "took the joy out of being a Cougar."[6]
1984 UCLA[12] L 24–27 Botched snap on a late-game field goal bounced deep into Cougar territory and allowed the Bruins to win the game with their own field goal.[12]
1985 Arizona State[4] L 16–21 Phrase "to Coug" popularized.
2001 Washington[13] L 14–26 WSU entered the Apple Cup with a 9-1 record and No. 9 ranking. Lost 14-26 that included three first and goal opportunities that resulted in zero points (Turnover on downs, fumble and interception.)
2002 Washington[10] L 26–293OT No. 3 Cougars led 20-10 with 4:30 left. Huskies won in 3OT after recovering a controversial backwards-pass fumble, also winning the "Northwest Championship".
2003 Notre Dame[14] L 26–29OT First ever game vs. Notre Dame. Led 19–0. Allowed 26 unanswered points in second half.
Washington[10] L 19–27 No. 8 WSU lead all game until UW went up 20-19 with 1:10 left to play. Rather than driving down the field to win the game, WSU QB Matt Kegel threw a pick-six interception to Marquis Cooper. Cougars gave up seven turnovers.
2005 California[15] L 38–42 Losing 28–10 at halftime; scored 28 unanswered points to lead 38–28. But then allowed two Cal touchdowns in final minutes.[16]
2012 Colorado[1] L 34–35 Led by 17 points last seven minutes, then gave up 3 touchdowns. 1–11 Colorado's only win of the season.
2013 Colorado State[1] L 45–48 2013 New Mexico Bowl. WSU led by 15 points in the final minutes of the game.
2014 California[17] L 59–60 QB Connor Halliday sets NCAA FBS single-game passing record with 734 yards. Missed 19 yard go-ahead field goal with 15 seconds remaining.
2015 Portland State[18] L 17–24 Loss to an FCS team.
2016 Eastern Washington[18] L 42–45 Second consecutive loss to an FCS team. EWU's official Twitter account posted that their team "Eaged it."
2019 UCLA[1] L 63–67 Led 49–17 in the 3rd quarter. Gave up 50 second-half points.
2020 Utah[1] L 28-45 WSU led 28-7 at halftime. Gave up 38 unanswered points in the second-half.
2022 Oregon[1] L 41–44 Led 34–22 with 4 minutes remaining, then allowed 22 unanswered points.
2024 New Mexico L 35–38 No. 18 Cougars, with the opportunity to make the College Football Playoff as favorites in the rest of their games, lead the Lobos 28-14 at halftime. The Lobos would outscore the Cougars 24-7 in the second half to win. This started a season-ending four game losing streak.
2025 Virginia L 20-22 WSU led no. 18 UVA 17-7 at halftime and held on with 20-10 at the end of the third quarter. Then, in the final quarter, UVA made a 97-yard touchdown drive, picked WSU's next attempt and scored a field goal to tie the game. After a kickoff to the 2-yard line and 2 consecutive Cougar false-starts, the Cavaliers forced a safety to pull ahead, and the Cougars were unable to prevent them running out the clock.[19]

The phrase is also used for embarrassing actions outside of game results, such as naming Martin Stadium after a Husky.[20]

Attempted reappropriation

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WSU fans, players, and coaches have sought to reclaim the phrase.[7][21]

In 1997 quarterback Ryan Leaf said "It's fun to change the definition of something that was supposed to be so negative."[21] in the week prior to losing their first game of the season to Arizona State by blowing a 24–0 lead and giving up two fumbles for touchdowns in the final 3 minutes of the game.[22]

In 2005 head coach Bill Doba defined "Coug it" as "scoring at the end and winning the ballgame" in response to a reporter's question following a 38–42 loss to Cal in which the Cougars "came from behind to lose".[15][16]

At the Pac-12 Football Media Day in 2014, team captain Darryl Monroe said "I don’t understand where this impression of Coug'd it means you did something in a negative light" when asked about the team's collapse in the final minutes of the 2013 New Mexico Bowl.[9] "Coug'd it means completely dominated your opponent."[9]

References

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