Home / Sports / Former Star Borghi Back as Cougars Face Wildcats
Former Star Borghi Back as Cougars Face Wildcats
25 Sep
Summary
- Max Borghi returns to Pullman for Washington State's game.
- The Cougars' home stadium features a new turf and lighting system.
- WSU's running backs showed strong performance in the last game.
Max Borghi, a former standout running back for Washington State, is set to return to Pullman for Saturday's nonconference football game against the Arizona Wildcats. This significant game will be broadcast nationally on CBS at 4:30 p.m., showcasing WSU's recently upgraded home stadium, which now features new turf, a video board, improved sound system, and LED lights capable of bathing the field in crimson.
Borghi, who played for WSU during the final seasons of coach Mike Leach's tenure and through pandemic-disrupted campaigns, expressed excitement about returning home and supporting the Cougars. After his college career, Borghi spent time in NFL training camps before playing for the XFL's Houston Roughnecks and is now an account executive in Texas.
Historically, Borghi had a strong record against Arizona, with WSU winning both of his meetings with the Wildcats. The Cougars secured a decisive 69-28 victory in 2018 and a 44-18 win in 2021, where Borghi had a standout performance with 139 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Washington State's offense has shown recent promise, particularly in their rushing attack. After sputtering in their initial games against Washington and Kansas State, the Cougars achieved over 300 rushing yards in their 48-7 victory against Duquesne last Saturday. Top running backs Kirby Vorhees and Maxwell Woods each surpassed 100 rushing yards in that game.
The team's offensive line has seen a slight adjustment, with senior Jonny Lester moving to left guard and senior Jaylin Caldwell taking over at right tackle. Coach Kirby Moore emphasized the importance of offensive line continuity and the need for all six linemen to remain fresh throughout the season.
Despite kicker Jack Stevens' struggles this season, with a 1-for-5 field goal record, Coach Moore reaffirmed his confidence in Stevens as the primary placekicker for the Arizona game. Moore attributed some of Stevens' misses to operational issues like protection and snap accuracy, while also acknowledging Stevens' own errors.
Injury updates indicate that defensive ends Michael Hughes and Malachi Wrice will be sidelined for Saturday's game. Cornerback Jalil Tucker is a game-time decision, and tight end Trey Leckner is still considered game-to-game after being out since fall camp.
