Duquesne at Washington State
Duquesne (0‑2) at Washington State (0‑2) — no line posted yet, but the model favors Washington State (96%).
How they got here
Last two games
Duquesne · 0-2
Picked #185 in the preseason · now #206.
Two straight losses, each by 20 or more.
L 13–70 @ Youngstown State #146 of 669
lost by 57 as a 22.5-point underdog
L 0–34 @ Air Force #82 of 669
lost by 34 as a 31.5-point underdog
Last two games
Washington State · 0-2
Picked #43 in the preseason · now #42 — about right.
Two straight losses.
L 7–34 @ Kansas State #26 of 669
lost by 27 as a 17.5-point underdog
L 10–24 @ WashingtonTop 25 #25 of 669
lost by 14 as a 23.5-point underdog
What’s at stake
Duquesne
- Duquesne is still shaking off a 57-point loss.
Washington State
- A win puts Washington State a step closer to a 1% shot at the CFP field.
- Washington State is still shaking off a 27-point loss.
Face-off
What each fanbase carries into this one.
Duquesne
The chip · vs big brotherThe fanbase carries the weight of Pittsburgh's dominance in the same city. Duquesne is the other program, the Jesuit school that once beat Pitt, then lost the rivalry for 86 years. The City Game's return is validation—and every loss to Pitt reinforces the gap.
What this game touches
The City Game's return and the Pitt gap. Duquesne and Pittsburgh haven't played since 1939 (86 years). The 2025 resumption of the 'City Game' at Acrisure Stadium was a landmark moment—the Dukes returned to the scene of Pittsburgh football's glory and lost. The wound is structural: Pittsburgh is FBS (ACC), Duquesne is FCS (NEC). The gap between the two programs is now geographic, not just competitive.
Washington State
The chip · vs big brotherCougar fans watched the bigger schools sprint to richer leagues and leave the loyal ones behind, and they have not forgotten which neighbor pulled the ladder up. They say the ones who ran abandoned the conference; the Cougs are the ones who kept it alive.
What this game touches
Left behind in the Pac-12 collapse. In 2023 the Pac-12's biggest names bolted for the Big Ten and Big 12, and Washington State — too remote, too small a market — got no invitation. WSU and Oregon State were the only two left holding the conference's name, forced to schedule against a borrowed league while everyone who ran cashed in.
Best players
Washington State
- Keith Brown (LB) · 12 tackles
- Dylan Paine (RB) · 159 rushing yards
- DJ Warner (LB) · 10 tackles
Conditions
66°F · 6 mph wind
Washington State is worth +5.6 points (±4.1) more at home than on the road since 2018 — top third of FBS, 76th percentile.
67% at home, 36% on the road against FBS opponents (26–13 home, 15–27 away).
Our model gives every stadium the same flat 2.3-point home edge (why); the books use about 3. Against the closing line this stadium reads +1.7 at home vs. away over 72 games — inside the ±7.7 noise, so the flat number is the honest one here.
The visitors travel about 1,892 miles to get here.
Recent games
Washington State
- Wk 1Lat Washington10-24
- Wk 2Lat Kansas State7-34
Duquesne
- Wk 1Lat Air Force0-34
- Wk 2Lat Youngstown State13-70