Saturday’s 30-28 loss to Stanford hurt so much because the Cougars have grown to the point where they are relevant and the stakes are higher.
They began the season as a punchline, a cautionary tale. Their coach was on the endangered list and their season already seemingly lost after a brutal opening defeat to Portland State.
But Washington State pulled itself back into improbable relevancy, to the point that Saturday’s 30-28 loss at Martin Stadium meant something more than just another game slipping away late.
It meant that a huge opportunity for a program-altering win had slipped away, in the most heartbreaking fashion.