Washington State did its damage in waves Saturday, and once the Cougars got rolling, Duquesne had no answer. After the game was tied 7-7, Washington State ripped off 41 unanswered points and rolled to a 48-7 win in Pullman.
Caden Pinnick led the charge with a sharp all-around performance. He went 17 of 22 for 196 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while also piling up 76 rushing yards and a score on 12 carries.
Kirby Vorhees added 109 rushing yards and two touchdowns on nine carries, and Maxwell Woods turned in a big ground day of his own with 116 yards on 11 carries plus three catches for 20 yards. Branden Ganashamoorthy finished with four receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown.
The Cougars set the tone early after forcing a Duquesne punt and turning that stop into points. Washington State marched 72 yards, with Vorhees finishing the drive on an 8-yard run. Woods helped spark the possession with a 45-yard burst to get the Cougars into the red zone, and Jack Stevens added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Duquesne answered with a 54-yard run that set up a 1-yard touchdown, and the first quarter ended knotted at 7-7. From there, Washington State steadily pulled away.
Pinnick put the Cougars back in front with a 19-yard touchdown run at the 4:30 mark of the second quarter, and Stevens’ extra point made it 14-7. Washington State’s defense then tightened up, holding Duquesne scoreless in the quarter and limiting the Dukes to 0-for-3 on third down.
The third quarter was where the game broke open. Washington State scored touchdowns on all three of its possessions while keeping Duquesne off the board.
Pinnick connected on touchdown passes to Jack Pedersen and Ganashamoorthy, with the latter finishing a 10-play, 88-yard drive. Vorhees then ripped off a 58-yard touchdown run on the final play of the quarter to push the Cougars ahead 35-7.
Special teams added the finishing touch in the fourth quarter. Jaylen Thomas returned a punt 47 yards for a touchdown at 5:32 to make it 41-7, and Tank Hawkins followed with a 65-yard punt return score at 3:05.
Stevens converted the PAT after Hawkins’ return. Washington State then closed things out by forcing punts on all four of Duquesne’s fourth-quarter possessions.
The Cougars return home next Saturday, Sept. 26, when they host Arizona at 4:30 p.m. in Pullman.
In Other News...
WSU Finally Found Its Offense But One Concern Still Lingers
Washington State finally got the kind of home opener it was looking for at Martin Stadium, rolling past Duquesne 48-7 behind a burst of offense that took over in the third quarter. The Cougars scored three touchdowns in that period alone, with quarterback Caden Pinnick and running back Kirby Vorhees both turning in strong performances as Kirby Moore picked up his first win as a head coach.
The win gave Washington State a much-needed jolt and offered a clearer look at an offense that can lean on the ground game when things are clicking. Still, not everything came together cleanly, and the kicking game remains a source of concern after Jack Stevens had accuracy issues that stood out even in a lopsided result. [Read more 🡒]
Washington States Biggest Early Problem Still Isnt Going Away
Washington States home opener offered a few signs of life on offense, with the Cougars taking a 14-7 halftime lead over Duquesne after leaning on the ground game. Maxwell Woods supplied a 45-yard Wildcat burst, and Caden Pinnick finished off a 19-yard touchdown run, a couple of plays that at least gave the offense a little more rhythm than it had shown at times before.
Still, the early concern around the Cougars has not gone away, because Duquesne kept finding room on the ground. The Dukes answered with a 1-yard quarterback keeper from Carson Camp, and their backs piled up 113 yards on 19 carries in the first half, a reminder that Washington States defense still has work to do even when the scoreboard is in its favor. [Read more 🡒]
WSU Offense Faces A Defining Test As Bruce Eyes First Win
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Bruces checklist is pretty straightforward: simplify the offense, do a better job on third downs, generate more sacks and find a way to start faster on that side of the ball. For a team trying to break through in a new era, those are the kinds of fixes that can turn a sluggish start into something more sustainable, and they loom large as Washington State looks to get that first one on the board. [Read more 🡒]