Washington State has found a few more sparks on offense in its home opener, but the same self-inflicted issues are still hanging around.
The Cougars carried a 14-7 lead into halftime against Duquesne on Saturday and, for the first time in the first half, never spent a second trailing. That said, the path to that advantage was far from clean. WSU mixed in a few explosive plays, but red-zone mistakes, a costly interception and a missed field goal kept the game tighter than it needed to be.
The early tone came on the Cougars’ second series, when they went to some trickery. Maxwell Woods lined up in shotgun with Caden Pinnick split wide to the right in the slot, then took the “Wildcat” handoff and ripped off a 45-yard run. That set up Kirby Vorhees’ 8-yard touchdown run, which put WSU ahead 7-0.
Duquesne answered later in the first quarter when quarterback Carson Camp powered in from a yard out at the 4:16 mark. It was the Dukes’ second offensive touchdown of the season and tied the game at 7-7.
WSU had its own chances to separate, but the mistakes kept showing up. Pinnick threw an interception into double coverage on the Cougars’ second play from scrimmage, and the offense also ran into red-zone penalties. Jack Stevens then pushed a 30-yard field goal off the right upright early in the second quarter, leaving the game tied.
Pinnick did eventually help break the deadlock. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the first half, he kept it himself for a 19-yard touchdown run, showing enough patience to let the play develop before bursting past the Duquesne defense.
By halftime, the Cougars had flashed more big-play ability than they showed in losses at Washington and Kansas State. WSU finished the half with eight plays of 10 yards or more.
The defense, though, had its own problems slowing Duquesne’s running game. The Dukes’ trio of backs combined for 113 yards on 19 carries, good for 5.9 yards per attempt.
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 State Built Exactly The Momentum Fans Wanted Before Arizona
Washington State got exactly the kind of response it needed before Arizona, shaking off an early tie and rolling past Duquesne 48-7 behind a barrage of points that turned a tense start into a runaway finish. After the Dukes pulled even at 7-7, the Cougars ripped off 41 unanswered points, with Caden Pinnick steering the offense and piling up 196 passing yards, two touchdown throws, 76 rushing yards and another score on the ground.
The win had a little of everything for a team looking to build confidence at the right time. Kirby Vorhees added a rushing touchdown, while Jaylen Thomas and Tank Hawkins each delivered punt return touchdowns, giving Washington State impact plays in every phase and a reminder that the margin for error can get awfully thin for opponents when the Cougars start stacking momentum. [Read more 🡒]
WSU Offense Faces A Defining Test As Bruce Eyes First Win
Washington State is still searching for its first win under Kirby Moore after opening the season with two losses against power conference opponents, and the early returns have put the offense under the microscope. Defensive end Mkristo Bruce has taken a candid look at what the Cougars need to clean up, pointing to a handful of areas that could help them get moving in the right direction as the schedule starts to settle in.
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 🡒]