Washington State dominates all phases on way to win against Duquesne | Recap and highlights

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Sep. 19—PULLMAN — The afternoon sun sparkled on Caden Pinnick, the Washington State quarterback who had endured quite the two weeks to open the season. Dressed in a crimson uniform and a white helmet, Pinnick looked loose as he warmed up here at Gesa Field, the site of his team's game against Duquesne on Saturday afternoon.

Pinnick and the Cougars' offense might have been matched up against a winless FCS squad, but because of how much that unit floundered in two losses in coach Kirby Moore's debut season, they had lots of questions to answer. Could WSU kick its offense into gear and turn in a convincing win over the worst team on their schedule?

The Cougars slogged through a listless first half and took its time answering that question, but thanks to a brilliant second stanza, they answered with an emphatic yes in a 48-7 win over Duquesne, earning Moore his first win at the helm of the program.

WSU used a 34-0 second half to pull away, getting a long touchdown rush from running back Kirby Vorhees and two touchdowns passes from Pinnick, who completed 17 of 22 passes for 196 yards, two scores and one interception, which came on his team's second play from scrimmage. The hosts also totaled 316 yards on the ground, getting two 100-yard rushers: Maxwell Woods piled up 116 yards and Vorhees added 109, plus Pinnick with 76 yards on 12 carries.

The Cougars piled on in the fourth quarter, getting back-to-back punt returns for touchdowns, the first from safety Jaylen Thomas and the second from receiver Tank Hawkins. Thomas returned his 47 yards and Hawkins returned his 65 yards, giving the Cougs their first punt return touchdown since 2016. It's also the program's first time with two in one game since 1973.

Thanks to the Cougars' defense, which held the winless Dukes scoreless over the final three quarters, WSU had few issues pulling away in the second half. On one sequence, Pinnick found a wide-open tight end Jack Pedersen for a touchdown, and on another, he lasered one to the back of the end zone to fourth-year junior Branden Ganashamoorthy. That was Ganashamoorthy's first regular-season touchdown at WSU.

Considering the two losses they took to open the season, this victory was just about what the Cougs needed: A sharp offensive outing and a blowout win over a hapless FCS team. WSU (1-2) now heads into next weekend's home showdown with Arizona riding a healthy dose of momentum.

Still, it wasn't all roses for the Cougars. On their first offensive play, Pinnick couldn't handle a high snap, resulting in a big loss. On their second, he threw deep into double coverage, resulting in an interception — his third in as many games. The hosts' offense looked as hapless as it did in their first two games of the season, road losses to Power 4 foes Washington and Kansas State.

Pinnick's interception was also WSU's fifth turnover of the season, joining two fumbles from Vorhees and two other picks from Pinnick.

But this was perhaps an even more poignant sequence: With about 90 seconds until halftime, WSU got the ball back, starting its drive at its own 19. It was a classic two-minute drill situation, and because the Cougars were slated to get the ball to open the second half, they had a chance to double-dip, to begin to pull away before the first half even ended. It felt like a chance for the Cougs to seize control of the game.

Instead, WSU opened with a false start before turning to several inside runs, apparently content to run out the clock before halftime. The Cougs ran Vorhees up the middle on three straight plays. They showed a bit more urgency when the clock ticked under 20 seconds, but all told, it seemed like a signal from WSU coaches about the way they viewed their offense.

It was also another forgettable outing for WSU kicker Jack Stevens. In the second quarter, he missed a 30-yard field goal from the left hash, making him 1-for-5 to start the season. In the fourth frame, he misfired on an extra point, the first one he's missed in his career. Earlier in the season, it felt uncharacteristic — Stevens missed only three field goals last season, and in fall camp this year, he was consistently accurate — but now it's turned into a significant problem for WSU.

The Cougars' other kicker is transfer Miguel Arenas, who normally handles kickoffs. WSU stuck with Stevens for extra points after he missed his earlier field goal, but moving forward, it'll be interesting to see how coaches manage field goal situations.

BOX SCORE

Second-half takeover showed Washington State's potential as conference play nears — Jacob Thorpe

I really hate to do this. Most years, I would rather tell my editors to run a blank page in the newspaper than write a column analyzing a 41-point win over an FCS team. Usually I try to provide the reader with something else that is useful in these situations, like a betting column. I actually began today planning to write about the radio broadcast led by Chris King, who is relatively new to the position but is capably upholding the high standard for Washington State University play-by-play professionals. — Read more

Washington State running backs provide productive 1-2 punch — Difference makers

Redshirt sophomore Maxwell Woods showed elusiveness, vision and big-play ability, breaking off five runs of more than 10 yards — including a 45-yard scamper out of the wildcat formation in the first quarter that set up a touchdown. Woods finished with 116 yards on 11 carries, averaging 10.5 yards per attempt. He also provided a few nice plays on check-down passes, picking up 20 yards on three receptions. — Read more

Washington State's offense finally finds rhythm against overmatched FCS visitor — Instant reactions

The first half was troubling — Washington State couldn't pull away from a winless FCS team. But the Cougars came out of the locker room with a reinvigorated offense and scored touchdowns on their first three possessions of the second half, and their defense blanked visiting Duquesne from there. — Read more

First quarter

12:04 — WSU 0, DU 0: Caden Pinnick is intercepted on his first pass attempt by Dallas Harper. The Dukes get the ball back at their own 35.

8:28 — WSU 0, DU 0: Maxwell Woods breaks a 45-yard run plus an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty sets up WSU at the DU 8.

8:10 — WSU 7, DU 0: Kirby Vorhees caps the quick drive with an 8-yard rushing touchdown.

5:07 — WSU 7, DU 0: Dazhaun Hopkins rushes for 54 yards to set up the Dukes at the Cougars' 1.

4:16 — WSU 7, DU 7: Duquesne quarterback Carson Camp sneaks in for a touchdown.

Second quarter

14:53 — WSU 7, DU 7: Jack Stevens misses a 30-yard field goal. Duquesne takes over at its own 20.

4:30 — WSU 14, DU 7: Pinnick rushes for a 19-yard touchdown on a quarterback draw.

Halftime

After an early turnover, Washington State was able to settle in and take a 14-7 lead into halftime against Duquesne.

Pinnick is 10-of-14 passing for 86 yards and one interception. He was able to add 40 rushing yards and a 19-yard rushing score.

The Cougars have rolled up 148 yards on the ground so far. Duquesne held its own in the first half but compiled only 27 passing yards.

The Dukes have 113 rushing yards, which includes 54 from Hopkins.

Third quarter

12:01 — WSU 21, DU 7: Pinnick finds tight end Jack Petersen for an 11-yard touchdown.

Pinnick set the Cougars up in the red zone after a 25-yard rush.

2:27 — WSU 28, DU 7: Pinnick connects with Branden Ganashamoorthy for a 10-yard touchdown.

The Cougars have started to pull away from the Dukes.

0:00 — WSU 35, DU 7: Vorhees breaks a 58-yard touchdown as the third quarter expires.

Cougars in full control heading into the final quarter.

Fourth quarter

5:32 — WSU 41, DU 7: Jaylen Thomas returns a punt for a 47-yard touchdown.

3:05 — WSU 48, DU 7: Tank Hawkins returns another punt for a touchdown, this time for 65 yards.

Pregame

After two difficult losses to start the season, Washington State is ready to get its offense back on track against visiting FCS Duquesne.

Neither team is averaging over 10 points per game this season, but the Cougars should be able to execute on offense and dominate on defense against a seemingly overmatched opponent.

The Dukes have begun their season with two lopsided losses against Air Force (34-0) and Youngstown State (70-13). The Cougars return home and will look to be buoyed by a home crowd eager to see the team's first win.

Quarterback Caden Pinnick and Washington State's receiving core will need to step up without trusty pass-catcher Tony Freeman. But the Cougars should get a lift on defense with starting cornerbacks Khamari Terrell and Jalil Tucker expected to be available against the Dukes.

The game is scheduled to kick off at 12:30 p.m. and can be watched on USA Network.

Series history

This is the first meeting between Washington State and Duquesne.

Notable stat

Duquesne allows an average of 527 yards per game this season. So far, the Dukes have played FBS Air Force and ninth-ranked Youngstown State in FCS.

Game preview

WSU ready to notch first win of Kirby Moore era in home-opener against FCS Duquesne

PULLMAN — In the third week of his FBS career, Caden Pinnick finds himself in a precarious position. As Washington State's starting quarterback, he has all kinds of eyeballs on him, and he's standing on a stage he never has before. — Read more

Washington State's keys to victory against Duquesne — 2-minute drill

Washington State vs. Duquesne — Read more

Why Washington State will beat Duquesne — The pick

PULLMAN — Realistically speaking, Washington State won't be too worried about winning its home opener against FCS Duquesne on Saturday afternoon. — Read more

Washington State dominates all phases on way to win against Duquesne | Recap and highlights

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