RECAP: Washington State Offense Dominates Portland State 70-30 in Week 1 Victory

Joe Londergan | Aug 31, 2024

Aug 31, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer (10) throws a pass against the Portland State Vikings in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports / James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

A warm day on the Palouse yielded an emphatic season-opening victory for the Washington State Cougars, who took home a 70-30 win over Portland State.

In his first college start, redshirt sophomore quarterback John Mateer finished with 11 completions on 17 attempts for 352 yards with five touchdown passes. He also made things happen with his legs, rushing for 55 yards with a touchdown on the ground.

The win brings Jake Dickert’s career record as WSU’s head coach to an even 16-16 as the Cougs move forward into the new year.

The first half was full of explosive plays for the Cougars on both sides of the ball.

Portland State took an early 7-0 lead on a five-yard touchdown run by Dante Chachere on their opening possession. That play was set up by a 53-yard run by Delon Thompson.Washington State quickly answered with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Mateer to Oregon transfer Kris Hutson. The touchdown was Hutson’s first since 2021.

Mateer found Tre Shackleford for a 39-yard touchdown a few minutes later to go up 14-7, then found Kyle Williams for a 57-yard touchdown about 90 seconds later. The Cougs tacked on a two-point conversion after that score.

True freshman running back Wayshawn Parker also made his presence know in his college debut, breaking off a 54-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter, then caught a 52-yard touchdown pass from Mateer on the next possession.

The defense even got in on the scoring when Stephen Hall returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, setting a new school record

Eager to show his rushing ability, Mateer took a 40-yard touchdown run straight up the middle with 1:30 remaining in the first half.

The Cougars took a 49-17 lead into halftime.

Kris Hutson ran a short pass all the way 59-yards all the way to the 11-yard line, which set up a touchdown run by Djouvensky Schlenbaker on WSU’s first possession of the second half. Williams caught his second touchdown of the day with a 59-yard score with just under ten minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Zevi Eckhaus took over at quarterback with just under eight minutes remaining in the third quarter.Eckhaus picked up his first touchdown in a Cougar uniform hitting Trey Leckner for a 33-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Eckhaus finished six-for-seven with 61 yards and a touchdown.

The Cougars were able to sub frequently throughout the game, allowing many of the younger players to get critical experience.

WSU reached the 70-point mark despite just one red zone possession. They finished with 637 yards on the day.

The 2024 season continues on September 7 when WSU hosts the Texas Tech Red Raiders on The CW.

Published Aug 31, 2024|Modified Aug 31, 2024

JOE LONDERGAN

Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.