Washington State Football: Cougs' Win Over Portland State Was a Day of Many Firsts

Joe Londergan | Sep 1, 2024

Aug 31, 2024; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars wide receiver Tre Shackelford (3) carries the ball for a touchdown 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

This offseason, Washington State did retain a decent amount of players from last season's team. Of course, there were a few notable exceptions like quarterback Cam Ward. However, those departures opened the door for a large group of new players to rise to the top of the depth chart.

Much of that group saw their first collegiate action in WSU's first win of the season over Portland State.

Ten different players made their first start in a Washington State uniform. Most notably, redshirt sophomore quarterback John Mateer made his first college start, scoring six total touchdowns and setting a new record for scores in a WSU's quarterback's first start.

RELATED: WATCH: Washington State Head Coach Jake Dickert Talks Opening Win Over Portland State

The other Cougars making their first start for WSU included center Devin Kylany, wide receivers Josh Meredith and Kris Hutson, defensive ends Syrus Webster and Raam Stevenson, defensive tackle Ansel Din-Mbuh, cornerbacks Ethan O’Connor and Stephen Hall, and free safety Tyson Durant.

Hutson was also making his first appearance as a Cougar after transferring from Oregon. Hutson caught his first touchdown as a Cougar and went over the 100-yard receiving mark for the first time in his college career.

There were more firsts in the passing game still. Tre Shackelford, a transfer receiver from Austin Peay University, also made his debut for the Cougars and caught his first touchdown pass for his new team. Redshirt freshman tight end Trey Leckner, appearing in his first game, made his first career catch: a 33-yard touchdown from Zevi Eckhaus in the fourth quarter.

In total, 28 players played their first game as a Washington State Cougar on Saturday:

Tony Freeman (WR)
Kris Hutson (WR)
Syrus Webster (Edge)
Joe Taylor (ST)
Tyson Durant (S)
Jaylon Edmond (CB)
Wayshawn Parker (RB)
Keith Brown (LB)
Jerrae Williams (DB)
Trey Leckner (TE)
Frank Cusano (LB)
Chris Barnes (WR)
Tre Shackelford (WR)
Asthon Paine (DB)
Zevi Eckhaus (QB)
Parker McKenna (LB)
Wesley Steiner (LB)
Jonny Lester (OL)
Noah Dunham (OL)
Austin Lawrence (OL)
Kenny Worthy III (CB)
Branden Ganashamoorthy (WR)
Kayo Patu (DB)
Kyle Maxwell (WR)
Michael Hughes (Edge)
Jack Janikowski (DL)
Ryan Harris (KO)
Durham Harris (LS)

Finally, while it was not his first appearance for the Cougars, sophomore defensive tackle Khalil Laufau recorded his first career sack in the win.

In a season where the Cougars are one of only two teams remaining in the Pac-12 Conference and many more changes for college football are likely ahead, many more firsts are on the horizon for the Cougar football team in 2024.