PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State finally got its first win of the season Saturday, and the Cougars aren’t shying away from what comes next.
WSU rolled past Duquesne 48-7 at Gesa Field, putting together its most complete performance of the season. The Cougars rushed for 316 yards, had two running backs surpass 100 yards and scored on four of their final five drives.
Head coach Kirby Moore said the performance gave his team some confidence, but there is still plenty to clean up.
“I think our guys have some confidence right from that game,” Moore said Monday. “They made some good plays on the field. Obviously, there’s a ton of things we’ve got to clean up.”
One of the biggest improvements came from the running game.
Maxwell Woods rushed for 116 yards, while Kirby Vorhees added 109 yards and two touchdowns. It was the first time since 2005 that two WSU running backs each eclipsed 100 yards in the same game.
Woods said the key now is consistency.
“I think it’s just building consistency,” Woods said. “That’s kind of the biggest thing I want to say. That’s been a big message that has been preached to us throughout this season so far.”
The offensive line played a major role in that success. Ashton Tripp said the group entered the week focused on cleaning up its own mistakes after the first two games.
“Last week all we focused on is our coaches emphasizing it’s about us this week,” Tripp said. “Just tighten up our game, figure it out, and then it really worked out for us.”
WSU will need that improvement to carry over quickly.
Arizona comes to Pullman Saturday for the Cougars’ final nonconference game, and the Wildcats bring one of the most experienced quarterbacks WSU will face this season.
Noah Fifita recently became Arizona’s all-time leader in passing yards. He enters Saturday with more than 10,000 career passing yards and 80 career touchdown passes.
Fifita was especially efficient in Arizona’s 42-17 win over Northern Illinois, completing 31 of 34 passes for 325 yards and four touchdowns.
Moore said what stands out most is Fifita’s accuracy and ability to extend plays.
“Very accurate passer, ton of completions, can extend plays,” Moore said. “He’s a playmaker. We’ve got to play team defense, trust your teammate that he’s doing his job.”
Arizona also showed its depth in the passing game against Northern Illinois, with Fifita completing passes to 11 different receivers.
That will put another emphasis on communication and discipline for a WSU defense that has shown improvement throughout the first three games.
Linebacker DJ Warner said the early-season challenges have helped prepare the Cougars for another difficult opponent.
“Going week in and week out, playing great opponents, it definitely shows us that we are who we know we are,” Warner said. “We consistently, we’re able to learn from our mistakes.”
Warner has also embraced his expanded role at linebacker after moving from defensive end.
“It’s definitely play-by-play for real,” Warner said. “I have a lot more assignments.”
WSU’s defense will have to account for an Arizona offense capable of spreading the field and creating opportunities for multiple playmakers.
For the Cougars, Saturday represents another opportunity to show that the Duquesne victory was more than just a bounce-back performance.
Woods said the approach inside the locker room remains the same regardless of the opponent.
“We treat every game the same,” Woods said. “We really just try to treat everyone the same with the same respect.”
Now, that mindset gets tested against Arizona.
The Cougars and Wildcats kick off Saturday night at Gesa Field.
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