PULLMAN, Wash. - Washington State opened the 2024 season with a 70-30 home win over Portland State at Gesa Field Saturday afternoon. Check out the postgame notes from the season-opening win.
TEAM NOTES
• WSU's 49 points in the first half were the most since 2018, scored 55 in first half against Arizona
• WSU's 70 points are the most since 1997 (77, SW Louisiana) and are tied for 6-most in program history
• WSU has won 3 straight season-openers under head coach
• WSU's 224 rushing yards are the most since rushing for 229 against Northern Colorado week three last season
PLAYER NOTES
• 10 players made their first career WSU starts; (QB), (C), (WR), (Edge), (DT), (Edge), (CB), (CB), (FS), (WR)
• 28 players made their WSU debuts; (WR), (WR), (Edge), (ST), (S), (CB), (RB), (LB), (DB), (TE), (LB), (WR), (WR), (DB), (QB), (LB), (LB), (OL), (OL), (OL), (CB), (WR), (DB), (WR), (Edge), (DL), (KO), (LS)
• made his first career start; matched WSU record with 5 TD passes in first start (Luke Falk, 2014 at Oregon State, Anthony Gordon, 2019, New Mexico State)
• Mateer also had a 40-yard TD run, his 6 total touchdowns are the most by Cougar QB in their 1 career start
• was the first Cougar true freshman with a rushing TD and receiving TD in his debut since Max Borghi at Wyoming in 2018
• Parker's 54-yard rushing TD was the longest TD run since 2021 (Max Borghi, 2021, Utah State, 64 yards)
• caught 4 passes for 141 yards, his 38 consecutive game with a catch, owns a catch in all 38 career games played (1 25 at UNLV (2020-22), his 8 career 100-yard game 3 as a Coug
• Williams caught his 16 and 17 career touchdowns, his first career multiple-TD game at WSU
• Kris Huston caught his 3rd career touchdown pass, 1st as a Coug, recorded his 1st career 100-yard game (101)
• caught his 1 touchdown pass
• 1 career catch was 33-yard touchdown
• 100-yard interception return for a touchdown was the longest in program history
• recorded his first career sack
• tallied 8 points to push his career point total to 239, 5-most in WSU history
• Janikowski made 8 extra points to push his career PAT total to 134, 3-most in WSU history