WEEK 9
Washington State coming off a 63 point performance in Week 8 @ Cal returned home for what many thought would be a offensive fireworks display as the Cougars hosted (5-3) UTSA.
The Roadrunners 2nd in pretty much every offensive category in the the Pac-12 came out on fire taking a scoring quickly on the opening drive and then after recovering a Brevin Doll fumble extended the lead to (14-0) just 3 minutes into the game. Washington State though would bounce back scoring 28 unanswered points to close out the half as Malachi Nelson throws for 3 TD's (15 yd to L. Creer, 35 yd and 14 yd to C. Pabst) and ran for another (28 yds) as the Cougars taking a (28-14) lead into the locker room.
Nelson would open up the 2nd half with the biggest play of the game as he hits Dazmin James on a 59 yd bomb to extend the lead to (35-14) just just the 3rd play of the 2nd half. UTSA would answer back with a big play of their own as SR QB Brandon Tennison scrambles and goes 41 yds to the house to make it (35-21).. UTSA would force a WSU punt but had to settle for a 30 yd FG making it (35-24) with 5 minutes to play in the 3rd. WSU would answer back though as RS SO Landon Wright catches his first career touchdown as he hauls in a 24 yd strike from Nelson as WSU extends the lead to (42-24).
Still (42-24) going into the 4th, WSU showed no signs of taking their foot off the gas pedal as they score 4 more times on the ground including a 24 yd touchdown run by Antonio Abbott, 23 yd run by Doll and a 11 yd run by Leo Pulalsi, as WSU goes over 200 yds (243) on the ground and over 700 yds of Total Offense (717) on the day, setting a new season high point total.
UTSA would manage to score 2 more times as Tennison finishes the day with 331 yds and 2 TD's through the air and 67 yds and 1 TD on the ground in the loss..
FINAL SCORE WASHINGTON STATE-70 UTSA-38
KEY COUGARS
QB M. Nelson 38/56 (67%) 462 yds 5 TD, 6 carries 34 yds 1 TD
QB A. Sheppard-3/5 (60%) 12 yds , 4 carries 27 yds , 1 Fumble
RB A. Abbott-13 carries 79 yds 2 TD
RB L. Pulalasi-11 carries 40 yds 1 TD, 2 rec 13 yds
RB B. Doll-9 carries 61 yds 1 TD, 1 Fumble, 8 rec 78 yds
WR C. Pabst-9 rec 102 yds 2 TD
WR L. Creer-8 rec 73 yds 1 TD
WR D. James-4 rec 104 yds 1 TD
WR L. Wright-2 rec 30 yds 1 TD
TE M. Wlliams-6 rec 63 yds
IMPACT FROM THE GAME/AND UP NEXT
With the win WSU has moved into 2nd place in the Pac-12 standings with a (5-1) record after Boise State falls to Colorado State giving UTSA, CSU and BSU and Cal all 2 loss's.. Stanford still leads with a perfect 6-0 record.. The Cougars also started to receive some Top-25 votes (currently ranked #28)
WSU will host (3-5) Oregon State in Week 10 as the 2 schools battle it out for the Northwest Trophy. The Beavers are coming off 3 straight loss's including loss's to UTSA, Fresno State and Stanford (38-17) in Week 9.
