Wazzu rushes its way past Red Raiders

PULLMAN — Washington State honored the late Mike Leach, the architect of the Air Raid offense, by doing more rushing than passing in a 37-16 win over Texas Tech on Saturday at Gesa Field.

The Cougars gained 301 rushing yards to 115 passing yards in a game that featured two teams that Leach led for nearly 20 years combined.

WSU quarterback John Mateer earned the majority of Wazzu’s rushing output, gaining 197 yards — a Cougar quarterback record.

“I do know this: coach Leach would be really disappointed,” WSU coach Jake Dickert said. “‘Why the hell are you running your starting quarterback?’

Mateer’s record-breaking rushing day

On the day that WSU enshrined Leach into its Athletics Hall of Fame and with WSU and Texas Tech both coming off high-octane offensive-powered victories (WSU 70-30 over Portland State and Texas Tech 52-51 overtime win over Abilene Christian), college football fans may have expected an offensive shootout with a cosmic number of passing yards.

Instead, Mateer set a program rushing record for a quarterback.

The Texas-born signal-caller scored the Cougars’ first TD of the day with his legs, evading Texas Tech’s defensive disruption and taking plenty of hard hits, one of which led to a targeting foul.

He surpassed Bob Kennedy’s record of 171 yards from 1942 and became the first Cougar QB to rush for over 100 yards since Timm Rosenbach versus Oregon in 1987.

“They kept dropping eight on us, you know,” Mateer said. “So we just ran the ball, and it was working, and the O-line was getting after it, man.”

Cougar defense plays a physical brand of football

The Cougar defense was all over the field, creating plays quite literally from the opening kickoff on.

On a short kickoff, a Red Raider failed to secure the ball, allowing it to hit the turf and for WSU safety Tyson Durant to leap on the ball. Pac-12 after dark had already reintroduced itself.

Mateer gave it right back to Tech with another opening drive overthrow, which was intercepted by Tech, but Durant made his presence felt yet again, tackling a Red Raider for a loss on third down.

Sophomore linebacker Buddah Al-Uqdah is a man of his word. When asked what Josh Kelly, his former teammate and current Red Raider leading receiver would experience in his return to Pullman, Al-Uqdah gave a cordial answer with a little sting at the end.

“I expect Josh to be Josh,” Al-Uqdah said. “We all know Josh is a good player. We know what he can do, but we got good players. He knows what we’re about. So we’re gonna come out here, and it’s gonna be a rough day for him.”

With Texas Tech threatening down the field, Al-Uqdah stripped his former teammate Kelly of the ball.

Al-Uqdah said his teammates had told him that Kelly was not holding onto the ball really well and got his hand in the right place to force the fumble.

“I did not lie,” Al-Uqdah said after the game.

Wazzu racked up four takeaways. Durant grabbed the opening kickoff, Al-Uqdah forced a fumble and Ethan O’Connor and Kapena Gushiken hauled in interceptions.

Defensive tackle David Gusta and the Cougar front seven got in Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton’s face the whole day as the Cougs tallied 10 QB hurries.

Parker and Williams steal the show again

While WSU only passed the ball 19 times and Mateer recorded nine completions, Mateer’s nine catches were rich with highlights.

After briefly leaving the game following a collision, senior wide receiver Kyle Williams reentered the game.

Williams made a stellar touchdown grab, reeling in the ball off the Tech defensive back's tip for the Cougs’ fourth touchdown to build a 27-10 lead.

Wayshawn Parker broke out down the left sideline, shaking several Red Raiders. Parker flashed his speed and physicality to score the third touchdown and second rushing of his two-game career

“I want to give Wayshawn his flowers, “ Al-Uqdah said. “I’ve been telling him that he’s something really special.”

Parker racked up 69 yards on 11 carries with his 43-yard score his longest.

A Power Five win

With Fox broadcasting Texas Tech’s first trip to the Palouse, WSU showed up. A nearly sold-out crowd followed instructions, striping the stadium with sections alternating between crimson and white and the student section all in crimson.

Dickert said the Cougs had been game planning for this matchup for four months.

With WSU left out of the resident powers of the college football world, the Cougs are playing a majority Mountain West schedule with Tech and next week’s opponent, the University of Washington the lone “Power Four” opponents on the schedule (plus WSU’s fellow Pac-12 Conference school, Oregon State.)

However, Dickert said the Cougars did what they have done for over a century.

“This is not a statement win,” Dickert said. “Washington State has played at the highest level forever…we took down a power five team and we’re a power five team.”

Washington St. 37, Texas Tech 16

First Quarter

WSU: Mateer 4 run (D.Janikowski kick), 10:03.

TTU: FG Garcia 37, 3:31.

Second Quarter

WSU: Parker 43 run (D.Janikowski kick), 8:09.

WSU: Schlenbaker 2 run (D.Janikowski kick), 7:53.

TTU: J.Miller 20 pass from Eakin (Garcia kick), 5:33.

WSU: Ky.Williams 21 pass from Mateer (kick failed), :25.

Third Quarter

WSU: Schlenbaker 1 run (D.Janikowski kick), 3:10.

Fourth Quarter

TTU: Dickey 12 pass from Morton (pass failed), 9:21.

WSU: FG D.Janikowski 25, 5:57.

A: 27,372.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Texas Tech, C.Brown 5-70, Valdez 8-34, Dickey 7-25, Conyers 3-12, Morton 4-7. Washington St., Mateer 21-197, Parker 11-69, Schlenbaker 11-27, Pulalasi 2-10, Ky.Williams 1-(minus 2).

PASSING: Texas Tech, Morton 34-58-2-323, Eakin 1-1-0-20, C.Brown 0-1-0-0. Washington St., Mateer 9-19-1-115.

RECEIVING: Texas Tech, Kelly 9-95, Eakin 5-54, Dickey 5-34, Douglas 4-71, J.Brown 3-41, McCray 3-18, Conyers 2-6, Miller 1-20, Hudson 1-4, Valdez 1-1, Jackson 1-(minus 1). Washington St., Hutson 3-25, Meredith 2-54, Dollar 2-13, Ky.Williams 1-21, Parker 1-2.

MISSED FIELD GOALS: Washington St., D.Janikowski 46.

Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2268, staylor@lmtribune.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @Sam_C_Taylor.