Washington State beats down Texas Tech 37-16

Another BIG non-conference win.

In a game that was expected to be dictated by both offenses, the Washington State Cougar defense controlled the pace, forcing four Texas Tech Red Raider turnovers and converting two of which into offensive touchdowns for a 37-16 victory.

John Mateer stole the show offensively, running for 197 yards, including a late 68-yard dash to put the game away late. Defensively, Tyson Durant showed out with eight tackles, one for loss, and two pass breakups.

Not only did Durant leave his mark defensively, he had his name announced on national television on the first play of the game. On the game’s opening kickoff, WSU’s Ryan Harris kicked the ball short and high into the air, Texas Tech’s CJ Baskerville muffed the ball around the TTU 35, and Durant fell right on top of it to give WSU the opening possession. Unfortunately, WSU couldn’t covert on the gifted possession as Mateer’s pass over intended Kris Hutson and found TTU’s Chapman Lewis for an interception just two plays in. The WSU defense stood tall after the turnover and forced a TTU punt.

Facing a 3rd and 10, Mateer put on his first display of athleticism, exploding out of the pocket, throwing a juke move on a pursuing Red Raider linebacker, and sprinting to the outside for a 23-yard scamper to move the sticks. Four plays later, on a 1st and goal from the four, Mateer did it himself on a QB keeper in an empty set for the games first touchdown.

After trading punts, the Red Raiders put together their own scoring drive, going 51 yards on 11 plays but only being limited to a field goal.

WSU was forced to punt again as they failed to find success throwing the football, leading to a bit of momentum swing to the southern TTU sideline as they began to march towards midfield. After a failed shot down field on 3rd and 3, the Red Raiders elected to go for it at their own 49. Rolling out to the right, Behren Morton tried to hit Josh Kelly on an out route, but Durant had him well covered and broke the pass up.

Yet again, WSU’s offense sputtered trying to move the ball through the air and was forced to punt. In a bit of deja vu, TTU drove the ball near midfield and failed to convert a second straight fourth down, getting stuffed at the line in a wildcat formation after converting a third down just a few plays before in the same formation.

This time around, WSU did not fail to convert on the TTU turnover on downs. In a beautifully executed run play, phenom freshman running back Wayshawn Parker sprung free and made the last line of defenders miss twice for a 43-yard-rushing touchdown to put the Cougs up 14-3.

On the TTU ensuing drive, Morton found Kelly over the middle for a short gain, but before Kelly could hit the turf, Taariq Al-Uqdah ripped the ball out, picked up the bouncing pigskin, and returned the loose ball inside the Red Raider five. One play later, Djouvensky Schlenbaker took the short carry into the east end zone to put WSU up 21-3. In just five total plays, WSU expanded a narrow four-point lead into a three possession lead thanks to two big defensive plays and two carries from their running backs.

The Red Raiders wouldn’t go away easily, quickly bringing themselves back in it with a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. WSU allowed TTU to feel even more into after Dean Janikowski’s first field goal attempt of the year missed from 47 yards out, giving them the ball near midfield and 1:32 to work with. After a 3rd and 1 conversion to put the Red Raiders directly at midfield, Morton’s 2nd down pass attempt under duress sailed over the head of Kelly and into Ethan O’Conner’s arms for WSU’s second takeaway of the game.

Not only did O’Conner’s interception prevent the Red Raiders from pulling within a possession before halftime, but his return set the Cougars up nicely at the Red Raider 38 with 56 seconds and two timeouts to work with. Mateer kept the ball on back-to-back plays to put WSU just on the brink of the red zone at the TTU 21 with still 32 seconds remaining. With Kyle Williams to his left and beating his defender towards the end zone, Mateer tried to float the ball over the trailing defender and hit Williams in stride. The throw was just a bit underthrown and hit the defender in the back of the hand, but stayed in the air just long enough for Williams to find it, catch the ball, and keep both feet in for an unbelievable touchdown grab.

To begin the second half, the teams traded key possessions that both stalled out on 4th down. WSU took the half’s opening possession down to the TTU eight-yard line but failed to convert a 4th and 2 on a Mateer keeper that may have really put the game on the brink of blowout territory if the Cougars found a way into the end zone. On a crucial response drive for the Red Raiders, they rolled the dice on a 4th and 11 from the WSU 49. Morton tried to hit Mason Tharp, but the pass was broken up yet again by Durant. After a long pass to Josh Meredith to set WSU up inside the red zone, Schlenbaker punched in his second touchdown of the day to put WSU up 24 points.

Entering the game’s final quarter, the Red Raiders found themselves on the doorstep of making things interesting, driving all the way to the Cougar seven yard line. On 2nd and goal, Morton appeared to have Kelly open for a touchdown to pull back within two scores, but a holding call erased the touchdown. On the very next play, Morton tried stepping up in the pocket and was hit as he released the ball, creating a weak pass that floated up and down into the awaiting hands of Kyle Gushiken.

WSU was able to kill a few minutes before being forced to punt the ball back to the Red Raiders, who avenged their earlier mistakes and finally made it into the end-zone. Down 18, TTU elected to go for two, but failed the two point conversion as O’Conner intercepted the attempt.

Before WSU fans could even exhale, TTU kept everybody back in it after recovering an onside kick to make things interesting with 9:21 to go. On TTU’s fifth fourth down attempt of the game, the pressure was able to get through and force Morton to roll out of the pocket and fire a desperation pass towards the end-zone that fell harmlessly into the crimson turf.

Looking to put this one on ice, Mateer capped off his grand day on the ground, flying past the Red Raider defense for a 68-yard rush all the way down to the TTU one-yard line. Though the Cougars would have to settle for just three points, the Mateer run proved to be not only the dagger but the epitome of the game WSU had played against TTU.

The 197-yard rushing performance Mateer put together was something you could only dream about putting together in Road to Glory in the college football video games. And for the defense that had questions after surrendering 30 points to Portland State, holding the TTU offense to just 16 points goes well beyond most expectations.

It is still very early into this 2024 college football season. We still have over two months to find out who’s who. But for the second straight year, WSU has brought in a power-five non-conference program into Pullman and beat them by multiple possessions. The Red Raiders closed favorites at most domestic sportsbooks. What WSU did on Saturday night was not expected by most, but believable to some who know the history of what this program has done before and will continue to do.