Cougars caught flat-footed in loss to Kansas State
· Yahoo Sports
Sep. 12—The Washington State offense couldn't get out of its own way and the Cougar defense was ultimately powerless to slow Kansas State's march as the Wildcats rolled to a 34-7 nonconference football victory Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kan.
After going 0-for-11 on third down during the Apple Cup, the Cougars' opening script was encouraging.
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Quarterback Caden Pinnick rocketed the rock to junior wide receiver Branden Ganashamoorthy and sophomore running back Maxwell Woods for a pair of first downs on WSU's opening drive, but it would be for naught as Cougar kicker Jack Stevens missed his third field goal of the season — matching the total number of misses from last year.
K-State completely snuffed out the Cougs after that, forcing a turnover on downs, nine punts and a forced fumble over the remainder of the game.
The lone bright spot for Wazzu on Saturday were the heroics of WSU safety Jaylen Thomas, who registered the first two interceptions of his college career.
Thomas returned his second interception for a 50-yard pick-6 as the clock hit zero on the first half. The 6-foot, 190-pound San Jose State transfer's big play accounted for the Cougs' lone points of the day and cut the Cats' lead to 17-7.
Lightning in the area extended halftime by 56 minutes. By the time the Cougs and Cats emerged from their locker rooms, it was clear that second-year Kansas State coach Collin Klein's squad was ready to go.
The Wildcats added two more touchdowns and a field goal in the second half while shutting out Wazzu.
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K-State outgained WSU 487-166 in yards and found particular success on the ground, rushing for 254 yards, headlined by Rodney Fields Jr.'s 13 carries for 105 yards and quarterback Avery Johnson's eight rushes for 78 yards.
Pinnick was turnover-free, but failed to find any semblance of offensive rhythm, completing 9-for-20 passes for 65 yards with no touchdowns. He completed just four of his last 13 passes and was sacked four times.
Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2260, [email protected], or on X or Instagram @Sam_C_Taylor.