PULLMAN, Wash. – Redshirt-sophomore quarterback John Mateer threw for five touchdowns and 352 yards, and rushed for another score, as Washington State overcame an early deficit and cruised to a 70-30 win against the Portland State Vikings, Saturday, at Gesa Field in the season opener for both teams.

"The biggest thing I told the team is the mission was to be 1-0, there was no score expectation, it was just to go out there and get the win and we did that," WSU Head Coach Jake Dickert said. "We're going to take a lot of positives from this game. We're also going to take a critical eye on what we need do to get better and be a team on the rise. Excited about the way we played. We had to respond in many different ways from special teams to offense to defense."

Playing under a Heat Advisory with temperature rising into the 90s, and even hotter on the field, the Vikings wilted under the relentless pressure from the Cougars after taking a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the game.

WSU scored seven first-half touchdowns, all 30 yards or longer. The blitz started when Mateer connected with Kris Hutson for a 30-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. A 39-yard TD pass from Mateer to Tre Shackelford put the Cougars up for good and Mateer closed out the first quarter with a 58-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams that put WSU up 22-7 after a successful two-point conversion.

After a Vikings' field goal, the Cougars returned to their big plays when freshman Wayshawn Parker scored on a 54-yard touchdown run, which was followed by a Mateer-to-Parker 52-yard touchdown connection.

The defense got in the act when redshirt-junior Stephen Hall returned an interception 100 yards for a touchdown, the longest pick-six in program history.
Mateer's six total touchdowns were the most by a Cougar quarterback in their first start going back to at least 1976. He added 55 yards rushing, including a 40-yard touchdown run that capped the Cougars' 49-point first-half scoring explosion.

The Cougar offense rolled up 637 yards in total offense, including 224 yards rushing. Williams led a contingent of 10 WSU receivers who caught at least one pass with 141 yards. Parker rushed for 96 yards on eight carries.

The 70 points scored by the Cougars tied for the sixth-most in program history and most since a 77-7 win over SW Louisiana in 1997.

The Cougars return to action at Gesa Field, Saturday, Sept. 7 against Texas Tech. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Buy tickets at WSUCougars.com.