PULLMAN, Wash. - Washington State opened the 2024 season with a 70-30 home win over Portland State at Gesa Field Saturday afternoon. Check out the postgame notes from the season-opening win.


TEAM NOTES
•      WSU's 49 points in the first half were the most since 2018, scored 55 in first half against Arizona
•      WSU's 70 points are the most since 1997 (77, SW Louisiana) and are tied for 6^th-most in program history
•      WSU has won 3 straight season-openers under head coach Jake Dickert
•      WSU's 224 rushing yards are the most since rushing for 229 against Northern Colorado week three last season
 
PLAYER NOTES
•      10 players made their first career WSU starts; John Mateer (QB), Devin Kylany (C), Josh Meredith (WR), Syrus Webster (Edge), Ansel Din-Mbuh (DT), Raam Stevenson (Edge), Ethan O'Connor (CB), Stephen Hall (CB), Tyson Durant (FS), Kris Hutson (WR)
•      30 players made their WSU debuts; Tony Freeman (WR), Kris Hutson (WR), Syrus Webster (Edge), Joe Taylor (ST), Tyson Durant (S), Jaylon Edmond (CB), Brandon Hills (WR), Wayshawn Parker (RB), Keith Brown (LB), Jerrae Williams  (DB), Trey Leckner (TE), Frank Cusano (LB), Chris Barnes (WR), Tre Shackelford (WR), Ashton Paine (DB), Zevi Eckhaus (QB), Parker McKenna (LB), Wesley Steiner (LB), Jonny Lester (OL), Noah Dunham (OL), Austin Lawrence (OL), Kenny Worthy III (CB), Branden Ganashamoorthy (WR), Mason Juergens (WR), Kayo Patu (DB), Kyle Maxwell (WR), Michael Hughes (Edge), Jack Janikowski (DL), Ryan Harris (KO), Durham Harris (LS)
•      John Mateer made his first career start; matched WSU record with 5 TD passes in first start (Luke Falk, 2014 at Oregon State, Anthony Gordon, 2019, New Mexico State)
•      Mateer also had a 40-yard TD run, his 6 total touchdowns are the most by Cougar QB in their 1^st career start
•      Wayshawn Parker was the first Cougar true freshman with a rushing TD and receiving TD in his debut since Max Borghi at Wyoming in 2018
•      Parker's 54-yard rushing TD was the longest TD run since 2021 (Max Borghi, 2021, Utah State, 64 yards)
•      Kyle Williams caught 4 passes for 141 yards, his 38^th consecutive game with a catch, owns a catch in all 38 career games played (1^st 25 at UNLV (2020-22), his 8^th career 100-yard game 3^rd as a Coug
•      Williams caught his 16^th and 17^th career touchdowns, his first career multiple-TD game at WSU
•      Kris Huston caught his 3rd career touchdown pass, 1st as a Coug, recorded his 1st career 100-yard game (101)
•      Tre Shackelford caught his 1^st touchdown pass
•      Trey Leckner's 1^st career catch was 33-yard touchdown
•      Stephen Hall's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown was the longest in program history
•      Khalil Laufau recorded his first career sack
•      Dean Janikowski tallied 8 points to push his career point total to 239, 5^th-most in WSU history
•      Janikowski made 8 extra points to push his career PAT total to 134, 3^rd-most in WSU history