PULLMAN, Wash. (September 19, 2026) — Washington State defeated Duquesne 48-7 Saturday, scoring 41 unanswered points across six scoring drives after the game was tied 7-7.
Caden Pinnick completed 17 of 22 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns and added 76 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Kirby Vorhees rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries. Maxwell Woods finished with 116 rushing yards on 11 carries and added three catches for 20 yards. Branden Ganashamoorthy caught four passes for 67 yards and a touchdown.
The Cougars turned a defensive stop into the first quarter’s first points, going 72 yards after forcing a Duquesne punt and scoring on Vorhees’ 8-yard run. Woods’ 45-yard rush put Washington State inside the red zone, and Jack Stevens’ extra point made it 7-0. Duquesne later used a 54-yard run to set up a 1-yard touchdown, and the first quarter ended tied 7-7.
Pinnick put the Cougars in front with a 19-yard touchdown run at the 4:30 mark, and Stevens' extra point made it 14-7. Washington State's defense kept Duquesne off the board in the second quarter, holding it to 0-for-3 on third down. The second quarter ended with the Cougars ahead 14-7.
Washington State controlled the third quarter by scoring touchdowns on all three of their possessions and holding Duquesne scoreless. Pinnick threw touchdown passes to Jack Pedersen and Ganashamoorthy, the latter capping a 10-play, 88-yard drive, before Vorhees broke a 58-yard touchdown run on the final play. The Cougars ended the third quarter ahead 35-7.
The Cougars did their fourth-quarter scoring on special teams, as Jaylen Thomas returned a punt 47 yards for a touchdown at 5:32 to make it 41-7, and Tank Hawkins brought back another punt 65 yards for a touchdown at 3:05. Stevens converted the PAT after Hawkins’ return, and Washington State held Duquesne scoreless in the fourth quarter while forcing punts on all four Duquesne possessions to finish a 48-7 win.
Up next, Washington State hosts Arizona Saturday, Sept. 26, at 4:30 p.m. in Pullman, Wash.