TEXAS TECH (1-0, 0-0 Big 12) at WASHINGTON STATE (1-0, 0-0 Pac-12)
7 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 • FOX
Gesa Field (32,952) • Pullman, Wash.
COUGARS HOST TEXAS TECH SATURDAY NIGHT ON FOX
Washington State welcomes Texas Tech to Gesa Field for a Saturday night matchup on Fox. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
LEACH, PATTERSON TO BE INDUCTED INTO WSU HALL OF FAME
WSU will induct five individuals, track & field's Alissa Brooks-Johnson, soccer's Micaela Castain, basketball's Don Collins, football coach Mike Leach and football student-athlete DeWayne Patterson, into its Athletic Hall of Fame Friday night and will recognize the class Saturday at halftime.
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State opened 2024 scoring 10 touchdowns in a 70-30 victory over Portland State at Gesa Field. Redshirt-sophom*ore quarterback John Mateer threw for 352 yards and five touchdowns, and ran for a 40-yard touchdown to set the WSU record for the most touchdowns responsible for (6) by a Cougar quarterback in his first career start. Wideouts Kyle Williams and Kris Hutson each recorded 100-yards receiving, running back Wayshawn Parker rushed for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass while cornerback Stephen Hall had a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown in the win. Last season, Washington State went 5-7 including a 2-7 mark in Pac-12 Conference play while finishing third nationally in passing (336.8). Head coach Jake Dickert owns a 16-16 career record and is in his third full season.
COUGAR QUICK GAME
TEAM
• WSU's 2024 roster features 49 newcomers including 15 transfers with 13 from four-year schools
• WSU's roster features 9 players from the state of Texas including QB John Mateer (Little Elm, Little Elm HS)
• WSU had two Gesa Field sellouts in 2023 (Wisconsin, Oregon State), 4th in the last 3 seasons
• WSU had 3 players drafted in 2024, the most Cougar draft picks since 2005;
S Jaden Hicks (4th, Chiefs), Edge Brennan Jackson (5th, Rams), CB Chau Smith-Wade (5th, Panthers)
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT (Player Notes Pages 9-11)
• QB John Mateer set a WSU record with 6 total TD in his 1st career start (5 pass, 1 rush, 352 pass yds )
• WR Kyle Williams named to Biletnikoff Award Watch List (2023 - 61 rec, 843 rec yds, 6 rec TD, 2 100-yd games
• RB Wayshawn Parker was the 1st Cougar true freshman with 1 rush TD, 1 rec TD in debut since 2018
(Max Borghi at Wyoming)
• LB Kyle Thornton was a Burlsworth Trophy Semifinalist in 2023 (top former walk-on), team-high 87 tackles
• P Nick Haberer was named to the Ray Guy Award Watch List for the 3rd straight season, 44.4 avg/punt in 2023
• OL Fa'alili Fa'amoe, DB Jackson Lataimua, Edge Nusi Malani, OL Esa Pole; Polynesian Player of the Year Watch List
• 2024 Reese's Senior Watch List (Fa'amoe, DB Kapena Gushiken, Malani, Edge Syrus Webster, Williams)
• RT Fa'alili Fa'amoe was named to watch lists for The Outland Trophy, Lombardi, Polynesian, Reese's Senior Bowl
SERIES HISTORY
The Cougars meet Texas Tech for the third time in program history and for the first time since 1964. The Red Raiders won both meetings, 16-7 in 1963 and 28-10 in 1964, with both games played in Lubbock. WSU will play in Lubbock in 2032. The Cougars are hosting a Big 12 team in Pullman are facing a Big 12 team for the first time since beating No. 24 Iowa State 28-26 at the 2018 Alamo Bowl.
COUGAR-RED RAIDER CONNECTIONS
Washington State and Texas Tech have a number of recent connections beginning with former head coach Mike Leach who coached the Cougars to six bowl games in eight seasons and Texas Tech to 10 bowl games in all 10 of his seasons in Lubbock. WSU offensive line coach Jared Kaster was a three-time All-Big 12 center for the Red Raiders (2012-15) and later worked on Kilff Kingsbury's Texas Tech coaching staff (2016-17). Cougar offensive graduate assistant Colt Garrett is in his second season in Pullman and played quarterback at Texas Tech (2016-19). Current Red Raider offensive line coach Clay McGuire played for coach Leach at Texas Teach, coached the WSU offensive line under Leach (2012), returned to coach the Cougar offensive line under Jake Dickert (2022-23) and is back on the Red Raider coaching staff. Texas Tech Associate Athletics Director / Football Administration Antonio Huffman was the Cougars Director of Football Operations under Leach (2012-19). TTU's coaching analyst Darcel McBath coached the Cougar cornerbacks under Leach (2018-19).
COLLEGE GAMEDAY RECORD
Dating back to the 2003 season, ESPN College GameDay has had the WSU flag appear throughout the show. The streak reached 304 last week in College Station for Notre Dame - Texas A&M. The first appearance came in Austin, Texas (10/4/03) and the streak began two weeks later in Madison, Wisc. (10/18/03). Two flags – Ol' Crimson and Gray – have been flown in the background of the GameDay set. The Gray flag was added in 2014 after Whitey was retired in honor of Steve Gleason's "No White Flags." Appearance No. 217 was its first in Pullman (10/20/18), a 34-20 win over Oregon.
COUGAR DEBUTS WEEK 1 VS. PORTLAND STATE
• 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)
MATEER MAKES HIS FIRST CAREER START
Redshirt-sophom*ore John Mateer posted some eye-popping numbers in his first career start.
• Went 11-of-17 for 352 yards and 5 TD passes, rushed for 55 yards including 40-yard TD run
• Mateer's 6 total TD were the most by a Cougar QB in their 1st career start in program history
• Mateer's 5 TD passes matched the WSU record for TD passes in a first start
(Luke Falk, 2014 at Oregon State; Anthony Gordon, 2019, New Mexico State)
• Mateer's 5 TD passes are tied for the national lead after week 1
• Mateer's 352 passing yards are No. 16 nationally, leads the country with 32 yards per completion
• Mateer's 407 yards of total offense are 7th-most nationally
WHAT a DEBUT FOR WAYSHAWN
True freshman running back Wayshawn Parker showed off his all-around game in his collegiate debut in the season-opening win over Portland State last week.
• Parker rushed for 96 yards on 8 carries with a 54-yard TD run, averaged 12 yards-per-carry
• Parker also caught a 52-yard TD pass
• Parker was the 1st Cougar true freshman with a rush TD and rec TD in his debut since Max Borghi at Wyoming in 2018
• Parker's 54-yard rush TD was the longest TD run since 2021 (Max Borghi, 2021, Utah State, 64 yds)
SIX NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS
Washington State Football announced it's team captains for 2023; OL Fa'alili Fa'amoe, CB Stephen Hall, OL Devin Kylany, Edge Nusi Malani, QB John Mateer and LB Kyle Thornton.
WSU, UW AGREE TO FIVE-YEAR CONTINUATION OF APPLE CUP
Washington State and Washington agreed in principle to a five-year continuation of the storied Apple Cup football series through at least 2028. This year's matchup will take place week three, September 14 at Lumen Field in Seattle, with the following four games alternating between the school's campuses: 2025 (Pullman), 2026 (Seattle), 2027 (Pullman) and 2028 (Seattle).
POSTGAME NOTES - PORTLAND STATE
• WSU's 49 points in the first half were the most since 2018, scored 55 in first half against Arizona • WSU's 70 points were the most since 1997 (77, SW Louisiana) and were tied for 6th-most in program history • WSU has won 3 straight season-openers under head coach Jake Dickert • WSU's 224 rushing yards were the most since rushing for 229 against Northern Colorado week three last season • Five different players caught a TD, 3 rushed for a TD • Stephen Hall's 100-yard interception return for a touchdown was the longest in program history
RECORD BOOK WATCH (PAGE 7)
- Kicker Dean Janikowski's 134 career made PAT are 3rd-most in WSU history
- Janikowski's 76.1 career field goal percentage (35-46) is the 4th-best FG% in WSU history
- Janikowski's 239 career points are 5th-most points by a kicker in WSU history
- Janikowski's 35 career made field goals are 6th-most in WSU history
- Punter Nick Haberer is 8th in WSU history with 157 career punts, 7th with 6,768 career punt yards
WILLIAMS NAMED TO BILETNIKOFF AWARD WATCH LIST, STARTS 2024 HOT
Cougar wideout Kyle Williams was named to the 2024 Biletnikoff Award Watch List prior to the season, award annually recognizes the college football season's outstanding FBS receiver. The senior Inglewood, Calif. caught 61 passes for 843 yards and six touchdowns while starting all 12 games in his first season at WSU last season.
• Williams had 4 catches for 141 yards and 2 TD (58, 59) in season-opening win over Portland State
• Williams 141-yard game against Portland State was 8th career 100-yard game, 3rd as a Coug
• Williams caught his 16th and 17th career TD rec week 1, his first career multiple-TD game at WSU
• Tied for 2nd nationally with 38 consecutive games catching a pass
Owns a catch in all 38 career games (1st 25 games at UNLV (2020-22)
• No. 11 among active FBS players with 2,552 career receiving yards and 67.2 career rec ypg
• No. 16 among active FBS players with 182 career receptions
• No. 44 among active FBS players with 17 career TD receptions
FA'AMOE NAMED TO OUTLAND TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH
WSU right tackle Fa'alili Fa'amoe was named to the 2024 Outland Trophy Preseason Watch List. Fa'amoe is one of 75 returning linemen up for the award given to the best interior lineman in college football. The redshirt-junior started all 12 games at right tackle last season after being named to the Preseason Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List. Fa'amoe, a native of Pago Pago, American Samoa switched from defensive line to offensive line prior to the 2022 season and has started 19 consecutive games, all at right tackle. Former Cougar right tackle Abraham Lucas was a three-time Outland Trophy Watch List selection (2019-21), former WSU left guard Cody O'Connell was a finalist in 2016 and former defensive tackle Rien Long won the award in 2002.
DEAN JANIKOWSKI NAMED TO WUERFFEL TROPHY WATCH LIST, MORE THAN A KICK
Kicker Dean Janikowski was named to the 2024 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, the award for College Football's premier award for community service and one of the most meaningful award in collegiate sports. The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy is named after Danny Wuerffel, the 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who parlayed his success on the football field into a lifetime of service. The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy embodies Wuerffel's commitment to being a humanitarian, while honoring student-athletes who are inspired to serve others and make positive impacts on society. Last season, Janikowski was perfect on 44 PAT attempts and went 10-of-15 on field goal attempts. In the classroom, Janikowski was named to 2023 Pac-12 Fall Academic Honor Roll with a 4.00 GPA while working towards his MBA and was a Campbell Trophy Semifinalist, give to the nation's best scholar athlete.
Off the field, Janikowski started a pledge called "More than a Kick" in 2021 where donations were made for each field goal and PAT by Janikowski and the donations go to helping children with cancer, in honor of his mom, Heather, who passed away from cancer. To date, More Than A Kick has raised over $37,000. Janikowski later started the Heather Janikowski Foundation and began another event called "Kicking Cancer" with an annual goal of raising $30,000 to support the Seattle Children's Hospital Cancer Research Center and those affect by cancer in the Pullman/Spokane area. The foundation has raised more than $88,000 towards Kicking Cancer. Janikowski also donated $2500 to former WSU basketball student-athlete Myles Rice, who was diagnosed with cancer and missed the entire 2022-23 season, he donated $15,000 to Molly Rice, who was an art teacher in nearby Colfax, Wash. for over 20 years and made additional donations of 5K, $10K and $15K have been distributed to individuals in the Pullman community. Janikowski also organizes in hometown of Fallbrook "Do It For Her 5k" and "Monserrate Memorial Hike," both raising money for Heather Janikowski Foundation.
On campus, at local Pullman church, Saint Thomas Moore Catholic Church, Janikowski helped run "Boot Camp" with current WSU football player Hudson Cedarland, which is a bible study with other members of the football team and in 2021 joined with then-teammates Liam Ryan and Abe Lucas (current member of Seattle Seahawks) in shoveling snow for elderly who were snowed in.
NICK HABERER NAMED TO RAY GUY AWARD WATCH LIST
Punter Nick Haberer was named to the 2024 Ray Guy Award Watch List for the third straight season Haberer, a senior from Sunshine Coast, Australia, averaged 44.4 yards-per-punt last season, recording a long of 62, five went 50-plus yards and 14 were put inside the 20. Haberer was All-Pac-12 Conference Honorable Mention in 2022.
LEACH, PATTERSON TO BE INDUCTED INTO WSU HALL OF FAME
Former head coach Mike Leach and defensive end DeWayne Patterson will be inducted into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame Friday night and will be recognized at halftime, Saturday.
Mike Leach (football coach, 2012-19): Guided the Cougars to 55 victories in his eight seasons in Pullman, third-most in program history…was a two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year and 2018 AFCA National Coach of the Year…is the only coach to lead WSU to six bowl games and in 2018, led WSU to a school-record 11 victories, a win in the Alamo Bowl and a No. 10 final national ranking…WSU led the nation in passing in four of his eight seasons, top 9 in all eight years…in his 21 seasons, compiled a 158-107 (.596) record, guided his teams to 19 bowl games and set school records for bowl appearances at both Texas Tech (10) and Washington State (6)...passed away at the age of 61 in 2022.
DeWayne Patterson (Football, 1990-1994): One of the leaders of the Palouse Posse defense of the early 1990's…finished his Cougar career with 154 tackles, and WSU records of 52.5 tackles-for-loss and 37.5 sacks, both of which remain school records following the 2024 season…senior year was named to Football News All-America First Team and Associated Press All-America Second Team…two-time All-Pac-10 Conference First Team selection…following WSU career, played three seasons in the Canadian Football League.
THREE COUGS SELECTED IN 2024 NFL DRAFT
WSU had three draft picks in 2024, safety Jaden Hicks went to the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round while Edge Brennan Jackson and cornerback Chau Smith-Wade each went in the fifth round to the Rams and Panthers, respectively. It was the most Cougar draft picks since the 2005 draft. WSU has had five defensive players selected in the last three drafts; Watson in the seventh by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022, linebacker Daiyan Henley in the third round to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023.
INTERIM TAG REMOVED, ANNE MCCOY TO LEAD WASHINGTON STATE ATHLETICS
WSU President Kirk Schulz removed the interim tag and named Anne McCoy as the WSU Director of Athletics, it was announced June 25. McCoy, who spent the previous three months as Interim Director of Athletics, officially becomes the 15th person to lead Cougar Athletics and the first woman to hold the position. McCoy is no stranger to WSU, serving a variety of roles on the senior administrative team since arriving in 2001 as associate director of athletics for internal operations. McCoy, who was hired by former Cougar Athletic Director Jim Sterk, has risen within the athletic department. Most recently, she served as senior deputy director of athletics and senior woman administrator (SWA) before assuming the interim director of athletics title in March of this year. Throughout her time on WSU's senior leadership team, McCoy has been actively involved with all facets of the department, having a role in all head coaching hires since her arrival, including all current head coaches. McCoy has played a role in each area of Cougar Athletics during her tenure and served in a supervisory capacity for every WSU sport. Most recently, McCoy served as WSU's interim director of athletics since late March of 2024. In the span of three months in the interim role, McCoy secured the hiring of WSU Men's Basketball Head Coach David Riley, Head Swimming Coach Russ Whitaker and Head Women's Golf Coach Kevin Tucker, extending the contract of Women's Head Basketball Coach Kamie Ethridge, secured a home for baseball and women's swimming through affiliate membership with the Mountain West Conference for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, and was involved with the Pac-12 Conference' securing a media rights agreement with the CW Network and FOX for the 2024 football season.
WASHINGTON STATE ALUM CHRIS KING RETURNS TO PULLMAN AS VOICE OF THE COUGS
WSU Athletics and Learfield's Washington State Sports Properties named Washington State alumnus Chris King as the new "Voice of the Cougs" in August. King, from Marysville, Wash., takes over play-by-play duties for Cougar Football, Men's Basketball and Baseball. King returns to Pullman – where he graduated from the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication in 2009 – after gaining 13 years of Division I broadcasting experience in neighboring Idaho. After two years announcing women's basketball at Boise State, King became the men's basketball broadcaster for the Idaho Vandals in 2013 before adding football broadcasting duties in 2021. In addition to his play-by-play role, he also hosted weekly hour-long coaches shows and created and hosted the Vandal Insider Podcast. In addition to his time calling college football and basketball, King also has extensive baseball experience, broadcasting Minor League Baseball for the Tri-City Dust Devils from 2012-2021. Away from the radio booth he has worked in a communications role with the West Coast League since 2016, most recently as the league's deputy commissioner. King has twice been honored as the Idaho Sportscaster of the Year (2017, 2023) by the National Sports Media Association for his work with the Vandals.
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