Washington State Sophomore QB John Mateer had himself a hell-of-a-day against Hawaii, throwing with blistering accuracy, connecting on 23-of-27 for 295 yards, 3 TD’s, and no interceptions in addition to running the ball 8 times for 34 yards and 2 more TD’s—five on the day—his third five TD game of the season. Freshman RB Leo Pulalasi was responsible for the only other TD by the Cougars in this one, as if they needed it in a 42-10 win over Hawaii on Homecoming Saturday in the Palouse on a day in which they became bowl eligible with an over-all record of 6-1. With five more games still yet to play they have an opportunity to not only tie for the most program wins in a season, which they achieved when they won 10 games in 2002 and again in 2018, but have an opportunity to win 11 for the first time in school history. Regarding that, as Mateer goes so go the Cougars and it’s most likely going to be the very next team they play, San Diego State, that could waylay their chances of that happening. With the Aztecs being the No. 3 sack leader in the nation, the Cougars really need to establish the run this next week if they want to keep San Diego State honest and give Mateer time to work.
Washington State had the ball to start the game but after a 12 play, 44 yard, six minute drive and sitting 4th and 2 from the Hawaii 37 with a field goal kicker that is a career 50% from 40 and beyond decided to go for it but didn’t make it. Nine plays later Hawaii would draw first blood with a 25 yard field goal to go up 3-0 with less than 4 minutes left in the 1st Qtr. Needing just three of those four minutes and after a loss of 2 yards on a running play to start their possession, the Cougar’s Mateer would connect on five in a row ending with a 32 yard TD pass to Sophomore WR Carlos Hernandez to go up 7-3. Hawaii would have another opportunity for a field goal of almost the exact same distance as the one they made on their first possession but would miss. After a three-and-out by the Cougars and a three-and-fumble by the Rainbow Warriors—leaving Washington State just twelve yards out of the red zone—three plays later Mateer would connect with Senior TE Cooper Mathers for touchdown number two to go up 14-3. Five plays later Washington State would get another opportunity starting from the Hawaii 46 yard line after an interception of a Brayden Schager pass by Cougar Sophomore LB Taariq Al-Uqdah. Touchdown number three for Mateer, less than three minutes later, would put Washington State up 21-3 where it would stay through the break.
After scoring 7 points in the first quarter and 14 in the second, the Cougars would rinse and repeat in the second half scoring 7 points in the third and 14 in the fourth with one of those TD’s set up by a Rainbow Warrior fumble, similar to the one earlier in the second quarter. Hawaii would get the ball to start the third quarter and would score their only points of the half on a 7 play 75 yard drive ending in a Brayden Schager 17 yard TD pass to Sophomore WR Tylan Hines. Schager, the Senior QB for Hawaii, would connect on 20-of-30 for 196 yards, 1 TD, and 1 interception. On the ground they rushed 22 times for 104 yards without ever finding the end zone. One of the strengths of the Cougar passing game is just how many receivers Mateer connects with. In this one he had six guys who he threw to multiple times with an average of 52 yards each and a TD each to three of them. On the ground the Cougars collectively rushed 37 times for 123 yards with Freshman RB Leo Lulalasi running one in to go along with Mateer’s two. Hawaii heads back home to host Nevada while the Cougars will hit the road to a much warmer San Diego, California.