Kirby Vorhees has 4 of 9 TD runs by Washington State in skid-busting 73-7 romp over Colorado State

PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Washington State quarterback Kirby Vorhees set a career-high 197 rushing yards and recorded four school-record rushing touchdowns on 12 carries, including a Pac-12 Conference record 98-yard touchdown run, leading the Cougars to a dominant 73-7 victory over Colorado State on Saturday night. The win ended a six-game losing streak for the Cougars.

Running back Owen Eshelman contributed 81 rushing yards and three touchdowns for the Cougars, while completing 13 of 14 passes for 135 yards and a score. Maxwell Woods added a 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, finishing with 108 yards on 15 carries. Backup quarterback Julian Dugger scored the final points of the game with a 60-yard run to give the Cougars a school-record 535 yards on the ground.

Vorhees scored the game's first touchdown on a 3-yard run, followed by another score on a 14-yard run with 55 seconds left in the first quarter, giving Washington State a 14-0 lead. Eshelman added a 4-yard and a 9-yard touchdown run, extending the Cougars' lead to 35-0 after one quarter. The Cougars continued their strong performance, with RJ Vick's 1-yard touchdown run giving the Rams (3-7, 1-5) a brief 7-7 lead with 38 seconds left in the first half.

However, Washington State responded with a 33-yard field goal by Jack Stevens, putting the Cougars ahead 38-7 at halftime. Eshelman connected with Branden Ganashamoorthy on a 30-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, and Vorhees added a 10-yard touchdown run, making the score 59-7 heading into the fourth quarter. Hauss Hejny threw for 199 yards on 14-of-24 passing for Colorado State, with one interception.

James Matthews previously held the WSU record for most rushing touchdowns in a game, with five in a victory over Idaho in 1982.