Washington State Rolls Past Duquesne 48-7 for First Win of Kirby Moore Era

Washington State finally got the performance it had been looking for. After struggling to find any consistency during the first two games of the season, the Cougars broke out in the second half Saturday afternoon, scoring 41 unanswered points on their way to a 48-7 win over Duquesne at Gesa Field.

The victory gave Washington State its first win of the season and the first career victory for head coach Kirby Moore. The Cougars improved to 1-2 on the season after opening the year with tough losses to Washington and Kansas State.

Washington State led just 14-7 at halftime with the Dukes giving them a better than anticipated fight early, but the Cougars completely took control after the break. WSU scored touchdowns on its first three possessions of the second half before adding two more scores in the fourth quarter, blowing the contest wide open in the final 30 minutes.

The Cougars finished with 26 first downs and 480 total yards, including 316 rushing yards, and had multiple 100 yard rushers.

Here are four takeaways from the Cougs first win of 2026:

1. Caden Pinnick put together his best performance of the season after struggling through the first two games.

Pinnick, a redshirt sophomore, completed 17 of 22 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns while adding 76 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. He also distributed the ball to seven different receivers, making significant improvements as the game wore on.

After a rough start that included a botched snap and an interception, Pinnick settled down and helped Washington State move the ball consistently against Duquesne. His 19-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter gave the Cougars a 14-7 lead heading into halftime, building momentum needed to break things open after the break.