Washington State ran for a school-record 535 yards and nine rushing touchdowns in a 73-7 rout of Colorado State on Saturday at Gesa Field in Pullman, snapping a six-game losing streak and earning its first FBS win of the season in the most emphatic way imaginable.

Key Points

• Washington State beat Colorado State 73-7 on Saturday, 14 November 2026, at Gesa Field in Pullman, snapping a six-game losing streak and earning its first FBS win of the season.
• The Cougars ran for a school-record 535 yards and a school-record nine rushing touchdowns on 674 total yards — their first 500-yard rushing game since 1984.
• Kirby Vorhees ran for career highs of 197 yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries, including a program-record 98-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter, the longest in the country this season.
• Quarterback Owen Eshelman went 13 of 14 for 135 yards and a touchdown, adding 81 yards and three rushing touchdowns; Maxwell Woods ran for 108 yards.
• Washington State led 38-7 at halftime; Colorado State fell to 3-7, is out of bowl contention and lost its 10th straight road game.

What Happened

The rout was decided in the first quarter. Late in the opening period, Vorhees took a handoff and went 98 yards for a touchdown, the longest run in program history and the longest touchdown run in the country this season. Washington State kept pounding the ball from there, and Colorado State never found an answer. The Cougars led 38-7 by halftime.

The second half brought no relief. Washington State scored on a 38-point unanswered stretch, finishing with nine rushing touchdowns and 674 total yards. Eshelman was almost perfect through the air, completing 13 of 14 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown, and just as dangerous on the ground, adding 81 yards and three rushing scores. Woods chipped in 108 rushing yards.

For Colorado State, the afternoon only got worse. The 73 points are the second-most the Rams have allowed in a game in program history, and the defeat was their 10th consecutive road loss. The Rams fell to 3-7 and are officially eliminated from bowl consideration.

Background: A Losing Streak, and a Ground Game That Had Not Looked Like This in Decades

Washington State arrived on a six-game losing streak and still searching for its first FBS win of the season. Nothing in the previous six weeks suggested a night like this, and nothing in recent program history suggested a rushing day on this scale: the Cougars had not topped 500 rushing yards in a game since 1984.

That is what makes the result so striking. This was not a narrow win built on a few big plays. It was a complete dismantling built on the run, with a line that controlled the game from the first snap and a backfield that kept finding daylight.

Colorado State arrived with its own stakes. The Rams needed wins to keep their bowl hopes alive, and a road game against a team on a six-game losing streak looked like a chance to steady the season. Instead, the loss ended those hopes outright.

Washington State 73-7 Colorado State: Vorhees' 98-Yard Run and a Record Day on the Ground

Vorhees was the headline. His 197 yards and four touchdowns on just 12 carries worked out to more than 16 yards per attempt, and his 98-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter broke the program record and stands as the longest touchdown run in the country this season.

But the record day belonged to more than one player. Eshelman's 81 rushing yards and three touchdowns meant the quarterback was nearly as productive on the ground as through the air, where he threw for 135 yards and a score. Woods added 108 rushing yards, and together the three accounted for 386 of the Cougars' 535 rushing yards. Both the yardage and the nine rushing touchdowns are school records.

The 73-7 final stands as one of the most lopsided wins in program history, and it came in a game Washington State led 38-7 at halftime.

Reactions and Quotes

No post-game quotes from either team were included in the early reports, so the clearest reaction is written in the result and the record book. A team that had lost six straight finally had a night to celebrate, with the biggest rushing day in school history. For Colorado State, the reaction is harder to put into words: seven points scored, 73 allowed, and bowl hopes gone in the same afternoon. A 10th straight road loss will make for a long week in Fort Collins.

Why It Matters

It matters first because the losing streak is over. Six straight defeats had defined Washington State's season, and the first FBS win of the year changes the feel of everything that follows. A team that wins 73-7 does not just stop losing — it finds an identity, and on Saturday that identity was the ground game.

It matters, too, because of who produced it. Vorhees, with career highs of 197 yards and four touchdowns, and Eshelman, nearly perfect passing and dangerous running, gave the Cougars a three-headed rushing attack with Woods that no defence would want to face on that form. Elsewhere on Saturday, No. 24 Boise State beat Oregon State 46-41 and Utah edged Arizona 40-39, but no result was as one-sided as the one in Pullman. For Colorado State, the stakes ran the other way: 3-7, officially out of the bowl picture, and a 10th straight road loss.

What Happens Next

Washington State now tries to build on the most lopsided win of its season. A second straight victory would change the story of the year entirely, and the Cougars have found a formula worth repeating: run the ball, control the line and let Vorhees, Eshelman and Woods do the damage.

Colorado State plays out the string with nothing left but pride and the chance to end a 10-game road losing streak. The Rams need answers on defence quickly, because a team that gives up 73 points and 535 rushing yards has problems beyond one bad afternoon.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the final score between Washington State and Colorado State?
Washington State beat Colorado State 73-7 on Saturday, 14 November 2026, at Gesa Field in Pullman, Washington.

How many rushing yards did Washington State gain?
The Cougars ran for a school-record 535 yards, with a school-record nine rushing touchdowns, on 674 total yards — their first 500-yard rushing game since 1984.

How did Kirby Vorhees play?
Vorhees ran for career highs of 197 yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries, including a program-record 98-yard touchdown run, the longest in the country this season.

How did quarterback Owen Eshelman play?
Eshelman completed 13 of 14 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown, and added 81 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Maxwell Woods also ran for 108 yards.

What does the loss mean for Colorado State?
The Rams fell to 3-7, are officially eliminated from bowl consideration, and lost their 10th consecutive road game.