PULLMAN – The sand has reached the bottom of the hourglass, and time has run out.
Washington State squashed Colorado State football’s bowl game hopes in blowout fashion as the Rams dropped their third straight game 73-7.
The Rams fought through a flight delay, a tarmac walkthrough and a layover in Idaho in order to make it to Pullman on time to take on the Cougars, but were still unable to keep the dream of playing postseason football alive.
The troubles that CSU has faced game-in and game-out appear to be here to stay.
Taking on a 1-8 WSU team that had not beaten a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent entering Saturday’s game, the Rams made the Cougars look like Pac-12 championship contenders.
300 first half rushing yards. 38 first half points. A second half that was no better, surrendering 235 second half rushing yards and 35 second half points. The statistically worst defense in the country showed why they earned that title en route to a 66 point loss.
Missed tackles, blown coverages and an inability to shed blocks have all given the Rams consistent trouble throughout the year, and their matchup with the Cougars was no different.
CSU remained incapable of stopping the run in the loss. WSU running back Kirby Vorhees rushed for 197 yards and four touchdowns, including a 98-yard touchdown run that is now etched in the record books as the longest rushing touchdown in WSU history.
Vorhees’ 98-yard scamper is also the longest rushing touchdown in the FBS this season, and is tied for the longest rushing touchdown in the Pac-12’s 110 year history.
WSU rushed for 535 yards on the night, which marks the most rushing yards a CSU football team has ever allowed, breaking the record set earlier this season against the Texas State Bobcats.
In nontraditional fashion, the CSU offense also struggled. Entering the matchup with WSU, the Rams averaged over 35 points per game, but only struck for seven while also turning the ball over three times.
In spite of the offensive struggles, CSU quarterback Hauss Hejny continued to be a beacon of light in the darkness that has been CSU’s season to this point.
The Aledo, Texas native threw for 199 yards, rushed for 25 — which lead the team — and caught a pass for 14 more yards. Hejny also threw an interception in garbage time. Unfortunately for the Rams, WSU quarterback Owen Eshelman outdueled Hejny in a stunning display of quarterback play.
Eshelman completed all but one of his passes while throwing for 135 yards and a touchdown, adding an additional 81 yards and three touchdowns with his legs.
WSU scored almost every time it had the ball, punching in 10 touchdowns and kicking one field goal on 12 possessions. The Cougars possessed the ball for 37:19 in comparison to CSU’s 22:41.
Throughout the season, the Rams have leaned on their offense to keep them in games, and that style of play came back to bite them in recent weeks. The defense’s inability to make a stop and get off the field persists, and CSU will continue to have a difficult time winning games for as long as it does.
CSU’s defense surrendered over 60 points for the third time on the season, a number that one of the most high-powered offenses in college football is no match for. WSU’s 73 points are the most the Rams have surrendered this season.
The Cougars had first-and-goal on their last drive of the game with the chance to score the most points an opponent has ever scored against CSU, but instead chose to run out the clock.
Longtime Ram Tommy Maher continued his breakout stretch, catching four passes for 76 yards, marking his third game of the season with more than 75 receiving yards.
With an absurd lead in their pocket, both teams turned to their backups in the fourth quarter. A new lineup couldn’t stop the Cougars’ high-powered offense, as backup quarterback Julian Dugger scrambled for a 60-yard touchdown on his first drive in the game.
The Rams remain in search of their first road victory of the season, with their last chance to do so coming on Nov. 21 when they take on Fresno State.
CSU has just two games left on the schedule, and looks to secure at least one additional win in the remaining two weeks of the regular season.
Reach Jack Randels at sports@collegian.com or on social media @jackrandelsmedia.
