WSU Cougars rout Duquesne 48-7 for first win under Kirby Moore

Caden Pinnick threw two TDs and ran for another, and the WSU pulled away with 34 unanswered points in the second half.

Sep 19, 2026, 4:15 PM

WSU Cougars mascot Butch during a college football game. (William Mancebo/Getty Images)

(William Mancebo/Getty Images)

PULLMAN (AP) — Caden Pinnick threw his first two passing touchdowns this season and ran for another to lead the WSU Cougars to a 48-7 victory over Duquesne on Saturday for the first win in first-year head coach Kirby Moore’s career.

WSU Cougars 48, Duquesne Dukes 7: Box Score

The Cougars (1-2) led the Dukes (0-3) of the Championship Subdivision just 14-7 at halftime but broke it open with 21 third-quarter points including Pinnick TD passes of 11 yards to Jack Pedersen and 10 yards to Braden Ganashamoorthy. Kirby Vorhees added another touchdown when he broke loose for a 58-yard run at the end of the period.

@CadenPinnick LETS GO. pic.twitter.com/yKWbfyXla2

— Washington State Football (@WSUCougarFB) September 19, 2026

Tank Hawkins and Maxwell Woods added punt return TDs in the final quarter. Woods had 116 yards rushing and Vorhees 109 with two scores. Pinnick threw for 196 yards and was intercepted once.

Carson Camp went 1 yard for Duquesne’s only score to tie the game in the first quarter. The Dukes had just 180 yards offense to the Cougars’ 512.

WSU had scored just 17 total points in opening-season losses to Washington and Kansas State.