Recap and highlights: Washington State starts new era with win over Oregon State

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Travell Harris ran for a 44-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter to fend off Oregon State’s comeback bid and clinch Washington State’s 38-28 victory Saturday in both teams’ season opener.

With a new coach and a true freshman quarterback, Washington State beat Oregon State for the seventh straight time despite the absence of running back Max Borghi, who missed the game with an injury. Deon McIntosh carried the load, rushing 18 times for 147 yards and a touchdown.

Coach Nick Rolovich opted to start Jayden de Laura at quarterback, and the freshman finished with 227 passing yards on 18 of 33 attempts, throwing one interception and two touchdowns. He also was elusive in and out of the pocket, rushing for 43 yards and a touchdown.

De Laura led Washington State to a 14-7 halftime lead that grew to 28-7 halfway through the third quarter. Oregon State drew within three points, 31-28, after Jermar Jefferson’s third touchdown of the game with 2:39 left in the fourth.

But the Cougars recovered the subsequent onside kick, and Harris scored on the next play.

Under the run-and-shoot offense instead of the Air Raid, the Cougars gained more yards on the ground (229) than through the air (227). Their defense also had four sacks.

Washington State (1-0) will host Oregon (1-0) next Saturday in Pullman.

– Dan Thompson, For The Spokesman-Review

Pac-12 Networks / YouTube

First quarter

13:47 – WSU 0, OSU 0: The Cougars open the Jayden de Laura era with a three-and-out. De Laura, the freshman QB, booted right on first down, but threw behind his intended target Travell Harris and the pass was broken up. 

WSU was hurt by a personal foul after a short second-down run and couldn’t pick up a third-and-long with a draw play. 

3:50 – WSU 7, OSU 0: Freshman quarterback Jayden de Laura has his first college touchdown after throwing a 29-yard TD pass to Travell Harris.

De Laura moved the Cougs 58 yards downfield for the score after the WSU defense forced its second straight three-and-out to open the game. De Laura is now 6-for-10 passing for 65 yards and the TD.

Deon McIntosh, starting in the place of the absent Max Borghi, picked up a big third down on the drive. On third-and-2 from the OSU 38, McIntosh was hit before the first down marker, but kept his feet churning and powered threw multiple Beavers to fall over the line for the first. Harris scored two plays later. 

Second quarter

4:10 – WSU 7, OSU 7: The Beavers tie the game with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Tristan Gebbia to Trevon Bradford.

OSU running back Jermar Jefferson did the heavy lifting on the 93-yard drive, rushing six times for 41 yards. He carried it on three of the first five plays as Oregon State focused on the ground game to get out of its own end. Jefferson now has 11 carries for 73 yards.

Gebbia is 8-for-13 passing for 65 yards and the TD.

0:37 – WSU 14, OSU 7: Deon McIntosh puts the Cougars back ahead as he finds the end zone on a 3-yard run.

Washington State marched 84 yards in just 3:27 to answer the Beavers’ touchdown. 

McIntosh now has 41 yards on nine carries. 

WSU QB Jayden de Laura is 13-for-24 passing for 150 yards, one TD and one interception. De Laura thought he had hooked up with Renard Bell for his second touchdown pass on the play prior to McIntosh’s scoring run, but the pass was ruled incomplete after review.

Halftime

Third quarter

12:10 – WSU 21, OSU 7: Quarterback Jayden de Laura keeps it on the read-option and scores on a 5-yard touchdown run to push the Cougars lead to 14.

De Laura has 31 yards rushing on four carries for WSU. 

The Washington State defense started the half by forcing the Beavers to punt after a three-and-out. 

8:20 – WSU 28, OSU 7: Jayden de Laura throws his second touchdown pass of the game, a 28-yard strike to Travell Harris.

The touchdown was Harris’ second of the day as well. The junior receiver now has six receptions for 100 yards. 

De Laura is 15-for-28 passing for 187 yards and the two scores. 

The Cougars scored touchdowns on their first two drives of the half while forcing the Beavers into three-and-outs on their first two possessions. 

3:27 – WSU 28, OSU 14: Beavers running back Jermar Jefferson finds the end zone and Oregon State has trimmed the WSU lead to 14.

The Beavers, after punting on their first two possesions of the half, put together a 4:47 drive to get back in the game.

Quarterback Tristan Gebbia passed the Beavers down the field, accounting for 84 of the 85 yards OSU marched. 

Jefferson has 74 yards on 14 carries. Gebbia has 173 yards passing and one touchdown. 

Fourth quarter

11:59 – WSU 31, OSU 14: The Cougars add 3 to their lead as Blake Mazza makes a 34-yard field goal.

Washington State ran 12 plays and ate up 6:22, but couldn’t find the end zone after a sack and incompletion in the red zone.

Quarterback Jayden de Laura now has 204 yards passing and 43 yards rushing.

Running back Deon McIntosh continues to shine in place of Max Borghi. McIntosh has 143 yards, the most by a Coug since Dwight Tardy ran for 214 yard against UCLA in 2007. 

8:32 – WSU 31, OSU 20: Jermar Jefferson scores on a 7-yard run, his second rushing touchdown of the night for the Beavers.

Jefferson is up to 91 yards rushing on 17 carries. The running back now has eight career touchdowns against the Cougs in three games.

2:39 – WSU 31, OSU 28: Jermar Jefferson caps a 14-play drive for the Beavers with a powerful 15-yard touchdown run.

Jefferson, who now has three rushing touchdowns in the game, slipped through the line and rammed through a Cougars safety before finding the end zone. He has 115 yards rushing and 41 yards receiving.

Quarterback Tristan Gebbia connected with Trevon Bradford for the two-point conversion. Gebbia is up to 223 yards passing after the 90-yard scoring drive.

The Beavers got the ball back after the Cougars were only able to pick up one first down. A fumbled snap on second down stymied the drive. 

2:29 – WSU 38, OSU 28: The Cougars quickly answer the Beavers’ score with a touchdown of their own as Travell Harris finds the end zone for the third time in the game, this time on a 44-yard run.

The Cougs scored just 10 seconds after OSU had cut the lead to 3.

Harris also has two receiving touchdowns. The Cougs started with great field position after recovering an on-side kick. 

No Borghi for WSU

Pregame

Game preview

Uniforms

The visiting Cougars will be wearing their “Icy whites” combo of white helmets, white jerseys and white pants. The Beavers will be in all black.

More on the Cougs