John Mateer (5 TDs) leads No. 21 Washington St. previous Utah St.

John Mateer threw for four touchdowns and ran for a fifth Saturday night as No. 21 Washington State kept its longshot hopes of a College Football Playoff berth alive with a 49-28 thumping of Utah State in Pullman, Wash.

Mateer completed 18 of 24 passes for 179 yards while running for 38 yards on 12 carries. But he had plenty of help as freshman Wayshawn Parker added a game-high 149 rushing yards on just 11 attempts.

The Cougars (8-1) became the latest team to tear through the Aggies’ porous running defense, picking up 286 yards on the ground and finishing the game with 465 total yards. It marked the fourth time this year they scored at least 42 points in a game.

Spencer Petrus hit on 28 of 45 throws for 208 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Utah State (2-7). The Aggies hurt themselves with mistakes, turning the ball over twice and committing nine penalties for 79 yards.

Mateer got Washington State off to a good start, firing a 17-yard scoring strike to Kyle Williams just over 4 1/2 minutes into the game. Utah State answered when Petrus capped a drive of nearly 5 1/2 minutes by flipping a 3-yard touchdown pass to Jack Hestera.

The Cougars took the lead for good on the first play of the second quarter on Parker’s 1-yard scoring run. Mateer made it 21-7 when he capped a 75-yard drive by hitting Williams for a 14-yard touchdown 7:17 before the half.

Washington State turned it into a blowout when Parker ran for a 75-yard touchdown and Mateer scored on a 1-yard run for a 35-7 advantage with 5:52 left in the third quarter. Bryson Barnes scored on a 2-yard run for the Aggies at the 2:02 mark of the period.

Williams’ third touchdown catch, a 5-yarder, came 11 seconds into the fourth quarter. Mateer capped his big night by throwing a 3-yard strike to Cooper Mathers with just over a minute remaining.

–Field Level Media