Difference makers: Cam Ward, transfer receivers produce 4 TDs for No. 21 Washington State in win over No. 14 Oregon State

Cameron Ward

The junior quarterback set the tone early, hitting Kyle Williams for a 63-yard touchdown on the second play from scrimmage. During an efficient and productive first half, Ward completed 19 of 20 passes for three touchdowns and 293 yards, at one point completing 14 consecutive passes. Ward, who’s thrown one interception in his past 11 games, finished 28 of 34 for 404 yards, four passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. It marked the second straight week WSU’s QB accounted for five total touchdowns and brought his season total to 16. Ward, who’s completed 106 passes this year without throwing an interception, has totaled 1,390 passing yards in four games, reaching 400 yards against both Colorado State and Oregon State.

Josh Kelly/ Kyle Williams

WSU’s second- and third-leading receivers on the year stepped up in a big way and combined for 333 yards after top wideout Lincoln Victor left the game with an injury in the first quarter. Entering the season, Kelly, a Fresno State transfer, had a single-game career high of 127 yards, set during the 2021 season against Cal Poly. The junior receiver surpassed that mark with 140 yards and two touchdowns before halftime and continued to beat Oregon State’s defensive secondary in the second half, finishing with career highs in receiving yards (159) and touchdowns (three). Kelly’s night included a pair of one-handed catches – one coming on a 29-yard reception in the first half and the other on a 19-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter. Williams only had one touchdown reception, but the former UNLV player outdid his receiving counterpart in total yardage, finishing with seven catches for a career-high 174 yards.

Key moment

Ward threw most of the critical passes for WSU , but punter Nick Haberer played a small role in the passing game with a key fourth-down conversion in the third quarter . On fourth-and-10 from WSU’s 29-yard line, Haberer caught a snap from Simon Samarzich and rolled to his right to imitate a rugby punt before pulling the ball back toward his body and tossing downfield to tight end Billy Riviere, who got first-down yardage and tacked on another 11 yards. Six plays later, Ward fired a 19-yard touchdown pass to Kelly to open up a 35-14 WSU lead.