Box Score

PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Washington State quarterback Luke Falk said the Air Raid offense is a sight to behold when it's clicking.

It was clicking on Saturday against Nevada.

Falk threw for 478 yards and five touchdowns, and No. 18 Washington State beat Nevada 45-7 for the team's best start in 16 years.

"This offense can be a beautiful thing," said Falk, who completed 36 of 47 passes and was not intercepted.

Washington State (4-0), which opened the 2001 season by winning its first seven games, piled up 560 yards of offense and five sacks.

Nevada, which also runs the Air Raid, was held to 151 total yards as the Wolf Pack (0-4) fell to 0-17 on the road against opponents in the Top 25. Nevada came in as a 28-point underdog.

Washington State led 35-0 at halftime.

"I thought it was a really good first half," said coach Mike Leach, who improved to 33-34 in his sixth season at Washington State. "There were too many loose ends in the second half."

"It was a good overall game," Leach added. "We improved on yards after the catch and making people miss."

Nevada coach Jay Norvell felt his team was overmatched by the Cougars of the Pac-12.

"This is the first game where I felt that we didn't handle the physical matchup on the defensive line," he said.

"Overall we didn't mount much of a charge offensively to get us back into the game," Norvell said. "I was disappointed about that."

A 52-yard pass from Falk to Tavares Martin Jr. set up Falk's 12-yard touchdown pass to Jamal Morrow in the first quarter as Washington State took a 7-0 lead.

Falk's shovel pass to James Williams went for 13 yards and a touchdown to put the Cougars ahead 14-0. It was the 100th touchdown pass of Falk's career, passing Matt Leinart of Southern Cal for third in Pac-12 history.

"I think that's a great team thing," Falk said. "It is humbling."

Nevada went three-and-out on its first three possessions and produced only seven yards of offense in the first quarter. Starting quarterback Kaymen Cureton was replaced by David Cornwell, but it didn't help much.

Martin caught a short pass from Falk and turned it into a 40-yard touchdown early in the second quarter for a 21-0 lead.

Williams ran for a touchdown and Jamire Calvin added a 6-yard touchdown reception before halftime.

Falk hit Martin for a 19-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Maliek Broady ran 3 yards for Nevada's first touchdown with 1:56 left in the game.

LABORS OF HERCULES

Washington State defensive lineman Hercules Mata'afa sacked Cureton on the first play of the game and had 2 ½ sacks on Nevada's first two possessions. "We're hungrier this year," Mata'afa said of the WSU defense. "We want to take the ball away from the offense."

STAT SHEET

Nevada finished with 46 rushing yards and 105 passing yards. "We've got to find a quarterback that's going to make the right decisions for us, put us in the right plays," Norvell said.

For Washington State, Martin caught four passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Renard Bell caught four passes for 113 yards. "He's one of those guys that brings spark to the offense when we need it," Martin said of Bell.

THE TAKEAWAY

The rebuilding project at Nevada under Norvell is starting slowly, with previous losses to Northwestern, Toledo and Idaho State.

Washington State has finished the easiest part of its schedule, and the competition gets much tougher now.

UP NEXT

Nevada opens Mountain West play at Fresno State next Saturday.

Washington State hosts No. 5 Southern California next Friday night in a battle of unbeatens and their biggest challenge of the young season. It will be the fifth straight home game for the Cougars, who have yet to play on the road.

Postgame notes
 
-Nephi Sewell posted a career-high 10 tackles, the first double digit tackle performance of his career. Sewell also recorded his first career interception in the middle part of the fourth quarter at the Washington State 8-yard line.
-Sophomore RB Maliek Broady got the first carries of his collegiate career in the fourth quarter, finishing with four carries for 17 yards and scoring Nevada's lone TD of the game, the first of his career.
-CB Ahki Muhammad forced a fumble in the third quarter for the first time in his career. It was recovered by DB Asauni Rufus, his third career fumble recovery.
-DE Malik Reed recorded a solo sack in the third quarter, giving him 7.5 in his career, which leads the Wolf Pack.
-DB Asauni Rufus and DE Ricky Thomas Jr. combined for a sack in the third quarter. Rufus also recorded a solo sack in the fourth quarter. That gives Rufus 2.5 in his career and it is the first half sack for Thomas.
-The Pack defense recorded four sacks in the game, the most since it also had four at San Jose State in 2016.
-Blake Wright recorded a career long rush of 22 yards in the second quarter. His previous long was 12 yards. Wright also returned a kickoff for the first time in his career, which went for 27 yards.
-Justin Brent hauled in the first reception of his collegiate career, a 21-yard catch, on a 3^rd-and-9, to convert for the first down in the second quarter.
-Alabama transfer David Cornwell made his Wolf Pack debut in the second quarter and completed his first pass attempt to Wyatt Demps for five yards.
-Seattle native Jimbo Davis, playing in the lone game of his collegiate career in his home state, made a tackle on special teams in the first quarter.
-Redshirt freshman, and Yerington, Nev. native Sam Hammond made an appearance on defense and was credited with a tackle.
-Three Nevada players made their first career starts on Saturday: WR Daiyan Henley, DB Marcus Lucas and DB Nephi Sewell.
-Korey Rush notched a sack in the first quarter, his first of the season and third of his career.
-Nevada had three running backs take handoffs in the game: Kelton Moore, Blake Wright and Maliek Broady.
-Nevada P Quinton Conaway punted a career-high seven times in the game, finishing with an average of 39.6 yards per punt.
-The all-time series between Washington State and Nevada is now 3-1 in favor of WSU.
-Nevada was outgained in total yards, 560-151.
-The Wolf Pack's booster luncheons return this year with four dates set and a new location for 2017. Coach Jay Norvell's "Gritiron" luncheons will recap games to date and preview upcoming opponents at the luncheons, which are open to the public. This year's luncheons are $20 per person will be held at the Eldorado in Reno on Oct. 9 and Nov. 6, with one scheduled for the Carson Valley Inn in Minden (Oct. 23). Doors open at 11:45 a.m. and the program begins at 12:15 p.m. For more information, call 775-682-6901.