Falk lifts No. 24 Washington St. over Montana St.

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Washington State mascot Butch the Cougar performs during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Corvallis, Ore., Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Timothy J. Gonzalez) Photo: Associated Press

NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS, Associated Press

PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Luke Falk threw for 311 yards and three touchdowns, setting the school career touchdown pass record, as No. 24 Washington State beat Montana State 31-0 in the season opener for both teams on Saturday night.

Falk completed his first 20 passes of the game as Washington State won a season opener for the first time under sixth-year coach Mike Leach.

Montana State, a member of the FCS Big Sky Conference, managed just 143 yards in the game, mostly on the ground.

Leach had lost all five of his openers since arriving at Washington State in 2012, including losses the past two years to FCS schools from the Big Sky.

Falk completed 33 of 39 passes and was not intercepted. James Williams caught 13 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns.

Falk completed his first nine passes on WSU’s first drive, the last a shovel pass to Williams, who ran 11 yards for a touchdown. The score allowed Falk to tie Connor

Halliday for most touchdown passes in school history at 90.

Falk’s streak of consecutive completed passes reached 18 with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Tavares Martin Jr. that lifted the Cougars to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. That allowed him to take sole possession of the school career touchdown pass record with 91.

Montana State got a break when Grant Collins recovered a Washington State fumble on the Cougars’ 43. But Luke Daly missed a 42-yard field goal attempt and Washington State led 14-0 at halftime.

Jamal Morrow ran 29 yards for a touchdown to lift Washington State to a 21-0 lead midway through the third.

Falk fired a 24-yard touchdown pass to Williams in the fourth for a 28-0 lead.

Washington State was ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 for only the third time in the program’s history.

THE TAKEAWAY

The last time the teams played, Washington State escaped with a 23-22 win in Pullman in 2010. But Montana State’s run-oriented offense had little success against the Cougars this time.

Washington State proved it could win a season opener, but the potent Air Raid pass attack that Leach is noted for had some stumbles against the Bobcats.

UP NEXT

Montana State hosts South Dakota State in its home opener next Saturday.
Washington State hosts Boise State next Saturday, seeking revenge for last season’s loss in Boise