WSU rewind: After Cougars’ close loss to No. 4 Ole Miss, should Kirby Vorhees take over the starting RB spot?

PULLMAN – In one burst that covered less than 10 seconds, a display of athleticism and elusiveness that his team has rarely shown on the ground this season, Kirby Vorhees made one announcement on Saturday.

Maybe he should be starting at running back for Washington State.

Vorhees, one of 16 offseason transfers from South Dakota State, looked the part in WSU’s loss to No. 4 Ole Miss on Saturday. He totaled 88 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. He made quick decisions at the line of scrimmage, whether to plunge straight ahead or bounce it outside, infusing a key component into WSU’s offense that has largely been missing all season: credibility.

Vorhees has played in all five games, but he’s been playing behind veteran Angel Johnson, who has earned the starting nod each time out so far. Here is a comparison of their numbers.

Johnson: 47 carries, 94 yards, 2 yards per carry, long rush of 12 yards.

Vorhees: 48 carries, 244 yards, 5.1 yards per carry, 1 TD, long rush of 46.

Vorhees’ 46-yard rush came in the third quarter on Saturday, when he took a shotgun handoff, jetted to his right and used a wide angle to evade the last Ole Miss tackler, racing the rest of the way untouched into the end zone. That gave the Cougars the lead in what turned into a 24-21 loss, all told a promising showing for WSU, which proved it can turn around some of its biggest issues.

Much of the credit for that touchdown should belong to left guard Johnny Lester, who took out two Ole Miss defenders to clear the way for Vorhees, climbing to the second level to make another key block downfield.

The Cougs showed plenty of other encouraging signs – their defense held the Rebels’ offense in check for long stretches, defensive end Isaac Terrell is blossoming into a star in real time and quarterback Zevi Eckhaus looks like a steady, explosive hand – but we’re focusing on the one around Vorhees, whose emergence has helped the Cougs break out of a seasonlong slump on the ground.

“Kirby runs hard,” WSU coach Jimmy Rogers said. “When you run behind your pads like that, you’re really physical. He’s really elusive. Kid cares just as much as anybody on this team. One of the first guys in to do everything. He’s one of the last guys to leave, and he’s battle-tested, for sure. He’s a winner.”

As the season has unfolded, it’s become clear WSU coaches are giving Vorheees more action. In six games, he has 170 snaps on offense, while Johnson has 137. Vorhees has logged more snaps than Johnson in five of six games. He’s delivered with the ball in his hands and without, earning a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade of 55.4. Johnson’s grade: 23.6.

That’s the other part of this equation that might be going understated: Vorhees may not just be the better ballcarrier, but because of the advantages he has in size, he can provide more resistance in picking up blitzes. The most glaring example came last month in Texas, where Johnson was blown up trying to pick up one blitz, leading quarterback Jaxon Potter to throw an interception thanks to the pressure.

Vorhees has not met the same fate – at least not yet. He’s not exactly a hulking figure, listed at 5-foot-11 and 208 pounds, but that’s still a little bigger than Johnson’s 5-foot-9, 192-pound frame. That difference has shown up in spades. It’s unlocked more from Vorhees, who has also caught 13 passes for 54 yards.

Is that enough to hand the starting reins over to Vorhees? The answer might be yes , but it becomes even more important given the state of WSU’s offensive line. Before Saturday’s game, veteran right tackle Christian Hilborn was seen on crutches, his left leg in a giant brace. His diagnosis is unclear. After the game, Rogers said, “We’ll see here in a week,” but initial returns don’t look promising.

In Hilborn’s place, WSU coaches went with Division II transfer Jaylin Caldwell, who plays left tackle by trade but moved to right for Saturday’s game. At one point, he went down with an injury, forcing coaches to shuffle personnel even more before Caldwell re-entered the game.

Because of limited personnel up front, WSU could use a dynamic running back, a guy who can make people miss, regardless of who’s blocking for him. So far, Vorhees has demonstrated he can do so. Perhaps that’s enough to make him the Cougars’ bellcow from now on.