FOOTBALL: Trojans
swat down Cougars
USC blocks
WSU field goal attempts, escapes with victory
Lewiston Tribune
and wire services Sept 22, 2018
LOS
ANGELES - Over the years, batted passes at the line of scrimmage have plagued
the Cougars in their exasperating series against USC.
This time
it was a batted kick.
Blake
Mazza could have tied the score with a 38-yard field goal with 1:41 remaining
Friday night, but defensive tackle Jay Tufele solidly knocked the ball away
from the trenches to preserve the Trojans' 39-36 come-from-behind win over
Washington State at Los Angeles Coliseum.
Aiming for
a 4-0 record in back-to-back seasons for their first time in 111 years, the
Cougars led by 13 points early in the second half but got outscored 15-6 in the
fourth quarter of their Pac-12 opener.
"I
thought we played extremely hard," WSU coach Mike Leach said, "and I
thought we could have won the game on all three sides of the ball. I think the
biggest thing is, become a more consistent team."
The
disappointment in L.A. was familiar for the Cougars (3-1, 0-1) but the details
were different.
Gardner
Minshew passed 37-for-52 for 344 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions,
hitting Easop Winston Jr. six times for 143 yards and two scores for the
Cougars, who marched to a 30-17 lead.
But the
Trojans (2-2, 1-1) and young quarterback JT Daniels gradually gained their
footing and took the lead for good on a short run by Vavae Malepeai with eight
minutes left.
The
Cougars outgained USC 435-354 in offense and reeled off 76 offensive plays to
the Trojans' 57. But the critical plays went the Trojans' way.
"I
think explosives was the biggest thing that affected us on defense," Leach
said. "If we affect the quarterback more, then we probably have less of
the explosives. On offense, we could do a lot of good things one snap after the
next. But just inconsistent at key times."
Daniels
passed 17-for-26 for 241 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, while
Malepeai and Stephen Carr rushed for 78 and 77 yards.
The
Cougars mounted a patient 75-yard drive to open the second half and push their
lead to 13 points, with Max Borghi bolting 6 yards for the score. A bad snap
foiled the conversion kick.
The
Trojans responded with a 50-yard catch-and-run by Michael Pittman Jr., who
accrued most of that yardage after a juke of cornerback Sean Harper Jr.
Defenses
controlled the next three series before USC took a 31-30 lead on Daniels'
perfect 30-yard loft to former high-school teammateAmon-Ra St. Brown early in
the fourth quarter.
But
Minshew hit Winston for 59 yards to set up a 4-yard scoring pass to the same
Wazzu receiver, this time on an improvised play. The Cougs were up 36-61 with
10 minutes left.
But
Daniels threw a risky but riveting 21-yard pass to Tyler Vaughns to set the
stage for a 4-yard scoring run by Malepeai. Daniels then found Vaughns on a
two-point conversion for a 39-36 advantage.
The
Cougars defense looked helpless to stop USC on the game's first possession, a
five-play TD drive entirely on the ground.
But the
Cougs calmed down quickly and completely as Mazza kicked a 50-yard field goal
and the Wazzu D induced back-to-back punts.
The Cougs
converted twice on fourth down on a peculiar, 14-play scoring drive capped by a
short James Williams run that gave them a 10-7 lead.
The
Trojans answered with Daniels' TD pass to Vaughns, but Minshew connected with
Winston three times on a march culminating in a 28-yard TD hookup by those two,
with Minshew shrewdly sensing blitz and capitalizing under pressure.
When on
the next WSU possession he found Dezmon Patmon for an 8-yard touchdown, the
Cougars led by 10. Michael Brown booted a 26-yard field goal for the Trojans on
the final play of the first half, making it 24-17.
Jamire
Calvin made seven receptions for 63 yards for WSU, and Patmon added six for 55.
Williams snagged seven throws for 34 yards and furnished 54 ground yards.
Washington
St. 3 21 6 6 - 36
Southern
Cal 7 10 7 15 - 39
First
Quarter
USC-Malepeai
3 run (M.Brown kick), 12:56
WST-FG
Mazza 50, 7:19
Second
Quarter
WST-J.Williams
4 run (Mazza kick), 13:29
USC-Vaughns
9 pass from Daniels (M.Brown kick), 12:23
WST-Ea.Winston
28 pass from Minshew (Mazza kick), 9:55
WST-Patmon
7 pass from Minshew (Mazza kick), 1:39
USC-FG
M.Brown 26, :00
Third
Quarter
WST-Borghi
13 run (kick failed), 10:21
USC-Pittman
Jr. 50 pass from Daniels (M.Brown kick), 9:03
Fourth
Quarter
USC-St.Brown
30 pass from Daniels (M.Brown kick), 14:31
WST-Ea.Winston
4 pass from Minshew (pass failed), 10:15
USC-Malepeai
2 run (Vaughns pass from Daniels), 8:03
WST USC
First
downs 24 23
Rushes-yards
24-91 31-113
Passing
344 241
Comp-Att-Int
37-52-0 17-26-0
Return
Yards 46 129
Punts-Avg.
4-41.25 5-38.4
Fumbles-Lost
1-0 2-0
Penalties-Yards
11-118 8-65
Time of
Possession 35:49 24:11
INDIVIDUAL
STATISTICS
RUSHING-Washington
St., J.Williams 17-54, Borghi 3-29, Minshew 4-8. Southern Cal, Malepeai 13-78,
Carr 8-77, Ware 1-(minus 5), Daniels 6-(minus 13), (Team) 3-(minus 24).
PASSING-Washington
St., Minshew 37-52-0-344. Southern Cal, Daniels 17-26-0-241.
RECEIVING-Washington
St., Calvin 7-63, J.Williams 7-34, Ea.Winston 6-143, Patmon 6-55, Borghi 4-8,
Martin 3-1, Sweet 2-21, Harrington 1-11, T.Harris 1-8. Southern Cal, Vaughns
7-64, Pittman Jr. 2-72, Jones Jr. 2-48, St.Brown 2-38, Carr 2-2, Sidney 1-12,
Ware 1-5.
MISSED
FIELD GOALS-Washington St., Mazza 38.
…….
AT A
GLANCE: USC 39, WSU 36
22 Septembre
2018 Tribune of Lewiston
> Stars
of the game
True
freshman JT DANIELS completed 17 of 26 passes for 241 yards, three touchdowns
and no interceptions for the Trojans, who also got 78 and 77 rushing yards from
VAVAE MALPEAI and STEPHEN CARR. On defense, CAMERON SMITH led the way for USC
with 12 tackles. For the Cougars, GARDNER MINSHEW went 37-of-52 for 344 yards,
three scores and no picks, and EASOP WINSTON JR. had six receptions for 143
yards and two TDs. PEYTON PELLEUR of Wazzu tallied 12 tackles and two TFLs,
including a sack.
>
Turning point
With the
Trojans trailing 36-31, Daniels split defenders HUNTER DALE and DARRIEN MOLTON
for an impressive 21-yard strike to TYLER VAUGHNS. That set up a scoring run by
Malpeai for a one-point lead that USC pushed to three with Daniels' conversion
pass to Vaughns.
> Up
next
The
Cougars return home to play Utah at 3 p.m. next Saturday at Martin Stadium.
:::::::::::::::
'There are
more people that need help'
Former
nanny for Gesser family hopes to advocate for others after coming out with
allegations against former assistant AD
By Justyna
Tomtas, Lewiston Tribune 9/22/2018
After
making the difficult decision to go public with sexual misconduct allegations
against a highly revered former quarterback and employee of Washington State
University, Alyssa Wold-Bodeau said she now hopes to help other women who have
experienced similar situations.
The former
WSU volleyball player filed a complaint Monday with the school's Office for
Equal Opportunity alleging assistant athletic director Jason Gesser repeatedly
tried to kiss her and groped her after a Tumwater-based fundraising event in
2015.
Gesser
resigned a day later.
Since
sharing her story her life has changed, but Wold-Bodeau, 27, is ready to
channel her energy into advocating for others.
"It's
never going to be the same, I'm wholly aware of that," she said. "I
just know definitely that now that this is out, there is a bigger picture and
there are more people that need help and I'm ready for whatever I can do."
Her story
encouraged at least one other woman to come forward with allegations against
Gesser, according to The Spokesman-Review.
A report
from the Moscow Police Department seems to confirm allegations shared by
34-year-old Lindsey Streets, who alleged Gesser exposed himself when she was
giving him a massage at her place of employment in 2015.
Both
parties' names were redacted in the police report, but the information was
provided in response to a public records request specifically asking for
incidents involving Gesser.
Gesser
told a police officer he didn't expose himself on purpose, according to the
report. He was trespassed from the business, and the case was closed after the
officer stated it would be difficult to prove he "willfully and lewdly
exposed" himself.
Wold-Bodeau
said Streets' account helped her realize that sharing her story was the right
decision.
"It
also made me feel very, very proud of her as well because I know that wasn't an
easy decision," she said.
The fear
of telling one's story kept her quiet for years, and she suspects others
haven't spoken out because of the same feelings.
"It's
a fear that I can only imagine has kept them quiet," Wold-Bodeau said.
"Just the fear of not being believed when you are doing something like
this."
The Office
for Equal Opportunity previously reviewed Gesser's behavior after secondhand
accounts of inappropriate behavior surfaced but exonerated him from any
wrongdoing following an investigation that concluded in February.
Wold-Bodeau
said she was never contacted during that time.
"That
one was hard to watch," Wold-Bodeau said. "I feel that (WSU) is
dotting their i's and crossing their t's, but I'm not sure maybe how safe these
girls really felt to come forward."
The review
was forwarded to the school's office of Human Resource Services because
information provided by witnesses could "raise concerns about employee
performance and/or professionalism."
The
Tribune was unable to confirm whether Human Resource Services is still looking
into the information following Gesser's resignation, but a public records
request has been submitted seeking that information.
Wold-Bodeau
said she was interviewed by the Office for Equal Opportunity on Monday
following the filing of her complaint. As far as she knows, the matter is still
an open investigation.
The office
deferred all questions to Phil Weiler, WSU vice president for marketing and communications,
who stated the university had issued several statements over the past few days
and had nothing to add at this time.
According
to information provided on its website, the office generally gathers
information within a 60-day period. Once that's complete, reports typically are
issued to the parties involved within 30 days. The matter may be referred to an
outside agency or entity if the complaint doesn't involve WSU community members
or have sufficient connection to WSU's operations.
For now,
Wold-Bodeau will have to wait to find out if any additional action results, but
throughout it all she said she's been flooded with "positivity" from
avenues she didn't expect.
"It
was affirmation that I was doing the right thing, and it definitely helped me a
lot to get through that first 24 hours because it was a lot for me to relive
that over and over again," she said. "Having the support is what made
it bearable."
Within the
last three days, Wold-Bodeau said she's had between 30 to 40 women share their
experiences with sexual harassment. Although overwhelming at first, it made her
realize the problem does not lie within one establishment, but instead is
far-reaching on an "institutional level."
"I
tried to shut my brain off on Wednesday," she said. "That was kind of
the day I felt I was carrying the weight of all these girls. I was experiencing
different emotions than I had felt the previous two days, and I think it was
purely because I was starting to realize how many women there are that haven't
been able to find their voices with all different situations."
Wold-Bodeau
encourages other women to find a support system. For her, that was her family
and her faith.
Her
husband of just over a year, Stephen Bodeau, said watching his wife navigate
the situation has reaffirmed the qualities he already knew she had.
"There
is a feeling of powerlessness because I personally can't do anything besides
just be there when she needs me," the 28-year-old said. "In reality,
it just reassures everything I've already known about her: She's the strongest
person I know, and she's willing to help everyone. That's her main goal is just
to help people."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WSU
raising funds to build pollinator center
Facility
would include space for bee storage during winter and aid declining honey bee
populations
By Scott
Jackson, Moscow Pullman Daily News
A recent
contribution to Washington State University's entomology program has brought
the school $1 million closer to a planned bee and pollinator research center.
School officials say the donation from Ken and Sue Christianson brings the
school to $3.7 million of their $15 million goal.
Entomology
Professor and Department Chair Steve Sheppard said WSU is currently researching
bee genetics and colony health in four or five different buildings spread
throughout campus.
"This
is the idea to develop a honey bee and pollinator research and education
facility in a standalone unit that would allow all the people in the bee
program to work together and to include other people that work on, say,
non-honey bee pollinators," Sheppard said.
Sheppard
said the new facility would include classrooms, research labs, demonstration
gardens and spaces with a controlled atmosphere for bee storage and
overwintering. Sheppard said WSU has done some research in bee storage in
Yakima and found that, under the right conditions, storing bees for a short
period of time can help colonies resist certain mites and diseases.
"This
facility would also have some research controlled atmosphere chambers that
would be big enough to put 40 or 50 hives in at a time," Sheppard said.
"So you would be able to use something like a forklift and move a pallet
load of bees into them to do research."
Sheppard
said mites, especially the Varroa mites, are a serious problem for bee
populations and a major contributor to the widespread collapse of colonies. The
Varroa mite, Sheppard said, is largely responsible for destroying feral honey
bee populations in the Americas, constricting genetic diversity and imperilling
the entire species. Honey bees are not native to the Americas, Sheppard
explained, but are mainly from Europe, Africa and Central Asia. Sheppard said
since honey bees were introduced to the New World relatively recently, the gene
pool is already somewhat limited. Expanding variability in the genome may very
well be key to the survival of the species, Sheppard said.
"The
loss of genetic diversity has become kind of measurable," Sheppard said.
"We've been able to show that from decade to decade, there's less genetic
variability in the population and genetic variability is kind of the raw
material for selective breeding."
Sheppard
said WSU is working on a number of short-term solutions to combat colony collapse
disorder, including these advanced storage techniques and deploying a symbiotic
fungus that kills mites. In the long term, Sheppard said, solutions will likely
focus on genetic variability. He said WSU may be the country's only facility
doing research in this area, making a world class bee and pollinator center all
the more essential.
"For
about the past decade, we've been going to Europe and collecting genetic
material - semen - and freezing it and putting it cryogenic storage,"
Sheppard said. "More recently, we've now added honey bees to the national
animal germplasm program in Fort Collins, (Colo.), and as far as I know, we're
the only university or laboratory doing that kind of work - in this country,
anyway."
:::::::::::::::
WSU
FOOTBALL
TV Take:
ESPN seems to favor Hollywood in USC’s win over Washington State
UPDATED:
Sat., Sept. 22, 2018, 12:24 a.m.
By Vince
Grippi Spokane S-R
Los
Angeles Memorial Coliseum more than half full for Washington State, USC game
USC racks
up the rushing yards early, but loses steam late in first half against
Washington State
PAC-12
FOOTBALL
At
Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles
USC 39 COUGS36
➤ Saturday, Sept. 29:
Utah Utes at Washington State Cougars, 3 p.m. PDT TV: Pac-12 Networks
It took
four games, the first three of which they won, but the Washington State Cougars
finally made the television big time.
All it
took was a game at USC. On a Friday night.
It was the
Trojans, not surprisingly, who played the starring role on the ESPN broadcast,
with WSU filling the role of the supporting cast.
And, as
everyone knows, you can’t upstage Hollywood’s stars. And, with a dramatic late
field-goal block, USC survived with a 39-36 win in the Coliseum.
What they
saw …
It would
make sense USC’s tough start – the Trojans came in 1-2 – would be the main
topic of discussion, especially early on.
And Dave
Pasch, doing the play-by-play, paired with analyst Greg McElroy to do just
that, mentioning many times the dissatisfaction expressed by Trojan fans this
week on social media.
But as the
game wore on, and Washington State built a lead, the tenor of the broadcast
changed. Slightly.
Gardner
Minshew, who led the Cougars on four consecutive long touchdown drives midway
through the game, became the man of the moment, with McElroy praising Minshew
often, including his courage on a touchdown pass to Easop Winston.
When
Gardner made a fourth-quarter play with his feet and his arm, McElroy
exclaimed, “Gardner continues to impress.”
He then
pointed out how Minshew found Winston, who wears No. 8, for the touchdown that
gave the Cougars a 36-31 lead. The cameras caught Leach saying “think about 8”
to Minshew from the sidelines.
There was
also plenty of James Williams’ backstory.
That
seemed to be the exception, however, as viewers learned everything they could
want to know about JT Daniels, the Trojans’ freshman quarterback, who is 18
years old. If you didn’t know before the game, you certainly did afterward. And
you knew he was from Mater Dei High and that his high school teammate was wide
receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. And more. You heard it over and over.
You also
heard a couple of strange comments made about Daniels. In the pregame, McElroy
used the Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde cliché to describe Daniel’s play. That’s all well
and good, except he described a perfect throw from Daniels as a Dr. Jekyll
moment.
Uh, that’s
not how that works. The doctor was the bad one.
Not to be
outdone, at halftime, studio analyst Joey Galloway described Minshew’s 28-yard
touchdown pass to Winston as “a perfect play call.”
Uh, that’s
not how that works. Under Mike Leach’s system, it wasn’t the play call as much
as it was Minshew’s read of the free safety blitz.
What we
saw …
At least
McElroy, the former Alabama quarterback, isn’t afraid to call foul, especially
when one isn’t called.
Jay
Edwards’ officiating crew – Edwards was working Conference USA games this time
last year and struggled with numbers and team names (calling the Cougars
“Washington” at one point) – had a few of those, including a missed targeting
call on Porter Gustin – he missed the first half due to a targeting call last
week – on the Cougars final drive that could have tipped the game’s balance.
During the
Cougars’ first possession, Minshew tried to connect with Tay Martin on a go
route but couldn’t. There was a reason.
“Look at
him grab the jersey,” McElroy said of Iman Marshall’s hold showing in the
replay. “That’s a hold, I mean that’s holding. That’s just a bad call.”
On the
last USC drive before half, there were two plays reviewed, both of which stood
as called. Pasch, McElroy and sideline reporter Tom Luginbill, whose dad was a
longtime college coach, all agreed neither call could be overturned, with Pasch
explaining in depth the replay standard on the last-second near-touchdown for
the Trojans.
Nothing
illustrated the USC-centric nature of the broadcast more than two possessions
midway through the third quarter.
For the
first time in five drives, Washington State misfired on offense and had to
punt. The USC offense took the field with a chance to take the lead, as WSU led
30-24.
But in
three plays, the Trojans only picked up a yard and had to punt.
“That was
just a really poor series by this USC offense,” McElroy said.
Fine.
When
Washington State went three and out after the punt, McElroy pointed out,
“That’s a big series by the USC defense.”
It’s too
bad, too, as WSU had some out-of-character incidents – a different,
unsuccessful, scheme on kickoff coverage, Kyle Sweet being penalized for
something he’s done more than once this season, the big play and a couple of
delay of game calls biting the defense, and the disappearance of Tay Martin on
offense – that would have been nice to have explained to viewers possibly
watching the Cougars for the first time.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
>
WSU
FOOTBALL
Recap and
highlights: Freshman quarterback JT Daniels sparks second-half comeback as USC
tops Washington State
UPDATED:
Sat., Sept. 22, 2018, 12:44 a.m.
➤ Saturday, Sept. 29:
Utah Utes at Washington State Cougars, 3 p.m. PDT TV: Pac-12 Networks
LOS
ANGELES – At one point early in the third quarter, Washington State held a
13-point lead at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. USC’s 17-game home win
streak was in danger and the Cougars were threatening to beat Clay Helton and
the Trojans for the second time in two years.
But right
on cue, JT Daniels and USC’s talented crew of wide receivers began to get hot,
and a 38-yard WSU field goal was blocked with less than 2 minutes to play,
allowing the Trojans to preserve a 39-36 win at the Coliseum and the country’s
second-longest home winning streak.
WSU (3-1,
1-0) hosts Utah next Saturday at Martin Stadium, while USC (2-2, 1-1) travels
to Tucson for a Pac-12 South battle against Arizona.
USC’s
once-sluggish run game woke up on the game’s first drive and the Trojans got
positive yardage on their first five offensive plays – all runs – and a 50-yard
scamper from Stephen Carr helped set up a 3-yard rushing touchdown from Vavae
Malepeai to make it 7-0.
But Carr
didn’t get another carry on the next two USC drives, and the Cougars got on the
board with a career-long 50-yard field goal from redshirt freshman Blake Mazza
and established their first lead when James Williams punched in a 3-yard
touchdown on the next WSU drive.
USC made
it to the end zone once more in the first half. After Marcus Strong incurred a
pass interference while guarding receiver Tyler Vaughns, the Trojans went back
to that matchup on the next play and Daniels delivered a 9-yard touchdown
strike to Vaughns to make it 14-10 USC.
But WSU’s
defensive pressure, and a few botched snaps, made it difficult for USC to move
the ball the remainder of the half. The Cougars capitalized and retook the lead
after two passing touchdowns – one to Easop Winston and the other to Dezmon
Patmon, who ran a 7-yard slant to haul in the first TD of his career.
USC had a
chance to close WSU’s lead to seven points near the end of the half, but
Daniels’ final pass to Michael Pittman was ruled incomplete, though it
initially appeared the receiver had dragged his toe in the end zone.
USC
escapes Coliseum with 39-36 win over Washington State after blocking late field
goal
Daniels
shines in second half of USC’s victory over Washington State
Difference
makers from USC’s 39-36 victory over Washington State | Read more »
Los
Angeles Memorial Coliseum more than half full for Washington State, USC game
Q1 12:56 –
USC 7, WSU 0: The Trojans go 80 yards on five straight rushes, finished by
Vavae Malepeai’s 3-yard touchdown plunge, to quickly jump in front of the
Cougars. The big play was Stephen Carr’s 50-yard carry that zipped the Trojans
down to the WSU 24. Malepeai had 3 rushes for 24 yards on the drive.
Q1 7:19 –
USC 7, WSU 3: Blake Mazza connects on a 50-yard field goal to pull the Cougars
closer to the Trojans. A sack by Peyton Pelluer on 3rd down on USC’s previous
drive and a face mask on the punt return set the Cougs up with good field
position.
Second
quarter
Q2 13:29 –
WSU 10, USC 7: The Cougars take the lead on James Williams’ 4-yard touchdown
run. Williams finished the 14-play, 59-yard WSU drive in which the Cougs
converted two 4th-down situations. Gardner Minshew completed seven passes
during the drive to reach 53 yards passing for the game. The Cougs also
benefited from two USC penalties.
Q2 12:23 –
USC 14, WSU 10: The Trojans quickly respond to the Cougs score with a touchdown
of their own. Quarterback JT Daniels accounted for all the yardage during the
drive, throwing for 74 yards in 3 plays. Daniels found Tyler Vaughns on a fade
route for the 9-yard TD. The drive started with a 44-yard connection from
Daniels to Velus Jones.
Q2 9:55 –
WSU 17, USC 14: The Cougars march right down field and take the lead back from
the Trojans. Gardner Minshew and Easop Winston found some rhythm on the drive,
connecting three times including the touchdown. Minshew stood in the pocket and
delivered a strike to Winston for the 28-yard score. Winston had 62 receiving
yards during the drive.
Q2 1:39 –
WSU 24, USC 14: The air raid is flying through Los Angeles. Gardner Minshew
caps another methodical drive for the Cougs with a touchdown pass, this one a
7-yard strike to Dezmon Patmon. The Cougs went 75 yards in 11 plays to push
their lead to double digits. Minshew is up to 179 yards passing.
USC racks
up the rushing yards early, but loses steam late in first half against
Washington State
Third
quarter
Q3 10:21 –
WSU 30, USC 17: Another long drive, another touchdown for the Cougars. Max
Borghi finishes the 11-play drive with authority, lowering his head and plowing
through the USC safety on his way to a 13-yard touchdown run. The Cougs went 75
yards on the first drive of the second half. Gardner Minshew completed 5 of 7
passes during the drive. The WSU QB is up to 230 yards passing. WSU missed the
point-after conversion when the snap was mishandled.
Q3 9:03 –
WSU 30, USC 24: Just four plays after the Cougars go in for 6, the Trojans
respond. Michael Pittman Jr. goes 50 yards on a pass from JT Daniels to pull
USC to within six. Pittman made WSU corner Sean Harper Jr. miss his tackle in
the open field and was gone.
Fourth
quarter
Q4 14:31 –
USC 31, WSU 30: The Trojans open the final quarter with a 30-yard touchdown
pass from JT Daniels to Amon-Ra St. Brown. Two penalties by the Cougs on the
drive spotted USC 25 yards. The failed extra point by the Cougars in the third
quarter is looming large.
Q4 10:15 –
WSU 36, USC 31: Gardner Minshew does it again. The Cougars quarterback connects
on a 4-yard touchdown pass with Easop Winston to put WSU back in front. Minshew
is now up to 297 yards passing and three touchdowns tonight after throwing for
71 yards in the drive.
Q4 8:03 –
USC 38, WSU 35: Strong response from the Trojans. USC marches 56 yards to take
the lead back on Vavae Malepeai’s 2-yard touchdown run. JT Daniels found Tyler
Vaughns for 21 yards to convert a 3rd and 9 and extend the drive. The Trojans
also benefited from a pass interference call on WSU corner Sean Harper that put
the ball on the Cougs’ 2.
Q4 1:53 –
USC 38, WSU 35: After the Cougars decided to run the ball on 3rd and 6, Blake
Mazza has his field goal attempt blocked. WSU ran for no gain using a draw play
to James Williams on 3rd down. That left Mazza with 38-yard field goal attempt.
:::::::::::::::::
WSU
FOOTBALL
USC
escapes Coliseum with 39-36 win over Washington State after blocking late field
goal
Fri.,
Sept. 21, 2018, 11:58 p.m.
Spokane S-R
LOS
ANGELES – At one point early in the third quarter, Washington State held a
13-point lead at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. USC’s 17-game home win
streak was in danger and the Cougars were threatening to beat Clay Helton and
the Trojans for the second time in two years.
But right
on cue, JT Daniels and USC’s talented crew of wide receivers began to get hot
and a 38-yard WSU field goal was blocked with less than 2 minutes to play,
allowing the Trojans to preserve a 39-36 win at the Coliseum and the country’s
second-longest home winning streak.
WSU (3-1,
1-0) hosts Utah next Saturday at Martin Stadium, while USC (2-2, 1-1) travels
to Tucson for a Pac-12 South battle against Arizona.
While the
Cougars could’ve sent a late-night game even later into the evening with a
field goal that would’ve tied things at 39-39 with 1:41 to play in the fourth
quarter, they’ll also lament not being able to capitalize on the offensive
drive that led to the 38-yard attempt from Blake Mazza.
WSU
could’ve extended the drive on third-and-6 from USC’s 21-yard line and
potentially scored a go-ahead touchdown, but despite the success they’d
established throwing the ball against the Trojans’ man defense, quarterback
Gardner Minshew checked into a run play at the line of scrimmage and handed off
to James Williams, who was stuffed for no gain.
“That was
all on me,” Minshew said. “That was really stupid and that’s something I
regret.”
WSU coach
Mike Leach didn’t offer much about the play, other than “it was a play,” and
“in hindsight, I wish it was a different play but in hindsight I wish a lot of
plays were different plays.”
Mazza,
who’d hit a career-long field goal of 50 yards earlier on, then drove the
potential game-tying kick into the arms of USC lineman Jay Tufele. The Trojans
got one more first down and ran out the clock to hand the Cougars their first
loss of the season.
“It looked
like they got pretty good push and it looked like we struck it low,” Leach said
of the blocked kick.
Added USC
coach Clay Helton: “It’s a block that we’ve had in our package a long time. We
put it in this week special and credit John Baxter. He had it based on which
hash and which gap. The kids knew exactly what to do.”
Both
quarterbacks made it a long night for the opposing defensive secondaries.
Minshew, the WSU graduate transfer, completed 37-of-52 passes for 344 yards,
three touchdowns and no interceptions. Daniels, a true freshman at USC who’d
struggled in his last two games, had his best performance in the cardinal and
gold, completing 17-of-26 for 241 yards and three scores.
The
Cougars were penalized 11 times in total and were flagged for three pass
interference calls and three defensive holds, often trying to maintain their
position against USC’s fast and physical wide receivers.
“I was a
little surprised because I thought some of them were in good position,” nickel
Hunter Dale said. “Some of them were obviously pass interference, but that’s
not my call to make. That’s the referees and play the next play.”
USC’s
once-sluggish run game woke up on the game’s first drive and the Trojans got
positive yardage on their first five offensive plays – all runs – and a 50-yard
scamper from Stephen Carr helped set up a 3-yard rushing touchdown from Vavae
Malepeai to make it 7-0.
But Carr
didn’t get another carry on the next two USC drives and the Cougars got on the
board with the 50-yarder from Mazza and established their first lead when
Williams punched in a 3-yard touchdown on the next WSU drive.
The
Trojans finished with only 113 total rushing yards after earning 80 on the
game’s first drive.
USC got
into the end zone once more in the first half. After Marcus Strong incurred a
pass interference while guarding receiver Tyler Vaughns, the Trojans went back
to that matchup on the next play and Daniels delivered a 9-yard touchdown
strike to Vaughns to make it 14-10 USC.
But WSU’s
defensive pressure, and a few botched snaps, made it difficult for USC to move
the ball the remainder of the half. The Cougars capitalized and re-took the
lead after two passing touchdowns – one to Easop Winston Jr. and the other to
Dezmon Patmon, who ran a 7-yard slant to haul in the first TD of his career.
USC had a
chance to close WSU’s lead to seven points near the end of the half, but
Daniels’ final pass to Michael Pittman was ruled incomplete, though it
initially appeared the receiver had dragged his toe in the end zone.
The
Cougars took a 24-17 lead into halftime, and eventually extended it to 30-17 on
a bullish touchdown run from Max Borghi, but Daniels and his receivers were up
to the test and eventually brought the Trojans back into the game. USC scored
on a 50-yard screen pass to Michael Pittman, Daniels hooked up with Amon-Ra St.
Brown for a 30-yard score and Vavae Malepeai ran in a 2-yarder to make it
39-36.
“I thought
we played pretty good,” Leach said. “We played hard across the board. I thought
we had chances to win on all three sides of the ball. I think our effort is
great. But we need to become a more consistent team.”
::::::::::::::::::::
Notebook:
Fears of a deserted L.A. Coliseum for WSU-USC game prove unfounded
Originally
published September 21, 2018 at 10:55 pm Updated September 22, 2018 at 12:49 am
Friday-night
traffic in Southern California, ongoing renovations at the stadium and USC's
1-2 start to the season was a combination that caused people to wonder how many
would show up for the game against Washington State. Attendance for USC’s 39-36
victory was recorded as 52,421; the Coliseum seats 93,607.
By Theo
Lawson
Spokesman-Review
LOS
ANGELES – Many thought the obscurity of a Friday-night game, USC’s win-loss
record and ongoing renovations to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum would deter
Trojans fans from showing up to the contest against Washington State.
The
Coliseum might not have drawn record numbers, but it was still more than half
full for a Pac-12 game against the Cougars. Attendance for USC’s 39-36 victory
was recorded as 52,421. The historic L.A. venue, which is also home to the NFL
Los Angeles Rams, seats 93,607.
The
Trojans brought in 58,708 fans four weeks ago for their season opener against
UNLV.
According
to Uscfootball.com, their lowest-attended game of this century came in 2000. In
the final season under former coach Paul Hackett, USC drew 40,565 fans for a
33-27 loss to Washington State.
Cathedral
High in L.A. has been good for WSU
Asontt
Williams is a 5-foot-11, 177-pound sophomore at Cathedral High School. Pull up
the young receiver’s Hudl tape and you’ll see a textbook route runner with
eye-popping speed and impressive ball skills. Some clips show Williams pinched
inside as a slot receiver and in others, the springy sophomore is lined up on
the outside.
Through
the first five games of his debut varsity season, Williams has caught eight
passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns. It’s just the start, anyone close to
the program might tell you.
“He’s the
next good receiver to come out of Cathedral,” coach Anthony Jefferson said.
That’s all
Mike Leach and Washington State need to hear.
The
Cougars have tapped into the talent well at the Los Angeles high school three
times in the last four years. So far, it’s a decision that has given WSU its
starting slot receiver tandem of Renard Bell and Jamire Calvin, and more
recently, three-star nickel safety Halid Djibril, a true freshman who should figure into their
defensive plans sooner rather than later.
WSU has
eyes on another Cathedral Phantom, four-star defensive end Stephon Wright, who
has been offered by the Cougars and nine other Pac-12 programs, in addition to
Alabama, Oklahoma and Notre Dame.
Williams
is intriguing, too, and if the Cougars decide to offer the rising Phantom
receiver, their best pitch to him might be the numbers Bell and Calvin have put
up playing in WSU’s Air Raid offense, which is similar in appearance and scheme
to the model Jefferson runs at Cathedral.
Through 17
college games, Bell, a redshirt sophomore, and Calvin, a true sophomore, have
combined to catch 99 balls for 1,142 receiving yards and six touchdowns. It’s
just the start for them, too.
Both
receivers, and now Djibril, have expanded WSU’s footprint at Cathedral.
“Each kid
brought something special to the program,” said Kevin Pearson, who was
Cathedral’s head coach for 22 years before stepping down after the 2017 season.
“They all were blessings. These kids all brought something special and unique,
whether it was their talent, their personalities, their work ethic. All three
of them were great in that regard.”
:::::::::::::::
WSU
football notebook: Cougs let Trojans off hook in loss
By BRIAN
STULTZ Cougfan.com
LOS
ANGELES – With the game on the line, Washington State's aggressive offense went
conservative, running the ball on two straight downs to set up a game-tying
38-yard field goal attempt. After the game, quarterback Gardner Minshew
admitted that he had checked to the run on third down.
"That
was all on me," Minshew said. "That was really stupid and something I
regret."
Blake
Mazza's kick never had a chance. It was blocked at the line of scrimmage and
sent the Cougs out of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with a 39-36 loss in a
winnable game. Here are some news and notes as WSU drops to 3-1 on the season
and 0-1 in Pac-12 play.
CF.C
Player of the Game
Wide
receiver Easop Winston Jr. could not be stopped and caught six passes for 143
yards and two touchdowns. With USC putting a lot of focus on stopping Tay
Martin, Winston took advantage.
RELATED —
Postgame player reaction: 'We left too many plays out there'
Play of
the Game
The
aforementioned blocked field goal with 1:41 left. Mazza had made a 50-yard
attempt earlier in the game but would not have such luck. The Trojans would get
a first down and then run out the clock.
Leading
Tackler
Peyton
Pelluer caused a lot of havoc, recording 12 total tackles and two tackles for
loss. Hunter Dale followed with seven total tackles.
Minshew
productive again
Gardner
Minshew continues to show why the Cougs
brought him in as a graduate transfer this off-season, throwing for 344 yards
and three touchdowns without a pick. He used his scrambling ability to escape
pressure at times, including on the six-yard touchdown to Winston that put the
Cougs up 36-31 in the fourth quarter.
Lack of
run game
USC's
defense had been slashed on the ground so far this season, but the Cougs
weren't able to take advantage, rushing for only 91 yards on 24 attempts.
Stopping
the rush
It looked
as if the Wazzu defensive line would have a long night ahead of it after the
Trojans drove the ball 80 yards on just five running plays to start the game.
The Cougs responded, though, and held the Trojans to just 33 yards rushing the
rest of the night.
Stat of
the Game
The
Cougars were called for 11 penalties totaling 118 yards. Six of those came from
the secondary, which had trouble all night with pass interference and holding
calls.
Quotable
"I
was kind of surprised. Some of them were obvious pass interference. Some I
thought we were in good position, but that's the refs' calls, not ours." —
Hunter Dale on the numerous penalties against the WSU secondary
"We
left too many plays out there. We let too many drives end early. Put that on
me. We have to do better." — Gardner
Minshew
"I
thought we played pretty good. We played hard across the board." — Mike
Leach
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Team 1 2 F
Washington
State 0 1 1
UCLA 0 0 0
Lightning
In A Bottle, Cougars Take Down No. 8 UCLA, 1-0
Junior
Morgan Weaver's at 61st minute goal was the difference for the Cougs
in Westwood.
Next WSU
Soccer match: Oregon 9/27/2018 | 7pm
PAC-12
NETWORKS
LOS
ANGELES. – A lightning strike in the 61st minute by junior Morgan
Weaver was all the No. 14 Washington State soccer team (8-0-0, 1-0-0 Pac-12)
needed to secure a 1-0 win Friday night in Los Angeles thanks to a stifling
defense that shutdown the high-powered attack of No. 8 UCLA (5-2-1, 0-1-0
Pac-12) for the second-straight season.
Playing on
the road for the first time in three weeks, the Cougars' came up big at every
turn, holding off early pressure by the Bruins before breaking through on the
counter-attack for what would-be the game-winning goal early in the second
half.
After
stopping the UCLA attack, sophomore Aaqila McLyn sent a long ball over the top
to a streaking Weaver who knifed through the rest a pair of Bruin defenders
before rolling a shot inside the far post for the goal. McLyn's assist was just
part of the magic for the sophomore on the night as the second-year defender
came up with a defensive save early in the game and found herself in the middle
of every Bruin attack as she came up with clutch tackles to stop any danger.
When balls
would get through the backline, redshirt junior Rachel Thompson was up to the
task as she came up with a career-best nine saves to earn her first Division I
shutout in just her third career start.
Quote
"What
a gutsy performance by our group tonight. UCLA is a fantastic team. We had a
great game plan tonight and we stuck to it. Morgan does what Morgan does and
that was a special goal there late in the game. I am super excited for this
group and we will enjoy it tonight but back to work in the morning." ~ WSU
head soccer coach Todd Shulenberger
The Cougs'
win was a record eighth-straight to start the season, snapping the previous
best start of 7-0 in 2015 and the record for consecutive wins in a single season
of seven done twice prior.
The win
over UCLA was WSU's second-straight 1-0 shutout of the Bruins and first in Los
Angeles over UCLA since 1993.
Morgan
Weaver recorded her second-straight game-winning goal while picking up her
team-best sixth goal of the year. She now has 21 career goals, tying for sixth
most in WSU histoy.
The win
over No. 8 UCLA marked the sixth win over a top-10 team in WSU history.
Rachel
Thompson improved to 3-0-0 on the year while making her third-career start. She
picked up her first solo shutout after combining with Ella Dederick for a
shutout in her first career appearance.
The Cougs
play their first Pac-12 home game Thursday, Sept. 27 when Oregon comes to the
Palouse. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks.
Attendance:
2496
:::::::::::::
Bruins
Drop Pac-12 Opener to Unbeaten Washington State, 1-0
From UCLA
Sports Info
LOS
ANGELES - Despite outshooting Washington State, 19-6, No. 8 UCLA was handed a
1-0 loss to the No. 14 Cougars thanks to a counterattack goal by Morgan Weaver
in the 61st minute.
The game
was played in front of a Wallis Annenberg Stadium record 2,496 fans.
The Bruins
(5-2-1, 0-1-0 in the Pac-12) had several major chances go unheeded, including a
shot by Viviana Villacorta that hit the post in the eight minute and the
subsequent rebound that was cleared off the line. Olivia Athens also had a good
look at goal in the 27th minute, but Washington State goalkeeper Rachel
Thompson tipped the shot over the crossbar and out of play.
UCLA’s Sunny
Dunphy broke free of the defense in the 35th minute, but Thompson rushed out to
make a save on her shot. Julia Hernandez nearly scored on a chip shot after a
corner kick in the 52nd minute, but her shot was finger-tipped over the
crossbar.
UCLA's
Lauren Brzykcy, who got the call in goal just before kickoff after starter
Teagan Micah was injured during warmups, made a huge save in the 59th minute on
a point blank one-timed shot by Elyse Bennett. Brzykcy slid towards Bennett as
she received the cross to get in the perfect position to block the shot with
her body. Two minutes later, however, the Cougars broke free on a counterattack,
with Aaqila McLyn springing Weaver free. Weaver split the defense and fired
past Brzykcy for her sixth goal of the season.
The Bruins
kept plugging away to try to score the equalizer but either could not find the
right connections or hit their shots straight to Thompson, who made nine saves
on the night. Brzykcy had two saves on six Cougar shots.
With the
victory, Washington State remains unbeaten with an 8-0-0 record.
UCLA will
next play at No. 1 Stanford on Thursday, Sept. 27.
#
