WSU student competes in “The Titan Games”
January 2, 2019 Pullman Radio News
A Washington State University student is one of the
contestants on NBC’s new show “The Titan Games.” Senior Bridger Buckley is one of 64 people who
will compete during the season for a 100,000 dollar prize. During his freshman year Buckley broke his
neck and back when he was hit by a car while riding his bike in Pullman. At the time, he was training to earn a spot
as a walk-on the Cougar football team.
After a long recovery at home, Buckley returned to WSU and made the
football team. Lingering pain from his
accident forced him to end his football career.
“The Titan Games,” hosted by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, premieres
Thursday night at 8:00 on NBC.
:::::::::::::::::
Gardner Minshew saves his best trick for last – making a
bowl game memorable
By John
Blanchette Spokane S-R 12/29/2018
SAN ANTONIO – Gardner Minshew II wrote his final chapter at
Washington State University on Friday night – presuming the school doesn’t
grant him an honorary doctorate at spring commencement.
And the pages of that last chapter turned themselves.
When Iowa State’s Willie Harvey reached ramming speed and
drove the crown of his helmet straight at Minshew’s nose early in the second
quarter of Friday’s Alamo Bowl, all the Washington State quarterback did was
take the lick and bounce back to his feet. Harvey’s college career was over by
ejection; Minshew’s rolled on – with a slightly bent face mask.
A couple of minutes later, the pocket crumbling around him,
he back-stepped from a desperate dive by Iowa State’s Spencer Benton, spun out
of the big arm of Matt Leo and scissored past Anthony Johnson and into the end
zone – dropping the Cyclones into a two-touchdown hole, which was hardly
insignificant.
And later still came another magnificent escape and a smart
and nervy put of the shot to Tay Martin on third-and-10 to set up the saving
touchdown in the Cougars’ 28-26 victory.
But none of those moments – individually or as a mash-up –
could be viewed as the ultimate, lasting gift from football’s most remarkable
college drop-in.
Which was this:
Gardner Minshew made it OK to give a damn about a bowl game
again at Wazzu.
Yes, Cougs, there is a consolation prize, and it’s worth
coveting.
In this case – and just for starters – it was 11 victories,
more than any other Cougar football team.
(And even to the conference that did nothing to help them
this year, the Cougs ended a nine-bowl losing streak for the Pac-12. How’s that
for being gracious?)
From the moment the Cougars watched the final seconds tick
off the clock at a sad and snowy Apple Cup, it was clear that Minshew in
particular and the many teammates who picked up on them no-grim-faces vibe he
brought to campus just last May planned to make the most of their December
moment.
This has not been in the program’s DNA under coach Mike
Leach, as experience has revealed.
But this time, the extra game wasn’t just an entrée to 15
more practices to reinforce all the old concepts and get a jump on developing
the youngsters for next year. It wasn’t just a warm getaway and a swag bag.
Maybe those Holiday Bowl teams of the last couple of years
truly cared; maybe not.
These Cougars needed.
And so when they did something selfish – like Marcus Strong’s
silly taunt that wiped out his early pick-6 – they picked their teammate up by
punching in the touchdown anyway. On third-and-12, no less.
And when drops bedeviled the receivers as the Cougs tried to
distance themselves, Peyton Pelluer managed to strip a workhorse running back
who’d had just one fumble in the last 550-plus touches and give Wazzu its
final, and best, chance.
And when they need Minshew to be Minshew, he was almost
more.
That was true on the improvisation that set up the Cougs’
clinching score, yes, but just as much when they were trying to close out the
Cyclones and the clock. A first-down run had gone nowhere so you knew Leach
wasn’t going to order up another. Instead, Minshew connected on a riskier
back-shoulder throw to Dezmon Patmon – for 18 yards and the first down that
finished it off.
The record book? He’s the Pac-12’s single-season yardage and
completions record-holder now, and tied Luke Falk’s WSU touchdowns mark. Some
significant Alamo Bowl records, too.
“But not nearly as significant as 11 wins,” he insisted.
Surely even Leach didn’t imagine this outcome when he made
the fateful phone call when Minshew was grad-school shopping while finishing
his East Carolina degree. But you could see him get swept up a little in the
kooky Minshew vibe each week.
On Alamo eve, Leach explained one of his own shopping
theories – that the first thing he looks for in a quarterback is accuracy,
feeling it really can’t be taught. And Minshew is strong enough in that regard.
But the fact is, it’s his feet and nerve that have taken Leach’s Air Raid to
new places, and added a dimension the coach must recognize.
He certainly recognized the dimension added by Minshew and
teammates’ no-step-back spirit, which moved him to declare that he “may be more
proud of this team than any I’ve ever coached.”
Eleven wins will do that, but it’s not just the number.
“I’ve always been told to leave a place better than you
found it,” Minshew said in summarizing his transformational transfer. “Myself
and these seniors have done everything we could to create the great work
patterns and this winning mentality.
“This place is really special. Being part of it’s an honor.
And I can’t wait to see what they do in the future.”
Because it’s time to close the book on Gardner Minshew.
There’s unlikely to be a sequel.
:::::::::::::::::
Ranking WSU's best-ever football teams:
How do 2018 Cougs stack up?
By BRADEN JOHNSON Cougfan.com
WHERE DO THE 2018 COUGARS rank on the list of Washington
State's all-time greatest football squads?
It's a spirited debate that has raged since the clock struck zero in
Friday’s Alamo Bowl win. And for good reason: An 11-2 record makes this team
the winningest ever. Of course, there is more to the discussion than just the
numbers.
For example, the 1930 Cougs played 10 games, winning all
nine in the regular season, including a critical game with Washington, and went
to the Rose Bowl. The 1997 Cougars finished the regular season 10-1 and
defeated the Huskies to secure the first crimson Rose Bowl berth since the 1930
squad.
"For ultimate greatness, you need to beat the Huskies
and go to the Rose Bowl," says Paul Sorensen, the long-time CF.C columnist
whose 1981 Cougars failed in the former and therefore were deprived of the
later, and so are part of the top 10 discussion rather than the top 5.
The 2018 Cougars didn't beat the Huskies or win the
conference title, but they are part of the top 5 conversation because of their
win total and the broader narrative surrounding the team.
“One, you look at where the media was predicting us to
finish in the preseason and the tragedy with losing Tyler Hilinski," says
long-time WSU public address announcer Glenn Johnson. "Then, Gardner
Minshew, for as good as his numbers were, his personality really took everyone
by storm. Quarterbacks usually come up through the system, but he came in and
picked up the Air Raid right away.”
Plus, the majority of the coaching staff, and the strength
coach, left in the offseason and the head coach had a verbal agreement to go to
Tennessee.
"Don’t forget GameDay," Johnson adds, when talking
about the special nature of the 2018 club. "That was a chance for Cougs
from all over the world to come together and for this community to showcase
what it’s all about on a national scale.”
Despite it all, he doesn't hesitate when asked to name the
best team in Cougar history: Ryan Leaf's 1997 squad that came within two
seconds and 26 yards of defeating national champion Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
Sorensen says he'd place the 2018 Cougs at No. 3 on WSU's all-time list behind
the undefeated and Rose Bowl champion 1915 Cougars, and the 1997 team.
Bob Robertson, who presided over 52 seasons of Cougar football,
won't pick a No. 1 team of all time but doesn't hold back when talking about
the 2018 club. “I think it has to be
considered one of the greatest teams, if not the greatest, WSU has ever seen.
The most wins of all time and they won their bowl game, which doesn’t always
happen here. The way the season took everyone by surprise and that quarterback
came out of nowhere – usually they come up through the ranks – really helped
offset the tragedy that began the season.”
COMPARING TEAMS FROM different eras is always a tough
assignment but we've taken aim here with a WSU top 12 and two honorable
mentions. Apologies, in advance, to the 1917, 1929, 1932, 1941, 1972 and 1977
teams. Here we go ...
NO. 1: 1997/COUGS SMELL ROSES FOR FIRST TIME IN 67 YEARS
The Cougars spent 10 weeks ranked in the AP top-25 and came
within two seconds of knocking off top-ranked Michigan in the Rose Bowl. This
team checks off all the boxes: a 10-win season, dramatic Apple Cup victory,
conference championship, a Heisman finalist quarterback in Ryan Leaf, a stout
defense featuring Leon Bender and Steve Gleason, and an unforgettable
appearance in the Grandaddy of Them All. With respect to the 2018 Cougars and
all other teams that proceeded them, this is CF.C’s pick for the best team WSU
has ever seen. Related story: Ryan Leaf, Mike Levenseller and the destiny of
1997
NO. 2: 1915/WSU'S LONE ROSE BOWL CHAMPION
Led by legendary coach Lone Star Dietz the '15 team went
7-0, outscoring opponents 204-10 with five shutouts. The only touchdown allowed
was a blocked punt recovered in the end zone. WSU played in the first-ever Rose
Bowl, as Dietz’ team posted an undefeated record and helped legitimize West
Coast football with a win over Brown. Related stories: 1915 Cougars are
rightful owners of national championship AND The greatest WSU football story
ever.
NO. 3: 1930/HEIN, EDWARDS, HOLLINGBERY AND A ROSE BOWL
One of the most dominant seasons Pullman has seen regardless
of era. Babe Hollingbery's 9-1 squad outscored opponents 218-56 and its lone
loss was in the Rose Bowl to Alabama. With World War II suspending football on
campus from 1943-44 and a 51-year bowl drought impending, this team was WSU’s
crown jewel for decades. Mel Hein voted 1 of 11 best players in college history
NO. 4: 2002/THEY CLIMB AS HIGH AS NO. 3 AND GO TO PASADENA
Three top-20 wins, including an unforgettable overtime
victory over Pete Carroll, Carson Palmer and the mighty Trojans, helped propel
the Cougs to a No. 3 national ranking heading into the Apple Cup. The Cougs
were led by two All-Americans on offense (top 10 Heisman finisher Jason Gesser
and lineman Derrick Roche) and two on defense (corner Marcus Truant and Outland
Trophy winner tackle Rien Long). A 34-14 loss to Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl
stung and the triple-overtime loss to the Huskies still hurts, but there is no
underselling the greatness of Mike Price's last WSU team, which finished 10-2,
Pac-10 champions and ranked No. 10 in the nation. Related story: 2002 Cougs
clinched Pac-10 title in wild win at UCLA
NO. 5: 2018/ADVERSITY, A MUSTACHE AND A WHOLE LOT OF MOXIE
A school record for single-season wins speaks for itself, as
does the year-long narrative. WSU transformed the loss of Tyler Hilinski, five
assistant coaches, the strength coach, and more than five starters on each side
of the ball into a campaign for the ages. The Cougars did so in style, too,
bringing ESPN’s College GameDay to Pullman, and producing a fifth-place Heisman
Trophy finisher in Gardner Minshew who captured college football’s imagination
far and wide. The Alamo Bowl victory cemented this team’s spot in the top five
though it cannot be considered the greatest of all time in the absence of an
Apple Cup win or Rose Bowl berth. Related story: Why Peyton Pelluer is our 2018
WSU Sportsperson of the Year
NO. 6: 2003/TWO PLAYS AWAY FROM IMMORTALITY
The 2003 Cougs came into the season with middling
expectations, having lost their head coach (Mike Price) to Alabama, their
Heisman-contending quarterback (Jason Gesser) and Outland Trophy-winning
defensive tackle (Rien Long) to the NFL, among others, and proceeded to put
together a 10-win campaign in which two of its three losses -- at Notre Dame
and at Washington -- literally came down to one play at the end. The upset of
No. 5 Texas in the Holiday Bowl capped the magical run and the Cougs finished
No. 9 in the nation. Matt Kegel led the offense and a cast of unforgettables --
including Erik Coleman, Jason David, D.D. Acholonu, Isaac Brown, Will Derting
-- paced the defense. They finish 10-3
-- WSU’s best mark until 2018. Related story: A master class in blocking in
2003 Holiday Bowl win
NO. 7: 2001/FROM HEARTBREAK IN 2000 TO NO. 10 IN NATION
The season before, the Cougars went 4-7, with three of the
losses coming in overtime. The 2001 Cougs were older, wiser and hellbent on
finishing -- which they did, starting out 7-0, finishing 10-2 and ranked No. 10
in the nation. They capped matters off with a Sun Bowl victory over Joe Tiller,
Kyle Orton and the Purdue Boilermakers. The Cougs were second in the Pac-10
behind Oregon by virtue of a titanic battle between the two in Week 8 that went
to the Ducks, 24-17. Safety Lamont Thompson earned first-team AP All-America
and Sun Bowl MVP honors while junior quarterback Jason Gesser served notice
that the Cougs would be title contenders again in 2002. Related story: Billy
Newman -- where is he now?
NO. 8: 1988/TWO 1,000-YARD BACKS HELP MOTOR AIR ERICKSON
What do you get when you combine a quarterback who finishes
in the top 10 for the Heisman Trophy with one of the most dominant offensive
lines in school history (think Mike Utley and John Husby), two 1,000-yard
running backs (Steve Broussard and Rich Swinton), a head coach (Dennis
Erickson) who would later win two national championships at Miami, and a
bend-but-don't-break defense featuring the likes of Chris Moton, Artie Holmes,
Mark Ledbetter and Ivan Cook? A season
for the crimson ages. That's what you get. Nail biting victories over No. 1 UCLA,
Washington and No. 14 Houston in the Aloha Bowl captivated Coug Nation and
propelled WSU to its first 9-win season since 1930. The Cougs finished No. 16
in the nation. Related story: 1988 win over UCLA the greatest victory in WSU
history?
NO. 9: 1992/DREW BLEDSOE FIREBOMBS THE PAC-10
Mike Price's 1992 Cougars opened the season with a flourish
-- going 6-0 -- and finished with an avalanche on Rose Bowl-bound Washington
and a Copper Bowl win over Utah. The Apple Cup win in a Pullman snowstorm
featured two of the most iconic images in Cougar history: Drew Bledsoe's snow
bank TD pass to Phillip Bobo and Shaumbe Wright-Fair's long run to pay dirt
that ended in snow angels. The Cougs finished 9-3 and ranked No. 15 in the
nation. Related story: In Drew Bledsoe, Cougs still reaping dividends of Mike
Price's best recruiting job
NO. 10: 1981/WSU'S FIRST BOWL TEAM IN 51 YEARS
Led by one of the nation's stoutest defenses, dubbed
Padilla's Gorillas, the '81 Cougs -- coached by Jim Walden -- raced to a 6-0-1
start and No. 16 national ranking and came within an Apple Cup of landing WSU's
first Rose Bowl berth since the days of Mel Hein and Turk Edwards. They
finished 8-3-1, pitched three shutouts, waged a wild battle with Jim McMahon
and No. 14 BYU in the Holiday Bowl before succumbing 38-36, and wound up No. 23
in the nation. Stalwarts on defense
included All-American Paul Sorensen, Nate Bradley, Matt Elisara, Mike Walker
and Lee Blakeney, while the offense was paced by Tim Harris, All-American Pat
Beach, Mark McKay and quarterbacks Ricky Turner and Clete Casper.
NO. 11: 2015/FALK AND THE COMEBACK KIDS WIN 9
Not much was expected of the 2015 team after a 3-9 finish
the year before and a season-opening loss to Portland State. But the Cougars
rallied to win eight of their next 10 games behind Luke Falk’s first-team All-Pac-12
season. The Cougars were the modern-day version of the Cardiac Kids, coming
from behind in the fourth quarter four times to secure victory. A 20-14 win
over Miami in the Sun Bowl was icing on the cake of a 9-3 season and presaged
the consistent winning seasons to come. Related story: Original Cardiac Kids
love what they see in the new ones
NO. 12: 1958/A CAST OF LEGENDS AND A SUGAR BOWL INVITATION
The 1958 Cougs, who were coached by passing-game pioneer Jim
Sutherland, finished 7-3 and missed the Rose Bowl by virtue of a Week 3 loss to
eventual champion Cal. The Cougars won four straight to end the season,
defeating top 20 teams UCLA and Washington in the process, and were invited to
play LSU in the Sugar Bowl. In those days, only the conference champion was
allowed in a bowl game -- the Rose -- so the Sugar’s invitation to the Cougs
went to a vote of the conference. UCLA, Washington and USC voted no. Some of
the most storied names in Cougar football history played on the '58 squad:
receivers Don Ellingsen, Jack Fanning, Gail Cogdill and Bill Steiger,
quarterbacks Bobby Newman and Dave Wilson, running backs Keith Lincoln and
Chuck Morrell, and guard Bill Berry.
HONORABLE MENTION: 1994/THE PALOUSE POSSE
John Rushing, one of the stars of the 1994 Palouse Posse,
put it succinctly years after the fact: "People on the West Coast still
remember our defense. If we'd had any kind of offense I think we would have had
a shot at the national championship," he told CF.C in 2012. The Cougar D
was tops in the nation, but the offense was anemic; in five games they scored
10 points or less. But riding the strength of the uber-talented defense, the
Cougars went 8-4, capping the season with wins over Washington in the Apple Cup
and Baylor in the Alamo Bowl, and ranked No. 21 in the nation. Nine members of
the defense, including Chad Eaton, Don Sasa, Singor Mobley and Torey Hunter,
played in the NFL or CFL. Related stories: Catching up with sack master DeWayne
Patterson AND Palouse Posse secondary still loves the game
HONORABLE MENTION: 1965/THE CARDIAC KIDS
Their Cardiac Kids nickname, bestowed by Spokane Daily
Chronicle sports editor Bob Johnson, was well earned: Two wins by one point,
another by two, one loss by one and another by four. The 1965 Cougs finished
7-3 and three of the wins were road trips to Big Ten schools. Defensive tackle
Wayne Foster earned first-team All-America honors and defensive back Bill
Gaskins was second team. Related story: WSU's Cardiac Kids pushed to the limit
by nasty Bert Clark
::::::::::::
Football: Cougs’ win in Alamo Bowl was a TV ratings smash
Cougfan.com
PULLMAN AND AMES aren’t exactly big TV markets, and Friday
nights usually pull in smallish numbers of viewers. But viewership soared for
the No. 12/13 Washington State’s thrilling win over No. 24 Iowa State in the
Alamo Bowl.
WSU-Iowa State on Friday night scored 5.547 million viewers,
according to Sports Media Watch – up a head-turning 28 percent from last year’s
Alamo Bowl, (TCU-Stanford: 4.33 million).
It also represented a 22 percent climb from two years ago
(Oklahoma State-Colorado: 4.55 million), and WSU-ISU pulled in the largest
audience for the Alamo Bowl since the 2015-16 season (TCU-Oregon: 7.41M).
The ratings for the Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 bowl games aren’t in
yet. As of press time, the Alamo Bowl
was the most watched non-NY6 bowl game -- fourth out of 27 bowls -- behind the
Peach (Florida-Michigan) and the two semifinal playoff games (Cotton:
Clemson-Notre Dame) and (Orange: Alabama-Oklahoma).
The announced attendance for the Alamo Bowl was 60,675.
:::::::::::::::
WSU MEN’S BASKETBALL
Former Wichita State forward, four-star recruit Chance Moore
transferring to Washington State
UPDATED: Tue., Jan. 1, 2019, 4:37 p.m.
By Theo Lawson Spokane S-R
PULLMAN – A former four-star recruit with Division I playing
experience is transferring to Washington State and will be eligible to play for
the Cougars by the midway point of the 2019-20 season.
Chance Moore, a 6-foot-6 wing who played sparingly in his freshman
season at Wichita State, announced Monday he’d be transferring to WSU, one day
after taking his official visit to the campus in Pullman.
Because Moore announced his departure from Wichita State
prior to the end of the semester, he’ll be eligible to suit up for the Cougars
next December as a sophomore. Forward Arinze Chidom transferred from the WSU
program in December, freeing up a scholarship for coach Ernie Kent.
During his freshman season at Wichita State, Moore played in
just four games, scoring just three points in 20 minutes. The Louisville,
Kentucky, native was labeled a four-star prospect by ESPN’s recruiting service
and also received offers from Virginia Tech, Butler and Dayton.
Moore’s last appearance for Wichita State came on Dec. 1
against Baylor; the Shockers announced his intentions to transfer on Dec. 17.
Moore and Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall reportedly had
some disputes over the freshman’s playing time, which played a role in his
decision to transfer.
“I liked him as a
young person and I hope he does well wherever he ends up,” Marshall said about
Moore’s departure, according to The Wichita Eagle. “Obviously we had some
disagreements on mostly playing time. He thought he should be playing more and
our staff didn’t. We had some specific things we wanted him to do to play more
and he just couldn’t come around to that. I wish him well, hope he does great
and we’ll try to help him in any way.”
Kent has seen 15 of his Cougars recruits transfer, but has
also brought in a few Division I transfers. Last season, WSU got a boost from
North Dakota graduate transfer Drick Bernstine, who played a point forward role
with the Cougars and averaged 6.9 points and 6.9 rebounds.
Center Valentine Izundu transferred to WSU from Houston and
came off the bench in his only season on the Palouse, scoring 3.8 points,
grabbing 2.7 rebounds and blocking 2.2 shots per game in 2015-16. Izundu
transferred to San Diego State the following year.
:::::::::::::
From WSU Sports Info
MEN’S BASKETBALL COUGARS CLOSE OUT NONCONFERENCE PLAY:
Washington State men’s basketball (7-6) looks to snap its
three-game losing streak and open Pac-12 play on a high note as it heads to
Seattle to take on Washington (9-4), Saturday, Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Alaska
Airlines Arena.
• The game will be televised on Pac-12 Network as Aaron
Goldsmith (play-by-play) and Eldridge Recasner (analyst) have the call.
• All season long, Cougar basketball can be heard on the
Cougar IMG Sports Radio Network with the Voice of the Cougars, Matt Chazanow on
the call.
• Live stats will be available at www.wsucougars.com.
COUGARS VERSUS HUSKIES:
• Saturday marks the 288th meeting between Washington and
Washington State, as the Huskies hold a 183-104 advantage in the all-time
series.
• Washington leads the series 104-38 at Seattle, although
the Cougars have defeated the Huskies in two of the last four games at UW.
• The Huskies swept the season series last year with a 70-65 victory over the Cougars at Pullman,
Jan. 6, followed by an 80-62 win at Seattle, Jan. 28.
• The Cougars swept the season series in 2017 with 79-74 and
79-71 wins at Seattle and Pullman, respectively.
• Just two of the last 14 games in the series have been
decided by more than 8 points, as each of the last 14 meetings between the
Cougars and Huskies have been decided by an average of 6.9 points.
• If the only two lopsided wins of that span (UW, 72-49,
Feb. 28, 2014 and UW, 80-62, Jan. 28, 2018) are thrown out, the average shrinks
to 4.7 points; a two-possession
difference.
• Ten of the last 14 meetings have been decided by five
points or less.
• UW won seven of those 10 games decided by 5 points or
less, claiming the latest five-point win, Jan. 6, 2018 (70-65).
• Third-year WSU head coach Ernie Kent is 13-22 all-time
against UW as head coach at WSU and Oregon.
#
