4-1 Win
Sends the Soccer Cougars Into Pac-12 Play a Perfect 7-0-0
Morgan
Weaver scored twice while Brianna Alger and Alysha Overland added strikes in
the win.
PULLMAN,
Wash. – With strong offensive possessions and an attack heavy mindset, the No.
16 ranked Washington State soccer team (7-0-0) defeated Cal Poly (0-6-3), 4-1,
Sunday morning at Lower Soccer Field.
For the
second-straight game, the Cougars wasted no time getting on the board when
sophomore Brianna Alger capitalized early on the attack, flicking in the first
goal of the game on the first shot just 2:33 into the contest off the
well-placed ball from Makamae Gomera-Stevens. The Cougars were not done yet,
adding to the lead just four minutes later when Morgan Weaver broke free to net
her fourth goal on the year in the 6' minute. Weaver got behind the defense and
slotted home the strike just inside the right post off the feed from Sydney
Pulver. Alysha Overland joined the scoring onslaught in 36' minute as she
played a perfect give-and-go with freshman Molly Myers to beat the Mustangs'
defense into the box where she would bend a shot into the side netting to give
the Cougars the first-half hat trick. While the second half started with the
Cougars relinquishing a goal in the 52' minute off a well-struck ball from
Grace Park from 27 yards out, WSU would not be denied as Weaver put the
game-away for good with her second goal of the match off a set piece play with
Maddy Haro. The senior defender found her scorer alone in the box off the free
kick, giving Weaver all the space she needed to hammer home a one-touch strike.
Stat of
the Match
The
Cougars scored on the first shot of the game in the 3' for the
second-consecutive game.
The Cougs
finished nonconference play 7-0-0, tying their record for wins to start a
season set in 2015.
Morgan
Weaver became the sixth Cougar to record a game-winning goal. The junior scored
twice, her second multi-goal game of the year and fifth of her career. With two
goals, Weaver moved into a tie for eighth all-time in scoring with 20 career
goals.
Nine
different Cougars have scored a goal on the year as Brianna Alger scored her
first goal of the season to open the game.
Maddy Haro
picked up her career best eighth assist of the season. She is No. 1 in the
nation at 1.14 assists per game and to a tie for 6th all-time in assists with
15 career helpers.
Rachel
Thompson earned her second-straight win in goal while splitting time with Emma
Dahline, who made her first career appearance in net at the start of the second
half.
The Cougs
begin Pac-12 play Friday, Sept. 21 at No. 8 UCLA. The game is scheduled for 8
p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks.
Attendance:
788
…………..
Long
yardage? No sweat
Harris'
kick return covers 100 yards, and Cougars also mount touchdown drives of 98 and
99 yards
By STEPHAN
WIEBE Moscow Pullman Daily News
Sept 16,
2018
PULLMAN -
A week ago, Washington State wide receiver Travell Harris told reporters he
just wanted to contribute to the team in any way he could.
On
Saturday, the redshirt freshman contributed in the biggest way possible with a
100-yard kickoff return that put the Cougs up by three scores against Eastern
Washington during their 59-24 victory at Martin Stadium.
The
5-foot-9 speedster from Tampa, Fla., hasn't caught a pass yet this season, but
he's already proven to be a valuable weapon on special teams.
It was a
slow-developing return as Harris waited for his blockers to create some lanes,
but he found some room on the right side, twice juked to the left to skirt
Eagles flying in the opposite direction and turned on the burners in a race to
the corner of the end zone.
"It
was crazy because I wanted to score so bad and I knew I can't get caught,"
Harris said. "I knew I'd hear it from my teammates if I got caught. I've
been waiting for this opportunity for a long time."
Cougars
coach Mike Leach said the play was a textbook display of what a kickoff return
should look like.
"We
got several key blocks, which I feel like are routine, but the thing is to get
them all in a row," Leach said. "Then I thought Travell does a good
job of seeing the field and cutting off his blocks. And then as the other guy
was pursuing him, we got (him)."
Running
back James Williams, who tallied three touchdowns, said it was just a matter of
time before Harris exploded for the Cougars.
"Our
whole special teams unit did good," he said. "They had perfect blocks
and Travell made the most of his opportunity."
The return
was Washington State's first kickoff return for a TD since Robert Taylor had a
100-yarder at Arizona State in 2016.
But it
wasn't the Cougars' only time traversing the length of the field. Washington
State showed a knack for going from one end zone to the other, also notching
scoring drives of 99 and 98 yards.
The long
drives not only got the Cougars out of dangerous situations, but also put
points on the scoreboard and took a combined 11:30 off the clock.
They also
contributed to Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew racking up 470
passing yards. The FCS Eagles couldn't keep up.
"You
get into a good rhythm because you're just trying to make routine plays, get a
first down," Minshew said. "Then you try to get two first downs and
you just kind of get into a rhythm. Not trying to do too much, just taking what
they gave us."
:::::::::::::::::::::
WSU-EWU
NOTES: Pelluer says he had a chance to transfer to 'Bama
By DALE
GRUMMERT
Lewiston
Trib
Sept 16th
2018
PULLMAN -
Peyton Pelluer revealed something Saturday night that surprised even some
Washington State insiders.
The Cougar
linebacker, who was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA in January
and has secured his bachelor's degree, had a chance to transfer to national
powerhouse Alabama for this season.
After the
Cougars' 59-24 win over Eastern Washington, Pelluer was asked if he's ever had
a chance to switch to another school.
"Yeah,
Alabama offered me to go over there this last summer," Pelluer said,
causing several jaws to drop. "I spent a good week contemplating that,
just praying."
He said he
consulted WSU linebackers coach Ken Wilson and former defensive coordinator
Alex Grinch, now at Ohio State.
"...
A lot of heart-to-hearts," he said, "and really thinking it out. And
just decided to stay, because this is where I want to be.
"Mainly
I wanted to finish what I started here. We had a class last year, 20-some guys,
that helped build this program up, from 3-9 in 2014 and now we're here. And I
believe in the team that's here right now. I just wanted to come back and lead
and help this team the best way I could."
A number
of WSU officials said that's they first they'd heard of the Alabama offer.
NOT
INVISIBLE - Cougars receiver Tay Martin, who caught 13 passes for 149 yards and
a touchdown, said he drew motivation from coach Mike Leach's criticism of him
last week.
"It
made me work harder, not let up, help my team as much as I can, so we can
finish the second half and win the game," the talented sophomore said.
Although
Leach theoretically uses a two-man rotation at each of his four receiver spots,
Martin is getting the vast majority of reps at the X spot. His backup is a true
freshman, Rodrick Fisher.
"I
thought he played hard throughout the game," Leach said. "Tay also
plays on a lot of special teams, so there's a lot of miles on Tay. He's kind of
a special athlete."
In a rout
of San Jose State the previous week, Martin caught two first-quarter touchdown
passes before going quiet, and Leach said he "was invisible the second
half."
JAHAD'S
SNAG - Wazzu linebacker Jahad Woods made a spectacular interception of a Gage
Gubrud bullet late in the third quarter, extending his body fully to tip the
ball to himself as he fell to the turf. That set up a 44-yard field by Blake
Mazza that extended the Cougars' lead to 38-24.
"That's
just plays that Jahad usually makes," safety Jalen Thompson said.
"He's just one of those guys that makes plays all the time like
that."
:::
AT A
GLANCE: WSU 59, EWU 24
Sep 16,
2018
> Stars
of the game
GARDNER
MINSHEW passed 45-for-57 for 470 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for
the Cougars. TAY MARTIN made 13 receptions for 149 yards and a TD and JAMIRE
CALVIN added six catches for 70 yards. On defense, JALEN THOMPSON, JAHAD WOODS
and DARRIEN MOLTON tallied an interception apiece, and Thompson forced a fumble
on a kickoff to set up a touchdown. HUNTER DALE and PEYTON PELLEUR collected 10
and eight tackles, respectively.
>
Turning point
Second-year
freshman Travell Harris, who has sparkled on kickoff returns in practice since
early in the preseason, finally got a chance to show his stuff to fans. His
100-yard return pushed a Cougar lead to 21-3 with about 12 minutes left in the
first half. In the Cougars' first two games this season, opposing kickers were
routinely invoking touchbacks.
> Up
next
The
Cougars face their first Pac-12 game of the season Friday at 7:30 p.m. at USC.
:::::::::::::::::::
Leave 'em
in the dust
Cougars
settle some old business with blowout of EWU
By DALE
GRUMMERT OF TRIBUNE of Lewiston September 16, 2018
PULLMAN -
All week long, Washington State players avoided the R word. After the game,
though, middle linebacker Peyton Pelluer figured it was time to haul it out.
"Revenge
is always sweet," he said.
Gardner
Minshew passed for 470 yards and Pelluer's defense held Eastern Washington
scoreless over the final 19 minutes Saturday night as the Cougars pulled away
for a 59-24 win over the FCS school that had embarrassed them two years ago.
"Technically
I'm 1-1 against them, so I wish we could play them every year," Pelluer
said.
Translation:
A single victory isn't enough for an FBS team to wholly avenge a loss to a
member of the lower tier of NCAA Division I.
So the
Cougars (3-0) at least made it a convincing win - eventually - producing the
game's last 24 points to pad an 11-point lead late in the third quarter. Tay
Martin cleverly scooped in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Minshew to fuel the
getaway and apply an exclamation mark to his 13-catch, 149-yard night.
Minshew,
the graduate transfer from East Carolina, orchestrated 98- and 99-yard
touchdown drives in his most consistent performance as a Cougar, completing 45
of 57 passes for two TDs and no interceptions.
"It's
awesome, it's so much fun," Minshew said of operating coach Mike Leach's
Air Raid offense. "Winning, putting up 59 points, all that - it's all fun.
I have receivers who make plays, running backs, an O-line that gives me time.
I'm having a blast right now."
The Wazzu
defense inexplicably allowed two long TD passes by Gage Gubrud in the third quarter
as the Eagles (2-1) threatened a comeback.
But this
game, before a sellout crowd of 32,952 on an overcast but mild evening, didn't
bear much resemblance to Eastern's 45-42 win here at Martin Stadium two years
ago, when Gubrud passed for 474 yards and ran for 101 more.
This time
Gubrud was held to 14-for-36 passing for 231 yards, three touchdowns and three
interceptions - one each by Darrien Molton, Jalen Thompson and Jahad Woods. The
Cougars blunted Gubrud's effectiveness by allowing him only 23 ground yards as
they stretched a home winning streak to nine games.
Hunter
Dale made 10 tackles for the Cougs and Pelluer, a sixth-year senior, set the
tone with an active first quarter. In all, Wazzu forced four turnovers.
"I
thought we had quite a bit better defensive plan," Leach said, comparing
the two games against Eastern. "And we affected him (Gubrud) quite a lot
early."
For all
that, the WSU highlight was Travell Harris' 100-yard kickoff return for a 21-3
lead in the second period.
"I
thought we played kind of a complete game on all sides," Leach said.
"And they (the Eagles) are a good football team. They may win the (FCS)
national championship this year. It wouldn't surprise me a bit."
Minshew
completed 11 consecutive passes during a stretch in the first half, going
8-for-8 on a drive culminating in a 14-yard fade to Easop Winston Jr. for a
14-0 lead.
Harris
uncorked his kickoff return on the next WSU possession, initially popping
right, getting a helpful block from Keith Harrington and gradually angling and
juking his way to the left edge of the end zone.
Over the
past two years, the Cougars have had little reason to dwell on the loss to EWU
in their 2016 season opener. It was a nonleague opponent that Wazzu had faced
only three previous times. And the Cougs went on to finish 8-5 that season.
That
indifference changed during the past week, if only because Coug outsiders
talked about the 2016 game incessantly.
"We've
got a lot of people at a lot of new positions, so they weren't a part of that
2016 loss," said Dale, a senior nickelback. "Our coaches do a great
job of making sure we're not thinking about that - making sure it's not a
revenge game."
At least
until afterward.
E.
Washington 0 10 14 0 - 24
Washington
St. 14 14 7 24 - 59
First
Quarter
WST-Jam.Williams
1 run (Mazza kick), 9:27
WST-Winston
14 pass from Minshew (Mazza kick), 1:45
Second
Quarter
EW-FG
Alcobendas 37, 12:11
WST-Tra.Harris
100 kickoff return (Mazza kick), 11:56
WST-Jam.Williams
2 run (Mazza kick), 2:17
EW-Boston
26 pass from Gubrud (Alcobendas kick), :39
Third Quarter
EW-Eagle
34 pass from Gubrud (Alcobendas kick), 11:41
WST-Jam.Williams
8 run (Mazza kick), 4:37
EW-Merritt
44 pass from Gubrud (Alcobendas kick), 3:54
Fourth
Quarter
WST-FG
Mazza 44, 14:05
WST-Martin
21 pass from Minshew (Mazza kick), 9:47
WST-Borghi
6 run (Mazza kick), 8:24
WST-R.Lewis
6 pass from Tinsley (Mazza kick), 1:21
A-32,952.
EW WST
First
downs 23 35
Rushes-yards
35-148 15-41
Passing
231 524
Comp-Att-Int
14-36-3 51-65-0
Return
Yards 146 143
Punts-Avg.
4-37.75 3-47.33
Fumbles-Lost
1-1 0-0
Penalties-Yards
6-52 7-80
Time of
Possession 23:58 36:02
INDIVIDUAL
STATISTICS
RUSHING-E.
Washington, McPherson 17-72, Pierce 6-67, Barriere 2-13, Merritt 1-(minus 1),
Gubrud 9-(minus 3). Washington St., Jam.Williams 6-19, Borghi 4-15, Harrington
2-11, Minshew 3-(minus 4).
PASSING-E.
Washington, Gubrud 14-36-3-231. Washington St., Tinsley 6-8-0-54, Minshew
45-57-0-470.
RECEIVING-E.
Washington, Eagle 4-73, Boston 4-47, Ns.Webster 2-46, Jay.Williams 2-16,
Merritt 1-44, Dorton 1-5. Washington St., Martin 13-149, Calvin 6-70, Winston
6-42, Patmon 5-57, Sweet 4-44, Jam.Williams 4-40, Borghi 4-30, C.Jackson 3-36,
Bell 2-22, Harrington 2-16, Fisher 1-12, R.Lewis 1-6.
MISSED
FIELD GOALS-None.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
EWU at WSU
football 2018
POSTGAME
NOTES
From WSU
Sports Info
PULLMAN,
Wash. - Washington State recorded a 59-24 victory over Eastern Washington at
Martin Stadium Saturday night. Below are postgame notes and top social media
posts.
GAME NOTES
• Eastern Washington won the toss and
deferred, WSU will receive
• Kyle Sweet and Peyton Pelluer were game
captains for the third straight week
• Attendance: 32, 952, the 1st Martin
Stadium sellout in 2018
TEAM NOTES
• WSU improved to 3-0 for the second
straight season
• WSU tallied four takeaways (3 INT, 1 FUM)
• WSU's 59 points were the most since
scoring 69 against Arizona in 2016
image 5
Postgame
Notes
EASTERN
WASHINGTON at WASHINGTON STATE – SEPT. 15, 2018
GAME NOTES
• Eastern Washington won the toss and
deferred, WSU will receive
• Kyle Sweet and Peyton Pelluer were game
captains for the third straight week
• Attendance: 32, 952, the 1st Martin
Stadium sellout in 2018
TEAM NOTES
• WSU improved to 3-0 for the second
straight season
• WSU tallied four takeaways (3 INT, 1 FUM)
• WSU's 59 points were the most since
scoring 69 against Arizona in 2016
PLAYER
NOTES
• WSU started in a two-back set, giving Max
Borghi his first career start
• Kassidy Woods (WR) made his collegiate
debut, appearing on offense
• Trey Tinsley (QB) made his collegiate
debut threw for 54 yards and first career TD pass
• Travell Harris returned a kickoff 100
yards for a touchdown, WSU's first kickoff return for a TD since Robert Taylor
had a 100-yarder at Arizona State in 2016
• Gardner Minshew II threw for a
career-high 470 yards, threw for 463 yards for East Carolina at Houston last
season
• Minshew II is the first Cougar
quarterback to win his first three starts since Steve Birnbaum won the first
three games in 1998
• James Williams rushed for three
touchdowns, the first Cougar with 3 rushing TD since Carl Winston in 2012 Apple
Cup
• Tay Martin set a career highs with 13
receptions for 149 yards, tied for 5th-most catches in WSU single-game history
• Jamire Calvin set a career high with 6
receptions for 70 yards
• Calvin Jackson Jr. recorded his first
career catch, finished with 3 receptions for 36 yards
• Rodrick Fisher made his first career
reception
• Peyton Pelluer played his 44th career
game, Gabe Marks (WR) and Daniel Ekuale (DL) hold WSU record with 51 games
played
• Hunter Dale matched a career high with 10
tackles
• Jalen Thompson recorded his first INT of
the season, fifth of his career
• Darrien Molton recorded his first INT of
the season, second of his career, first since 2015
• Jahad Woods recorded his first INT of the
season, second of his career
• Blake Mazza connected on season-long 44
yard field goal
• WSU started in a two-back set, giving Max
Borghi his first career start
• Kassidy Woods (WR) made his collegiate
debut, appearing on offense
• Trey Tinsley (QB) made his collegiate
debut threw for 54 yards and first career TD pass
• Travell Harris returned a kickoff 100
yards for a touchdown, WSU's first kickoff return for a TD since Robert Taylor
had a 100-yarder at Arizona State in 2016
• Gardner Minshew II threw for a
career-high 470 yards, threw for 463 yards for East Carolina at Houston last
season
• Minshew II is the first Cougar
quarterback to win his first three starts since Steve Birnbaum won the first
three games in 1998
• James Williams rushed for three
touchdowns, the first Cougar with 3 rushing TD since Carl Winston in 2012 Apple
Cup
• Tay Martin set a career highs with 13
receptions for 149 yards, tied for 5th-most catches in WSU single-game history
• Jamire Calvin set a career high with 6
receptions for 70 yards
• Calvin Jackson Jr. recorded his first
career catch, finished with 3 receptions for 36 yards
• Rodrick Fisher made his first career
reception
• Peyton Pelluer played his 44th career
game, Gabe Marks (WR) and Daniel Ekuale (DL) hold WSU record with 51 games
played
• Hunter Dale matched a career high with 10
tackles
• Jalen Thompson recorded his first INT of
the season, fifth of his career
• Darrien Molton recorded his first INT of
the season, second of his career, first since 2015
• Jahad Woods recorded his first INT of the
season, second of his career
• Blake Mazza connected on season-long 44
yard field goal
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fires set
around Washington State University fraternity
September
16, 2018 at 11:42 am Updated September 16, 2018 at 3:03 pm
The
fraternity, Theta Chi, was not damaged and no one was hurt.
PULLMAN,
Wash. (AP) — Police in Pullman are investigating several suspicious fires set
outside a fraternity house near the Washington State University campus.
Pullman
Police said in a news release that investigators found five different ignition
points around the Theta Chi fraternity house early Sunday, including in the
patio area and front of the house.
One of the
fires destroyed a wooden deck at the back of the house.
The
fraternity was not damaged and no one was hurt.
Several
fraternity members say they woke up around 5:15 a.m. because of the sound of
the deck fire. They called 911 and tried to put it out with a garden hose.
Police say
investigators are gathering evidence and there are no suspects at this time.
:::::::::::
Minshew
leads Washington St. over E. Washington 59-24
By Nicholas
Geranios, 9:39 pm PDT, Saturday, 15 Sept
2018
PULLMAN,
Wash. (AP) — Graduate transfer quarterback Gardner Minshew didn't start playing
with his Washington State teammates until fall drills, but you wouldn't know it
from his production.
Minshew
threw for 470 yards and two touchdowns as Washington State beat Eastern
Washington 59-24 on Saturday night to avenge a 2016 loss to its FCS neighbor.
"We
have a bunch of new receivers and a new quarterback," Washington State
coach Mike Leach said. "All of it is tuning into one another."
"Those
guys are getting tuned in together," Leach said.
Tay Martin
caught 13 passes for 149 yards for Washington State (3-0), which piled up 565
yards of offense.
Gage
Gubrud threw three touchdown passes but was intercepted three times for Eastern
Washington (2-1), which upset the Cougars 45-42 in Pullman in 2016.
Eastern
Washington came in leading the FCS with an average of 623 yards per game, but
was limited to 372 yards.
Minshew,
who played for East Carolina last year, completed 45 of 57 passes, two for
touchdowns, and was not intercepted.
"It's
awesome," Minshew said of throwing 57 times. "It's so much fun."
"We
are getting better as an offense each week," Minshew said.
James
Williams rushed for three Washington State touchdowns, despite getting just six
total carries.
"We've
just got to make plays when we get opportunities," Williams said.
Despite
the final score, this one was close for three quarters.
"We
counter-punched at times," Eastern Washington coach Aaron Best said.
"We just didn't have enough juice in our counter punches. We turned the
ball over four times."
"We
shot ourselves in the foot," Best said.
Jalen
Thompson intercepted a Gubrud pass to give the Cougars the ball on their own
32. James Williams punched the ball over from the 1 to give Washington State a
7-0 lead.
Minshew's
14-yard touchdown pass to Easop Winston Jr. lifted Washington State to a 14-0
lead.
Eastern
Washington drove to Washington State's 19, but had to settle for Roldan
Alcobendas' 37-yard field goal.
Travell
Harris ran the subsequent kickoff back 100 yards for a touchdown.
Gubrud was
intercepted near the goal line by Darrien Molton. Washington State drove 98
yards, and Williams plowed over from the 2 for a 28-3 lead.
But the
Eagles were not going away.
Gubrud
fired a 26-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Boston to cut Washington State's
halftime lead to 28-10.
On the
opening drive of the second half, Gubrud hit a wide-open Zach Eagle for a
34-yard touchdown pass to cut WSU's lead to 28-17.
Minshew
completed seven consecutive passes as the Cougars drove from their 1 to the EWU
8. Williams covered that distance for his third touchdown and a 35-17 lead.
Gubrud
replied with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Dennis Merritt to bring the Eagles
within 35-24.
Gubrud was
intercepted late in the third by Jahad Woods, giving the Cougars possession on
Eastern's 27. But they had to settle for Blake Mazza's 44-yard field goal.
Minshew
hit Martin with a 21-yard touchdown pass for a 45-24 lead with 9:47 left in the
game and the Eagles did not threaten again.
THE
TAKEAWAY
Eastern
Washington: Coming into this game, the Eagles had won three of their past eight
games against FBS opponents. They clearly belonged on the field with the
Cougars for most of this game.
Washington
State: Washington State's Air Raid offense gave the Cougars an early lead the
Eagles could not overcome. Leach said his team played well in all three phases
of the game. "We played kind of a complete game," Leach said.
ARE WE
THERE YET?
Washington
State had drives of 99 and 98 yards in the game.
BEVY OF
RECEIVERS
In
addition to Martin, Washington State's Jamire Calvin caught six passes for 70
yards. Winston caught six passes for 42 yards and Dezmon Patmon caught five for
57.
GAUGING
GAGE
Gubrud had
a huge game against the Cougars in 2016, throwing for five touchdowns and
running for another. This time not so much. He completed just 14 of 36 passes
for 231 yards. Zach Eagle caught four of the passes for 73 yards.
UNBALANCED
OFFENSE
Washington
State finished with 41 yards rushing and 524 yards passing.
UP NEXT
Eastern
Washington hosts Cal Poly on Saturday.
Washington
State faces its toughest test of the season when the Cougars travel to No. 22
Southern California on Friday night to open Pac-12 play.
……….
WSU
COUGARS FOOTBALL
The Good,
Bad and Ugly of WSU’s win over Eastern Washington
A lot more
good this time!
By PJ
Kendall Coug Center Sep 16, 2018
Good
morning. This Sunday morning dawns a lot more bright and happy than Sunday, 4
September, 2016 did. Why? Pretty sure I don’t need to tell you. But that’s long
in the rearview mirror. On the third Saturday of the 2018 college football
season, the Washington State Cougars scored four touchdowns before the Eastern
Washington University Eagles scored one, quickly putting to rest any notion
that this time was going to be like the last time.
There were
good performances all over the field, which one should expect when nearly 60
points go on the home team’s side of the board (non-Mike Breske division).
Heck, even the special teams pitched in with a huge play! The cool part is that
it came in front of the season’s first sellout crowd (even if many of the
ticket-buyers came dressed as aluminum bleachers). Either way, the road team
headed back to Cheney with a giant boot up its backside, so let’s talk about
it, shall we?
The Good
One the
whole, that was a dominant performance. Nearly 200 more total yards, 4-0 in the
turnover category, 35 first downs, 8.1 YPA, held Gage Gubrud to under 50%
completions.
98-yard TD
drive, 99-yard TD drive, 100-yard kick return TD. That’s a pretty good month,
and WSU did it in the final three quarters.
I liked
Ryan Leaf’s description of the Mesh play, and how WSU could’ve done a better
job of executing it against a zone defense.
Really
impressive throw and catch from Gardner Minshew II to Easop Winston to make it
14-0, even if there was a little offensive PI there.
That
Travell Harris kick return was so great. There was that one EWU player who
maybe could have caught him, so he just decided to hit another gear, causing
the poor EWU player to take a mouthful of rubber pellets.
I also
loved how Harris made a tackle on kick coverage later on.
That
Darrien Molton interception was pretty impressive, as he just ripped the ball
away from the receiver. Golden Tate would’ve argued that it belonged to the
offense.
Big third
down conversion by Minshew and Jamire Calvin to get the eventual 98-yard
touchdown drive going.
Speaking
of that drive, 15 plays, 98 yards and nearly half-a-quarter of possession is
not suboptimal.
The WSU
defense had intercepted four passes before allowing a touchdown pass. That’s
the good part of their day.
There’s at
least one play per game where I almost - almost - feel sorry for a poor
defender who Boobie Williams embarrasses in the open field.
That Jahad
Woods interception was one of the most athletic plays you’ll see from anyone at
any position, let alone linebacker.
Dezmon
Patmon seems to improve by the week. He is a stud when it comes to those back
shoulder and 50/50 throws near the sideline.
Feels like
I (we?) should expect more from the running game, but there doesn’t seem to be
any issue inside the opponent’s 10 yard line. It’s tough to run down there
against anyone, and WSU did it quite well Saturday.
Trey
Tinsley got to play! With the correct knee pads!
And he
threw a TD! To Robert Lewis! Awesome feelings all around on that drive, to
include Roderick Fisher’s first career catch. Brandon Arconado made a great
blocking effort on that play, too.
The Bad
Pac-12
Networks, you continue to suck. Trying to fit games into three-hour windows is
like trying to fit me into a SmartCar. I really would have liked to have seen
that first WSU interception and touchdown, but nope.
I had my
own issues with even being able to see this game recorded - no way was I gonna
watch it live - thanks to a friend’s slow internet connection (IT’s BEEN THREE
WEEKS NOW GERMANY I’D LOVE TO HAVE INTERNET OF MY OWN AT SOME POINT YES IT
PISSES ME OFF) and my brother’s Sling Box. The worst part was I went off the
grid, and planned to watch without knowing the score, but a typo in the Google
machine produced all of the Pac-12 scores on my screen before I could find the
game on said Sling Box/DVR combo. Best laid plans and whatnot...
Special
teams wasn’t without its flaws, as the kick coverage team allowed a long return
of its own after Harris’ house call.
If you
want to see what 30,000+ simultaneous heart attacks look like, show a replay of
that EWU kick rolling around on the field for what seemed like 20 minutes.
The refs
seemed to allow A LOT of hand fighting and contact between DBs and receivers,
and WSU got away with a good amount, but the play where the EWU receiver tossed
Marcus Strong to the ground, only for the refs to call interference on Strong
was baffling.
Speaking
of baffling calls (last one I promise), wtf was with the holding flag on Watson
during what should have been a long touchdown pass to Easop Winston?
Garbage
call.
While I
didn’t watch every play with a magnifying glass, it looked like the front four
generated precious little pressure. I know those guys are mostly green, but as
competition ramps up, Tracy Claeys needs to find a way for those guys to make
the quarterback uncomfortable.
Another
game, another subpar performance on third down, this time 3-9.
When EWU
closed the gap to 28-17, Ryan Leaf openly spoke about how he “felt the momentum
shifting.” WSU outscored EWU 31-7 after that. Momentum is still not a thing,
kids.
The Ugly
Busted
coverages! They’re everywhere! There shouldn’t be one play per game where opposing
receivers are running unopposed 30 yards down the field. There were multiple
instances of that Saturday. Gotta get it fixed.
Evergreen
statement alert: Hey students, you’re aware football games are 60 minutes in
length, and not 30 minutes, yes?
Even
uglier than that, and not exactly related to the WSU game, but ladies and
gentlemen, I present the Pac-12 South.
So now the
Cougs venture south to open Pac-12 play against an increasingly vulnerable USC
Trojans team. Three weeks in, and I have much more confidence that WSU can
leave LA with a win than I did before Labor Day. If the Cougs do end up with
their fourth win of the season, Mike Leach will have the same record against
the LA schools that he has against the Big Sky (5-2). Let’s make it happen!
//////////////////
>
WSU
FOOTBALL
Analysis:
Washington State wins ninth straight at home, defeating Eastern Washington
59-24 behind dominant offensive performance
By Theo Lawson,
Spokane S-R
UPDATED:
Sat., Sept. 15, 2018, 11:13 p.m.
➤
Friday, Sept. 21: Washington State Cougars at USC Trojans, 7:30 p.m. PDT TV:
ESPN
PULLMAN –
In seven years under Mike Leach, the Washington State Cougars have built a
potent offense, strengthened their defense and, a more recent development, have
gradually transformed Martin Stadium into a considerably difficult place to win
a football game if you aren’t wearing crimson and gray.
Eastern
Washington visited and won here in 2016, but the Pullman venue and its primary
tenant aren’t quite as vulnerable as they were two years ago. On Saturday, the
Eagles became the ninth consecutive team to walk out of Martin Stadium with a
loss after WSU dominated its FCS visitor 59-24 in front of 32,952 fans.
The
Cougars (3-0) will bring their unbeaten record to No. 22 USC on Friday for a
Pac-12 opener in Los Angeles while the Eagles (2-1) host Cal Poly on Saturday
for a Big Sky Conference opener in Cheney.
A sellout
crowd not only watched WSU preserve its win streak at Martin Stadium, which
dates back to the 2016 Apple Cup, but saw a glimpse of the Cougars’ potential
on offense.
When
they’re clicking, they’re a group that can broach the 60-point marker, throw
for more than 500 yards and score points from the opening drive to the final
buzzer.
“We’ve got
young receivers and we’ve got a new quarterback and those guys getting tuned in
with each other is starting to happen slowly but surely,” head coach Leach
said.
The
offense didn’t have any trouble getting off the ground and the Cougars were
able to put points on the board in each of the four quarters. They had 14 in
the first, 14 in the second, seven in the third and 17 in the fourth – equal
distribution that wasn’t possible last game against San Jose State, when WSU
scored 24 points in the first two quarters and seven in the last two.
The
Cougars believe they’re a team that can score willfully and Saturday, they’d
probably tell you, was more like it.
“Winning,
putting up 59 points, all that. It’s all fun,” WSU quarterback Gardner Minshew
said. “I have receivers that make plays, running backs, O-line that gives you
time. I’m having a blast right now.”
Minshew
threw two touchdown passes and finished with a career-high 470 yards, beating
his previous high of 463 set last season at East Carolina.
Just like
he did last season in the American Athletic Conference, Minshew is throwing at
a high-frequency rate with the Cougars. Now, though, he seems to be playing
with receivers capable of getting a little more out of each of pass. When
Minshew threw for 463 yards against Houston last year, he did it while
completing 52 passes on 68 attempts. The grad transfer exceeded his yardage
plateau on Saturday, but by completing seven fewer passes.
That’s a
testament to the skilled receivers he’s discovered in Pullman, such as Tay
Martin and Easop Winston Jr., who caught 19 of Minshew’s passes and were on the
end of both of his touchdowns. Martin finished with a career-high 13 catches
for 149 yards while Winston Jr. had six receptions for 42 yards.
“I think
all of it’s just kind of tuning into each other,” Leach said. “… Hopefully,
that’s not too optimistic, but I thought that was encouraging.”
Minshew
also has the benefit of an elite defense – another reason he’s 3-0 at this
point of the season, opposed to the 0-3 record he and ECU sported at this same
juncture last season.
The
Cougars’ defensive secondary broke down a few times, giving Gage Gubrud and the
Eagles some life in the third quarter, when the EWU QB threw two touchdowns to
unmarked receivers and twice cut the WSU lead to 11 points.
But
Minshew led an important eight-play, 99-yard touchdown drive with 4:37 left in
the third quarter to reestablish an 18-point WSU lead. Jahad Woods came up with
a key interception later in the period, giving the Cougars’ offense the ball
back on EWU’s 27-yard line with 35 seconds to go in the third.
Tracy
Claeys’ defense conceded only 372 yards of total offense and forced four
turnovers. Woods, Jalen Thompson and Darrien Molton each intercepted Gubrud and
EWU’s Dre Dorton fumbled a kick return in the fourth quarter when the score was
already decided.
The Eagles
will certainly preach ball security this week at practice – the lack of it led
directly to 24 Cougars points.
“We did a
lot of things that hurt ourselves,” Gubrud said. “Some bad things on my part.
Some of those interceptions, inaccurate passes and missed blocking assignments,
things like that.”
………………………….
>
WSU
FOOTBALL
John
Blanchette: Washington State has every reason to believe early-season momentum
will carry into Pac-12 play
UPDATED:
Sat., Sept. 15, 2018, 11:45 p.m.
By John
Blanchette
S-R of
Spokane
PULLMAN –
Carnac here. Take this one to the bank.
So the
Washington State Cougars have navigated their minefield of a nonconference schedule
– they just took down the heavyweight of the first three weeks, Eastern
Washington, in a fun 59-24 shootout-turned-beatdown Saturday to run their
record to 3-0.
Now they
get a breather: Pac-12 play starts next weekend.
Next stop:
6-0.
No joke. USC
hasn’t shown a thing. The Cougs get Utah at home. Oregon State remains Oregon
State.
So that’ll
set up a big showdown in Pullman on Oct. 20 against Oregon, which by then will
have dispatched Stanford, Cal and Washington. Surely that’s when Wazzu’s old
buddies at ESPN will finally swoop in and fulfill the singular lust of Cougar
fans everywhere: hosting College GameDay.
College
football’s ultimate validation!
Or else
they’ll pull the old Lucy-holding-for-Charlie-Brown deal and set up in Eugene a
week earlier for the Ducks and Huskies. Actually, that seems about right.
Sorry to
get your hopes up.
But the
6-0 thing doesn’t seem all that far-fetched, so there is that.
Few truly
expected the Cougars to be anything less than winners three times to this
point, despite the tragedy and timely transfer at quarterback and the
uncertainty along the lines and the general experience erosion. The schedule
was set up for that very purpose and under Mike Leach always will be – well,
until 2022 anyway.
But
perhaps what wasn’t so expected was the Cougars being so convincingly 3-0.
Have there
been hiccups? Of course. The Cougs lost interest in beating up San Jose State
to their best of their ability, and Leach predictably went into his annual
withering assessment of toughness, though at least he didn’t invoke America and
participation trophies this year. And against the Eagles, Wazzu took a detour
through the third quarter – too late to keep the thirsty migrants from bolting
at intermission, but just in time to keep those viewing on Larry TV from
lunging for their remotes.
But, hey,
mid-September is too early for perfection and besides, Leach always decries
trying to be too perfect.
Still, too
much good has happened to the Cougs to this point to suspect that good things
won’t keep happening, and perhaps confirm Leach’s caution a month or so back
that his team might be better than the consensus meh offered up by the pundit
class.
Plus, the
Pac-12 has a special knack – top to bottom – of not being able to get out of
its own way.
Now, that
has included the Cougars at the oddest times in recent years, but so far this
edition leads the league in taking care of business, even against the
overmatched.
“They’re
mentality games,” quarterback Gardner Minshew said. “How are you going to
attack them? They’re a good team, but they’re FCS and a lot of times you take
those for granted. That’s something we decided we weren’t going to do.”
On
Saturday, that was crystallized in two ways: not letting Eastern quarterback
Gage Gubrud turn the proceedings into a park pickup game as he did in the
Eagles’ grand upset two years ago, and cashing in all – well, most – of the
opportunities that came Wazzu’s way.
Even when
they looked nothing like opportunities.
TV Take:
Washington State provided plenty of highlights for Pac-12 Networks to replay in
59-24 win over Eastern Washington
Before the
game was three quarters gone, the Cougars had completed touchdown drives of 68,
83, 98 and 99 yards. Given that the quarterback arrived on campus in May and
that there’s exactly one senior among the 38 receivers who seem to get a touch
every game, that consistency is beyond remarkable, whether the opponent offers
85 scholarships or 63. Indeed, Minshew connected on all eight of his passes in
the 83-yard drive, and all seven in the 99-yarder.
“It almost
makes you tempted to spot the ball on the 1,” Leach mused. “But I probably
won’t do that.”
Meanwhile,
the Cougars made Gubrud ill at ease, to say the least: pressured constantly,
lacking command too often, his escape routes clogged. Two years ago, he scored
the clinching TD on a 30-yard run; this day, he rushed for minus 3. His
quarterback rating – 103.6 – was less than half what it was on that day in
2016, thanks largely to three interceptions.
“We had a
better game plan,” linebacker Peyton Pelluer said. “He’s one of the better
quarterbacks I’ve seen, but once you get him outside and get pressure on him,
he can make mistakes.”
He also
doesn’t have the playmakers around him he had then, and it hurt even more when
receiver Nsimba Webster didn’t play the second half.
Nevertheless,
the Eags were going to have a hard time scoring more than 59.
“It’s just
tuning into one another,” Leach insisted. “A lot of the receivers haven’t
played many snaps and (Minshew) hasn’t played with them very snaps. So I think
that’s started to come together. I hope that’s not too optimistic.”
No
worries. Carnac has the optimism market cornered.
…………………………..
WSU
FOOTBALL
TV Take:
Washington State provided plenty of highlights for Pac-12 Networks to replay in
59-24 win over Eastern Washington
UPDATED:
Sat., Sept. 15, 2018, 10:36 p.m.
By Vince
Grippi Spokane S-R
There is
an argument to be made that instant replay is the most significant invention in
the history of football. At least the broadcast part of it.
In a game
with many 30-second pauses, filling the time with replays helped make football
America’s favorite game.
But its
most-recent advancements, like super-slow motion and the replay review, has
added a Dr. Jekyll to replays’ Mr. Hyde.
Both were
on display on the Pac-12 Network’s broadcast of Saturday night’s Washington
State 59-24 win over visiting Eastern Washington.
What they
saw …
No one can
accuse the Pac-12 Networks of showing too few replays, which is great for
viewers – unless there is the occasional moment when the beginning of a play is
missed.
The
abundant replays are also good for the broadcast crew.
Play-by-play
voice Guy Haberman is adept at setting up what happened, and Ryan Leaf, the
former Washington State quarterback, didn’t back down no matter what the play
showed.
Leaf
pointed out the good, like each of Gage Gubrud’s three touchdown passes or the
key block on Travell Harris’ 100-yard kickoff return for Washington State. He
also pointed out the bad in most cases, highlighting a stiff-arm by WSU
receiver Easop Winston before a touchdown pass arrived as well as a possible
uncalled hold on an Eastern running play.
That is
also part of replay’s influence, the ability of viewers to criticize every flag
or nonflag.
Replay
highlighted two first-half spots that were off by a couple of yards. It didn’t
show a holding call that took away a 53-yard touchdown pass for Washington
State.
And it
also allowed Leaf and Haberman many opportunities to discuss the physical
nature of Washington State’s defensive backfield.
Late in
the game, Haberman and Leaf discussed an incomplete pass that featured
aggressive hand-fighting by Marcus Strong.
“That’s
pass interference,” Leaf said, then explained why.
Thanks to
replay, he had multiple chances to do that.
What we
saw …
One person
we didn’t see or hear enough was Cindy Brunson, especially in the second half.
Too often
the sideline reporter is little more than an appendix, someone whose job seems
to be nothing more than running after coaches as they leave the field at
halftime.
That
shouldn’t be Brunson’s role. She puts more emphasis on the reporter part.
The
initial example of this came in the first quarter. Washington State was on a
defensive roll, seemingly bothering Gubrud with its blitzes.
After
another stop, the defense was on the sidelines. Brunson listened to what was
being said.
Brunson
relayed to the viewers WSU’s linebacker coach Ken Wilson’s message to the
group, talking about Eastern’s formations and what the Cougars were going to do
differently.
“Let’s
really confuse this quarterback,” Brunson quoted Wilson as saying.
As Eastern
rallied, Eagles’ coach Aaron Best had a decision to make in the third quarter.
Either try a long field goal or punt. After a timeout, he decided to punt.
Brunson
told the viewers the why behind the decision. Best trusted the group that had
started to give WSU fits with an aggressive mentality starting in the second
quarter.
“Go get me
that ball back,” Best told his defense.
The
Cougars went on a 99-yard drive capped by James Williams’ 8-yard run.
And Leaf
questioned the passive defensive scheme all the way down the field.
“I just
can’t get over they’re bringing three every time and sitting eight back there,”
said the former quarterback, pointing out more than once the Eagles’ lack of
pressure. “That just hasn’t worked for them.”
This was
only Leaf’s second game as an analyst and it showed at times.
With less
than 5 minutes left in the first half, WSU quarterback Gardner Minshew threw
one of his rare incompletions, mainly because two Cougar receivers were
standing right next to each other. Immediately, Leaf pointed out the problem,
explaining a mesh route and how it wasn’t run correctly.
Two plays
later, a 19-yard pass to Jamire Calvin, Leaf gushed about the WSU receivers.
“These
receivers are in the right place at all times,” he said. “That’s why Gardner
Minshew has so much confidence in where they are going to be.”
It can’t
be both.
…………………..
IN TEXT
BELOW THERE ARE LINKS. BUT, YOU WON’T HAVE CLICKABLE LINKS UNLESS YOU GO TO THE
URL BELOW..
SPORTS
Grip on
Sports: After denying the importance of the game, WSU denies Eastern much of a
chance for another upset
Sun.,
Sept. 16, 2018, 9:05 a.m.
By Vince
Grippi
S-R of
Spokane
A GRIP ON
SPORTS • Washington State’s week of denial ended Saturday night with its
defense denying Eastern Washington much of a chance to score. And the Cougars
showing on the field all of their talk off it during the week was immaterial.
This game did matter. Read on.
••••••••••
• It was
sort of laughable. All week, Washington State players continued to say they
weren’t looking back, that the game with Eastern Washington wasn’t about the
upset loss two years ago. How they were just focused on playing this week’s
opponent this week.
Sure.
It was
obvious throughout the 60 minutes on the field that this one meant something
extra. The Cougars showed how much in the way they played, physically,
especially on defense. The showed it in the way they celebrated each success.
And they showed it with their talking.
Rarely a
play went by without the Pac-12 Networks cameras catching some sort of verbal
altercation. You may respond with “it happens every game” and I wouldn’t argue,
but this was different in intensity and frequency.
The
loudest group seemed to be the Cougar secondary, especially cornerback Darrien
Molton.
Molton,
then a sophomore, had been part of a secondary that gave up almost 500 passing
yards to Eastern two years ago. He was one of the guys who was burned by Gage
Gubrud’s multiple connections with Cooper Kupp. He was also one of the guys
this week who tried to deny that this game was about that one.
Of course
it was. It always is with competitive athletes. They don’t forget
embarrassment. They don’t forget failure. It motivates them to be better, to do
better, to erase the stain.
And that’s
just what the Cougar defense, and the team as a whole, did last night in
Pullman.
• It would
be nice to say that after the Cougar/Eagle game was over, that was it for our
football watching. But there were other games on that seemed too good to miss.
None of them really were, except Arizona State’s controversial loss at San
Diego State.
Washington
at Utah? A boring comedy of errors. USC at Texas? A rout. Fresno State at UCLA?
A rout. Southern Utah at Arizona? A second-half rout by the Wildcats.
Then there
was the late game in San Diego. And another piece of evidence in the coffers of
those who want to ban replay review. Actually, multiple pieces.
They
started with a couple of reviews that seemed innocuous, including the mandated
ones for targeting, college football’s hard-to-understand equivalent of the
NFL’s “what’s a catch?”
The
targeting rule was put in with the best of intentions. It’s a safety thing. It
was toughened with the addition of replay, allowing officials on the field to
throw a flag with the confidence if they are mistaken, the eye in the sky will
correct an injustice.
But it
didn’t work in San Diego. Midway through the second half, San Diego State ran a
running play to the left. After it was over, there was a Sun Devil down on the
field to the right. No one knew what happened. Replay caught it though. An
Aztec receiver had ran up to the ASU player and decked him, leaving his feet to
hit the player in the chin with his right shoulder. It was the clearest case of
a targeted hit to the head I’ve ever seen. But none of the officials saw it. So
why didn’t the replay official, with access to what we were seeing at home,
buzz in and alert the referee? I have no idea. According to the rules, he can
initiate a targeting call.
I also
have no idea why two crucial replay reviews went the way they did as time was
winding down either. One was a review of what looked to be a game-clinching
Aztec run. But the officials on the field ruled San Diego State had fumbled and
ASU had recovered. Replay seemed clear Chase Jasmin was down, but obviously
didn’t convince the replay official beyond all doubt, which is the standard the
NCAA uses.
The ruling
stood.
Then ASU
marched down the field, down seven points. With time running out, the Sun
Devils took a shot at the end zone on fourth down. Arizona State receiver Frank
Darby went up, caught the ball and then took an illegal shot by Trenton
Thompson. It was targeting, a call confirmed on replay. It was also a catch,
putting the ball on the 2-yard line with time for one play.
Except,
thanks to egregious blow to the head, Darby had bobbled the ball a bit. CBS
Sports’ replays showed it come loose, but after watching it over and over again
through the magic of the DVR, it was impossible – and I mean impossible – to be
sure if the ball hit the ground or if the receiver’s arm and hand stand under
it the entire time.
And yet
the replay official overturned the call on the field, saying he was sure beyond
all doubt it was incomplete. That also seems impossible, but that’s where we’ve
come these days.
Maybe the
naysayers are right. Maybe it is time for replay review to go away.
•••
WSU: I
know this sounds like a home-town thing to say, but the coverage of Cougar
football in the S-R is as good as college football coverage anywhere on the
West Coast, especially if you consider the size of the Review staff. Bigger
papers in bigger cities may have more, but that’s to be expected.
Pound-for-pound, there is no better coverage around. … Off the soapbox and on
to the links. Theo Lawson leads the way today with his game analysis along with
the difference makers and a couple of good stories. One is on Peyton Pelleur’s
admission he considered transferring to Alabama in the offseason and another on
the 100-yard kickoff return. … John Blanchette has his column, which covers not
the what WSU has done in nonconference play, but the how. … For Ryan
Collingwood’s coverage of the game from Eastern’s point of view, see below. …
Tyler Tjomsland was in a sold-out Martin Stadium and has a complete photo
report. … I was at home and had my thoughts on the TV coverage. I am still
wondering where Cindy Brunson disappeared to in the second half and why we
didn’t hear more from her. … The guys in the office put together the highlights
package.
#
