Football: For 1st time ever, ESPN GameDay headed to Pullman, WSU
ESPN program will air live Saturday in advance of WSU-Oregon
contest
By DALE GRUMMERT of the Lewiston Tribune Oct 14, 2018
Fifteen years after Washington State football fans began
using their school flag to lobby insistently for a host gig on College GameDay,
they're finally getting their wish.
ESPN announced Saturday night that its GameDay crew is
headed for Pullman to air its popular weekly TV program Saturday ahead of the
Cougars' game against Oregon.
The three-hour program will begin at 6 a.m., and the game
itself starts at 4:30 p.m. at Martin Stadium, to be televised by FOX.
It's the first time Pullman has ever been chosen as the host
for GameDay, which is aired live from a different game site each week.
Beginning with a GameDay broadcast from Austin, Texas, on
Oct. 3, 2003, one or more Washington State fans have followed the program from
city to city with the express purpose of insinuating their school flag in front
of the camera during the shoot. "Ol' Crimson," therefore, has made
216 consecutive broadcasts.
At least part of the goal of this ritual has been to lure
the show to Wazzu, a fact to which commentator Kirk Herbstreit alluded in
making the announcement.
"You start to look at the drawing board - where College
GameDay should go for Week 8," he said, "and there's really no
debate. It's been a long time - the 15-year anniversary is this Saturday - for
that beautiful flag, Ol' Crimson, that's been traveling around College GameDay.
So there's only one place for College GameDay to go: Oregon at Washington
State. We will see you in Pullman."
What may have clinched the decision was Oregon's 30-27
overtime win Saturday over Washington. That left the Cougars and the Ducks both
5-1 overall, 2-1 in conference play, and tied in the loss column with
Washington and Stanford atop the Pac-12 North standings. The Cougs had an open
date Saturday.
Over the years, WSU fans have repeatedly got their hopes up
for a GameDay nod, only to be disappointed. A prime reason may have been the
complicated logistics of getting the program's crew and equipment to isolated
Pullman.
Fans were especially crestfallen when GameDay chose a
contest at Temple in 2015 over a game in Pullman between the 5-2 Cougars and
6-1 Stanford.
Last year occasioned a duel of undefeated WSU and USC teams
in Pullman, but a Friday-night kickoff precluded the possibility of a GameDay
visit.
Other games that might have been considered this week were
Michigan at Michigan State, Mississippi State at Louisiana State, and North
Carolina State at Clemson.
GameDay was launched in 1987 but didn't begin live
broadcasts until six years later.
…….
WSU FOOTBALL
ESPN College GameDay making trip to Pullman for Washington
State game against Oregon
UPDATED: Sun., Oct. 14, 2018, 11:33 a.m.
By Vince Grippi
Spokane S-R
There he was.
Kirk Herbstreit on Twitter on Saturday night. Standing
outside a stadium somewhere in college football USA, telling Washington State
fans something they have wanted to hear for 15 years.
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ... PULLMAN, WE'RE COMING TO YOUR
CITY!
ESPN’s College GameDay is coming to Pullman.
Herbstreit smiling, telling everyone what an honor it is to
bring the whole crew to the Palouse.
There is really no debate, as Herbstreit told the world.
It’s been a long time.
“The 15-year anniversary is this Saturday for that beautiful
flag, Ol’ Crimson, that’s been traveling around College GameDay,” he said in a
30-second video on his Twitter feed. “There is only one place for College
GameDay to go. Oregon at Washington State.
“We will see you in Pullman.”
Funny thing, though. The Cougars, who will bring a 5-1
record into next Saturday’s showdown with the 5-1 Ducks, have Washington to
thank for the special moment.
If the Huskies had converted a last-second field goal in
regulation Saturday afternoon, UW would have walked out of Eugene with a win.
And there would be little luster in Oregon’s visit to Pullman.
But now, with the 17th-ranked Ducks just a poor clock-management
decision against Stanford away from being undefeated and the Cougars a blocked
field goal or so from the same, have the best West Coast game of the weekend.
The Cougars have played in such games before, of course, but
something always conspired against them hosting GameDay. ESPN has teased
before, sure, but the decision was made each time to go somewhere else.
Even though one of the most recognizable aspects of the show
is, as Herbstreit mentioned, Ol’ Crimson. The WSU flag has flown behind the
crew for 216 consecutive shows, courtesy of Tom Pounds’ inspired idea in 2003.
Since then, Washington State football has wandered in the
wilderness, only recently emerging in the promised land of relevance, thanks in
large part to coach Mike Leach.
And with the emergence of Gardner Minshew, the graduate
transfer from East Carolina, at quarterback and a defense that has kept WSU in
games, they are relevant enough to host the ESPN crew.
Rece Davis. Lee Corso. Herbstreit. Maybe even Desmond
Howard. A guest picker – it may not be possible, but maybe there is some way
Steve Gleason can have a role – and about a million Cougar flags.
All in Pullman next Saturday.
It is a day Cougar fans have waited for, have lobbied for,
have seemingly begged for, since ESPN started traveling around the country.
It is a day many never thought would happen.
llllllllllllllllll
ESPN College Gameday finally comes to Pullman
Ol' Crimson returns home to make 216th straight appearance
on ESPN show
By JOHN SPELLMAN, Evergreen October 14, 2018
What many considered to be impossible will finally take
place in Pullman for the first time ever. ESPN’s College Gameday will come to
Pullman in anticipation of the matchup between the No. 25 Cougs and the No. 12
University of Oregon on Saturday.
College Gameday broke the news via its Twitter account in an
announcement from one of their announcers Kirk Herbstreit.
“Looking at the drawing board for where College Gameday
should go for week eight and there’s really no debate,” Herbstreit said in a
video. “It has been a long time, the 15 year anniversary is this Saturday for
that beautiful flag Ol’ Crimson, so there’s only one place for College Gameday
to go … Oregon, Washington State, we will see you in Pullman.”
Going to the top matchup in college football each week,
College Gameday has traveled all over the country previewing the college
football games that weekend. However, the show will be making its first trip to
the Palouse.
After the Oregon Ducks defeated the University of Washington
Huskies in surprising fashion this past weekend, it sets up a huge matchup
between the Cougs and the Ducks as they battle for control of the Pac-12 North
division.
Some of the highlights of College Gameday are the creative
signs from the fans, the surprise guest picker each week and of course the
headgear that analyst Lee Corso will done to predict the winner choose of the
game of the week.
Ol’ Crimson, the crimson flag with the WSU logo on it, has
traveled across the country and been at every College Gameday set for 216
consecutive weeks dating back 15 years on Thursday. However, for the first time
ever Ol’ Crimson will return home to Pullman.
The red carpet will be laid out for the Gameday crew as the
production trucks will start to roll into Pullman on Wednesday in anticipation
of Saturday.
The show will start at 6 a.m. Saturday and there will be a
huge turnout for Gameday’s inaugural trip to Pullman.
……………
SOCCER Cougs can't quite overtake USC
WSU loses third straight but musters spirited push against
No. 2 Trojans
By STEPHAN WIEBE Moscow Pullman Daily News
PULLMAN - A delayed blast by Washington State's Morgan
Weaver in front of a crowded USC goal, a header by the Cougars' Elyse Bennett
and a perfect run by Weaver that resulted in a cutback and shot wide left.
Those were a few of the chances the 19th-ranked Washington
State soccer team had to tie the game late against No. 2 USC in a 3-2 loss
Saturday night at Lower Soccer Field in front of nearly 2,000 fans.
There's rarely solace in a loss, especially one that is the
third straight for WSU, but the Cougars masked their disappointment after the
game with confidence for the future.
"I'm disappointed we lost, don't get me wrong, but if
we're going to play like this the next five games then we're going to be one
dangerous team," Washington State coach Todd Shulenberger said.
Southern Cal (12-1-1 overall, 5-1-0 Pac-12) did what is
expected of one of the best teams in the nation - controlled possession early,
capitalized on its best chances and nabbed some big saves.
But Washington State (10-3-0, 3-3-0) hung with the Trojans
in shots (18-16) and out-performed them in shots on goal (7-5).
Senior defender Maddy Haro paced WSU with a goal and her
11th assist of the season, which tied the program's single-season record.
"I feel like we exposed their defending and their
pressure back to goal," Haro said. "We found some seams and we
exploited the wide parts of the field and I think the most important thing was
set pieces. They couldn't really get a handle on what we were doing and where
we were going. It's disappointing (to lose)."
After falling behind, 3-1 in the second period, the Cougars
battle back to get within one goal and find potential chances at the end that
would've tied it.
"We're Washington State and I think our main thing here
is we have the heart to play and we have the grit," said Weaver, a junior
forward. "We're going to fight until the 90th minute and the whistle blows
and that's all we can give."
Southern Cal took the lead late in the first half on a
penalty kick by Leah Pruitt (one goal, one assist) to the left. Washington
State goalie Rachel Thompson (two saves) dove the right direction, but the ball
went under her outstretched arm.
In the second half, the offensive action really kicked up.
In the first of four total goals in the half, USC's Tara McKeown gave the Trojans
a 2-0 lead on a goal in the 54th minute when she sliced between defenders and
fired a shot from close range.
Thirty seconds later, Weaver was fouled in the Southern Cal
box and Haro stepped up for the penalty kick. She looked to the lower left corner
of the goal to try to bait USC goalie Kaylie Collins (five saves).
"I was going to hit it down the middle either way, so
when I saw her take a step to try to cheat to go to her right, so I took a deep
breath and (went) right down the middle," Haro said.
The Haro goal cut the USC lead to one, but the Trojans
weren't done. A Penelope Hocking header to the far post put USC back up by two
goals in the 63rd, 3-1.
Ten minutes later, WSU's Molly Myers scored on a rebound off
a set piece by Haro and the Cougars were back in it.
"It was good for Molly to get a goal there,"
Shulenberer said. "Right time, right spot. Finish it away."
The Cougars kept attacking up through the final two minutes,
when Weaver's fourth shot was saved by Collins.
The Cougars are on a three-game skid after starting the
season 10-0 - a program record. But Shulenberger said if the team keeps playing
like it did Saturday, the wins will come again. Washington State plays Arizona
State (6-5-1, 1-3-1) and Arizona (8-4-2, 1-3-2) on the road next week.
"We got 16 shots," he said. "You gotta
remember we were 10 wins there to get going and all the things went in. That's
the sport. If we had zero shots I'd be concerned but 16 on frame, we'll be all
right."
Southern California 1 2-3
Washington State 0 2-2
Southern Cal - Leah Pruitt (penalty kick), 38th.
Southern Cal - Tara McKeown (Jalen Woodward), 54th.
Washington St. - Maddy Haro (penalty kick), 55th.
Southern Cal - Penelope Hocking (Pruitt), 63rd.
Washington St. - Molly Myers (Haro), 72nd.
Shots - Southern Cal 18, Washington St. 16.
Saves - Southern Cal: Kaylie Collins 5, Rachel Thompson 2.
:::::::::
VOLLEYBALL COUGS
Woodford, Tusa Lead Offense In Loss At Cal
McKenna, and Penny combine for 36 kills but the Bears were
able to win it 3-1.
10/14/2018 from WSU Sports Info
BERKELEY, Calif.
-- The No. 21 ranked Cougars of
Washington State (13-5, 4-4 Pac-12) were defeated on the road by the Golden
Bears of California in an intense four set Pac-12 match-up Sunday afternoon.
Set scores for the match were: 30-32, 25-15, 23-25, and
20-25 in favor of Cal (10-9, 2-6 Pac-12).
The Cougars controlled this contest early on in the opening
set as kills from Penny Tusa, and McKenna Woodford guided the way offensively
to an 8-6 lead. The Bears began generating small runs as this set saw multiple
ties and lead changes until the Cougs once again built a small lead (17-14),
with the help from a Cal error and back-to-back kills from Woodford. Cal saw
the momentum swing in their favor after a 5-1 run late in this opening set of
play gave the Bears a 23-22 advantage. This first set saw eight additional ties
after that point, until California was able to put together back-to-back points
and claim the first set at 32-30 overall.
Set number two saw Washington State regroup, and with an 8-1
run midway through the round, the Cougars were out in front at 16-10. A second
8-1 run from the Cougs shortly after extended the lead of WSU with multiple
kills from Woodford, and a pair of service aces from Ashley Brown sealed off
the set two victory at 25-15 by the final point
The third set in this Pac-12 match-up featured another
intense battle with a total of eight ties between the Cougars and the Bears
with the score at 11-11. Multiple lead changes and ties followed late into this
set, with the Cougs seeing offensive power from Jocelyn Urias, Ella Lajos, and
Woodford. The Golden Bears however went on a 3-1 run to close out set number
three as back-to-back WSU errors saw Cal take a 2-1 match lead.
The fourth and final set of this contest started out with
multiple ties and small one-point leads which was becoming the standard for
this match. Cal however found a way to pull ahead with a 6-1 run, to hold an
advantage of 13-9 midway through the set. The Bears once again created another
6-1 run later in the set, extending the home lead out to 22-14, but the Cougs
were not done yet as a 6-1 run from Washington State with kills from Claire
Martin, Ashley Brown, and Woodford cut the Cal lead down to just 23-20. The
Bears ultimately sealed off the match victory with back-to-back points for a
25-20 set win.
STAT OF THE MATCH
Senior McKenna Woodford totaled 22 kills in this contest,
tying her career-high for kills in a match. She previously recorded 22 during
her sophomore season, back in 2015.
