ESPN
producer to WSU fans: Don't show up without a flag
By COUGFAN.com
10/16/2018
LEE
FITTING, THE ESPN vice president who oversees College GameDay, today offers up
a clear message to Washington State fans planning to be on hand Saturday for
GameDay’s long-awaited broadcast from Pullman: Don’t show up without a flag.
“There’s gotta be 6,000 flags in the crowd here or we’re not going to be happy.
We want them flying everywhere,” Fitting told KXLY Radio’s Derek Deis this
morning on the Cougs in 60 show.
Fitting
said he and his crew will be “drastically disappointed” if the crowd Saturday doesn’t
rival the show’s record-breakers of the past at North Dakota State and James
Madison University. In fact, he’ll be disappointed if thousands aren’t lining
the streets to greet the arrival of the GameDay trucks on Thursday (time TBD).
Asked by
Deis if Cougar fans owe the Huskies a thank you for the overtime loss at Oregon
last weekend, thus assuring the Cougar-Duck contest being a match of 5-1, Top
25 teams tied atop the Pac-12 North, Fitting was succinct: “Absolutely.”
“You know
the last thing we wanted, the last thing anyone out there wanted was for
GameDay to come as a charity case. Right? You want GameDay to come when it’s
right for GameDay to come,” Fitting told Deis. “And that necessarily doesn’t
always mean the best game of the week , because that is never our mantra. Our
manta is the best story of the week and there’s a big difference there … both
teams are coming in red shot, both teams are ranked and the history of Ol’
Crimson (15 years old this month) is just sort of the perfect storm.”
Clemson
and North Carolina are both undefeated and playing this Saturday but Fitting
said coming to Pullman was “the right thing to do.” GameDay had never been to
the Palouse and, given the Ol’ Crimson history, it would be more memorable —
something that “cuts through clutter of a Saturday morning” — than another trek
to Clemson.
Pullman
will be the 70th school GameDay has visited since going on the air in 1987.
Fitting said the excitement about the WSU is on both sides of the equation.
“It’s been on our wish list for some time now … our crew can’t wait to get out
there.”
FITTING
ALSO TOLD DEIS THAT OL’ CRIMSON, which will fly behind the GameDay set for the
217th-straight time this Saturday, is a reminder of all that is good about
college football and its fans.
“It’s
become more than a fixture. What the Washington State flag behind the GameDay
set signifies is … everything that college football is about, right? It’s
passion, it’s tradition and it’s pageantry," Fitting said. "And
that’s what makes the sport so great and that’s why GameDay has embraced it
(the flag). When you get fans that are that passionate, that make that kind of
effort and latch on to a tradition like that it’s just awesome. You don’t see
that in the NFL, you don’t see that in the NBSA and you don’t see it in Major
League Baseball. It’s what makes college football standout.”
FITTING’S
TIPS FOR SIGN WAVERS:
Be
creative, push the envelope and “get as close to the uncomfortable line as
possible without going over it.”
Arrive
early, like the afternoon or evening the day before.
NOTABLE:
WSU and
ESPN are planning to fly flags Saturday of every school that has hosted Ol’
Crimson since its first flying in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 4, 2003.
ESPN
producers chose the corner of Stadium Way and Ferdinand's Lane, on the east
side of Martin Stadium, to be the set locale. There is no formal for determine
where to construct the set behind having it close for students to get to at 4
or 5 in the morning, Fitting said.
He said
the choice for the Guest Picker on Saturday is nearly locked down. He also said
the guiding force in finding somehow is not necessarily a connection to the
host university but star power and lively conversation.
To help
keep Ol' Crimson flying forever, donate here to the Ol' Crimson Booster Club:
http://www.olcrimson.org
……………
((See
story below. The shirts are $25 each. Apparently there is a shipping charge,
too.))
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Get your
commemorative WSU football GameDay t-shirt!
What
better way to celebrate Ol’ Crimson FINALLY coming home?
By Jeff
Nusser Coug Center Oct 15, 2018
If you’re
looking for the perfect way to celebrate ESPN’s College GameDay finally making
the trek to Pullman for a Washington State Cougars football game, CougCenter
and Breaking T have conspired to get you covered: An awesome, snazzy t-shirt
commemorating the momentous occasion!
The shirt
features white and gray print on a super-comfortable vintage crimson tee made
from premium, lightweight blended crewneck (60% cotton/40% polyester). Durable,
yet ultra-soft!
You can
order yours here:
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Some are
wondering if it would arrive by the weekend. If your order comes in by early
Tuesday, Oct. 16, it should ship out by Tuesday evening and MIGHT have a chance
of arriving by the weekend. So, if you want to wear it this weekend as you’re
hustling for position near the stage that will hold Rece Davis, Lee Corso, Kirk
Herbstreit and Desmond Howard, order it NOW GO GO GO GO GO.
Seriously,
why are you still here and reading this? Go buy one.
https://breakingt.com/products/ol-crimson-is-coming-home-shirt?rfsn=1880828.8a3d76
……………….
Cougar
football:
No. 25
Cougars Host No. 12 Oregon Saturday on FOX
From WSU
Sports Info 10/15/2018
No. 12
OREGON at No. 25 WASHINGTON STATE
4:30 p.m.,
Saturday, Oct. 20 • FOX
Martin
Stadium (32,952) • Pullman, Wash.
No. 25
COUGARS HOST No. 12 OREGON SATURDAY ON FOX
Washington
State (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12) returns to Martin Stadium to host No. 12 Oregon (5-1.
2-1 Pac-12) Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on FOX.
SERIES
HISTORY
Washington
State trails the all-time series with Oregon 41-47-7 but WSU has claimed the
last three meetings including a 33-10 victory in Eugene last season. The Ducks
own a 24-21-2 mark in Pullman but the Cougars claimed a 51-33 win in 2016 after
rushing for six touchdowns. WSU is looking to claim its fourth straight win
over Oregon for the first time since 1981-84.
COLLEGE
GAMEDAY RECORD
Dating
back to the middle of the 2003 season, ESPN's College GameDay has had the WSU
flag appear throughout the show. The first appearance came Oct. 4, 2003 in
Austin, Texas and the streak began two weeks later in Madison, Wisc.
(10/18/03). The streak reached 216 after the appearance at last week's
Wisconsin-Michigan game in Ann Arbor. Two flags – Ol' Crimson and Gray – have
been flown in the background of the GameDay set by dozens of friends and
alumni. The Gray flag was added in 2014 after Whitey was retired in honor of
Steve Gleason's "No White Flags." In addition to the flags that fly,
there is a traveling flag signed by the holders after each episode. The
traveling flag is retired after each season, the first is hanging in WSU's
Alumni Center.
- ESPN
GameDay will be making its first trip to Pullman
- WSU has
played at the site of GameDay once before, at No. 6 Ohio State in 2002 (L,
25-7)
- Mike
Leach has been a part of four ESPN GameDay sites, won the only one as a host in
2009, vs. No. 1 Texas
- Tim
Brando was the host of the first ESPN GameDay in 1993, will call play-by-play
on FOX, Saturday vs. Oregon
ABOUT
WASHINGTON STATE
Washington
State enters the week ranked No. 25 in the Associated Press Top-25 with 5-1
overall record and 2-1 in Pac-12 play after posting a 56-37 win at Oregon State
before having a bye last weekend. The Cougars own the nation's best passing
attack (413.78 ypg) and the No. 14-ranked defense in the country (311.2 ypg)
who have posted three shutouts in the past 19 games. Quarterback Gardner
Minshew II paces the country in passing (403.7) and is seventh in touchdown
passes (19).
QUICK GAME
TEAM
• WSU's roster features players from 18
different states and players from American Samoa and Australia
• WSU owns 21 Pac-12 wins since 2015 (3+
seasons), 4th-most in the Pac-12 (USC - 24, Stanford - 23, UW - 22)
• WSU is the only Pac-12 team with four
shutouts in the last six seasons (Stanford and Washington with 2)
• WSU has won 10 straight home games, the
3rd-longest streak in program history, longest since 1928-33 (19)
• WSU has rushed for 12 TD through 6 games
after rushing for 8 TD all of last season
• WSU is 4th in the country with 11 scoring
drives of 10+ plays this season, tops among all Power-5 teams
INDIVIDUAL
• Mike Leach owns 43 wins at WSU, 4th-most in
program history, Jim Walden sits 3rd with 44
• Under Leach, WSU has recorded 12 4th-quarter
comebacks in his 7 seasons, came back to beat Utah week 5
• QB Gardner Minshew II entered the week
leading country in passing (403.7) and 7th in passing TDs (19)
• Minshew II has thrown for 403.7 yards/g,
2,422 yards and 19 TD, the 2nd-best numbers under Leach at WSU through the
first 6 games of a season, Connor Halliday, 2014 (508.6 yards/g, 3,052 yards
and 26 TD)
• RB James Williams leads all running backs
nationally with 32 receptions, tied for lead with 3 receiving TD
• WR Tay Martin has 4 career multiple-TD games
(at Arizona, vs. Michigan State, San Jose State, at Oregon State)
• LB Peyton Pelluer has played in 47 career
games, WSU record is 51 - Gabe Marks (WR), Daniel Ekuale (DL)
MIKE LEACH
AMONG NATION'S BEST
Mike Leach
is in his 17th season as a head coach and owns a 127-82 career record including
a 43-39 mark at WSU, now in his seventh season in Pullman, the fourth-most wins
by a Cougar head coach. Leach is the first Cougar head coach in school history
to lead WSU to three straight bowl games and is second in school history with
four bowl appearances, trailing Mike Price's five. Leach, the 2015 Pac-12
Co-Coach of the Year and a George Munger Coach of the Year semifinalist the
past two seasons, has seen the Cougar Air Raid lead the Pac-12 in passing in
five of his six seasons, only finishing second behind Cal and Jared Goff in
2013.
FRIENDLY
CONFINES OF MARTIN STADIUM
Washington
State has claimed 10 straight victories at Martin Stadium, the third-longest
home winning streak in program history. Last season, WSU went 7-0 at home, the
most home wins in program history and was the first perfect home mark since
going 6-0 in 2003.
- WSU's
longest home winning streak is 19 games that started in 1928 and ended with a
tie in 1933
- WSU's
2nd-longest home winning streak is 14 games from 1904-08
- WSU's
longest home unbeaten streak is 33 games that ran 1926-35 (wins and ties)
COUGARS
BACK IN TOP-25 RANKINGS
Washington
State appeared at No. 25 in this week's Associated Press Top-25, WSU's first
appearance in the rankings this season. The Cougars appeared in the rankings
last season, reaching as high as eighth after starting 6-0. WSU recorded a pair of wins over ranked
teams last season, beating No. 5 USC and No. 18 Stanford, both came in Martin
Stadium.
YOUNG
COUGS TAKE THE FIELD
WSU has
seen 26 players make their debuts and 13 make their first career start in 2018.
Six players made their first career starts on offense at Wyoming; Easop Winston
Jr. (Z), Travell Harris (H), Liam Ryan (LG), Josh Watson (RG), Abraham Lucas
(RT), Gardner Minshew II (QB) and four made third first career start on
defense; Nick Begg (DT), Taylor Comfort (NT), Dominick Silvels (RUSH), Skyler
Thomas (FS). Against Eastern Washington, Max Borghi (RB) made his first career
start, Willie Taylor III (RUSH) made his first career start at USC and Will
Rodgers III (DT) made his first career start against Utah.
RECORD
BOOK WATCH
A couple
Cougars are closing in on putting their names in the Washington State record
book.
- Mike
Leach owns 43 wins at WSU, 4th-most in WSU history, 2 away from passing Jim
Walden for 3rd place
- James
Williams owns 151 receptions, 2nd-most by a WSU running back, 13 away from
moving into WSU Top-10
- Williams
owns 19 career total touchdowns, 2 away from moving into WSU Top-10 for career
touchdowns
- Keith
Harrington owns 52 career receptions, 10th-most by a WSU running back
- Peyton
Pelluer has played in 47 games, Gabe Marks (WR) and Daniel Ekuale (DL) own WSU
record with 51 GP
- Pelluer
owns 304 career tackles, 1 away from moving into WSU Top-10 for career tackles
- Pelluer
owns 29.0 career TFL, 2 away from moving into WSU Top-10 for career TFL
GARDNER
MINSHEW II NOTES
(Ratings
Based On PFF College)
Quarterback
Gardner Minshew II has produced some impressive numbers in his first season
with the Cougars
- Entered
week 1st in country in passing yards/g (403.7), passing yards (2,422) and total
offense/g (411.0)
- Entered
week 7th in the country TD passes (19), 2nd among Pac-12 QB's with 68.7
completion percentage
- Rated
2nd overall QB in the country, best among Pac-12 QB's
- Rated
the country's 4th-best passer when under pressure, best in the Pac-12
- Only QB
in country with four 400-yard games in 2018, no other FBS QB has more than two
400-yard games
- In his
WSU debut, went 38-of-57 for 319 yards and 3 TD, also rushed for another in win
at Wyoming
- Had 45
completions against Eastern Washington, most completions by any FBS quarterback
this year
SPREADING
THE BALL AROUND
Last
season WSU averaged a national-best 9.6 receivers catch a pass per game,
according to an unofficial survey from sports information directors, and tied
for national lead (New Mexico State) with eight players with 25+ catches. This
season, Washington State has had at least nine players catch a pass in all six
games.
- 12
players caught a pass against Eastern Washington
- 10
players caught a pass against San Jose State, Utah, at Oregon State
- 9
players caught a pass at Wyoming, at USC
- Through
6 games, WSU has had five different receivers lead the team in receiving
AIR RAID
NUMBERS CONTINUE TO ADD UP
Last
season, Washington State produced the nation's second-best passing attack
(366.8) and opened the season with 30+ points in six straight games for the
first time since the 2001. In 2016, WSU finished third in the country in
passing offense (362.5) and set a program single-season records for the most
touchdowns scored (67) and points (496). The WSU passing attack led the country
in 2015 (389.5) and 2014 (477.7), was fourth in 2013 (368.4) and was eighth in
2012 (330.4).
COUGAR
WIDE RECEIVER NOTES (Ratings Based On PFF College)
- Tay
Martin entered the week 3rd in Pac-12 in receptions (40), tied for 2nd in TD catches
(6)
- Martin
is 2nd among Pac-12 receivers in snaps played (400)
- Easop
Winston Jr. entered week tied for 4th in Pac-12 in TD catches (5) and 9th in
receiving yards (426)
- Martin
(EWU, at OSU) and Winston Jr. (at USC, Utah) each own a pair of 100-yard games
- Winston
Jr.'s 89-yard TD catch against Utah tied for 7th-longest TD catch in the
country this season, tied for the longest in the Pac-12 in 2018 and longest by
a Coug since Vince Mayle's 90-yarder against California in 2014
- Dezmon
Patmon entered week 13th in Pac-12 in receiving yards (370), had 1st career
100-yard game vs. Utah
- Jamire
Calvin leads the team with 6 3rd-down catches that have resulted in a 1st down
- Kyle
Sweet owns 19 catches in 2018, 14 of those have resulted in a 1st down
- Travell
Harris is rated the 5th-best blocking WR in the Pac-12, Martin is tied for 6th
ALL-PURPOSE,
ALL THE TIME
The Cougar
running backs serve all-purpose roles for the Air Raid. In each of the last two
seasons, the Cougar backs combined to record 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000
yards receiving. Last season, James Williams led the Cougars with 71
receptions, also the most by any FBS running back in the country. In week one
at Wyoming, the backs combined for 18 receptions, 101 rushing yards and four
total touchdowns. Against Eastern Washington, the backs combined for 10
receptions and four rushing touchdowns including three from James Williams, the
first Cougar with three rushing touchdowns since 2012.
COUGAR
RUNNING BACK NOTES
- WSU has
rushed for 12 TD in 2018, tied for 4th in the Pac-12, rushed for 8 TD last
season
- James
Williams entered the week tied for 4th in the Pac-12 with 8 total TD
- Williams
is rated as top pass-catching RB in the country by PFF College, leads all RB
nationally with 32 catches
- Williams
has forced the most missed tackles by a receiving RB in the country (16), 2nd
is ASU's Benjamin (9)
- Williams
owns 5 career games with 10+ catches, 4 came last season and 1 this season at
Wyoming (10)
- Max
Borghi is tied for 7th in the Pac-12 with 6 total TD, 4th in the Pac-12 in
catches by a RB (19)
- Borghi
has forced the 4th-most missed tackles by a receiving RB in the Pac-12 (5)
- Borghi
had an impressive collegiate debut at Wyoming, scoring 2 TD, one receiving and
one rushing
NEW-LOOK
OFFENSIVE LINE
The Cougar
offensive line features a couple new faces in 2018. Gone is four-year starting
right tackle Cole Madison, drafted in the fifth round by the Green Bay Packers,
two-time All-American left guard Cody O'Connell graduated as well as right
guard B.J. Salmonson (44 GP). Two-year starter and 2017 All-Pac-12 HM left
tackle Andre Dillard returned for his redshirt-senior season along with junior
center Fred Mauigoa who started all 13 games last season and was named to the
Rimington Trophy Watch List prior to the 2018 season. Redshirt-sophomores Liam
Ryan and Josh Watson have taken over at left guard and right guard,
respectively, while redshirt-freshman Abraham Lucas made his collegiate debut
at Wyoming and has started all six games at right tackle.
OFFENSIVE
LINE NOTES (Ratings based on PFF College)
- WSU owns
the nation's best passing attack, is rated the 8th-best pass-blocking line in
the country
- WSU has
allowed just 5 sacks this season on 324 pass attempts, fewest sacks allowed in
the Pac-12
- WSU has
blocked for 12 rushing touchdowns, 5th-most in the Pac-12
- Andre
Dillard (LT) is rated 4th-best OT in the country, the top pass-blocking OT,
3rd-best screen-blocking OT
- Dillard
has started 32 straight games at left tackle
- Abraham
Lucas (RT) is rated 6th-best OT in the Pac-12 and 3rd-best pass-blocking OT in the
country
- Liam
Ryan (LG) is rated 15th-best pass-blocking OG in the country and top
screen-blocking OG in the country
- Fred
Mauigoa (C) has started 19 straight games at center
COUGAR
DEFENSE NOTES
The Speed
D has produced some low numbers in the first five games, and that's a good
thing.
- at
Wyoming, WSU allowed just 206 yards of total offense, tallied 8 TFL including 3
sacks and 1 INT
- San Jose
State, WSU posted their 3rd shutout in the last two seasons, held SJSU to 109 yards of total offense
- Eastern
Washington, WSU limited the nation's top FCS passing attack to just 14
completions, had 3 INT
- at USC,
WSU allowed just 33 rushing yards after the game's opening drive
- Utah,
WSU allowed just 12 completions and 118 passing yards, tallied 7 TFL including
2 sacks
- at
Oregon State, WSU recorded 8 TFL including 4 sacks, forced one fumble
WSU Speed
D entered the week:
- 10th in
the country in pass defense (163.0), 1st in the Pac-12
- 14th in
the country in total defense (311.2), 2nd in the Pac-12
- tied for
21st in the country in sacks (18), tied for 1st in the Pac-12
- tied for
24th in the country in 3rd down defense (31.7%), 2nd in the Pac-12
- 56th in
the country in rush defense (148.2), 5th in the Pac-12
SPEED D
STRIKES AGAIN
The
Washington State defense added another impressive game to its file with a
shutout of San Jose State week two. It was the third shutout in the last two
seasons (2017 - Montana State, Colorado) and fourth under Mike Leach (2013 -
Idaho). The Speed D limited SJSU to just 109 yards of total offense, the
fourth-fewest yards allowed in program history and fewest allowed since 1994,
holding Oregon to 97 yards in a 21-7 Cougar win. WSU also held SJSU to nine
rushing yards, tallied eight tackles-for-loss including five sacks and picked
off one pass.
COUGAR
DEFENSIVE PLAYER NOTES (Ratings based on PFF College)
- Peyton
Pelluer (LB), tied for 8th in Pac-12 in tackles (50), posted 3 straight
double-digit tackle games, had 12 at USC, 13 against Utah and 11 at Oregon
State, first time in career with 3 straight 10-tackle games
- Pelluer
has recorded the most QB hurries among all Pac-12 linebackers (9)
- Nick
Begg (DT) is rated the 11th-best pass-rushing DT in the Pac-12
- Logan
Tago is rated the 3rd-best DE in the Pac-12, owns a career-high 4.5
tackles-for-loss
- Dominick
Silvels (RUSH) is 7th in Pac-12 in sacks (3.5)
- Willie
Taylor III (RUSH) is rated 3rd-best OLB and 3rd-best OLB pass rusher in the
Pac-12
- Darrien
Molton (CB), tied for 5th in Pac-12 in pass breakups (6)
- Jalen
Thompson (SS) has made 32 straight starts, every game of his career
NEW FACES
MAKE MARK FOR SPECIAL TEAMS
The Cougar
special teams have seen some new faces produce in the first four games. Kicker
Blake Mazza owns five field goal makes including a long of 50 at USC, tied for
the longest by any Pac-12 kicker in 2018. New punter Oscar Draguicevich III has
produced six punts of 50+ and put six inside the 20 while averaging 47.2 yards
per punt, good for fifth in the country. (The minimum to qualify for NCAA stats
is 3.6 punts/g, Draguicevich III averages 3.2 punts/g). Kyle Sweet has averaged
7.2 yards-per-punt return and produced a 26-yard return against San Jose State
and an 18-yarder against Eastern Washington.
WSU
special teams entered the week:
- 2nd in
the country in net punting (44.5), punter Oscar Draguicevich III is 5th in the
country in punting (47.2)
- 1st in
the Pac-12 in punt coverage, allowing 1.4 yards-per-return
- 6th in
the country in kickoff return, averaging 27.0 yards-per-return, Travell Harris
is 16th in the country (27.0)
- Kicker
Blake Mazza leads all Pac-12 kickers in extra points (32) and is second in
points (47)
- KR
Travell Harris returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown agianst Eastern
Washington, WSU's first kick return for a touchdown since 2016 at Arizona State
(Robert Taylor, 100 yards)
- Kainoa
Wilson blocked an Oregon State punt that was returned five yards for touchdown
by Tristan Brock, it was the first blocked punt for WSU since 2015 at UCLA and
first time returning a blocked punt for a touchdown since 2003
COUGAR
WEEKLY TEAM AWARDS
Following
a win, the Cougars will name award winners for select groups:
BONE AWARD
- given to the offensive lineman of the week
at WYO -
Liam Ryan (LG), graded out the best, WSU had 57 pass attempts, 2 rushing TD,
zero sacks allowed
SJSU -
Andre Dillard (LT), graded out the best, 54 pass attempts, zero sacks allowed
EWU - Fred
Mauigoa (C), graded out the best, 65 pass attempts, 524 passing yards, 4
rushing TD
at USC -
None
UTAH -
Abraham Lucas (RT), graded out the best, 3 passing TD against nation's top
passing defense
at OSU -
Andre Dillard (LT), graded out the best, 5 passing TD, 2 rushing TD, no sacks
allowed on 40 pass attempts
DEFENSIVE
PLAYER OF THE WEEK - selected by coaches as top defensive performer
at WYO -
Marcus Strong (CB), tallied two tackles, one pass breakup, interception was
lone WSU takeaway
SJSU -
Jalen Thomson (S), tallied 4 tackles, one for loss, had one pass breakup,
shutout
EWU -
Jahad Woods (LB), tallied 5 tackles, INT, shared a sack, 1 PBU
at USC -
None
UTAH -
Peyton Pelluer (LB), game-high 13 tackles, 1.5 TFL including 1 sack late in the
fourth quarter
at OSU -
Peyton Pelluer (LB), game-high 11 tackles, 1 TFL and 2 pass breakups
SPECIAL
TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK - selected by coach Matt Brock as the top special
teams contributor
at WYO -
Dillon Sherman (LB), contributed on all special teams, graded out best on play
assignments
SJSU -
Kyle Sweet (PR), averaged 12.2 yards-per-punt return including long of 26
EWU -
Travell Harris (KR), 100-yard kickoff return for TD, also made a tackle on
kickoff coverage
at USC -
None
UTAH -
Oscar Draguicevich (P), 5 punts, 48.0 avg, 2 punts inside the 20, long of 59
at OSU -
Kainoa Wilson, blocked punt that was returned for a TD, recorded 2 special
teams tackles
MINSHEW II
ADDED TO MAXWELL AWARD WATCH LIST
Quarterback
Gardner Minshew II was named the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week, the
Allstate Sugar Bowl announced following the win over Oregon State. Minshew II
was one of eight quarterbacks named a "Star" of the week before a
facebook fan vote determined the winner. Minshew II completed 30-of-40 passes
for 430 yards and five touchdowns in the win at Oregon State. Minshew II was
also named the Rose Bowl Game Pac-12 Player of the Week, the Reese's Senior
Bowl Senior of the Week and was added to Maxwell Award Watch List, presented
each year to the College Player of the Year.
HARRIS,
MINSHEW II NAMED PAC-12 PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Kick
returner Travell Harris and quarterback Gardner Minshew II each earned Pac-12
Conference Player of the Week accolades after the win over Eastern Washington.
Harris was named the Special Teams Player of the Week and Minshew was named the
Offensive Player of the Week. Harris, a redshirt-freshman, had a 100-yard
kickoff return for a touchdown in the win over Eastern Washington. The Tampa,
Fla. native averaged 41.5 yards-per-return and also recorded a tackle on
kickoff coverage. Harris recorded WSU's first kick return for a touchdown since
Robert Taylor had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Arizona State in
2016. Minshew II, a senior graduate transfer from East Carolina, completed
45-of-57 passes for 470 yards and two touchdowns in the 59-24 victory over
Eastern Washington.
THOMPSON
NAMED TO BEDNARIK AWARD WATCH LIST
Junior
safety Jalen Thompson was named to the 2018 Bednarik Award Watch List,
presented annually to the College Defensive Player of the Year. Thompson was
one of nine Pac-12 Conference players named to watch list. Thompson was an
All-Pac-12 second-team selection last season after leading the Cougars with 73
tackles and tied for fourth in the Pac-12 with four interceptions.
MAUIGOA
NAMED TO RIMINGTON TROPHY WATCH LIST, POLYNESIAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Junior
center Frederick Mauigoa was named to a pair of watch lists over prior to the
season, the Rimington Trophy Fall Watch List, presented annually to the most
outstanding center in Division I College Football and the Polynesian Player of
the Year. Mauigoa was one of 58 centers named to the Rimington Trophy list and
is one of 10 from the Pac-12. Riley Sorenson was named to the same watch list
prior to the 2016 season. Mauigoa started all 13 games at center last season,
anchoring the line that blocked for the nation's second-best passing attack.
PELLUER
NAMED CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALIST
Linebacker
Peyton Pelluer was named a semifinalist for the 2018 William V. Campbell
Trophy, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announc ed.
Pelluer is one of 179 semifinalists for the award that recognizes the absolute
best football scholar-athlete in the nation. Pelluer earned his bachelor's degree
in history in 2017 and is currently pursuing a master's degree in teaching. The
Sammamish, Wash. native is a five-time member of the WSU President's Honor
Roll, a two-time CoSIDA All-Academic District VIII First Team and a four-time
Pac-12 Conference All-Academic selection, once to the first team and twice to
the second team. The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists Oct. 31, and each of
them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 60th
NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class.
SIX FORMER
WALK-ONS EARN SCHOLARSHIPS
This past
summer, the Cougars awarded scholarships to six former walk-ons. (stats prior
to 2018)
Brandon
Arconado (WR, RS-Jr.) 11 GP, 4 REC, 1
TD, Pac-12 All-Academic 2nd Team
Tristan
Brock (LB, RS-Jr.) 24 GP, Played
special teams, 2x Pac-12 All-Academic HM
Kyle Celli
(LS, RS-Sr.) 13 starts in 2017, Pac-12
All-Academic HM
Taylor
Comfort (DL, RS-Sr.) 13 GP, mostly on
special teams, graduated this past summer - Criminal Justice
Dillon
Sherman (LB, RS-So. 13 GP, 23 tackles,
1 sack, 1 fumble recovery
Trey
Tinsley (QB, RS-Jr.) 13 GP, holder on
FG all 2017 season, Pac-12 All-Academic HM
17 COUGS
EARN DEGREES
All 17
members of the 2018 senior class will earn their degree by Summer, 2019. Six
players already own bachelor's degrees (Nick Begg, Taylor Comfort, Andre
Dillard, Robert Lewis, Gardner Minshew II, Peyton Pelluer) with two, Minshew II
and Pelluer pursuing master's degrees. Five more players will complete their
degree this fall, four more will finish in the spring and two more will finish
next summer. All 19 members of last year's 2017 senior class will have earned
their degree by the end of the current fall, 2018 semester.
WELCOME
BACK LEWIS, PELLUER
The
Cougars welcome back a couple of major contributors for a sixth season. Senior
linebacker Peyton Pelluer (254 career tackles) and senior wide receiver Robert
Lewis (117 career receptions) were both granted a sixth-year by the NCAA during
the offseason. Lewis missed all of 2017 after suffering a knee injury prior to
the season and Pelluer played in the first three games before a foot injury
ended his 2017 campaign. Both have earned their bachelor's degrees with Lewis
working towards another political science major and Pelluer working on his
second year pursing a master's in teaching.
POLYNESIAN
PIPELINE
The
Washington State roster has seen an influx in Polynesian players since Mike
Leach and his coaching staff arrived in 2012. The 2018 roster has 10 players
who are of Polynesian decent including five from Hawaii, two from American
Samoa and one from Australia.
LIKE
FATHER, LIKE SON
Last
season, four Cougars shared a unique bond with their dads and/or grandpa who
also had worn the crimson a gray. The 2018 roster features three Cougs who's
dad's also played at WSU. Left tackle Andre Dillard's dad, Mitch was an
offensive lineman and tight end for the Cougars in the late 1980's; linebacker
Peyton Pelluer's dad, Scott also played linebacker for the Cougs, matching
Peyton's No. 47 from 1977-80; Peyton's grandpa, Arnie played end for WSU in the
mid 1950's and his great grandpa, Carl Gustafson, played flanker in the 1920's;
and quarterback John Bledsoe's dad, Drew
Bledsoe played at WSU from 1990-92, was the No. 1 overall pick by the New
England Patriots in the 1993 NFL Draft and played 14 seasons.
WSU ADDS
PAIR FROM "LAST CHANCE U"
Washington
State signed a pair of players from Independence Community College who was
featured on the latest season of "Last Chance U" on Netflix. Junior
wideout Calvin Jackson Jr. played two seasons at ICC, leading the team with
four touchdown catches last season before signing with the Cougars in February
whole sophomore safety Chad Davis Jr. played just one season, recording 15
tackles and three pass breakups at ICC before signing with WSU this past
spring.
COACHING
STAFF CHANGES
The 2018
Cougar coaching staff features four new faces and three familiar faces who
moved to different roles. Former Minnesota head coach Tracy Claeys arrives to
serve as the defensive coordinator, Matt Brock arrives from Bowling Green to
serve as the Special Teams coach and outside linebackers coach, Darcel McBrath
assumes a full-time assistant position working with the cornerbacks after
spending last season as a defensive quality control, Eric Mele worked the
previous two and half seasons as the Cougars special teams coach but as moved
to coach the Cougar running backs in 2018, Kendrick Shaver arrives from Utah
State to coach the safeties, former Western Kentucky assistant head coach and
quarterbacks coach Steve Spurrier Jr. arrived to coach the Cougar outside
receivers and Tyson Brown returns as the head strength and conditioning coach
after a brief stint at Elon College. Brown had served as an assistant strength
and conditioning coach for the Cougars the previous four seasons.
HALL OF
FAMER BOB ROBERTSON ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
Washington
State's legendary hall of fame announcer Bob Robertson announced Monday that he
is retiring from the Cougar broadcasting booth, effective immediately.
"I've been with the Cougars a lot of years, more than half a century,
calling basketball, football for the fans around the Northwest and elsewhere
around the country and I've enjoyed every minute of it," said Robertson.
"But as of this moment, I've asked the athletic department at Washington
State University to list me as a retired, former sportscaster for the
Cougars," Robertson continued. "It is a matter of getting old is what
it is. Everything seems to move a lot faster around me, I move more slowly. I
hope to see you soon, I'm not going to go away. I like Washington State people
and the school itself too much to do that. But I am going to be on the retired
list, starting immediately." Robertson was in his 52nd year calling Cougar
athletics, serving as the play-by-play voice from 1964-2011, then moving over
to the analyst chair for the past seven seasons. He began his association with
WSU football in 1964 and with the exception of a three-year period from
1969-71, has been a member of WSU's broadcast crew ever since. He was behind
the mic for 589 Cougar games, including 568 consecutive broadcasts from
1964-2016, the lone exception being the 1981 Holiday Bowl when local radio was
not permitted to broadcast. He has been behind the mic for many magical moments
and seasons of Cougar football, including the Cardiac Kids, the Palouse Posse,
the Fab Five, the 1981 Holiday Bowl, WSU's first bowl game in 50 years, as well
as the 1998 and 2002 Rose Bowls. Additionally, he called Rueben Mayes' 357-yard
rushing game at Oregon, the 1992 Snow Bowl, 54 Apple Cups (including the three
while calling games at Washington) and worked alongside 10 head coaches.
Robertson has had a legendary career, having been selected Washington
Sportscaster of the Year 12 times, was inducted into both the WSU Athletic Hall
of Fame and the Inland Empire Hall of Fame in 2001-02, and in August 2004
received the prestigious Chris Schenkel Award at ceremonies held at the College
Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind. As much as Robertson is part of
Cougar Football Saturday, so is his closing broadcast signature, "Always
be a good sport, be a good sport all ways."
Among his
many accomplishments, Robertson has:
• Spent
three decades calling Pacific Coast League baseball in Seattle and Tacoma
• Had his
"cup of coffee" in major league baseball, broadcasting some Seattle
Mariner games in the late 1990's
•
Long-time voice of the Spokane Indians baseball team and Pacific Lutheran
University basketball
• Served
as the television voice of Notre Dame football and basketball for two years in
the 1950's.
COUGAR
FOOTBALL BROADCAST TEAM
Matt
Chazanow is in his fourth season as the play-by-play voice for Cougar football,
men's basketball and baseball broadcasts. Joining Chazanow for his first season
will be former Cougar quarterback Alex Brink who is the only WSU quarterback to
win three Apple Cups and was later a seventh-round draft pick by the Houston
Texans. Returning for her seventh season as the sideline reporter is Jessamyn
McIntyre, an executive producer for 710 ESPN Seattle.
PATRICK
CHUN NAMED DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
Washington
State University President Kirk Schulz selected Patrick Chun as the WSU
Director of Athletics, it was announced Jan. 22, 2018. Chun is the 14th
individul to lead Cougar athletics in school history and began his duties Feb.
5. "This is a game-changing day for our athletics program," said WSU
President Kirk Schulz. "We were focused on finding a leader with the right
blend of experience, vision, and passion to lead Cougar athletics to the next
level of success. In Pat, we're confident we found that person. His
achievements in fundraising, boosting the academic success rate of student
athletes, and building strong relationships with the community—on- and
off-campus—are exemplary." Chun, 43, is the first Asian-American athletic
director to lead a Power 5 school and continues President Schulz' drive to
diversify his senior leadership team. He has spent the past five and a half
years leading Florida Atlantic University athletics and the previous 15 years
at Ohio State University in a multitude of roles from 1997 through 2012,
culminating as the executive associate athletics director.
JASON
HANSON NAMED TO CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA HALL OF FAME
Jason
Hanson was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame this past
summer. Hanson became the first student-athlete in school history to receive
this honor, entering the hall of fame along with Tennessee football player
Peyton Manning, Florida International baseball player Mike Lowell and San Jose
State basketball and track and field athlete Dr. Harry Edwards. Hanson, a
pre-med major, was a three-time Academic All-American during his four years in
Pullman (1988-91) and concluded his senior season by being named a National Football
Foundation Scholar-Athlete, one of only five in WSU history to receive the
honor. The Spokane, Wash. native, Hanson was an All-American kicker and punter
for the Cougars, earning Freshman All-America honors as a kicker in 1988 and
later became WSU's first unanimous first team All-American as a sophomore in
1989. As a junior, he was named All-Pac-10 as both a punter and kicker and
earned All-American honors as a punter that season. As a senior in 1991, he was
named an All-American at both punter and kicker. Hanson finished his WSU career
with 19 field goals of 50+ yards including a Pac-10 record 62-yarder, the
longest without use of a tee in NCAA Division I history. He was drafted by the
Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1992 NFL draft and played 21 seasons
with the Lions, earning Pro Bowl honors twice, second team All-Pro honors in
1997 and was a first team All-Pro selection in 1993. Upon his retirement,
Hanson held the NFL record for career 50-yard kicks (52) and was inducted into
the WSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Lions Ring of Honor in 2013.
STEVE
GLEASON RECRUIT SUITE IN COUGAR FOOTBALL COMPLEX
In fall,
2016, WSU announced the naming of the Steve Gleason Recruit Suite, inside the
Cougar Football Complex. Gleason, the Washington State Athletic Hall of Famer
who played football and baseball in a Cougar uniform from 1995-99, was on hand
as the room all future Cougar football players will walk through was named in
his honor. The opportunity arrived courtesy of Cougar alumnus Glenn Osterhout's
naming donation of $250,000. With his pledge, Osterhout, a 1983 graduate who is
a certified financial planner in Bellevue, was presented the opportunity to
name the recruiting room inside the Cougar Football Complex.
…………..
WSU
football player pleads guilty to “baby DUI”
Pullman
Radio News 10/15/2018
The
Washington State University football player arrested on what's commonly called
a "baby DUI" has pleaded guilty as charged. 19 year old freshman wide
receiver Rodrick Fisher pleaded guilty Thursday in Whitman County District
Court. Fisher entered the plea to minor operating a motor vehicle after
consuming alcohol.
He was
arrested by a Whitman County Sheriff's Deputy on Pullman's College Hill during
the early morning hours of Friday, August 24th. Fisher's blood alcohol level
was just below .08. He was ordered to pay nearly a thousand dollars in fines
and court costs and was placed on probation for 2 years. Fisher appeared in the
first 4 games of the season for the Cougars after his arrest.
:::::::::::::::::
Grip on
Sports: Goodbyes are difficult no matter the circumstances
Tue., Oct.
16, 2018, 8:54 a.m.
By Vince
Grippi Spokane S-R 10/16/2018
A GRIP ON
SPORTS • It was a day of transition yesterday in the Northwest, with a couple
of longtime sports icons exiting the stage. Read on.
• We start
on this side of the state, where Bob Robertson made his reputation – and most
of his career. The long-time Washington State radio voice announced yesterday
he was retiring immediately, after having a scary episode in his motel room the
Sunday after the Utah game.
Bob’s
voice is how most Cougar fans remember many of the iconic moments in WSU sports
history, from the Snow Bowl to George Raveling’s days on the basketball bench.
But it is
his shuffling gate through press boxes from Pullman to Stillwater, from Tucson
to Seattle, that some of us remember, the slow walk from here to there in his
later years that allowed time for conversation.
Bob always
had time for a conversation. And stories to share. Some of us were lucky enough
to spend time with him in his final dozen seasons calling Cougar football,
occasionally sharing a meal but always sharing the game.
His job,
until the last seven years, was to describe it on the radio for those of you
listening at home. Then he became the announcer emeritus, adding historical
perspective to each broadcast.
Up until
this season, I would fill Bob’s seat – literally – in Martin Stadium after the
broadcast, waiting for him to climb the stairs out of the booth before taking
your phone calls.
Bob always
had something to say – it was his career, after all. Sometimes it was
encouraging, sometimes it was a word of condolence. Being the veteran he was,
he knew what was in store after losses, especially early in Mike Leach’s
tenure.
Those
words always helped.
Just like
he helped Cougar fans for generation after generation come to appreciate the
games, whether WSU won or not.
When
then-athletic director Bill Moos told Bob he wasn’t going to be the lead voice
in the football booth, Moos made him a promise. He would always have a job
until Bob decided it was time to step away. Yesterday, Bob Rob decided it was
time.
• The
other loss yesterday was tougher to take. Death always is. Paul Allen, the man
who saved pro football in the Northwest, and shepherded the only NBA franchise
the region still has, died after a long battle with Hodgkin's disease.
Allen, in
a younger life, played a major role in Microsoft’s software dominance, a former
Washington State student who manipulated zeros and ones into products that
changed the world.
In his
later years he became much more than that, much more than a sports franchise
owner, much more than just a billionaire. Like his former partner Bill Gates,
Allen used much of his money for good, spending it wisely when called for,
giving it away at times as well.
For most
of us, it was his contributions to the regional sports scene, from the Blazers
to the Hawks to the Sounders to CenturyLink Field, that we will remember. But
there is more to his legacy, from science to music, from exploration to health
sciences. He was a Renaissance man for the computer age.
WSU: No
matter how many changes occur, the football season rolls on. This week Oregon
rolls into Pullman – Theo Lawson has his first look – along with ESPN’s College
GameDay crew – Theo also has a story about where the gathering is going to be
located. … The Bob Robertson news from Theo is accompanied by John Blanchette’s
column. I can tell you John sat in the Martin Stadium press box with an
earphone connected to a radio, just so he could listen to Bob’s call of the
game. That was next-level stuff that I never mastered. … A wide receiver
announced yesterday he will be attending WSU. Theo has a story on that. …
Finally, the kickoff time for the Stanford game has been announced. It’s
another early afternoon start. … Larry Weir took some time yesterday to look
back at Bob Rob’s career with his Press Box pod. … Freelance writer Howie
Stalwick looks back at Bob’s career for SportspressNW.com. … The Ducks will
bring some momentum into Martin Stadium on Saturday, but will also be coming
off an emotional overtime win against Washington.
………….
WSU
football: ESPN sets location on Washington State campus for College GameDay
show
Mon., Oct.
15, 2018, 9:49 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson Spokane S-R
Kirk
Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard and Rece Davis will set up shop directly
in front of Martin Stadium Saturday when ESPN College GameDay makes its debut on
the Washington State campus Saturday morning.
ESPN has
announced the location of Saturday’s show, which will be held in conjunction
with 25th-ranked Washington State’s game against No. 12 Oregon at 4:30 p.m. in
Pullman.
The set
will be constructed on the corner of Stadium Way and Ferdinand’s Lane, across
the street from Martin Stadium and the iconic bronze Cougar Pride statue.
Viewers will be able to see both the stadium and statue in the backdrop.
Three
weeks ago, when the Cougars hosted Utah, the Pac-12 Networks used the same
location to host its pregame and postgame shows, setting up a set on the grass
field that’s right next to the School of Molecular Biosciences and directly
across the street from the RV tailgate parking lot.
College
GameDay will be holding its 354th show in Pullman this Saturday. The 2018
season is also the 15th year WSU alum Tom Pounds has waved his Ol’ Crimson flag
behind the set of the ESPN show.
“I think
it’s pretty good with the flag tradition that we have, I think it’s pretty
important with that,” Cougars coach Mike Leach said Monday during a news
conference. “I think it’s overdue and I think we’re excited to have it and our
students are certainly excited to have it and as a team, it’s kind of business
as usual. But I think it’s a good opportunity for our fans and a good showcase
for our university and our team.”
………..
WSU
football
Washington
State receives verbal commitment from Texas WR Ollie
Mon., Oct.
15, 2018, 4:36 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson of the Spokesman-Review of Spokane/Inland Empire
One year
after plucking Drue Jackson and Kassidy Woods out of Texas, the Cougars have
apparently gone back to the Lone Star State for an outside wide receiver.
Monday
afternoon, Washington State received a verbal commitment from Donovan Ollie, a
6-3, 205-pound wideout from Wylie High School in the northern suburbs of
Dallas. Ollie is considered a three-star prospect by 247sports.com and received
offers from a handful of Power Five schools, including Utah, Boston College,
Northwestern, Iowa State and Kansas.
Jackson, a
true freshman from nearby Sachse, Texas, was labeled a four-star commit when he
verbally pledged to the Cougars last fall. Woods, also a true freshman at WSU,
attended Greenhill High School in Addison, Texas.
Ollie earned
first team all-district honors as a sophomore at Wylie, then second-team honors
as a junior. Entering his senior season with the Pirates, who play in the same
6A Region II District 10 division as Jackson’s Sachse High Mustangs, Ollie had
caught 89 passes for 1,461 yards and 19 receiving touchdowns. Per MaxPreps,
he’s already up to 33 receptions for 400 yards and six touchdowns in six games
played this season.
According
to 247sports, Ollie has a 4.43 shuttle sprint and has recorded a vertical leap
of 31.30 inches.
Ollie is
the second wideout commit in the class of 2019. In mid-February, the Cougars
received a verbal from Billy Pospisil, a three-star receiver who attends
Colorado’s Arvada High – the alma mater of current WSU running back Max Borghi.
::::::::::::::::
Cougars
voice Robertson calls it a career
Sports
Press Northwest
BY Howie
Stalwick 09:03PM 10/15/2018
Cougars
voice Robertson calls it a career
Health
concerns led Bob Robertson, 89, to end his career broadcasting Washington State
football, which began in 1964. He did play by play for a wide variety of
sports.
Bob
Robertson, 90 in March, said he can’t carry on doing Washington State football
broadcasts.
After more
than half a century of service to his beloved Cougars, Washington State
football’s legendary voice has called it a career. Bob Robertson, who has
broadcast WSU football games since 1964 — save for a three-year break from
1969-71 at Washington — announced his retirement from Cougar broadcasts Monday.
Robertson
missed WSU’s game Oct. 6 at Oregon State, but said he made the decision to
retire after receiving a health scare following a home game with Utah Sept. 29.
“When I
woke up (the following morning), I literally didn’t know who I was or where I
was. I was foggy,” Robertson said in a phone interview from his longtime home
in University Place, a suburb of Tacoma. Robertson has dealt with various
health issues in recent years.
Robertson,
who turns 90 March 14, has broadcast sports since his freshman year at Western
Washington College of Education (now University) in 1947. His role in the WSU
broadcast booth has been reduced since 2011 — “I really don’t know what my job
was,” he said — and he says it is possible his broadcasting career has come to
an end after 71 years.
“I’m
confused right now,” Robertson admitted. “I’ve never been retired before.”
Robertson’s
career was one for the ages. He has called everything from college football
(including one season at Notre Dame) and basketball (highlighted by a long
stint as the play-by-play announcer for WSU men’s basketball) to minor league
and major league baseball (his time in the bigs was limited to a short fill-in
gig for vacationing Seattle Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus) to high school
sports to hydroplane racing to pro and college wrestling and boxing (yes,
college boxing) to minor league pro hockey to rodeo to men’s fastpitch softball
to . . . table tennis?
“I did
table tennis for ESPN,” Robertson once recalled, “and a lot of the kids were
from Thailand. You couldn’t pronounce their names without a tongue depresser.
Plus, the pace of table tennis — you had guys flying all over, hitting balls
from all over, even flying into the stands.”
Table
tennis aside, Robertson made his name as the familiar voice of WSU football on
radio.
“When you
think of the icons of Washington State athletics, Bob Robertson certainly comes
to mind,” athletics director Patrick Chun said.
“Bob has painted the picture for many generations of Cougar fans, and we
thank him for what he has meant to Washington State athletics.”
Not
surprisingly, Robertson said his favorite memory from 52 years of broadcasting
WSU football was the 1998 Rose Bowl. The Cougars played Michigan gamely in
quarterback Ryan Leaf’s final college game, but the Wolverines claimed the
national championship (decided in polls back then) after downing Washington
State 21-16. It was WSU’s first Rose Bowl appearance since 1916.
Robertson,
who spent much of his youth in Canada, began his broadcasting career in grade
school while performing on drama programs on a Vancouver, B.C., radio station.
He graduated from Blaine High School and planned to follow his father (a
longtime minor league outfielder) into pro baseball before passing on a
contract offer from a Salem, OR. minor league team so he could broadcast the
games of the minor league team in Wenatchee.
Robertson
believes he made $225 a month — and not just for calling baseball games.
“I did
baseball (plus high school and junior college football and basketball), a daily
sports show, and I’d help on newscasts occasionally,” Robertson said. “You did
a little bit of everything. I watered the flowers on warm summer nights.
Flooded the basement one time . . . ”
Robertson’s
first minor league baseball job required him to “re-create” road games. A
common broadcasting technique at the time, re-creation required broadcasters to
take notes from a game off a telegraph and add sound effects.
“To make
the sound of a hit, some guys used to hit the microphone with a pencil,”
Robertson explained. “I used to use a real baseball bat and hit it with a
knife. That sounded a lot more realistic.”
Robertson,
the proud father of four children, six grandkids and an infant great-grandson,
says family members “come by and make sure I don’t get lonesome.” Joanne, his
wife of 59 years, died in 2011.
“I’ve had
a good time most of my life,” Robertson said. “I’ve been a very lucky person.
“I had a
beautiful wife who treated me like I was a prince or something. She took care
of me.”
Robertson,
a longtime TV and radio sportscaster on Seattle and Tacoma stations, received
numerous honors during his sportscasting career. That includes a spot in the
WSU Athletics Hall of Fame. Chun said Robertson will be honored at a November
home game.
“The
sports page of life is what I’ve been doing,” Robertson said. “The
sportscasting thing always was my life and my entertainment.
“Now I
don’t know how I’ll live it out. I have not been in this position.”
That may
be true, but Robertson knew precisely what position to take at the conclusion
of an interview on his retirement from WSU broadcasting.
“Go
Cougs!”
:::::::::::::
Dallas
Warmack full go, Penei Sewell uncertain for Ducks’ game at Washington State
By Austin
Meek Eugene R-G
Oct 15, 2018
When
Oregon parted the Red Sea on the final play of overtime against Washington, the
Ducks did so with two of their top offensive linemen on the sideline.
The No. 12
Ducks will have another sea of red waiting for them Saturday in Pullman, Wash.,
where 25th-ranked Washington State will be hosting ESPN’s “College GameDay” for
the first time in school history. Coach Mario Cristobal is hoping his two
injured linemen, left tackle Penei Sewell and right guard Dallas Warmack, will
be available to help clear the way.
“Dallas I
believe is full go,” Cristobal said Monday at his weekly news conference.
“Penei, we’re going to wait and see how he is.”
Warmack
went to the locker room with a stinger during Saturday’s game and returned to
the sideline in street clothes. Sewell suffered an ankle injury after being
bent backward in a pile-up. He returned to the game but exited again after a CJ
Verdell touchdown run in the third quarter.
Junior
Brady Aiello and sophomore Jacob Capra played in place of the injured starters
and opened the hole for Verdell’s game-winning run in overtime. When Cristobal
reviewed the Washington game, he saw confirmation of Oregon’s improved depth
and tenacity at the line of scrimmage.
“The physicality
of the front lines continues to improve and progress,” Cristobal said. “The
investment is paying off. That being said, we’re not where we need to be yet,
but we’re making a lot of progress in that department.”
In
addition to the game-winning touchdown, Oregon’s offensive line paved the way
for Verdell to become the Pac-12′s offensive player of the week after his
two-touchdown, 111-yard performance against Washington. Verdell is the first
Duck to open Pac-12 play with three straight 100-yard rushing games since Byron
Marshall in 2013, and he’s the first freshman to do so in school history.
Against
Washington, the Ducks ran the ball on 49 of their 81 plays (60.5 percent) and
75 percent of their first-down plays without having a running back tackled for
negative yardage.
No. 12 UO
football vs. No. 25 Washington State
4:30 p.m.
Saturday at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash.
“It’s the
direction we’ve been really aiming for and working toward since January, being
able to control the line of scrimmage,” Cristobal said. “They’re an excellent
front and an excellent defense — a lot of talent, a lot of big-stop guys. After
a game like that, your body feels it. You can tell.”
Targeting
under review
Targeting
penalties have been a controversial subject in the Pac-12 since it was revealed
that the conference office influenced replay decisions during a game between
USC and Washington State earlier this season.
Oregon and
Washington both had players ejected from Saturday’s game for targeting. The
Ducks’ Drayton Carlberg was flagged for a hit under the chin of Washington’s
Jake Browning, and Washington’s Jaylen Johnson was ejected for a helmet-to-helmet
hit against Justin Herbert. Because his penalty occurred in the first half,
Carlberg won’t have to miss the first half against Washington State.
“The rule
is what it is,” Cristobal said. “I’m certainly not going to contest it or
complain about it, but it’s difficult. It’s tough when a player is trying to do
the right things and he ends up being ejected in a critical game at a position
where the depth is an issue.”
Asked
about the controversy surrounding the Pac-12′s replay procedures, Cristobal
declined to wade into the fray.
“In terms
of the officiating stuff, I don’t have a comment,” he said. “I know there’s
some challenges that come with it. Controversy is always going to follow it in
one way, shape or form or another, but we trust the conference is working hard
to get everything right.”
::::
WSU
College of Medicine in Spokane receives initial accreditation for graduate
medical education
October
15, 2018 from WSU News
By
Christina VerHeul, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
SPOKANE,
Wash. – Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
announced Monday, Oct. 15, that it received initial accreditation for graduate
medical education.
The
initial accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical
Education (ACGME), which comes a little more than a year after the college
welcomed its inaugural class of students in August 2017, allows the college to
begin developing and sponsoring ACGME residency and fellowship training
programs.
“This is a
key milestone in enabling us to fulfill our mission of improving health care
quality and access in rural and underserved communities in Washington,” said
John Tomkowiak, founding dean of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
“Not only
does expanding graduate medical education increase the chance that students
will remain in Washington to practice medicine, it offers increased opportunity
to build residency programs in more communities east of the Cascades where
they’re needed most.”
Graduate
medical education (GME) is the three‑ to seven‑year phase of medical education following
graduation from medical school that prepares physicians for independent
practice in a medical specialty. While about 43 percent of medical school
graduates will practice in the state where they graduate, that number increases
to 70 percent when they complete both their medical education and their
residency in the same state.
According
to 2018‑19 ACGME data, there are
170 ACGME accredited training programs in Washington, however, 158 are located
west of the Cascades and 12 are located east of the Cascades. This results in
approximately 33 trainees per 100,000 population west of the Cascades and just
nine trainees per 100,000 population east of the Cascades. The national average
is 37.8 ACGME trainees per 100,000 population.
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