Snow in Apple Cup weather forecast
Nov 21,
2018 Moscow Pullman Daily News
It could
be a white Apple Cup on Friday.
The
National Weather Service in Spokane is calling for an 80 percent chance of
mixed rain and snow showers with a 50 percent chance of snow as the the
temperatures drop.
Low
temperature is expected to be 30 degrees.
:::::::::::::
Minshew
Mania hits fever pitch: Mustached QB makes WSU one of football’s best stories
Originally
published November 21, 2018 at 6:10 pm Updated November 21, 2018 at 6:13 pm
If you're
just hearing about quarterback Gardner Minshew, welcome back from Antarctica.
The Cougs quarterback has spent the past three months turning Washington State
into his personal Graceland.
By Matt
Calkins
Seattle
Times columnist
PULLMAN —
It’s four and half hours before kickoff Saturday against Arizona, and Craig
Laprath is out of mustaches. Fans hoping
to snatch up some faux facial hair will have to look elsewhere now.
Laprath is
the store manager of Crimson & Gray, a Coug apparel shop about a mile off
the Washington State campus. And like the rest of the nation, it seems he slept
on quarterback Gardner Minshew, too.
“We
mis-anticipated demand a little bit,” said Laprath, who said fake mustache
orders include about 500 items. “We (the staff) were going to go and watch the
game, and I planned on taking about 15 mustaches for a group photo, but … no.”
If you’re
just hearing about Minshew, welcome back from Antarctica. The Cougs quarterback
has spent the past three months turning Washington State into his personal
Graceland.
Through 11
games, Minshew tops the country with 4,325 passing yards. He has led a Cougars
team picked to finish fifth in the Pac-12 North to a 10-1 record and No. 7
ranking in the AP Top 25 poll.
Forget the
Wazzu story of the year — this has been the Wazzu story of the century. As
longtime Coug fan Lisa Harkness said: “When you see (coach) Mike Leach smile,
you know something good is happening.”
Smiles
were supposed to be scarce for Washington State fans in 2018. The year started
as agonizingly as possible, when would-be starting QB Tyler Hilinski took his
own life in January.
On a much
lesser scale, there were also five departed assistant coaches and an array of
stars lost to graduation and the NFL. Friday’s Apple Cup game wasn’t supposed
to be a battle for the Pac-12 North title — it was supposed to be a
four-quarter formality for Washington.
But then
came the mustached Mississippian that nobody had heard of. Then came the
graduate transfer who’s thrown 36 touchdown passes to 10 different receivers.
Then came Minshew’s out-of-nowhere Heisman Trophy campaign and the Cougs’
out-of-nowhere success.
“It’s the
miracle season,” said Wazzu alum Lisa Griswold, who’d just posed for a picture
at the Minshew Moustache Photo Booth on the campus RV lot. “With everything
that happened earlier in the year, you didn’t know what was going to happen
during the year. It’s just so much fun. It’s unreal.”
No doubt
the Cougs have had A-list quarterbacks before. Drew Bledsoe was the No. 1 pick
in the NFL draft. Ryan Leaf was the No. 2 pick after finishing third in the
Heisman race. And Jason Gesser was Pac-10 Co-Player of the Year.
But never
has a WSU phenomenon emerged so rapidly or unexpectedly as it has with Minshew.
Never has a face in the 509 become so recognizable so soon.
If Beyonce
or Brad Pitt or The Rock ever needs privacy in Pullman — no problem. They’d
just walk 20 feet behind Minshew.
“It’s
crazy. It’s awesome. You gotta love your teammates getting love like that,”
senior linebacker Peyton Pelluer said. “He really is a celebrity — to the point
where it’s almost inconvenient. We’ll be
walking around, and everybody wants to take pictures with him.”
The hype
truly hit the accelerator when ESPN’s College GameDay finally came to
Washington State last month before the Cougs’ 34-20 win over Oregon. It shifted
into fifth gear when Minshew placed a fake ‘stache above Leach’s lips on live
TV in Colorado two Saturdays ago. And it all but broke the sound barrier when
Minshew threw for 473 yards and a school-record seven touchdown passes in last
week’s 69-28 win over Arizona.
“Early in
this season, I had no clue who he was. Now he’s all I think about when I watch
football games,” Washington State student Andrew Hansen said. “He’s given this
school hope.”
Minshew’s
quotes don’t play too well in a story about his own stardom. After Saturday’s
record-setting night, he was humble, deferential, and most of all appreciative.
Maybe
because that’s his natural personality. Or maybe it’s because he knows this
almost never happened.
Minshew,
as you’re probably aware, committed to Alabama in February. He knew he’d be a
third-string quarterback who probably would never see the field, but as an
aspiring coach he figured a year in Tuscaloosa would be an ideal
apprenticeship. But in the coup of his career, Leach convinced Gardner to
de-commit from the Tide, transfer to Wazzu and set off Minshew Mania as we know
it.
Among the
Maniacs is 12-year-old Max Schuster, who like so many kids in eastern
Washington dressed as Minshew for Halloween. And a couple weeks ago, Max
whipped out a picture of himself in costume and got his new hero to sign it.
As Minshew
put his John Hancock on the photo, Max’s father Mark had a question.
“When you
won that big game on GameDay, and all the students were on the field, and you
had everyone from 80-year-old women to 2-year-old kids wearing mustaches,
what’s going through your mind?”
According
to Mark, Minshew didn’t waste a second.
“That I
made the best decision of my life.”
:::::::::::::
:::::::::::::
Women’s
basketball information from WSU Sports Info
On the
Road, Cougars Head To California
WASHINGTON
STATE (1-3)
at CSUN
(1-3) | Fri., Nov. 23 | 7:30 p.m.
vs.
Jacksonville St./Harvard | Sat., Nov. 24 | TBD
Live Stats | WSUCougars.com
Watch | BigWestTV
Listen | WSU IMG Radio Network
OPENING
FIVE
>
Washington State hits the road for the first time on the season as the Cougars
head to Northridge, Calif. to play in the Warner Center Marriot Thanksgiving
Basketball Classic.
> The
Cougars face CSUN to open the tournament, the third matchup between the two
sides. WSU is 3-0 all-time. WSU has never faced Harvard or Jacksonville State,
the matchup Saturday depending on Friday's outcomes.
>
Borislava Hristova, a Cheryl Miller Watch List nominee, sits third in the Pac-12 in scoring at 24.0
ppg having scored double-figures in all four games.
> Maria
Kostourkova is second in the Pac-12 in rebounding at 11.5 rpg .
>
Coming into the season the Cougars return their top three scorers in Borislava
Hristova, Alexys Swedlund, and Chanelle Molina. All three are averaging
double-figures early in the year.
WARNER
CENTER MARRIOT THANKSGIVING BASKETBALL CLASSIC
For the
first time in 2018-19 the Cougars hit the road as WSU heads to Northridge,
Calif. to take part in a Thanksgiving tournament hosted by CSUN. WSU takes on
the host Matadors in the opening game. In three games all-time against CSUN the
Cougars are 3-0 with the last win coming in 2013 at home in Pullman. Friday's
game will be the first for the two teams in Northridge at The Matadome. On Saturday,
the Cougars will face either Harvard or Jacksonville State depending on the
outcomes of Friday's contests. WSU has never faced either of those two teams.t.
LAST TIME
OUT
Finishing
off their four-game homestand to begin the 2018-19 season the Washington State
women's basketball team (1-3) dropped a 75-62 decision to UC Davis (1-3) Sunday
at Beasley Coliseum. The Aggies were able to take advantage of a big second
half to come away with their first road win in Pullman. For the Cougars, the
damage was done at the end of the third and the start of the first when UCD put
together a 12-2 run in just under two minutes to turn a tie game into a
double-digit lead.
::::::::::::::
Men’s
basketball information from WSU Sports Info
Game Notes
vs. Delaware State: Nov. 24, 2018
COUGARS
CONTINUE HOMESTAND HOSTING DELAWARE STATE:
The
Washington State University men’s basketball team (2-1) remains at Beasley
Coliseum for its second-straight home game as it hosts Delaware State (1-4)
Saturday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Beasley Coliseum.
• The game
will be televised on the Pac-12 Network as Greg Heister (play-by-play) and
Steve Lavin (analyst) have the call.
• All
season long, Cougar basketball can be heard on the Cougar IMG Sports Radio
Network with the Voice of the Cougars, Matt Chazanow on the call.
• Live
stats available at www.wsucougars.com.
ABOUT THE
HORNETS:
• Located
in Dover, Del., Delaware State is a member of the MEAC conference.
• The
Hornets enter Saturday’s game with a 1-4 mark after falling to East Carolina,
Grand Canyon, Loyola (Md.) and Longwood and defeating College of St.
Elizabeth...they have played just one game at home this season.
• Head
coach Eric Skeeters is in his first season at DSU.
• Saleik
Edwards leads the team with 15.8 points per game, while Kevin Larkin is adding
10.5 points and 9.0 rebounds.
COUGARS
VERSUS HORNETS; MEAC:
• Saturday
marks just the second all-time meeting between Washington State and Delaware
State, as WSU won the only meeting, 93-39, Dec. 3, 1988.
:::::::::::
Spreading
the Cougar spirit
November
21, 2018
By Jakob
Thorington, WSU News
Tyler
Knaus is a WSU Vancouver student but still bleeds crimson and gray.
Any
question about that was laid to rest Oct. 20, when the senior electrical
engineering major was among 50 students from the Vancouver campus who traveled
by bus to Pullman to watch the Cougs beat Oregon. Adding to the experience was
ESPN College GameDay, which broadcast live before the kickoff from the Pullman
campus for the first time ever.
“It was a
dream come true, I was blown away with the atmosphere around GameDay, and the
whole trip was amazing,” said Knaus, explaining it was the first Cougar football
game he’d been able to watch in person.
The trip
was part of an effort to help boost Cougar spirit throughout the WSU system.
The Vancouver campus also helped send about 50 students to Corvallis for the
game against Oregon State two weeks earlier, and last year sent a dozen
students to the USC game in Pullman.
The
coordination between WSU Vancouver and the Pullman campus is a part of the
University’s effort to create a “One WSU mindset,” said Ellen Taylor, an
associate vice president at the Division of Student Affairs. Taylor said she’s
open to finding ways to continue the effort.
“If staff
and students on the Vancouver campus, or any of our campuses, reach out to us
again, we will happily coordinate with them,” she said. “It’s entirely up to
the interest of the students.”
Knaus has
been a fan of Washington State his entire life. He said the Pullman campus was
of interest to him back when he was in high school deciding where to go to
college. He ultimately decided on the Vancouver campus for its prestigious
electrical engineering program and so he could stay close to home.
Chairman
of the board for WSU Vancouver Student Activities, Travis Toth, said that
because of the recent success in sending students to Pullman, the board will
look to make an annual trip to Pullman and possibly Eugene or Corvallis.
“I can
definitely see this becoming an annual event for any of our students outside of
the Pullman campus,” Taylor said.
For now,
this opportunity gives WSU students like Tyler the chance of a lifetime.
“It was an
incredible experience and something I’m looking forward to doing it again,” he
said. “I can’t wait to take my son to Pullman for his first Cougar football
game.”
::::::::::
Spokane
S-R Weekly Washington State football chat transcript - Previewing the 111th
Apple Cup
Wed., Nov.
21, 2018, 9:19 a.m.
Moderated
by Theo Lawson of the S-R
Nov 21,
10:01 AM
srchat
(Admin): Welcome everyone to the weekly chat. I see five questions in the queue
already, so let’s get right to it.
Nov 21,
10:01 AM
ChuckCaz:
What impact will the weather have on the Air Raid offense?
Nov 21,
10:03 AM
srchat
(Admin): The wind seems to affect the offense more than anything, so that
combined with some rain could present a challenge. But rain by itself, or snow
by itself, doesn’t seem to hamper the Cougars too much.
Nov 21,
10:03 AM
Guest6878
(Guest): Got my rain gear ready! Cougs Offensive line success is remarkable.
How do they match up against the dawgs? How many sacks do they give up this
week?
Nov 21,
10:04 AM
srchat
(Admin): I suspect it’ll be a pretty low number. Huskies, surprisingly, are
10th in the conference in sacks and Cougars are giving up the fewest. It’s
telling that UW’s sacks leader is a safety, Taylor Rapp.
Nov 21,
10:04 AM
Guest6928
(Guest): What can WSU and Gardner learn from playing the Cal defense earlier
this year that will benefit them going into the AC?
Nov 21,
10:05 AM
srchat
(Admin): Those defenses won’t give you much as it is, so you have to keep the
unforced errors to a minimum. No misthrows, dropped balls, turnovers.
Nov 21,
10:05 AM
Guest1447
(Guest): Lets say we lose this one by a nail-biter, does Minshew still get
invited to NY as a Heisman finalist, and do the Cougs still get invited to a
New Years Six Bowl game?
Nov 21,
10:07 AM
srchat
(Admin): I think it depends how the other candidates fare (Tua, Kyler, Grier)
and how well Gardner plays in the nailbiter. 14-10 with two picks and no TDs
looks different than 34-31 with three TDs and no picks. I still like the
chances of an NY6 game. WSU will have 10 wins and shouldn’t slip that far in
the rankings.
Nov 21,
10:07 AM
Guest7729
(Guest): % Chance we see Harper this week?
Nov 21,
10:08 AM
srchat
(Admin): Marcus Strong told us after the Aizona game Harper is out for the
year.
Nov 21,
10:08 AM
Uncle
Larry (Guest): You were right about Tate being held under 100 yards rushing.
Nov 21,
10:08 AM
srchat
(Admin): I had a suspicion, though he did get loose a couple times. The sacks
really brought down his total.
Nov 21,
10:08 AM
Guest3761
(Guest): Since the last several Apple Cup games have been abject disasters for
WSU, have you seen the coaching staff change anything up or approach the game
differently in practice this year?
Nov 21,
10:10 AM
srchat
(Admin): Nothing that’s apparent on the surface. Peyton Pelluer did mention the
Cougars maybe spent too much time building up last year’s game. I imagine
they’ll take a different approach as far as that goes.
Nov 21,
10:11 AM
NLS Coug07
(Guest): sean harper status? liam ryan status? if liam ryan can’t go do you
expect we will have haangana at left guard or do you think we shuffle
positions?
Nov 21,
10:12 AM
srchat
(Admin): Harper is out. I couldn’t tell you anything about Ryan. Josh Watson
can play both guard positions, so hard to tell what they’d do.
Nov 21,
10:12 AM
IcebergDX
(Guest): Rain gear-check. hand and foot warmers-check. Do you see our defense
keeping the puppies running game in check?
Nov 21,
10:15 AM
srchat (Admin):
Think it’d be a successful game if the Cougars keep Myles Gaskin to 100 yards
or less. I could see it happening…
Nov 21,
10:15 AM
WazzusJobu:
Does the AD like it’s chances of a NY6 game regardless of Friday?
Nov 21,
10:18 AM
srchat
(Admin): Personally, I think WSU would have a decent shot at a NY6 game.
Cougars will have 10 wins and loser of the P-12 title game will have only nine.
Nov 21,
10:18 AM
Guest1438
(Guest): Are the Huskies as healthy as they have been in awhile?
Nov 21,
10:19 AM
srchat
(Admin): It seems so, yes. Getting Trey Adams back was a huge boost for their
offensive line, I think. Same with Hunter Bryant.
Nov 21,
10:20 AM
Guest7729
(Guest): Is Crowder playing about just taking advantage of the new rs rule and
getting him some experience? Or was it a strategic move to bring him along in
practice all year and now bring him in as difference maker?
Nov 21,
10:21 AM
srchat
(Admin): I tend to think it’s more of the former. A number of the redshirting
freshmen have played sparingly late in games.
Nov 21,
10:21 AM
Uncle
Larry (Guest): Is Hunter Bryant a concern and who matches up with him?
Nov 21,
10:23 AM
srchat
(Admin): He hasn’t done enough - or played enough - this season to make me
think he’s the one who’ll hurt them on Friday. But you do always wonder how the
Cougars will fare against good tight ends seeing as how they don’t face them in
practice.
Nov 21,
10:23 AM
Guest1447
(Guest): Since I was born (1995) the Cougs have won 6 Apple Cups (26% winning
percentage). Why should I feel optimistic this year?
Nov 21,
10:28 AM
srchat
(Admin): Well, maybe because you were 17 the last time the Cougs were favored
to win the Apple Cup. Also, Gardner Minshew.
Nov 21,
10:29 AM
Guest9465
(Guest): Are refs completely blind to calling PI against our receivers? Seems
like because we throw the ball so much, they don’t feel they need to call it.
We’re getting mauled every week.
Nov 21,
10:30 AM
srchat
(Admin): Did seem to be a few more last week, but it doesn’t feel like an
overarching issue to me. Not as much as the PI calls against WSU’s defensive
backs, at least.
Nov 21,
10:31 AM
IcebergDX
(Guest): A lot has been said about Pedersen having Leach’s number for the AC.
Do you think it was Pedersen having Leach’s number, or the UW defense having
Falk’s number, and do you think they will not be able to key off Minshew and
his ability to read the defense better, and his better mobility?
Nov 21,
10:35 AM
srchat
(Admin): Minshew gives WSU’s offense a dynamic it hasn’t had in some time. Not
saying the Cougars would’ve won any of those past games with him behind center,
but take away the three interceptions Falk threw last year and all those sacks
(believe there were four), you’re looking at a completely different game.
Minshew makes good decisions, he makes quick decisions and he can scramble.
That certainly won’t hurt the Cougars Friday.
Nov 21,
10:35 AM
Guest4566
(Guest): The question is, what defensive strategy Washington will employ
against WSU under Peterson/Kwiatkowski/Lake? Kwitatkowski quote; You blitz
these guys, you’re playing with fire.” The best way to defend Minshew and the
Air-Raid is to play man coverage and run varied and complex blitzes to pressure
the QB. Does Washington have the personnel to run this kind of scheme? Arizona
most often rushed 3 and dropped 8 into a zone. This is not the best way to play
teams that spread the field, the way the Air-Raid does.
Nov 21,
10:40 AM
srchat
(Admin): I can’t see them blitzing much. Minshew seems to handle defensive
pressure well and always locates a check-down or quick passing option. I’d also
guess the Huskies won’t switch too many things up.
Nov 21,
10:40 AM
Guest1438
(Guest): We knew that Bill Moos had a list of coaches to go after if there were
any of our head coaches were to leave or get fired. Does Pat Chun have a
similar list or do coaching searches under Chun start from scratch?
Nov 21,
10:43 AM
srchat
(Admin): I think most ADs have something like this. Might not be as formal as
an actual list, but I’d guess they always have an idea of who’d they look at —
especially when rumors about the current coach start to circulate.
Nov 21,
10:45 AM
Guest7729
(Guest): A lot is made about the air raid struggles against UW, but the defense
has had it’s fair share of struggles. Some of that is due to lack of offenseive
production / turnovers, but still seemed like the defense really face planted
last year. What reasons do we have the believe that Claeys will have them
better prepared?
Nov 21,
10:47 AM
srchat
(Admin): I think the extra year of experience helps the Cougars more than
anything else. They’ve been much better at forcing turnovers these last three
games - there’s been 11, I believe - and the Huskies don’t have the receiving
weapons they’ve had in the past, which makes them more dimensional. Think
Cougars will be able to focus more on stopping the run this time.
Nov 21,
10:47 AM
Uncle
Larry (Guest): Other than Gaskin who else on the UW offense is a concern?
Nov 21,
10:48 AM
srchat
(Admin): You always have to account for Salvon Ahmed. I
Nov 21,
10:48 AM
Guest1447
(Guest): If WSU chose to get a big time sponsor that would change the Stadium name,
what would be your vote? (i.e. Darigold Field)
Nov 21,
10:51 AM
srchat
(Admin): This is a great question and I’m going to need time to think on it.
But I’ll open it up to the rest of you: if WSU chose to get a big time sponsor
that would change the Stadium name, what would be your vote? (i.e. Darigold
Field)
Nov 21,
10:51 AM
Guest1438
(Guest): Best case scenario for the Cougs, who should we root for this weekend?
Nov 21,
10:53 AM
srchat
(Admin): West Virginia to beat Oklahoma, Georgia Tech to beat Georgia, Auburn
to beat Alabama, South Carolina to beat Clemson, Texas A&M to beat LSU and
USC (especially) to beat Notre Dame. A Utah win over BYU would be nice, too.
Nov 21,
10:53 AM
Guest4566
(Guest): How does the rain factor in and which team would you say it favors?
Nov 21,
10:54 AM
srchat
(Admin): I don’t think it’s a big issue for the Cougars, or either team, unless
it’s an absolute downpour.
Nov 21,
10:54 AM
IcebergDX
(Guest): Do you see any matchups as either a particularly key matchup, or a
particularly advantagious matchup on Friday?
Nov 21,
10:54 AM
srchat
(Admin): I think WSU’s offensive line has the edge on UW’s D-line. Can see them
buying Minshew a lot of time in the pocket. Huskies aren’t getting to the QB
much this year.
Nov 21,
10:55 AM
seppe
(Guest): honestly I see no way the huskies defense stops wsu
Nov 21,
10:55 AM
srchat
(Admin): I don’t either, but I’ve been wrong in this area before.
Nov 21,
10:55 AM
Guest328
(Guest): To go off guest 1438’s question - is there really a school with an
opening leach would go for? I know I’ve heard anecdotal speculation that leach
would be a hot commodity, but I don’t know that I see any blue blood openings
that would make him leave
Nov 21,
10:57 AM
srchat
(Admin): Sure doesn’t seem like there’s any at the moment. Think it would take
a big-time SEC program to lure him away. Not Maryland or Kansas…
Nov 21,
10:57 AM
Uncle
Larry (Guest): Does anyone else watch the Tuesday night MAC games over the past
few weeks? How can those schools even have a football program when it looks
like there is only 300 people in the stands?
Nov 21,
10:58 AM
srchat
(Admin): No, but covering Idaho football before this I watched a lot of Wednesday/Thursday
night Sun Belt games, which possibly drew less than the MAC games you’re
referring to.
Nov 21,
10:59 AM
ShorelineCoug
(Guest): When Dillon Sherman is in, what LB position does he man, and is it to
keep the starter fresh, or situational D ?
Nov 21,
11:00 AM
srchat
(Admin): Sherman is technically the backup to Jahad Woods at Will linebacker.
The Cougars have five middle linebackers they feel comfortable playing
(Pelluer, Woods, Rogers, Fa’vae and Sherman) so it makes sense to rotate them
for the reason you mentioned.
Nov 21,
11:00 AM
Uncle
Larry (Guest): What’s the relationship like between Chun and Leach? Has it
grown?
Nov 21,
11:01 AM
srchat
(Admin): It feels like your typical coach-AD relationship. Leach and Moos were
best buddies, so not sure it’s reached that point yet, but I’d characterize it
as a good relationship.
Nov 21,
11:02 AM
Uncle
Larry (Guest): Leach just seems happier….is it all his easy to coach team or
more at ease with admin also?
Nov 21,
11:02 AM
srchat
(Admin): The team more than anything, I’d say.
srchat
(Admin): Thanks as always to those who joined today. Great stream of questions
and hope you all continue to follow our coverage this week at
http://www.spokesman.com/sports/team/wsu-football/. We have a lot in the works
that I’m excited to share.
:::::::::
Remembering
’88: Members of Washington State’s 1988 Apple Cup-winning team reflect on their
historic comeback
UPDATED:
Wed., Nov. 21, 2018, 4:19 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson of Spokane’s Spokesman-Review
PULLMAN –
Dennis Erickson could have been describing any number of Pullman-based Apple
Cups.
“If I can
remember correctly, it was a cold, freaking windy, snowy day,” the former
Washington State coach said on the phone Monday afternoon from his home on Lake
Coeur d’Alene, reminiscing on football history while peering out at the icy
crust that’s started to form on the surface of the water behind his northern
Idaho house.
But
Erickson gives it away with his next line. And those who know their Washington
State history well enough probably figured out the game he’s referring to by a
simple process of elimination.
The
71-year-old Erickson spent just two years of his coaching career – one that has
lasted almost a half-century – in Pullman, and one of his Apple Cups was a much
sweeter memory than the other.
“We came
back in the second half,” Erickson said, “and Rosenbach played extremely well.”
Yep. Must
be ’88.
When No. 7
WSU and No. 16 Washington kick off Friday at 5:30 p.m. (Fox 28) at Martin
Stadium, it’ll have been three decades – and 30 Apple Cups – since the Cougars
erased a 12-point halftime deficit and stunned the Huskies in front of 40,000
fans in Pullman.
Swirling
winds transformed Martin Stadium into a snow globe on Nov. 19, 1988. It was
widely thought the Cougars, ranked No. 19 in the country, were better than
their 7-3 record showed, and they came into the 81st Apple Cup dreaming of
tropical rays and soft Hawaiian sand.
Beating
the Huskies would enable them to play in the Aloha Bowl. A loss would extend
their postseason drought to seven games – and UW would make it three straight
Apple Cup wins over WSU.
Those
elements, blended together, turned this into a game the Cougars couldn’t
concede.
“There’s
still something that we’ve always felt we were the red-headed stepchild and
it’s just like the big brother, little brother,” said Doug Wellsandt, the
Cougars tight end who came from Ritzville to play for WSU from 1987-89. “We
didn’t want to be the little brother anymore. We just wanted to win.”
At this
point in the season, the Cougars were already oozing with confidence – and
justifiably so. They rode a three-game win streak into the Apple Cup, which was
kick-started by an Oct. 29 upset of No. 1 UCLA.
“UCLA’s
got first-and-goal and you stop them,” Wellsandt said. “That just built
momentum and belief in everybody, and confidence that hey, we can fight through
this. It was awesome to see that for our defense, it was awesome to see how the
offense responds.”
Erickson’s
Cougars were just 4-3 before their late-October trip to Pasadena. It would’ve
been easy to cast off the season right there, especially taking into account
WSU’s pitfalls the year prior. The Cougars had gone 3-7-1 in 1987, Erickson’s
first season.
“When we
were sitting there before we played UCLA, I’m sure there was a lot of
doubters,” he said, “and we got on that roll and had a chance to go to a bowl
game if we beat the University of Washington.”
But even
for a team with as much self-belief as WSU, taking down the Don James-led
Huskies was an immense challenge.
The
“Dawgfather” won 153 games in his 17 seasons on Montlake, and the legendary UW
coach didn’t let too many Apple Cups slip out of his hands. James left his post
after the 1992 season with a 13-4 record against the Cougars.
“Any time
you can beat the Huskies when he was there was a great win,” said Erickson, who
arrived at WSU in 1987 after head-coaching stops at Idaho and Wyoming.
Erickson
had an offensive cast most of his peers in the coaching world would’ve taken in
a heartbeat. The general was Timm Rosenbach, a 6-2, 215-pound quarterback who
threw the football – and the javelin – for two years at Pullman High before
accepting a scholarship to play for the Cougars.
Rosenbach
was leading the nation pass efficiency and fourth in total offense, and he had
a full complement of weapons, starting with running back Steve Broussard, the
Pac-10’s rushing king in ’88.
Mike
Wimberly and William Pellum may not have been the most projectable receivers,
but both added something different to WSU’s one-back schemes – a variation of
the spread offense Erickson and only a few other coaches had adopted by the
late 1980s.
“When Dennis
first got there, he brought in some receivers,” Rosenbach, now offensive
coordinator at Montana, said on the phone Tuesday afternoon. “Mike Wimberly and
William Pellum. We were like, ‘Who are these guys? How are they going to help
us?’ Well, they turned out to be two really big-time contributors.”
Rosenbach
had an entire battalion of offensive linemen tasked with protecting him. Or
maybe that’s just what it felt like. Mike Utley, a consensus All-American, was
the group’s ringleader. Other notables included Paul Wulff, Jim Michalczik and
Chris Dyko.
“You had
six or seven guys probably – maybe an eighth guy – that could jump in there and
play and you not really lose a beat,” Rosenbach said. “So that was pretty
comfortable for the guys handling the ball.”
From
Rosenbach to Broussard, and Utley to Tim Stallworth, the talent was exceptional
and the schemes were cutting-edge.
“We were
explosive,” Erickson said, “and what we were doing was pretty unique back in
1988.”
It just
didn’t always translate to the field – at least not in the first half of games,
and the Cougars had a head-scratching tendency of falling behind early.
“I just
think we always knew we could play. We always knew we could win,” Wellsandt
said. “Unfortunately, there were some games where either mistakes were made,
and we just got ourselves in a hole.”
The hole
in 1988 was 28-16. The Huskies took a 12-point lead into the break, scoring
four touchdowns after Jason Hanson got the Cougars on the board with a
first-quarter field goal. WSU fumbled five times and Rosenbach added to a
sleepy first half for the Cougars with an interception.
“We didn’t
play that great,” the QB said, “so we had to come out in the second half and
battle.”
Enter the
kings of the comeback.
“We were
really good at fighting through the crap,” Rosenbach said. “We kind of just
kept playing.”
Another
kick from Hanson, followed by a defensive stop and then a short scoring run
from Richie Swinton, made it 28-26. But the Huskies, now at the opposite end of
the momentum scale, weren’t ready to whimper out of Martin Stadium and miss out
on a bowl game for the first time in a decade.
John
McCallum booted a field goal through the uprights to establish a five-point
Husky lead, but UW’s next special-teams effort wasn’t quite as fortuitous. WSU
defensive back Shawn Landrum shot through the Huskies’ offensive line and came
up with perhaps the most consequential punt block in school history.
That gave
Rosenbach’s offense exceptional field position, from the 13-yard line, with 9
minutes left. UW probably expected Rosenbach to go to his rocket arm – not an
irrational thought. In the same game, the junior broke John Elway’s
single-season Pac-10 passing record.
But
instead, from the 5-yard line, Rosenbach trucked into the end zone with his
legs. It didn’t matter that the 2-point conversion failed – the Cougars finally
led 32-31.
“All I can
remember is I came up to hug him and give him a high five, and he was like,
‘Don’t touch me,’ ” Wellsandt said. “He had taken a shot. But he was just a
competitor, and he won’t be denied.”
Nor would
the Cougars. They prevailed, and the ramifications of the victory were much
larger than beating a bitter rival on home turf. WSU defeated Houston 24-22 in
the Aloha Bowl to finish the year with five straight wins and a 9-3 record,
which gave Erickson’s successor Mike Price a foundation to build upon.
“That got
the program going in the right direction, and Mike came in and did a heckuva
job, obviously,” Erickson said. “But that was a big win, that (Apple Cup) game
stands out to me. That says a lot about the character of the football team.”
Three of
the game’s key figures – Erickson, Rosenbach and Wellsandt – will be glued to
their television sets Friday night as the present-day Cougars attempt to break
a five-game Apple Cup drought at Martin Stadium.
They’re 30
years removed from staging one of the top comebacks in school history, and
watching Mike Leach’s 2018 team is a little bit like looking in the mirror.
“No one
pointed fingers. It was like, ‘OK, let’s go make up for it,’ ” Wellsandt said.
“And we just got behind each other. That’s what I see is really the neat thing
about this group. You’ve got eight, nine receivers that – three of them could
be superstars, but they’re all happy when anybody catches a touchdown, anybody
catches a pass. You always see them running over and congratulating them.
That’s what good teams get. It doesn’t matter who gets the stardom for the day,
they’re all happy these guys were playing well.”
:::::::::::
Cougs
locked into eighth in College Football Playoffs rankings
Lewiston Trib staff and wire reports Nov 21,
2018
The
Washington State football team keeps winning, but so do all the schools ahead
of it in the College Football Playoff rankings.
The
Cougars (10-1) were slotted eighth in Tuesday's updated CFP rankings. That's
the same spot they've occupied all four weeks of the ranking.
There will
be updates to the rankings on Tuesday and Dec. 2. The top four teams in the
final standings will be invited to the College Football Playoffs.
For the
Cougars to make the Final Four, they'll have to beat Washington in the Apple
Cup on Friday and beat Utah in the Pac-12 championship game on Nov. 30 at Santa
Clara, Calif. - and get lots of losses from the teams sitting above them in the
CFP rankings.
Alabama,
Clemson, Notre Dame and Michigan were at the top of Tuesday's CFP rankings,
marking the first time in the five-year history of the postseason system that
the same teams held the first four spots for three straight weeks.
Unlike
last week, there was a little movement in the top 10. Unbeaten Central Florida
moved up two spots to No. 9. The Knights became the first team from outside the
Power Five conference to be ranked in the selection committee's top 10.
Georgia
remained No. 5, followed by Oklahoma at sixth. LSU remained seventh, Washington
State held at 8 and Ohio State stayed at 10th, getting jumped by UCF.
Committee
chairman Rob Mullens, the Oregon athletic director, said the group spend
"considerable time" discussing Ohio State, which beat Maryland 52-51
in overtime on Saturday, and UCF, coming off a 38-13 victory against
CIncinnati.
"We
said while UCF might not have the depth of talent of Ohio State, the committee
thought they're playing more as an all-around team," Mullens said.
No. 11 was
Florida, which could help the Gators secure a New Year's Six bowl bid. Penn
State is 12th.
UCF'S LONG
SHOT - There does not seem to be a realistic path to the playoff for UCF. What
about an unrealistic one? Maybe. Imbalanced conferences have set traps for
playoff contenders that UCF athletic director Danny White could not have laid
out any better.
There is a
case to be made that there is literally no way UCF would be allowed in the
playoff. The conspiracy theorist would say the selection committee has been
given their Power Five marching orders and that's that. There is a glass
ceiling over UCF no matter the chaos in the other conferences. The less cynical
would say UCF's schedule, not as rigorous as the other top teams, would
deservedly keep the Knights out even if the alternative is teams that have lost
two or even three games.
CFP
executive director Bill Hancock has often said there is no glass ceiling on the
Group of Five teams. They just need aggressive and fortuitous nonconference
scheduling. The example often give is Houston of the American Athletic
Conference in 2016. The Cougars, coming off a Peach Bowl victory like UCF this
season, beat two highly ranked Power Five teams with star quarterback that
season - Oklahoma with Baker Mayfield and Louisville with Lamar Jackson. But
they lost three conference games and didn't even earn a major bowl bid.
But a
Group of Five team with those types of nonconference victories, plus a strong
conference record and league title, would have a chance to make the final four.
UCF
doesn't have those victories this season. Its game against North Carolina was
cancelled by a hurricane, and the Tar Heels aren't any good, anyway. UCF did
play and pound Pittsburgh in September and the Panthers have turned out to be a
good enough to reach the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game against
Clemson in two weeks.
The Panthers
(7-4) are one of the keys that could help UCF pick the lock on the playoff.
Northwestern
(7-4) of the Big Ten and Utah (8-3) of the Pac-12 have also clinched spots in
their respective conference championship game, and Texas (8-3) could do the
same in the Big 12 on Friday by beating Kansas.
UCF needs
all these teams to win their conference titles and Alabama to win the
Southeastern Conference at 13-0. At that point Notre Dame would likely reach
the playoff no matter what it does against Southern California this weekend.
Let's just assume the Irish win and are 12-0 and in.
That leaves
two spots and four of the five Power Five conference champions have at least
three losses. None of those teams are getting in. The conference title game
losers could still be in the mix, but what if these are the conference title
games losers?
- Washington
(8-3) after the Huskies beat Washington State in the Apple Cup.
- West
Virginia (8-2) after the Mountaineers beat Oklahoma.
- Ohio
State (10-1) after the Buckeyes beat Michigan.
- Clemson
(11-0) after the Tigers beat South Carolina.
That would
leave Clemson 12-1, with a loss to Pitt - the team UCF crushed.
Assuming
Clemson gets a mulligan and gets into the playoff, every other team would have
at least two losses. At that point, wouldn't the committee have to give UCF a
chance?
:::::::::::::
Football Pac-12
picks: It’s the Apple Cup and everything else this weekend
UPDATED:
Wed., Nov. 21, 2018, 4:09 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson
Spokane
S-R
It’s
rivalry weekend, and one game trumps the rest.
Tune into
the Civil War if you’d like, check out the Territorial Cup if you’re so
inclined, but just make sure to clear your schedule Friday night for the 111th
Apple Cup, which will kick off at 5:30 p.m. from Martin Stadium and will air
nationally on Fox 28.
Oregon at
Oregon State
Oregon by
18: I have a hunch the Beavers keep it a little closer than the betting line
suggests, but count on the Ducks winning comfortably enough behind a strong
afternoon from quarterback Justin Herbert and wide receiver Dillon Mitchell.
The pick: Oregon 41, Oregon State 31.
Washington
at Washington State
WSU by 2
1/2: The second Pacific Northwest rivalry game Friday should be a thriller,
what with the Pac-12 North title, a potential College Football Playoff spot and
Evergreen State bragging rights all on the line. We’re not revealing the pick
just yet, but I’m expecting the Cougars to score more on Friday than they did
in the last two Apple Cups combined. The pick: will be in Friday’s paper.
Stanford
at UCLA
Stanford
by 7: The Cardinal are coming off what essentially was a bye week after
Saturday’s Big Game was postponed. I like Stanford in this game anyway. I like
the Cardinal even more now. The pick: Stanford 38, UCLA 21.
Colorado
at Cal
Cal by 12
1/2: The Golden Bears are coming off what essentially was a bye week after
Saturday’s Big Game was postponed. I like Cal in this game anyway. I like the
Golden Bears even more now. The pick: Cal 33, Colorado 17.
Arizona
State at Arizona
ASU by 2:
Both of these teams had their Pac-12 South title hopes dashed last weekend, but
one still has plenty to play for. That will show in Tucson, where Khalil Tate
and the motivated Wildcats should snatch their sixth win and their bowl
eligibility. The pick: Arizona 45, Arizona State 41.
Notre Dame
at USC
Notre Dame
by 11 1/2: If the Trojans cover the spread, it’ll be their greatest feat this
season nest to beating WSU. But I don’t think they’re capable. The pick: Notre
Dame 37, USC 17.
BYU at
Utah
Utah by
12: It’s remarkable what Kyle Whittingham has done these last few games with
Utah’s shorthanded offense. Some might suggest he rest his top weapons in this
nonconference game prior to the Pac-12 championship. Of course, Whittingham
won’t and the Utes will roll to win No. 9. The pick: Utah 27, BYU 12.
Theo
Lawson’s records
Last week:
4-1 overall, 3-2 against the spread
Overall:
58-20 overall, 34-36 against the spread
UPDATED:
NOV. 21, 2018, 4:09 P.M.
::::::::::
Apple a
day has kept Washington State away as Washington’s Chris Petersen has thrived
against Mike Leach
UPDATED:
Wed., Nov. 21, 2018, 3:13 p.m.
By Ryan
Collingwood of S-R Spokane
Washington
coach Chris Petersen has had no trouble stifling Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense.
In
Petersen and Leach’s four previous meetings, the Huskies have held Washington
State to an average of 13.5 points and forced 18 turnovers.
Leach’s
Cougars haven’t scored a first-quarter touchdown against Petersen’s Huskies.
Nov. 29,
2014
Where:
Martin Stadium, Pullman
Score:
Washington 31, Washington State 13
What
happened: The Huskies nearly handed Leach the first shutout loss of his head
coaching career, jumping out to a 31-0 lead and holding the Cougars scoreless
until the 9-minute, 55-second mark of the fourth quarter. WSU’s offense was the
second-coldest thing that day: Temperatures dropped to 19 degrees, the
chilliest Apple Cup on record.
Key stat:
UW running back Dwayne Washington scored on the second plays of each half on
runs of 51 and 60 yards.
What they
said: “I thought the biggest thing was just trying to do too much,” Leach said.
“We went out there trying to play perfect, and you don’t play perfect. You’ve
got to turn it loose and don’t hesitate. And definitely offensively, I think we
went out there and tried to play too perfect, and it took us awhile to relax.”
Nov. 27,
2015
Where:
Husky Stadium, Seattle
Score:
Washington 45, Washington State 10
What
happened: WSU freshman quarterback Peyton Bender started in place of Luke Falk
(concussion) and accounted for four of the 20th-ranked Cougars’ seven turnovers
in a blowout loss. WSU didn’t score a touchdown until late in the third
quarter. Washington freshman running back Myles Gaskin had 143 rushing yards.
Key stat:
The Cougars got within 5 yards of Washington’s red zone on two of their first
three drives, yet came away with just three points.
What they
said: “That was the most disappointing part of today,” said Bender, who threw
two interceptions returned for touchdowns. “We just have to finish those
drives, but we missed opportunities. Dropped balls, misreads on my part.”
Nov. 25,
2016
Where:
Martin Stadium
Score:
Washington 45, Washington State 17
What
happened: In a game that decided the Pac-12 North title, fifth-ranked
Washington jumped to a 28-3 first-half lead and breezed past No. 23 Washington
State.
Key stat:
Falk was 33 of 50 for 269 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions for
WSU, which had four turnovers and three turnovers on downs.
What they
said: “I don’t think we psyched ourselves out,” WSU receiver Gabe Marks said.
“We just got outmuscled by another team. We’re soft.”
Nov. 25,
2017
Where:
Husky Stadium
Score:
Washington 41, Washington State 14
What
happened: Gaskin ran for 192 yards with four touchdowns and the No. 15 Huskies
routed 14th-ranked Washington State, which was held scoreless until the fourth
quarter.
Key stat:
In what would be Falk’s final college game, he was sacked five times and had a
hand in all four Cougars turnovers.
What they
said: “I didn’t feel like we collectively, the whole game, played well at any
position,” said Leach, whose team would have secured a Pac-12 North title with
a win.
::::::::::::
Football Washington
State’s Mike Leach named semifinalist for Coach of the Year award
UPDATED:
Wed., Nov. 21, 2018, 3:01 p.m.
Spokesman-Review
By Theo
Lawson
PULLMAN –
Mike Leach, who has guided Washington State to its first 10-win season in 15
years, was recognized Wednesday by being named one of 18 semifinalists for the
George Munger Collegiate Coach of the Year, the Maxwell Football Club
announced.
The 10 wins
for WSU match the program record and are the most for the Cougars since Bill
Doba led them to a 10-3 record in 2003. The Cougars, still in the College
Football Playoff conversation, could play up to four more games, but will play
two at the minimum – three if they win Friday’s Apple Cup and book a ticket to
the Pac-12 championship game.
Leach, in
his seventh year at the helm in Pullman, has made the Cougars bowl-eligible for
a fourth consecutive year, a program record. They’ve gone 36-14 in the past three
seasons.
The
Cougars (10-1, 7-1) are ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 8
in the College Football Playoff rankings. They head into the game against No.
16 Washington riding a seven-game win streak.
WSU ranks
No. 1 in the nation in passing offense at 400.5 yards per game and has the
nation’s No. 26 defense.
The other
17 semifinalists are Dino Babers (Syracuse), Bill Clark (UAB), Butch Davis
(Florida International), Jim Harbaugh (Michigan), Josh Heupel (UCF), Brian
Kelly (Notre Dame), Lance Leipold (Buffalo), Jeff Monken (Army), Ed Orgeron
(LSU), Lincoln Riley (Oklahoma), Nick Saban (Alabama), Kirby Smart (Georgia),
Dabo Swinney (Clemson), Matt Wells (Utah State), Kyle Whittingham (Utah), Luke
Fickell (Cincinnati) and Mark Stoops (Kentucky).
Two
coaches on the list played for Leach. Central Florida’s Heupel played for the
WSU coach at Oklahoma in 1999 and Oklahoma’s Riley was a walk-on quarterback
for Leach at Texas Tech in 2002.
Leach has
been a semifinalist for the award each of the past two seasons. Semifinal
voting begins on Monday and closes on Dec. 10.
Three
finalists will be selected and one winner will be announced by the Maxwell Club
on Dec. 28.
::::::::::::::
Free
mustaches available in Colfax this week for ‘Mustache Madness Days’
November 20,
2018 Pullman Radio News
The Colfax
Chamber of Commerce declares this week “Mustache Madness Days” in celebration
of the WSU quarterback whom must not be named in fear of NCAA rule violations.
Shops in
downtown Colfax will be handing out free mustaches in preparation for the Apple
Cup. Throughout town you can expect to see plenty of fake facial hair and white
headbands this week. Even Colfax PD patrol cars will hang a mustache from their
bumpers. Local shops with a mustache sign signal that store will be handing out
free mustaches on Wednesday and Friday.
The
chamber originally planned to call the event “Gardner Minshew Days,” until a
cease and desist letter was sent from NCAA rules and compliance staff at WSU.
A
controversial NCAA rule strictly forbids players profit from their likeness or
namesake. In this case, neither Minshew or WSU violated that rule directly, as
this was organized by the Chamber of Commerce without their knowledge or
consent and as no money would be raised. Still, out of an abundance of caution
and at the urging of WSU, this week will be known instead as “Mustache Madness
Days.”
::::::::::
How a
Pac-12 football team's mustache mania and a town's festival nearly broke NCAA
rules
By BRENT
SCHROTENBOER | USA TODAY | 3:07 pm EST November 20, 2018
The
Chamber of Commerce in Colfax, Washington, recently decided to stage an event
that would pay special tribute to Gardner Minshew, the mustachioed Washington
State quarterback.
The
celebration even carried his name – “Gardner Minshew Days,” a two-day festivity
scheduled for this week on Main Street, 16 miles from campus in Pullman.
But the
name is a problem, according to NCAA rules. It’s also another example of how
the NCAA and its members control the controversial system of “amateurism” in
college sports.
“We just
wanted to celebrate him and the Cougs,” said Valoree Gregory, the chamber’s
executive director.
The
chamber planned to have local businesses give away fake mustaches before
Friday’s big game against Washington,
joining a local craze that’s seen hundreds of Cougar fans wearing fake
mustaches in honor of Minshew, the nation’s leading passer.
It all
seemed innocent enough, at least until the chamber received a cease-and-desist
notice from the NCAA rules compliance staff at WSU.
“In
accordance with NCAA Bylaw 12.5.2.2, Washington State University requests you
cease the production and display of advertisements, and the possible
distribution of any products using Gardner Minshew's name and likeness,” WSU’s
letter to the chamber said on Nov. 7.
So the
event changed its name to “Mustache Madness” and removed his photo. It still
will go on as planned and still references Minshew on its website, just not by
name.
“We are honoring our favorite WSU quarterback
by giving out FREE mustaches” on Wednesday and Friday, the website said.
Colfax
(population 2,900) still hopes it adds to the fun surrounding Friday's Apple
Cup in Pullman. Minshew, a graduate transfer from East Carolina, has led the
eighth-ranked Cougars (9-1) to one of their best seasons ever, making his
mustache so popular that Washington State has tried to capitalize on it, too.
Last week,
WSU revved up its Heisman Trophy campaign for Minshew by mailing media members
fake mustaches with instructions to “vote for Minshew!”
Just don’t
expect to see that campaign slogan in Colfax this week. The campaign posters
instead will feature generic mustaches without a name.
The reason
is “amateurism,” the NCAA economic system that’s been under attack in the
courts and by critics as NCAA schools and coaches keep getting richer while
player compensation is strictly restricted. In this case, the system prohibits
not only players from profiting off their names and likenesses but also Minshew
from having a say even when a local town wants to give free mustaches and honor
him by name.
Similarly,
a Cougars gear store in Pullman, Crimson & Gray, has sold fake mustaches
for $2 each but has no photo or mention of Minshew, thereby complying with NCAA
rules. The sales bin instead has marketed the mustaches with a photo of the
comedic character Uncle Rico from the movie "Napoleon Dynamite." Fans
jokingly have compared Minshew’s mustache to Uncle Rico’s.
“We
figured Uncle Rico would be a good representation,” store manager Craig Laprath
said. His store sold out of mustaches last week before ordering more.
In the
Colfax case, Minshew and WSU broke no rules and weren’t involved in planning
the event. The rules compliance staff for WSU also didn’t mean to spoil any
fun, but the rule in this case required the player or the school to “take steps
to stop such an activity in order to retain his or her eligibility for
intercollegiate athletics.”
The letter
met that requirement. Asked for comment, the NCAA referred USA TODAY to WSU.
“As long
as Gardner didn’t have knowledge, which he didn’t, and we do our due diligence,
which we have, we are covered,” WSU athletics spokesman Bill Stevens said.
If not for
NCAA rules, the chamber could have gotten permission from Minshew, who has
embraced the mustache movement at large. This rule just doesn’t give him a
choice. It helps prevent outside commercial enterprises from exploiting or
making money off the names and likenesses of athletes while the athletes
themselves are not allowed to do the same.
At the
same time, the rule helps NCAA members keep control of their assets and uphold
the system of amateurism, whose rules generally cap the compensation of
athletes at no more than the cost of attending college.
By
contrast, NCAA schools and conferences are allowed to makes as much as they can
in television revenue, ticket sales and shoe and apparel deals, all of which
rely on showcasing players such as Minshew. Their football coaches also benefit
from those rising revenues and a free market, with at least 44 earning $3
million or more this year. That list includes Cougars coach Mike Leach, who
wore his own Minshew mustache during an interview on ESPN Nov. 10.
Not that
Minshew is complaining. He appreciates the love.
“I had no clue that was going to be part of
it,” he told USA TODAY earlier this month when asked about his celebrity
status. “That is just kind of a testament to how these fans are up here. They
love some good football.”
The fun
will continue in Colfax.
“We are
going to have huge mustache posters in our businesses on Main Street,” Gregory
said in an e-mail. “All of our businesses will be wearing mustaches and white
headbands. … Our police cars will even
have mustaches on them. Hopefully people
don't see those in their rear view mirrors!!”
::::::::::
:::::::::::::::
((During
the construction of WSU’s Martin Stadium Loi Lam worked as an operator of a
jack-hammer. The first game in the newly-constructed stadium was held Sept. 30,
1972))
LOI LAM
1956-2018
Died
November 19, 2018
LOI'S
OBITUARY from Kimball Funeral home, Pullman
Loi Vinh
Lam, longtime Pullman restaurateur and community member, passed away Monday
evening, November 19, 2018, at his Pullman home after a brief, but hard fought
battle with cancer. He was 62.
A prayer
service led by the Buddhist Monks will be held on Saturday, November 24th, at
10:00 a.m. at Kimball Funeral Home in Pullman.
Loi was
born May 2, 1956 (Lunar calendar 3/22/56) in Saigon, Vietnam to Thanh and Soai
Chau Lam. Loi escaped Vietnam in 1978 and in the summer of 1979 he came to
Pullman, Washington.
During his
boat ride out of Vietnam he met his future wife, Lan, who was riding on the
same boat. They married in February 1980.
Once
settled in Pullman, Loi worked as an operator of a jack-hammer during the
construction of Martin Stadium.
He later
worked at a Chinese restaurant in Moscow for five years during which time he
was diligently saving his money to one day open his own restaurant.
Loi and
Lan started the New Garden in Pullman in 1985, six weeks before their first
child was born.
The couple
worked side-by-side in the restaurant until opening their second restaurant,
Golden Teriyaki, on the other end of town and Loi ran that while Lan stayed at
New Garden.
The Lams
are well-known around the Pullman community and beyond as they treated each of
their guests with a warm, welcoming smile and friendly hello each time you went
to one of their establishments.
Loi was a
very generous man, but also could be strong willed at times.
He will be
missed by many in the community, but especially by his wife, Lan, who survives
him at their home; his three children, sons Kenny (Ashley) and Kevin Lam, both
of Pullman, and daughter Kellie Lam (Joshua Wick) of Pasco; grandchildren,
Pierce, Elliana and Tatum; by his mother, Soai Chau, Pullman; his 3 brothers
and 1 sister, Minh Lam, Dinh Lam, Tony Lam and Ngoc Lam all living in Pullman
as well as an extended family of nieces, nephews and cousins throughout
Washington. He was preceded in death by his father, Thanh Tuy Lam, in 1999.
On-line
guest book is at www.kimballfh.com
