	Washington WSU 19 U woof W 27 (sigh)

by JD

Apple Cup 2003!

OK ... POOP happens. And it has happened again. Don't get USED to it .. get OVER it. The ~~South~~ East will rise again! Don't be discouraged. Forge on ...

I am just sick of that Pucket to Wilson combo. Do you think they will ever graduate?

Get your official WSU Cougar
"Wait 'til next year" watch HERE

Go Cougs!

More Huskies ...

TV Alert: Fox Sports at 3:30 PM PT.

Check your local listings.

Getting ready for the Apple Cup once again, please see these great articles!

Cougfan.com has posted: http://washingtonstate.theinsiders.com/2/25184.html

Also see my addition here, Cougar Odds and Ends, complete with some trivia. As you might guess, a good deal of it, at least at this early inception, is about the U woof W.

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER - 10/29/03

Cougars turning region upside down

By Art Thiel
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER COLUMNIST

The rise and fall of Seattle as a national cultural darling has become the subject of literature. Popular autumn books such as Jonathan Raban's "Waxwings" and Fred Moody's "Seattle and the Demons of Ambition" offer much wisdom about the epidemic of hubris that infected locals in the 1990s.

But each worthy tome missed a far more insidious force that is changing the righteous goodness of life in the damp.

The Cougarization of college football.

If anything speaks to the decline and fall of all that is double-tall low-fat, it is the notion that the balance of collegiate grid power has shifted to the Palouse.

The phenomenon taxes the imagination. It's as if MTV started a channel on Taliban cable. Or Rush Limbaugh preferred ibuprofen. Or Pedro Martinez said, "Here, old man, let me help you up."

The change became more vivid this week.

The 5-1 Cougars are ranked sixth in The Associated Press poll, just a small gag against Notre Dame from an undefeated season.

The Huskies, meanwhile, are an unranked 3-3 after having lost to Nevada-Casino, a team comprised largely of laid-off blackjack dealers.

It's not merely that the Cougars are ranked ahead of the Huskies. That's happened before. The difference this season is that Washington State is sustaining quality ball. http://ads.nwsource.com/ads/adv.gif

The Cougars are coming off a season in which they were Pac-10 champions and reached the Rose Bowl, then appeared to have their figurative hearts ripped out by the departure of their beloved head coach, who moved on to a better class of stripper.

Yet the Cougs pulled together and carried on, rendering moot the standard claim of cosmic whammy that explained their earlier success.

The Cougs' previous appearance in the Rose Bowl, in 1998, was dismissed as an aberration, much as were the asteroids that strike the earth and wipe out large mammalian life. Given the half-billion years or so between events, it's not something that compels one to stock up on beer in anticipation.

But the Cougs confounded the Pac-10 actuarial tables by returning to the Rose Bowl within the lifetime of the average blue whale. Now they are a threat for two championships in a row, although they still must play the conference's top teams, USC and Oregon State.

Since the beginning of the 2001 season, the Cougars' 25-6 record equals the sixth-best in college football, trailing only Miami, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Texas and Georgia.

Almost as astonishingly, Boise State is also 25-6, which suggests a second threat from the hinterlands, this one loaded with spuds).

This development, as Foghorn Leghorn once famously observed, is the most unheard-of thing we've ever heard of.

Twenty years ago, Washington State, along with Oregon State, were the stowaways of the conference, confined to steerage with the annual threat to dump them from the Pac-10 at the first sight of land.

Now they are gentry, full of moxie, junior college transfers and fat offensive linemen.

While the standard explanation, that the NCAA's reduced maximum of 85 scholarships redistributed player talent to more schools, is true enough, it explains neither how WSU can eviscerate Oregon 55-16 nor how Washington can have no lead or threat against a group of keno runners.

Competitiveness by the little guys is one thing, but non-competitiveness by the one-time bullies is incomprehensible.

Three blocked field goal attempts? Eight sacks? Not even Soupy Sales took that many pies in the face.

"I'm embarrassed to even talk about it," UW coach Keith Gilbertson said this week, which says a lot for a guy who once made a living in the USFL.

The UW travail follows a 7-6 season, a bowl-game embarrassment and the debacle surrounding Rick Neuheisel, an affair that was handled by the coach, the school and the NCAA with all the grace of North Korean nuclear policy.

While the UW fumbled and fussed about Neuheisel's successor, WSU quietly replaced Mike Price in the same manner that Washington chose -- elevating the most senior assistant coach to the top job. And had better results.

The Cougars' Bill Doba not only made the transition seamless, he did it with a staff largely of ex-Cougars players. In Mike Levenseller, George Yarno, Mike Walker, Timm Rosenbach and Ken Greene, the staff is loaded with former stars who contradict the conventional wisdom that the only way WSU would ever win was by importing Bear Bryant, Joe Paterno and Bud
Wilkinson and others who knew better than to try to pronounce the eye chart.

All the Cougars need to affirm regional hegemony is an Apple Cup win. But regardless of that outcome next month, the process of Cougarization is inexorable. Just take a look at recent events in the University District.

The melees, drunkenness and desperado behavior by kids in the neighborhood have promoted much hand-wringing and extra police patrols.

While Seattle views the activities as criminal, civic leaders fail to understand that mindless mayhem is a major in Pullman. Its success as a recruiting tool is breathtaking.

Even Gilbertson, as hardcore a Husky as one can be without fetching tennis balls, seems to be succumbing to the inevitability of change in the Northwest football landscape. He said this week that his mission for the match Saturday at Oregon State -- where the Beavers are 10-point favorites, another when-pigs-fly benchmark -- is to get his tight, overwrought players to "fly around and have fun."

That isn't a major at WSU. It's a Ph.D program.

ESPN - Nov. 18, 2003

WSU Cougars Take On Washington

Cougars have won 10 of their last 12 Pac-10 road games.

WHO: #8/8 WSU Cougars (9-2 overall, 6-1 Pac-10) vs. Washington Huskies (5-6 overall, 3-4 Pac-10)
WHAT: 2003 Pacific-10 Conference Football
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 22; Kickoff 3:30 p.m. PST
WHERE: Husky Stadium (72,500, FieldTurf), Seattle, Wash.
TV: Live FOX Sports, WSU replay by FOX Sports Northwest Sunday, Nov. 23, 4:00 p.m.

THE COACHES: WSU - Bill Doba (Ball State '62) is in his first season as WSU's head coach (9-2) and in his first season as a college head coach (9-2). WASHINGTON - The Huskies are coached by Keith Gilbertson, 5-6 in his first season with the Huskies and 53-43 in his eight-year career...Gilbertson was head coach at Idaho 1986-87 (Idaho didn't play WSU in those two years) and head coach at California 1992-95 (Cal didn't play WSU in 1992).

WSU VS. WASHINGTON: WSU and Washington have been playing football against each other since 1900, with the Huskies capturing 62 wins, WSU 27...there have been six ties...WSU's most recent win was a 41-35 victory in 1997 that sent the Cougars to the Rose Bowl, while Washington's last win was 29-26 in overtime last year in Pullman. WSU's last home win was in 1994 and the Cougs' last win in Seattle was in 1997.

COUGARS REMAIN 8TH IN BOTH POLLS: Washington State remained eighth in both the Associated Press media poll and the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll following a 34-19 win over Arizona State...the Cougars remained 10th in this week's BCS ranking. (see page 2)

DUNNING, DAVID BASLER MAKE SEMI-FINAL LISTS: Three WSU Cougar players have been selected among the best in the country at their respective positions...cornerback Jason David has been named one of 12 semi-finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's premier defensive back...Drew Dunning is one of 20 semi-finalists for the Lou Groza Award, given each year to the top place kicker in the nation...Dunning also was a semi-finalist in 2001..Basler is one of 10 semi-finalists for the Ray Guy Award given to the nation's top punter.

2003 CAPTAINS: WSU - QB Matt Kegel (4), FS Erik Coleman (27), ST Al Genatone (48). WASHINGTON: QB Cody Pickett (3), DT Terry Johnson (99), LB Greg Carothers (34).

SUCCESS ON THE ROAD: WSU has won 10 of its last 12 Pac-10 road games...WSU closed out the end of the 2000 season with a win at USC...in 2001 the Cougars defeated Arizona, Stanford and ASU on the road before a loss at Washington, while in 2002 WSU defeated California, Stanford, Arizona and UCLA in Pac-10 action...this year WSU has won at Oregon and Stanford and lost at USC.

DARLING HAULS IN 17 TD PASSES: Junior Devard Darling has caught 17 touchdown passes in his career, 11 last year and six so far this season...he now ranks fourth in career TD receptions...he has topped the 100-yard mark four times in his career, 133 against Oregon and 109 at California last year and this season 113 against New Mexico and 108 against ASU...Darling has caught at least two passes in 22 of his 24 games as a Cougar...the only times he has been shut out were against Washington last year and UCLA this season...

COUGS 29-7 IN LAST THREE SEASONS: Since the start of the 2001 season, WSU has won 29 of 36 games...WSU is currently tied for sixth among D-I teams the past three years: Miami 32-3, Oklahoma 34-4, Ohio State 31-6, Texas 31-6, Boise State 29-6, WSU 29-7, Georgia 29-7, Marshall 28-8.

SMITH CARRIES THE LOAD: Senior running back Jonathan Smith notched the third 100-yard rushing game of his career when he ran for 130 yards against UCLA on 36 carries...in addition he caught a team-high four passes for 85 yards...in all he touched the ball 40 times out of WSU's 71 plays from scrimmage...his 36 carries tied him for fifth on the WSU single-season list...he also scored three touchdowns for the second time in his career, and accounted for 215 of WSU's 323 yards in total offense...he had 226 all-purpose yards against Idaho to open the season and 215 all-purpose yards against UCLA, making him the first player to rack up more than 200 all-purpose yards twice in one season since Steve Broussard in 1989...the only other Cougar to have two 200-plus games in a year was Rueben Mayes in 1984...had 58 yards rushing and one touchdown against ASU last week.

SCORING STREAKS: WSU currently has three significant scoring streaks on the line:

· The Cougars have scored in 218 consecutive Pacific-10 games, the longest active streak for any league team...the last time WSU was shut out in Pac-10 play was at Oregon State in 1975;

· WSU has scored in 225 consecutive games since a 44-0 shutout at Ohio State in 1984...the streak is the fifth longest among D-I schools.

· The Cougars have scored in 178 consecutive Martin Stadium home games since a 21-0 loss to Oregon State in Pullman in 1956.

COUGS IN THE POLLS: Washington State, during the course of the 2001 and 2002 seasons, was ranked for 28 straight weeks, the longest continuous stint in the polls for WSU...after finishing 10th in both polls at the close of the 2002 season, WSU was not ranked at the start of the 2003 campaign...WSU returned to the polls for the first time this year Sept. 14:

COUG DEFENSE HALTS RUSHING TDs: WSU opponents have not a great deal of success rushing for touchdowns against the Cougars this year...WSU has allowed 16 passing scores and six rushing touchdowns...Notre Dame, Oregon, Stanford, USC (twice) and ASU are the only teams to score rushing touchdowns against the Cougar defense.

WSU WINS WHEN SCORING IN THE THIRD: WSU has won 26 straight games when scoring in the third quarter...the last time WSU scored in the third quarter and did not win was the 2000 Apple Cup...conversely, the Cougars are 3-7 since the Apple Cup game when they did not score in the third quarter...the string is 19 straight wins when WSU has scored a touchdown in the third quarter...WSU did not score in the third quarter of their most recent loss at USC, nor in the win over UCLA the following week, but did have a field goal against ASU.

BROWN, ACHOLONU AMONG TFL/SACK LEADERS: WSU's senior defensive ends, D.D. Acholonu and Isaac Brown, both rank among the leaders at WSU in both tackles-for-losses and in sacks, and in yardage lost for both categories...while Brown started throughout the 2002 season, Acholonu started his first game against Idaho earlier this year...here's a look at their WSU rankings:

SACKS AND INTERCEPTIONS: WSU leads the nation with 157 sacks over the last four seasons, while Texas is second with 155...WSU also has 89 interceptions since the start of the 1999 season, ranking fourth nationally behind Oklahoma, 96, Kansas State, 94, and Nebraska, 91.

COUGS AMONG SACK LEADERS: The Cougars currently lead the Pac-10 with 39 sacks, with USC second at 36...the Coug's seven sacks against Oregon State earlier in the season marked the fifth time in the past two years the Cougar defense has recorded six or more sacks in a game...WSU also had seven sacks at Notre Dame earlier this season...the Cougars recorded a sack in 22 straight games between 2001 and the Arizona game earlier this season...WSU sack totals this year are Idaho 3, Notre Dame 7, Colorado 2, New Mexico 4, Oregon 4, Arizona 0, Stanford 4, OSU 7, USC 1, UCLA 4, ASU 3.

PAC-10 HONORS COUGARS: Five Washington State football players have been honored eight times by the Pacific-10 Conference this year with Player-of-the-Week honors:

· PK Drew Dunning Week 1 and 4: honored for his special team play against Idaho when he booted four field goals and one extra point; honored again for his five field goals against New Mexico.

· LB Will Derting Week 2 and 9: the defensive POW winner for his 12-tackle performance against Notre Dame that included three sacks and one forced fumble, which led to a touchdown...he then won the award for his eight tackle, three-sack performance against Oregon State; he also forced one fumble against the Beavers;

· QB Matt Kegel Week 3: the league's offensive POW after throwing for 310 yards in WSU's win at Colorado...he had three touchdown passes and was 17-of-33 with one interception.

· SS Jeremy Bohannon Week 5: the league's special teams POW after intercepting a pass that led to a first quarter touchdown and then recovered a blocked punt and returned it four yards for a TD in WSU's 55-16 win over #10 Oregon.

· FS Erik Coleman Week 11: the league's defensive POW and the special teams POW after making 10 tackles, forcing two fumbles, intercepting two passes and deflecting one pass against UCLA.

WSU JUMPS TO EARLY LEADS: WSU has outscored opponents 113-25 in the first quarter and 198-87 in the first half...WSU holds a 85-62 second quarter scoring advantage and 87-53 in the fourth quarter...only in the third quarter has WSU been outscored, 67-62...the only first quarter points allowed by the Cougs have been touchdowns by Colorado and Oregon State (interception return), a safety by Oregon, a field goal by USC and an ASU touchdown.

WSU STARTS STRONG AFTER BOWL GAMES: The Cougars, in recent years, have started the season strong coming off a bowl game appearance...in 1989 (after the 1988 Aloha Bowl) the Cougars started 6-1...in 1993 (after the 1992 Copper Bowl) WSU started 5-2...in 1995 (after the 1994 Alamo Bowl) WSU started 3-2...in 1998 (after the 1997 Rose Bowl season) WSU started 3-0...in 2002 (after the 2001 Sun Bowl) WSU started 9-1...this year (after the 2002 Rose Bowl season) WSU is 9-2.

BLOCK THOSE KICKS: WSU has blocked four placement kicks this season and blocked three punts...in WSU's opener against Idaho, freshman Cody Boyd got his hand on two field goal attempts by the Vandals, helping preserve WSU's shutout...he also had a blocked PAT against New Mexico...at Colorado defensive tackle Steve Cook blocked the Buffs' first PAT attempt...against Oregon D.D. Acholonu and Jason Hill each blocked a Duck punt, while Erik Coleman blocked a punt against ASU.

DUNNING SETS RECORD: Senior Drew Dunning has set two records this year and is on the verge of setting several more over the remaining games of the 2003 season:

· Dunning set a WSU record with five field goals against New Mexico, hitting from 37-36-23-21-49 yards;

· Dunning broke Jason Hanson's career field goal mark when he hit two against ASU, boosting his total to 64;

· In 2001 Dunning set a WSU record for kickers with 101 points and then broke his own record with 113 points in 2002

· This year Dunning is really on a tear...he currently is fourth nationally with 23 field goals in 26 attempts (88.5%):

· Dunning needs eight points to pass school record holder Jason Hanson, now a 12-year NFL veteran with Detroit;

· Dunning averaged 107 points a year over the 2001 and 2002 seasons and is currently on pace for a 110-point season;

· Dunning stands second to Hanson in several categories:
FG Attempts: Hanson 96, Dunning 83;
PAT Attempts: Hanson 144, Dunning 138;
PAT Made: Hanson 139, Dunning 126;

· Dunning's field goal percentage (77.1%) is also the best ever at WSU.

BALANCED OFFENSE: The Cougars have a reputation of being a passing team, but over the past 10 years have actually run the ball more times than they have thrown...in 10 years WSU has run 4,555 rushing plays (50.3%), 4,492 passing plays...this year WSU has rushed the ball 418 times and thrown 411 passes...the passing game has had the upper hand in six of the 10 seasons, but usually by a small margin.

TURNOVERS = 133 POINTS: WSU has turned 22 of the opponent's 40 turnovers into 133 points this year...the Cougars have taken the ball away from the opponents 22 times with interceptions and have recovered 18 of the opponents' 38 fumbles:

Sammy Moore MAKES CRUCIAL CATCHES: Senior Sammy Moore is becoming known as the Big Play guy...here's a look at some of Moore's big plays in 2002 and 2003:

· 2002 - Caught a 53-yard pass from Jason Gesser to set up a WSU field goal in the closing minutes against USC...the field goal tied the game and WSU then won in OT...Moore pulled a hamstring on the play and missed the next two games;

· 2002 - In the Rose Bowl Moore returned a kickoff 89 yards for a WSU touchdown;

· 2003 - At Notre Dame he made a great catch of a 34-yard TD pass from Matt Kegel, allowing WSU to tie the Irish and send the game into overtime;

· 2003 - At Colorado Moore picked up a bobbled kickoff and raced 97 yards for a touchdown;

· 2003 - At Colorado Moore hauled in a 74-yard touchdown pass from Matt Kegel to put WSU ahead 7-0;

· In WSU's win over tenth ranked Oregon he had a 43 yard pass reception and a 41-yarder that went for a touchdown.

· Returned a punt 64 yards to the three-yard line in the fourth quarter at Stanford; WSU then scored for a 21-7 lead;

· Returned a kickoff 50 yards against OSU.

MOORE ON NEAR-RECORD PACE: Sammy Moore is averaging 125 all-purpose yards per game, which puts him on pace to finish the year with 1,500 yards...that would place him fifth on WSU's single season list...the top four are Bernard Jackson (2,118 in 1971), Steve Broussard (1,790 in 1989), Rueben Mayes (1,768 in 1984) and Broussard (1,533 in 1988)...Moore has 457 receiving yards, 318 punt return yards and 600 kickoff return yards for 1,375 yards.

WSU START AMONG BEST: WSU's 9-2 start in 2003 equals the second best start for the Cougars through 11 games...the 1997 team started 10-1 (finished 10-2), while the 2001 (finished 10-2) and 2002 (finished 10-3) teams were both 9-2...the best start was 9-0 by the 1930 team (finished 9-1, losing to Alabama in the Rose Bowl).

DAVID SETS INTERCEPTION RECORDS: Jason David now stands second on the career interception list with 16 and now holds three career interception records:

· David has a school record 318 career interception return yards, bettering Rick Reed's mark of 231, 1966-68;

· David has a school record two interceptions returns for touchdowns this year, a 41-yard return at Colorado and a 34-yard return against Arizona

· David has a school record three career interception returns for touchdowns, two this year and a 45-yard return in the 2001 Sun Bowl;

· David has 16 career interceptions, second to WSU record holder Lamont Thompson, who had 24, 1997-01;

· David has 144 interception return yards this season, second to record holder Lionel Thomas' 156 return yards in 1969...David needs 13 return yards to pass Thomas.

COUGAR SPECIAL TEAMS HOT: College Football News predicted WSU has the fifth best special team units in college football...they base their prediction on the basis of kicker Drew Dunning, punter Kyle Basler and return specialist Sammy Moore...so far this season WSU's special team units have lived up to the billing...Basler is averaging 43.6 yards per punt (15th nationally) and has dumped 24 of his 66 kicks inside the 20 yard line...his long this year is a career best 65 yards...Dunning has hit 23 of 26 field goals (4th nationally) and has scored 101 points in 11 games...Moore is also having a great year, averaging 25.0 yards per kickoff return (29th nationally) and 8.8 yards on punt returns...he also has a 97-yard kickoff return for a TD to his credit, along with four receiving touchdowns.

COUGS LIMIT THIRD DOWNS: WSU rarely allows an opponent a third down conversion in the first and fourth quarters and only a 22% success rate for the game...opponent conversions are 5-for-38 in the first quarter, 11-for-53 in the second quarter, 15-for-39 in the third quarter and 7-for-38 in the fourth quarter, a total of 38-for-168 (22.6%) for the season...WSU did not allow a first quarter third down conversion in five straight games and none in the fourth quarter in four straight games...

KEGEL IMPROVES EACH GAME: Matt Kegel has shown steady improvement as a quarterback this year and currently has completed 55.8% of his passes...Kegel also is protecting the ball well, other than the OSU game when he was picked off five times...he's thrown just five interceptions in the other nine games...against Colorado, Oregon, Stanford and Oregon State he threw three touchdown passes...Kegel has seen limited action in the last two games because of a shoulder sprain...his status for Washington will be determined at game time:

KEGEL NEARING LISTS: Matt Kegel has moved into WSU's single season and career Top 10 lists 10 games into the season and 35 games into his career:

SUPPLEMENTAL RELEASE NOTES [See WSU's "Supplemental Notes" for additional details]

TURNOVERS: WSU is +9 in turnovers for 2003...in the last 15 years, WSU is -28 in turnovers...twice WSU has had fewer turnovers than the opponents, +12 in 2001 and +9 in 1994, while the turnovers were even in 1995.

NOTHING LIKE HOME: WSU performs better at home than on the road, as do most schools...since 1989, at home, the Cougars are 51-32 (61.4%) and on the road the team is 41-48 (46.2%)...WSU's 6-0 Pullman record in 1997 is the best ever for the Cougars, while the 2001 record of 6-1 is the best on the road since the 1988 team also went 6-1.

WSU DEFENSE HALTS LONG RUSHES: In the last 15 years WSU has allowed just 173 runs of 20 yards or longer in 172 games...this year the Cougars have allowed 9 runs of 20 or more yards and 18 runs of 10-19 yards.

Junior Devard Darling has caught 17 touchdown passes in his career.

COUGS IN PAC-10 RANKINGS: WSU ranks first in the Pac-10 in sacks, field goals and opponent third down conversions, and second in passing offense, pass efficiency defense, scoring defense, net punting and turnover margin...Jason Davis leads the league in passes defended, while Drew Dunning is ranked first in field goals and field goal percentage...Kyle Basler is second in punting, Scott Davis is second in fumbles recovered, Dunning is second in scoring and kick scoring, Sammy Moore is second in all-purpose running and kickoff returns.

COUGS IN NATIONAL RANKINGS: The Cougars are seventh nationally in pass efficiency defense, ninth in rushing defense, 11th in net punting, 16th in passing offense and 17th in turnover margin...Drew dunning ranks fourth in field goals and 14th in scoring, while Erik Coleman and Jason David are tied for 11th in interceptions...Kyle Basler is 15th in punting.

COUGS SCORE OFTEN: Since 1980 WSU has averaged 26.3 points per game...this year WSU is averaging 31.5 points per outing and last year the average was 33.2 points.

RUSHING TOTALS UNDER 100: In the last 15 years WSU has held 69 of 172 opponents to less than 100 yards rushing...the lows include Montana State -35 (1993), Arizona -17 (2002), Pacific -6 (1993) and Montana's -6 (1995)...in those 171 games, WSU held opponents to 50 or less yards 20 times...Notre Dame, USC and UCLA are the only teams this year to go over 100 yards.

100-YARD RUSHERS FEW: Only 63 running backs have been able to crack the 100-yard mark in the last 15 years and 172 games against WSU's defense...USC's LenDale White and UCLA's Tyler Ebell are the only backs this year to top 100 yards rushing against WSU.

WSU SCORING STREAK FIFTH: Here are the longest current scoring streaks among NCAA Div. I teams: BYU 362, Texas 276, Washington 264, Michigan 237, WSU 225.

COUGS BOAST STARTING EXPERIENCE: WSU fields an experienced team in 2003, with 41 players having started at least one game...in all, the Cougars boast a collective 546 starts, 262 by defensive players, 223 by offensive players and 61 by kickers.

DEFENSE EXPERIENCED: Ten WSU defensive players have each played in 30 or more games and five others have seen action in at least 20 games...in all 16 defensive players who have made 262 starts have also played in a collective 527 games:

· WSU's top defensive linemen have a collective 101 starts and have played in 209 games;

· Six linebackers have a collective 72 starts and have seen action in 164 games;

· In the secondary four players have started 101 games and have played in 153 games.

OFFENSE HAS 223 STARTS: WSU boasts 23 offensive players who have made a collective 223 starts during their career and have seen action in 490 games...one Cougar lineman, Josh Parrish, has played in 41 games, while three other linemen have seen action in 20 or more games:

· 18 of the 23 offensive players have tasted action in 10 or more games

· Up front, there are nine players who have started 123 games and played in 215 games;

· WSU receivers have a collective 70 starts and have played in 172 games;

· The running backs have 17 starts and 61 games to their credit;

· QB Matt Kegel has played in 36 games and has 13 starts.

TEN COUGS BOAST 20+ STARTS: Ten starters have made 20 or more starts in their career and 17 players have made 10 or more starts...Drew Dunning (37), Josh Parrish (35), Jason David (33), Calvin Armstrong (31), Tai Tupai (30), Erik Coleman (30), Al Genatone (25), Isaac Brown (25), Virgil Williams (24) and Devard Darling (24) all have 20 or more career starts.

BREAKING DOWN TOP 22-44: WSU's starting lineup against Washington of 22 players includes 1 freshmen, 3 sophomores, 4 juniors and 14 seniors, while the top 44 (two-deep) consists of 8 freshmen, 8 sophomores, 11 juniors and 17 seniors...in the two-deep, WSU lists a combined 16 freshmen-sophomores and 28 juniors-seniors.

RED ZONE: In 2003 WSU has scored 35 times in 46 trips into the Red Zone, 21 touchdowns and 14 field goals...the failures have been five interceptions, three fumbles, once on downs and two times at the end of the half...opponents have scored 14 touchdowns and 9 field goals in 29 Red Zone appearance...the failures were a blocked field goal, a missed field goal, three interception and twice on downs.

COUGS AGAINST RANKED TEAMS SINCE 1995: WSU is 11-20 against ranked teams since 1995...when WSU has also been ranked, the Cougars are 5-7.

WSU GAME NOTES VS. IDAHO (25-0):

· In blanking Idaho 25-0, Bill Doba became the first WSU coach since Babe Hollingbery to win his first game by a shutout;

· WSU's 127 passing yards against Idaho were the least since throwing for 122 against Washington in 2002;

· WSU averaged 6.8 yards per rushing attempt against Idaho, the most since averaging 7.3 against California in a 63-37 win in 1997;

· WSU ran off an 18-play drive in the first quarter against Idaho that used 8:59...time consumed was the most found in research back to the 1970's...WSU had two 18-play drives in 2001 against Stanford and Arizona...Idaho had just one possession in that first quarter;

· Wide receiver Sammy Moore's twisting, one-handed touchdown reception to send WSU into overtime at Notre Dame was selected by ESPN as the "Play of the Day" September 6, and was tabbed No. 4 on Chris Berman's "Plays of the Week" segment Sunday, September 7; · WSU's first season-opening shutout since beating Iowa 7-0 to open the 1965 season;

WSU GAME NOTES VS. NOTRE DAME (26-29, ot):

· Against Notre Dame, quarterback Matt Kegel threw for a career high 274 yards and two touchdowns;

· WSU had seven sacks against Notre Dame, including three by Will Derting, two by Virgil Williams, one by Josh Shavies and one sack shared by Tai Tupai and D.D. Acholonu;

· WSU held opponents its first two opponents out of the endzone for 89 minutes, 50 seconds (seven quarters), before the Irish scored two TDs in the fourth quarter.

WSU GAME NOTES VS. COLORADO (47-26):

· Sammy Moore's 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Colorado was the #2 Play of the Day feature on ESPN, but this time he didn't make Chris Berman's Plays of the Week;

· Matt Kegel threw for a career-high 310 yards and three touchdowns at Colorado;

· WSU had scoring passes of 77 (Matt Kegel to Scott Lunde) and 74 yards (Kegel to Sammy Moore) at Colorado, the first time WSU has had two scoring passes 74 yards or longer in one game;

· Jason David returned the 11th interception of his career for a touchdown at Colorado; he is now sixth on the career list;

· WSU's 47 points were the most against a ranked opponent since the Cougars beat #25 Oregon 55-44 in 1996; the win also was WSU's first on the road against a ranked team since beating #23 Stanford in 2001;

WSU GAME NOTES VS. NEW MEXICO (23-13):

· WSU had 433 total offense yards against New Mexico and held the Lobos to 257 yards, including just 22 rushing;

· Matt Kegel had career highs against UNM with 42 passes, 29 completions and 346 yards;

· WSU had 204 yards in total offense on its first three possessions against UNM, but settled for three field goals.

WSU GAME NOTES VS. OREGON (55-16):

· WSU set a school record by picking off seven passes, two by Jason David and one each by Virgil Williams, Aaron Wagner, Jeremy Bohannon, Don Jackson and Erik Coleman;

· WSU forced nine turnovers, believed to be a school record and the most in the last 28 years (since before 1976);

· WSU's 55 points was the second most by WSU against Oregon and WSU's 39-point margin of victory the most by WSU against Oregon;

· Matt Kegel threw three touchdown passes and no interceptions;

· Sammy Moore continued his big plays with a 41-yard TD catch and a 43-yard reception to set up a score;

· Jason David's 35 yards in interception returns set a WSU career record at 250 yards; David has 13 career interceptions, tying him for third on the WSU list;

· WSU scored 28 points off Oregon's nine turnovers;

· WSU allowed Oregon just one run longer than eight yards.

WSU GAME NOTES VS. ARIZONA (30-7):

· Matt Kegel to Devard Darling 84-yard pass the fifth longest in WSU history and the longest since Kegel hit Marcus Williams in 2000 with an 88-yarder;

· WSU did not record a sack for the first time in 23 games;

· WSU was -1 in turnovers, the first time this year they were not on the plus-side;

· WSU held Arizona to 0-for-13 in third down conversions.

· Arizona scored the only time it drove past midfield;

· Michael Bell had Arizona's only run longer than nine yards, a 29-yarder;

WSU GAME NOTES VS. STANFORD (24-14):

· WSU held Stanford to 42 yards rushing and just one run (15 yards) longer than nine yards and only three over five;

· WSU held Stanford scoreless for 36 minutes, 42 seconds;

· Redshirt freshman Chris Jordan caught the first two TD passes of his career;

· Sammy Moore set up WSU's final TD (21-7 lead) with a 64-yard punt return in the fourth quarter;

WSU GAME NOTES VS. OREGON STATE (36-30):

· WSU scored 20 points off five OSU turnovers;

· The teams combined for seven interceptions and five lost fumbles, plus three safeties;

· Matt Kegel threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns, but was intercepted five times;

· Jason David preserved the win with a late interception, the 15 of his career (second all-time at WSU);

· WSU held OSU to 25 plays of three yards rushing or less; the longest rush OSU had was nine yards and they finished +15 for the game;

· OSU's lead over WSU was the first time a Cougar opponent had led since the third quarter against New Mexico;

· Kyle Basler hit a 68-yard punt in the third quarter, the longest of his career and the second this year over 60;

· Scott Lunde equaled his career high with eight catches (Ohio State last year) for a career best 110 yards and two touchdowns.

WSU GAME NOTES VS. USC (16-43):

· Devard Darling caught his fifth TD pass of the season and the 16th of his career, placing him fourth on the career list;

· Scott Lunde caught a career high 10 passes (117 yards), placing him fourth (tie) on WSU's one-game list;

· Drew Dunning tied his career long with a 49-yard field goal;

· WSU was -4 in turnovers, the second straight week WSU had more turnovers than the opponents after being +14 through seven games;

· WSU ran a season-high 87 plays;

· Two punt snaps resulting in -64 rushing yards contributed heavily to the Cougars' -25 net rushing yards, the lowest team total since -38 in 1976 at California.

· WSU allowed one USC field goal in the first quarter and has now allowed just 18 first quarter points.

WSU GAME NOTES VS. UCLA (31-13):

· WSU's four touchdown drives came in a total of 81 seconds, with drives of 16, 54, 5 and 6 seconds;

· Johnathan Smith rushed for three touchdowns, his second three-touchdown game in two years;

· Jonathan Smith topped 100 yards rushing for the third time and accounted for 215 all-purpose yards out of WSU's 323 in total offense;

· Jonathan Smith's 36 carries equals the fifth most in a game for WSU; he had 40 touches on 71 WSU plays;

· Linebacker Don Jackson had the best game of his two-year career with 11 tackles, including three for losses;

· The two teams combined for 14 turnovers, 7 for each team;

· Eric Coleman made 10 tackles, picked off two passes, forced two fumbles and deflected one pass;

· WSU's nine penalties were the fewest since eight in the opener against Idaho.

WSU GAME NOTES VS. ASU (34-19):

· The Cougars held Arizona State to 60 yards rushing and again did not allow a running back to hit the century mark rushing;

· Erik Coleman smothered an ASU punt that led to WSU's first score, WSU's third blocked punt of the year;

· WSU held ASU to four first downs in 14 third-down attempts;

· Josh Swogger, in relief of Matt Kegel, threw his first career TD pass, a 22-yard strike to Devard Darling in the third quarter;

· Devard Darling caught five passes for 108 yards and one touchdown;

· Drew Dunning broke the WSU school field goal mark with field goals of 31 and 32 yards against ASU, giving him 64 for his career, one more than Jason Hanson;

· Dunning boosted his season scoring total to 101, thus becoming the first WSU player ever to have three seasons with 100 or more points;

· WSU's first scoring drive took three seconds and one play, boosting the time of possession on five straight touchdown drives over two games to 84 seconds;

COUG TD STREAK: WSU quarterbacks threw touchdown passes in every game during the 2001 and 2002 seasons and in 9 of 11 games this year...the two games when WSU didn't throw a TD pass were against Idaho to open the 2003 season in Seattle, and at home against New Mexico...WSU won both games without going to the air for a score...the last time WSU didn't throw a TD pass at an opponents home field or in a bowl game was at Hawai'I to close out the 1999 season...since then WSU has thrown at least one TD pass in 22 straight games played at the opponent's field or in a bowl game.

DOBA LEADING ROOKIE COACHES: Washington State first-year head coach Bill Doba is having a great rookie season, guiding WSU to a 9-2 mark...only one other rookie head coach has two losses - Bowling Green's Gregg Brandon is 8-2...Louisville's Bobby Petrino is 7-3.

COLEMAN SEVENTH WITH 11 INTERCEPTIONS: Safety Erik Coleman is having a banner senior year, pacing the Cougars in total tackles...he is also second in interceptions with six...Coleman has four interceptions in the last five games, giving him six for the season and 11 in his Cougar career...Coleman ranks tied for seventh in career interceptions, joining Don Paul (1946-49) and Torey Hunter (1991-94) with 11 each...ahead of Coleman is Eric Johnson, who finished his career with 12 (1971-73)...

MULTIPLE RECEIVERS: At least seven WSU players caught passes in each of the Cougars' first nine games this year...in all, six wide receivers, two tight ends and three running backs have catches...only three players had receptions in WSU's win over UCLA and six players caught passes against ASU.

STREAKING COUGARS: WSU has won six of seven and 10 of 12 Pac-10 road games, seven of eight Pac-10 games in California, 11 of 12 games against California schools and seven of the last eight league games.

Don Jackson ALL OVER THE FIELD: Senior linebacker Don Jackson has been making tackles all over the field the last two weeks and now shares the team tackle lead with safety Erik Coleman...both have 76 tackles through 11 games...Jackson is coming off a pair of 11-tackle games against UCLA and Arizona State, leading the Cougars in each game...his previous high was nine tackles in road games against both Notre Dame and Stanford...a transfer who joined WSU last year, Jackson has started all 11 games this season and has 7.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, one interception (at Oregon), two forced fumbles, two pass deflections and eight QB hurries.

THREE COUGS ON CoSIDA ACADEMIC TEAM: Three members of the 2003 WSU football team have been selected to the CoSIDA All-District 7 Academic All-America team - senior Jeremey Williams and sophomores Troy Bienemann and Riley Fitt-Chappell...Williams was named to the first team for the third straight year...Bienemann also was named to the first team and Fitt-Chappell to the second team...Williams has a 3.53 GPA in communications, while Bienemann is also in communications and has a 3.75 GPA...Fitt-Chappell is majoring in business and has a 3.45 GPA.

COUGS LEAD PAC-10 LAST THREE YEARS: The WSU Cougars boast the best record among Pacific-10 Conference schools over the past three years, topping the list in overall wins and in conference victories...here's a breakdown of Pac-10-10 teams over the last three football seasons:

Lewiston Tribune Online - 11/19/03

Genatone's timing close to perfect; While Cougars played ASU, injured LB watched game and waited to help wife deliver their first child

Dale Grummert

PULLMAN -- Washington State linebacker Al Genatone will always remember the Cougars' game against Arizona State last Saturday -- not because he played well, but because he didn't play at all. He did something more important.

Sidelined with a sprained ankle, he spent the day with his wife Kristin in a room at Pullman Memorial Hospital, waiting for their first child to be born.

And waiting.

It was as if Vincent Albert Genatone didn't want to disturb his parents as they watched ABC's television coverage of the game.

The Cougars won 34-19, and 90 minutes later the boy arrived without a hitch, four days before his due date, weighing 8 pounds, 14 ounces.

Everyone seemed pleased with the timing, though Kristin's doctor had thought it might be interesting to complete the delivery during the game and hear the birth announced on TV.

A grinning Genatone even seemed willing Tuesday to view his troublesome ankle as a blessing in disguise.

Otherwise, according to the contingencies the couple had discussed, he would have participated in the game and rushed to the hospital afterward.

"This way, it worked out I was able to be there," he said. The couple spent Friday night in the hospital as Kristin began 20 hours of labor.

Genatone a third-year starter, has missed two games with the ankle injury, but he returned to practice in a limited capacity Tuesday and said he will play in the Cougars' regular-season finale in Seattle on Saturday against rival Washington.

He is sticking to the Cougars' party line: They are playing down the Apple Cup hype and viewing this as just another game. But level-headedness is de rigueur for Genatone, who takes a stoical, nuts-and-bolts approach to his role as one of the prime leaders of WSU's stellar defense.

He and Kristin dated as students at Kamiakin High in Kennewick and enrolled at Washington State together, marrying in May 2002. Kristin graduated in business last spring and now works at the WSU student bookstore.

IRA'S RETURN -- Another senior linebacker who has recovered just in time for the Apple Cup is Ira Davis, who has missed all season after suffering a foot injury in a freak household accident.

Davis, who started seven games in 2002, said he will probably play on special teams against the Huskies.

He won't take the honor lightly, he said, having grown up several blocks south of Husky Stadium in Seattle. "This is something I've waited for my whole life," he said.

He grew up neutral on the Apple Cup issue. His mother had attended UW but his uncle, Mike Carter, had played for the Cougars in the early 1970s. "So I had some crimson and gray in my heart already," he said. "I liked both schools."

Davis injured his foot while moving furniture to a new Pullman apartment in June: A large mirror shattered on his foot, tearing two major tendons.

Doctors originally thought he would be out for the season but Davis chose to work toward a recovery. Coaches have been reluctant to use him on defense, fearing permanent damage to the foot and realizing his cutting ability has been affected by the injury.

TEN TEN TEN? -- Thanks in part to the advent of the 12-game schedule in college football, the Cougars have a chance to become the first Pac-10 team in seven decades to achieve three consecutive 10-win seasons.

In fact, they have two chances -- the Washington game and their bowl game. They are 9-2 this year, after going 10-2 in 2001 and 10-3 the following year.

No Pac-10 team has strung three straight 10-win years since the conference adopted its existing format in the late 1950s. Before that, you'd have to go back to 1931-33, when USC went 10-1, 10-0 and 10-1-1.

The Cougars have been aided by a rule change and by the whimsies of the calendar.

In the late 1990s, the NCAA began allowing schools to schedule 12 rather than the normal 11 games in certain seasons, depending on how many Saturdays fall during a segment of the year beginning in late August. As it happens, 2002 and 2003 both met the specifications, and the Cougars fielded strong teams both years.

The 11-game limit will return next season.

KEGEL UPDATE -- The Cougars are following the same plan they observed last week in regard to injured quarterback Matt Kegel.

The senior with the sprained shoulder was held from practice Tuesday but plans to throw today and is tentatively scheduled to start Saturday. If necessary, freshman Josh Swogger can relieve him as he did against Arizona State.

"If he (Kegel) can start, it gives Josh a chance to see the tempo of the game, to see what the defense is doing," WSU coach Bill Doba said. "It takes a little pressure off him instead of putting him right in as a starter."

Cougfan.com - Posted Nov 19, 2003

Apple Cup Celebrity Predictions
Biased pundits: Dogs and Cats split along party lines

By The Staff of Cougfan.com

WHEN IT COMES time for Apple Cup picks, Cougfan.com turns to folks who count: Former Cougar and Husky players who know firsthand what it's like to square off every November. So without further ado, here are the forecasts of our 2003 Cougfan.com Celebrity Apple Cup Panelists.

Sonny Sixkiller, UW quarterback 1970-72:

Huskies 24-16. "If the Huskies come out to play -- and who knows if they will, they've been so up and down this season -- and if they prevail in the turnover department, I see an upset. If the Cougars have some untimely fumbles or interceptions, on the road, anything is possible."

Dan Lynch, WSU All-American guard 1980-84:

Cougs 35-10. "On paper, the Dawgs shouldn't have come close to the Cougars in the last two Apple Cups. And we all know what happened. But as long as the two teams don't play, respectively, like they did against Oregon State this season, I think the story will unfold as it's supposed to this time around. I envision a great pancake block by Josh Parrish in the first quarter springing Jonathan Smith for a long TD. That crimson momentum will be devastating for the Dawgs."

Virgil Jones, UW linebacker 1987-92:

Huskies 24-21. "For once I admit that the Cougars have a better team, no doubt. And how did we let Will Derting get away? This year we find out how much pride the Huskies have. Not only are they playing their arch rival for the Apple Cup but they are also playing to avoid becoming the first UW team to end the season with a losing record in a long, long, long, long time. Huskies pull it out and the goal posts will come down."

Rueben Mayes, WSU All-Amercan back 1982-85:

Cougars 33-7. "The Cougars will dominate on defense and have a solid day offensively. The players have been thinking about this game for a long time. They'll come into this one primed, but focused and ready to execute."

Steve Pelluer, UW quarterback 1981-83:

Huskies 16-14. "The weather’s going to be ugly, which means there will be a few turnovers -– not as many as each of these teams have committed in the last few weeks, but a fair amount. I don’t think Kegel will be able to play the whole game – Swogger will come in and lead the Cougars to a comeback that falls two points short."

John Husby, WSU all-conference tackle 1986-89:

Cougs 41-7. "The Huskies are not playing up to their potential and have something to prove. No motivation is necessary for either team this week. But barring a collapse under a mountain of penalties, I see WSU performing strong in the late second and third quarters after the mismatches are magnified."

Chuck Nelson, UW All-American kicker 1980-82:

Huskies 29-25. " Washington will finally stop a running play and they’ll finally throw the ball again to Reggie Williams. But if it comes down to triple overtime and the exchange of 45-yard field goals, I’d have to give the nod to WSU because Dunning is having a great year."

Paul Sorensen, WSU All-American safety 1980-81:

Cougs 31-21. "The Cougar D will get a score, probably with Erik Coleman involved somehow, someway like he always is. Or maybe Jason David. I also see the defensive front four for the Cougs causing Cody Pickett more duress than they were able to muster a year ago, helping neutralize Reggie Williams. This is the third straight year the Cougars have been favored. I really think three is going to be the charm."

Ken Hamer, UW backup quarterback 1979-81:

Huskies 38-35. "The UW will have to play its best game of the year, but I think they can do it. The key is getting off to a fast start and playing with the excitement that has been missing the last two weeks. They can't lollygag around trying to size up the Cougs or they will be buried before halftime. Cody Pickett must re-introduce Reggie Williams to the football, because Charles Fredrick can't carry the whole load."

Mel Melin, WSU quarterback 1959-61:

Cougars 27-14. "The Huskies are having some problems right now but I don't see the Cougar offense putting up the kind of points Cal did. So I look for that strong Cougar defense to wear down the Huskies with pressure up front, especially from Acholonu and Brown blasting off the ends. Coupled with the speed of our linebacking corps and secondary, it should be a winning combination."

ESPN - Wednesday, November 19, 2003

Conditioning coach takes Cougars from doormat to dominant

Associated Press

PULLMAN, Wash. -- A big part of Washington State's recent football success is a graying, down-to-earth man with a wry sense of humor who commands the respect of everyone around him.

And his name is not Bill Doba. Even the WSU coach calls him sir.

"Actually it's Mr. Oviatt, sir," Doba said of Rob Oviatt.

Oviatt earns the accolade because of what he has given the Cougars football team. In four years as the director of physical development, WSU has gone from doormat to dominant.

"He was the missing link," cornerback Jason David said. "We don't get blue-chippers here, maybe one or two. But the players we do get, he has made them into what we are today."

"Ever since he got here the team and the atmosphere of the team has changed dramatically," senior center Mike Shelford said. "Just the presence that he brings and the character of him makes you want to work harder."

The son of a Marine reared in the Midwest and schooled under Bear Bryant at Alabama, Oviatt, 49, has become a reflection of what Washington State has become: tough, proud and respected in the past three seasons.

"My first year here (2000) we would lose and on Sundays I would say there were a great majority of the players who were depressed and disappointed," Oviatt said. "Now when they come in here on Sunday when we have lost a football game, they're angry. It's like they feel violated."

Washington State has not lost back-to-back games since the 2000 season.

Overall, the Cougars have only lost seven of 36 games played. After one of those 29 wins -- an emotional one over Oregon in 2002 -- it was Oviatt who was cheered in the locker room and handed the game ball.

In the senior speeches given before each game, every player without fail, stands and thanks Oviatt, Doba said.

"He's consistent," Doba said. "He treats everybody with dignity and respect."

Take Josh Shavies. Three years ago he wasn't even on the team. The once-heralded recruit had some personal issues and stepped away from the game. When he wanted back in, Oviatt was there.

"When I came back there were no grudges," Shavies said.

What he found was an open door, with Oviatt waiting behind it at 5:45 a.m.

"He set that up to help us," Shavies said. "He had a separate workout for me. Who would take their time to do that for players? At that point and time, I wasn't on scholarship. But for him to treat me equally, that meant a lot."

Shavies lost more than 40 pounds through the program. The 6-foot-6 Shavies is now 300 pounds. He is also back on scholarship and a vital part of the WSU defensive line.

"He has changed the entire attitude and work ethic, especially in the offseason and that carries over into the season," Doba said. "He thinks there are two ways to motivate kids: One, they have to show improvement. And, two, they have to know you care about them."

"You feel like you're his son when you are working out with him," Shelford added.

"Just the way he talks to you," Shavies said. "The sense of confidence. You want to respect him as a man."

Lewiston Tribune Online - 11/21/03

Tribune/Steve Hanks
Along with maintaining a nonstop dialogue on the field, Jason David frequently interacts with cougar fans. "I fed off the crowd," he says.

"I'm a cornerback-slash-entertainer": Talkin' up a storm; Jason David won't shy away from a challenge, let alone the chance to verbally fluster an opponent

Dale Grummert

PULLMAN -- For the umpteenth time, the throw went to the opposite side of the field, and Jason David couldn't help himself. He turned to the receiver he was covering, James Newson of Oregon State, and said, "They're not even looking to your side. I might suit up for you guys, and maybe he'll throw us the ball."

It was a typical remark from the Washington State cornerback, whose nimble tongue is becoming as well-known in the Pac-10 Conference as his quick-as-yesterday break on the ball.

The thing is, he respects Newson. He says no other receiver in the league gives him as many problems. The Oregon State senior actually made five catches in that game last month, for 87 yards.

David may get in your head, but it's nothing personal. To him, trash-talk is a way to chill, a way to relate, a way to enjoy the moment.

As a bonus, it's useful. David uses language the same way he uses the bump-and-run -- as a tool of his craft, a way of diverting his opponent from the task at hand.

"That's when I know I'm winning -- when the receiver has to walk back to the huddle with his head down," David said the other day "or he's looking at you, like, 'Man, will this dude just stop talking? Just shut up. Leave me alone.'

"But I'm not. That's not me. I'm going to keep talking to you."

At 5-foot-8, David is the shortest starting cornerback in the Pac-10. And although the height issue may impede his entry to the NFL next year, it has long been a nonissue in his collegiate career.

A senior and second-year starter, David has finally drowned out his critics, if not by a flow of language, then by a flow of deft and dexterous pass-coverage, yielding 16 career interceptions, the second-highest in school history.

He faces one of his harshest tasks Saturday in the Apple Cup at Seattle, where he tries to contain All-America receiver Reggie Williams of the Washington Huskies.

When David made seven interceptions last year as a junior, observers noted that his opportunities for thefts were plentiful because opponents were throwing away from star cornerback Marcus Trufant.

It was a rational observation, but David contrived -- just a little -- to turn it to his advantage, to use it as incentive to improve. Last summer, he appeared to work harder than ever. He also took warmly to new WSU secondary coach Ken Greene, whom he views as a father figure. For whatever reason, David has exceeded expectations this year while adding six interceptions to his collection, for 144 return yards and two touchdowns.

"People who doubt me -- I can't stand that," he said. "Give me a chance to prove myself. If I can't make you happy, if I can't prove myself, OK. But before I do anything, before I make a move, don't doubt me, because I'm going to surprise you."

Although David spent most of his childhood in Covina, east of Los Angeles, his family background spans a good length of the hemisphere.

His mother, Dawn David, grew up in the South American country of Guyana and moved to Canada as young newlywed. David was born in Edmonton, Alberta, and dreamed of being a hockey star until his mother divorced and took her two children to California. A registered nurse, she worked two jobs to try to make ends meet.

Expressiveness seems to be family trait. David's elder sister, Joni, a 20-foot long-jumper who coaches and models, can trace her brother's trash-talking to their verbal jousts as children.

Their mother, although English is her first language, says she avoids confrontations because she believes her Latin-tinged accent sounds harsher than she intends. But she remembers telling her children, "Speak up, because I'm not going to be there all the time."

She says David's football coaches reinforced that notion. One day, they found the boy in a deep funk, evidently distressed that he, unlike his teammates, didn't have a father milling about team practices. They drew him out, told him to speak his mind. He evidently learned well.

"Talking is just part of my personality," David said. "I would trash-talk if we were just flipping pennies, just to throw you off."

It's a risky business, of course. Talkers tend to draw retaliation. One thinks of the Cougars' game at Oregon in September, when Ducks receiver Samie Parker botched a catch in the end zone and David told him, "I just gave you a freebie and you dropped it. If you can't catch that, you're not going to catch very many on me today." Parker took a swing at him, catching nothing but facemask and attracting a 15-yard penalty.

Then there was the infamous locker-room incident last season, when WSU linebacker Ira Davis, evidently in a dispute over a woman, suddenly punched the cornerback, breaking his cheekbone and sidelining him for three games. David insists he didn't say anything to provoke the one-punch altercation. Clearly, though, he has a knack for getting people's goat.

It's all a little misleading, according to those how know him well.

"Growing up, the family couldn't take us anywhere, because we'd fight," Joni David said. "But he's grown a lot. He's loving and caring and is so much more kind-hearted. I love him to death. His talking is only on the field. People take it as cocky or big-headed, but once he comes off the field, I think the majority of people wouldn't even know he plays football."

His fellow students know he plays football, if only because David seems, while playing before them during home games, to be keenly aware of their presence at every moment. He orchestrates their cheers during timeouts. After making a win-clinching interception late in the Oregon State game, he hurled the football into the stands, knowing he would be assessed a penalty for it. "I'm a cornerback-slash-entertainer," he said. "I feed off the crowd."

Unlike some talkers, David seems inured to his rhetoric -- he doesn't take it seriously. When push comes to shove, he clings to a sense of reality.

At Charter Oak High, he played tailback as well as corner, rushing for more than 2,000 yards as a senior. But when schools like Texas A&M recruited him as a tailback, he wasn't flattered. "I was so small coming out of high school, I couldn't picture myself taking a hit from a 245-pound linebacker," he said. "I knew I wanted to play defense."

He confessed to falling off his A game last week after giving up a few catches to Derek Hagen in the Cougars' defeat of Arizona State.

"Maybe I should have communicated better with the coaches and told them, 'I'm not playing my best game. So if you guys continue to blitz, you leave me on an island. I'm going to get beat.' It's bad to think that. But in the cornerback position, you've got to have confidence."

Asked about his interests outside football, David disarmed his listener by talking about furniture. He said he has "great couches" in his Pullman apartment.

"I'm a big kid," he said. "I like to sleep, hang out at home, watch TV, talk on the phone. I do teenager stuff. I play video games, watch cartoons. Life is short, man."

At one point, quickly and smoothly, he summed up his philosophy by paraphrasing a proverb about the relative unimportance of the past and future.

"Every day is a gift," he said. "That's why they call it the present." And the pun hung there a moment in the air, light and benign -- a piece of trash-talk in reverse.

The Seattle Times Online -

Friday, November 21, 2003

UW Football
Notebook: Speed key for UW against Cougars

By Bob Condotta
Seattle Times staff reporter

It sounds obvious to say that getting off to a fast start will be important for Washington in tomorrow's Apple Cup.

But given the relative mental states of Washington State and the Huskies, and the way each has played this season, it might be more important than ever.

While the first quarter has been the worst for the Huskies this season — they have been outscored 85-59 — it is the best for the Cougars, who have outscored opponents an amazing 113-25 in the first 15 minutes.

"They are a fast-starting football team," UW coach Keith Gilbertson said. "You look at some of their games, like the Oregon game, and it's over in the first quarter."

Gilbertson's theory is that the WSU defense is so fast that it takes opponents awhile to adjust.

"There's no way any scout team can be as fast as their defense is," Gilbertson said.

In many games, Oregon being the best example, the WSU defense caused turnovers or big plays on special teams that turned the game around.

That's the kind of thing the Huskies have to avoid tomorrow to have a chance, particularly given their seemingly fragile mental state.

Gilbertson, however, sounds confident that the Huskies will come ready to play.

"I have never been to an Apple Cup where both teams weren't emotionally excited about playing," he said.

Asked if the Huskies appear ready, Gilbertson said, "I think so, yeah."

Injury update

Owen Biddle, a fifth-year senior who is playing his last home game for UW, was all but ruled out by Gilbertson earlier in the week with a pinched nerve suffered against Arizona. But in the type of recovery that the Apple Cup often seems to inspire, Gilbertson said that Biddle might be able to play.

"The guy is going to give it a hell of a go," Gilbertson said of Biddle, who had emerged as the starting strong safety and was the team's best special-teams player before being injured. Biddle is unlikely to start, however.

Biddle's return might be offset by the probable loss of safety James Sims Jr., who started last week at California. Gilbertson said Sims suffered a hamstring injury against Cal that worsened during the week and he seems unlikely to play.

Cornerback Roc Alexander, meanwhile, has progressed to the point he might start. Alexander missed five games with a shoulder injury before returning to play sparingly last week. He will likely start for Sam Cunningham opposite Derrick Johnson.

Defensive end Brandon Ala is back after missing last week with a hamstring injury and will likely rotate at one end spot with Ty Eriks. That means Terry Johnson will start at tackle.

Gilbertson said Kenny James has looked good in practice and will definitely start at running back. However, he said there is almost no chance that Rich Alexis — out since the Oregon State game with a quad tear — will play.

Notes

• Brad Vanneman will likely start for the second straight week at weak guard in place of Dan Dicks, who is struggling with a congenital knee problem that has worsened during the season.

• It was expected that the two schools would announce this week an agreement with Tree Top, a cooperative of 1,750 grower-owners of apple and pear orchards in Washington, to sponsor the 2004 Apple Cup. However, there will apparently be no official announcement this week, though officials said the sponsorship deal will still go through.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Friday, November 21, 2003

A Look Ahead: WSU at UW

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF

COUGARS (9-2) AT HUSKIES (5-6)

WHEN: Tomorrow at Husky Stadium

KICKOFF: 3:30 p.m.
SERIES: Washington leads 62-27-6
RANKINGS: Washington unranked; WSU 8 AP; 8 USA Today/ESPN
LINE: WSU by 6 1/2
TV/RADIO: Fox Sports Net; KJR-AM/950
RIVALRY: Dates to Nov. 30, 1900, when the teams played to a 5-5 tie in Seattle.
WSU BRAGGING RIGHTS
Since 2001, the Cougars have won more football games (29) than any school in the Pac-10 Conference. Their records: 10-2 in 2001, 10-3 in 2002 and 9-2 in 2003.
A WSU win over Washington tomorrow would give the Cougars three consecutive 10-win seasons. The Huskies have never had three consecutive 10-win seasons.
Washington State, rated No. 8 nationally, has an opportunity to finish the season ranked in The Associated Press Top 10 for the third consecutive season. Washington has never had three consecutive Top-10 rankings.
WSU corner Jason David is one of 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's premier defensive back. Drew Dunning is one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, given each year to the top placekicker in the nation. Kyle Basler is one of 10 semifinalists for the Ray Guy Award, given to the nation's top punter.
Washington State made its first Rose Bowl appearance in 1916, seven years before Washington first played in Pasadena.
A 1986 book titled "The Most Beautiful Place in the World" described the Palouse as "The Louvre of farmlands."
UW BRAGGING RIGHT

Washington and Washington State have met eight times on Nov. 22 (1924, 1947, 1958, 1969, 1975, 1980, 1986 and 1997). The Huskies hold a 6-2 edge in Nov. 22 Apple Cup games.

WSU TRADITIONS

Cougar Mascot

The first Cougars mascot was a live cougar cub named "Butch," after Herbert "Butch" Meeker, a WSU football star from 1925-27. Butch VI, the Cougars' last live mascot, died in 1978.

NOTABLE WSU ALUMS
Neva Abelson: Co-developer, rh blood test.
Phil Abelson: Father of the atomic submarine.
Sherman Alexie: Poet, novelist, short-story writer.
Paul Allen: Microsoft co-founder, owner of Seahawks, Trail Blazers.
Keith Jackson: ABC-TV sportscaster, former KOMO-TV sports director.
Gary Larson: Creator of the Far Side cartoons.
Edward R. Murrow: The most renowned figure in the history of American broadcast journalism. Seminal force in the creation and development of electronic newsgathering.
Laurence Peter: Posited "The Peter Principle," which states in any hierarchy "people tend to be promoted up to their level of incompetence."
Jerry Sage: Army paratrooper during World War II was captured by Germans in North Africa. Famous for organizing escape attempts. Life story portrayed by Steve McQueen in "Cooler King."
Barry Serafin: ABC news correspondent.
Orville Vogel: Wheat breeder led research team that developed the Western Hemisphere's first commercially successful semi-dwarf wheat varieties.
NOTABLE WSU ATHLETES
Drew Bledsoe: All-America QB, No. 1 overall NFL draft choice in 1993, now with Buffalo Bills.
Hugh Campbell: First-team All-America end in 1961, former coach of the Houston Oilers, now GM of Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos.
Ron Cey: Played 17 seasons with the Dodgers, Cubs and A's.
Gene Conley: Former major-league baseball and NBA player, Conley was a member of the 1957 World Series champion Milwaukee Braves and the 1959-60-61 NBA champion Boston Celtics.
Ed Goddard: Three-time All-America quarterback, 1934-36.
Jason Hanson: Two-time All-America placekicker, now with the Detroit Lions.
Mel Hein: Cougar football star 1928-30 became NFL's first MVP in 1938. Charter member of College Football Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Gerry Lindgren: Six-time NCAA running champion at distances covering three miles to 10,000 meters.
Rueben Mayes: Two-time All-America running back had 357-yard game against Oregon in 1984. Played for Seahawks and Saints in NFL.
John Olerud: Mariners first baseman won AL batting championship in 1993 (.363).
Pete Rademacher: Played football at WSU, won light heavyweight boxing gold in 1956 Olympics.
Henry Rono: Kenyan distance runner set world record at 5,000 meters in 1981.
Mark Rypien: Cougar QB (1981-85) named Super Bowl MVP in 1992 while with Washington.

TOMORROW: UW GAME DAY

Lewiston Tribune Online - 11/22/03

Can Cougars seize redemption?; Whether he plays or not, Kegel at forefront of WSU's pursuit of its first victory over archrival since 1997

DALE GRUMMERT

SEATTLE -- The last Washington State team to win an Apple Cup, in 1997, included about two-dozen seniors whose collective resolve seemed a major factor in the team's success -- not only in that 41-35 victory over Washington but in the Cougars' first Rose Bowl bid in 67 years.
But they were led by a junior quarterback, Ryan Leaf.
The current Cougars, then, might be an even more striking example of a team being willed toward a goal by a strong-minded senior class.
Their No. 1 quarterback is a senior whose associations with the Apple Cup are so mixed, so emotionally charged, that it's difficult to predict how they will affect today's game at Husky Stadium.
For starters, Matt Kegel is Leaf's cousin, and is forever being compared to him, for better or worse.
Further, Kegel's name has somehow become inextricable from the idea of WSU's recent Apple Cup futility. In his second career start, in 2000, the Cougars lost to the Huskies 51-3. Two years later, in one of Kegel's rare chances to relieve Jason Gesser for any length of time, the Cougs blew a 10-point lead and lost 29-26 in triple overtime.
"It's a bad memory," Kegel said, "and hopefully I'll get a chance to erase it."
And finally, he is limited by a shoulder sprain that may leave him torn between the urge to redeem himself in Apple Cup yarn-spinning and his sense of what's best for the team.
Seemingly everyone expects him to take the field at some point.
"Matt Kegel is going to play," Washington coach Keith Gilbertson said. "Are you kidding me?"
In the most likely scenario, Kegel will choose to start and give freshman backup Josh Swogger a chance to study the defense and the peculiar emotional dynamics of the Apple Cup. And at some point, if the pain in his shoulder proves insuperable, he will step aside and let the rookie sink or swim.
That's what happened last week, and Swogger acquitted himself handsomely, leading the Cougars to a 34-19 win over Arizona State.
As in that game, coaches will no doubt monitor the situation closely, knowing Kegel deserves a chance to vanquish some demons but also knowing competitive zeal can cloud anyone's judgment.
A slip of the tongue suggests that first-year head coach Bill Doba trusts Kegel's discretion: He almost called him "coach Kegel" before backtracking and starting over: "The good thing about Matt Kegel," he said this time, "is that he's a very unselfish kid. If he can't go, he'll tell us. I know that. He wouldn't do anything to hurt this team."
The Cougars (9-2, 6-1) can win 11 games this year, and today they can lock up their third straight 10-win season. But those are vague accomplishments compared to the satisfaction of beating an arch-rival. That is something these Cougars, including their 14 senior starters, have never done.
"I've had nothing but fun since I've been here," WSU senior center Mike Shelford said, "but that is the one thing that has stained my five years here. Man, just a victory against them would send it out on a great note."
The Cougars are placing an emphasis on minimizing pressures. In response to their five straight losses in the rivalry, Doba has dispensed with the Apple Cup anecdotes and history lessons that his predecessor, Mike Price, invoked to varying degrees over the years.
With their plethora of seniors, the Cougars don't need to be told what the Apple Cup is about. Nor do they need to be reminded that their chances for a third Rose Bowl berth in seven years hinge partly on this game.
"We're supposed to beat them," noted linebacker Al Genatone, the implication being the Cougars don't need a superhuman effort to defeat a team that is 5-6 overall and 3-4 in the Pac-10 Conference. "We just have to play smart and hard like we always do."
As for Kegel's track record against the Huskies, Cougar coaches are clinging to their oft-recited apologia.
The criticism Kegel has drawn, said Doba, "is based on four or five plays in last year's Apple Cup. One might have been his fault. One, the center didn't snap it on the count. One, the guard missed his block and (Kegel) took one step and got hit in the mouth. One, the receiver ran the wrong way.
"But when it doesn't work, it's the quarterback's fault. That's the nature of that position. He took a lot of flak for things that weren't all his fault. He knows that. I think he'll be just fine."
Kegel does give the impression of bracing against the storm these days. Long gone is the carefree Montana rookie who replaced Gesser as starter for two games in 2000. He winces a lot, smiles rarely. He always seems to be biting his tongue, reminding himself not to say what he really wants to say.
When asked about the personal importance of the Apple Cup, he evaded the question. Or rather he asked for a rain check.
"I'm not going to have those feelings about it," he said. "I'm just going to go in there and play a football game.
"And after the game," he said, releasing a hint of a smile, "I'll tell you something else."

ESPN - 11/22/03

Picket-Williams TD pass the difference

SEATTLE (AP) -- One pump fake and a tight spiral to the end zone. That's how Cody Pickett salvaged Washington's turbulent season.

Pickett threw a 21-yard strike to Corey Williams with 1:10 to play, lifting Washington to a 27-19 win over No. 8 Washington State on Saturday night in another thrilling Apple Cup.

"It felt good. It was right there," Pickett said. "He did a great job because he caught it near the 2 and then got into the end zone. I didn't have the best view, but I saw the ref's hands go up. It was a great feeling."

Pickett, ineffective most of the game, established a rhythm in the fourth quarter and directed a 73-yard drive that kept the Huskies (6-6, 4-4 Pac-10) from their first losing season in 27 years.

Washington denied the rival Cougars (9-3, 6-2) a chance at a third straight 10-win season. Washington State is assured of a bowl bid, but that only won't offset the disappointment of a sixth straight Apple Cup loss.

"It was not our day," Cougars coach Bill Doba said. "Things fell their way."

Marquis Cooper sealed the win for Washington when he intercepted a pass by freshman Josh Swogger and returned it 38 yards for the final TD, touching off pandemonium in the crowd of 74,549.

"There was pressure on the quarterback and I followed his eyes," Cooper said. "When I made the pick, I knew I was going to take it back. All I thought about was scoring once I had the ball."

When the game ended, the Huskies staged a lengthy celebration at midfield and students spilled out of the stands to join in the fun. The Cougars walked solemnly to the locker room.

Last year in Pullman, the Huskies erased a 20-10 deficit with four minutes to play and won 29-26 in overtime. This time, they trailed 19-14 after Drew Dunning's fourth field goal, a 26-yarder, with 4:43 on the clock.

Washington State's Jonathan Smith had 128 yards rushing, and Dunning's four field goals helped him become the school's career scoring leader.

But it was another sloppy effort by the Cougars, who committed seven turnovers -- just as they did in victories over Oregon State and UCLA. This time, though, their good fortune didn't come through.

"Not against these guys," Doba said. "These guys came ready and played well."

This win was sweet for Washington fans, who have endured one of the most turbulent years in school history after a tough season that followed the firing of former coach Rick Neuheisel last summer.

"A lot of the things we've encountered weren't just football things," coach Keith Gilbertson said. "And on the football side, we didn't have the year we thought we'd have."

Smith gave the Cougars enough offense to win, breaking off runs of 28 and 19 yards on the first drive of the third quarter, leading to Dunning's 20-yard field goal. Smith added two 14-yard bursts in the fourth to set up Dunning's 26-yarder.

Pickett wasn't fazed, though.

He found Charles Frederick for a 15-yard gain to Washington State's 39 on fourth-and-4 near midfield with two minutes to play. Then he fired a shot to Williams in the right corner of the end zone.

"I thought I had it intercepted," said Cougars free safety Erik Coleman, who was victimized on the winning play. "I felt the ball go by my fingertips."

Pickett completed 23 of 45 passes for 183 yards for two TDs with two interceptions.

Washington State quarterback Matt Kegel benched himself for the second straight week after taking a few hits on his sore throwing shoulder. Swogger was 10-of-23 for 107 yards with three interceptions.

Kegel was 6-of-12 for 50 yards with 1 TD and two interceptions before leaving in the second quarter.

Dunning made field goals of 33 and 34 yards and became Washington State's career scoring leader on a 20-yarder early in the second half. His 334 points eclipsed kicker Jason Hanson's scoring from 1988-91.

The Huskies were coming off a 27-22 loss at struggling Arizona and an abysmal 54-7 loss last week at California where Washington surrendered 731 yards.

"A lot of teams would have folded the tent and went home," tackle Khalif Barnes said. "I think our guys showed what kind of guys they are. They are very good football players, and I just can't say enough about how our guys played."

Lewiston Tribune Online - 11/23/03

Another thorn for WSU; Cougars watch fourth-quarter lead -- and BCS hopes -- disintegrate

DALE GRUMMERT

SEATTLE -- D.D. Acholunu and Isaac Brown sat impassively on the bench. Tai Tupai and Jason David each crouched on one knee along the sideline, as if still watching the game. Matt Kegel stood shrouded beneath the hood of his parka.

Washington State players looked genuinely stunned after their 27-19 loss to Washington on a bone-chilling Saturday night at Husky Stadium.

Oh, they had witnessed this scene before -- a clot of purple jerseys bobbing up and down in a midfield delirium.

But they seemed truly surprised that it happened again, the Cougars' sixth straight Apple Cup loss, and their third straight as the supposed favorites. It will almost surely knock them out of the top 12 in the Bowl Championship Series standings and therefore prevent them from repeating as a Rose Bowl participant.

David, the senior cornerback, said he suffered a mild concussion in the first half and could barely recall the events of Washington's game-winning drive in the final minutes.

That may explain his abstracted stare during the Huskies' celebration. But half the Washington State defense wore the same blank look. Several players were no-shows for postgame interviews.

"It was hard to believe the game was over, and that was our last Pac-10 game," David said.

The pattern of the loss was hauntingly evocative of 2002: a defensive battle, an apparent WSU victory, a fourth-quarter collapse. The Cougars were clinging to a 16-7 lead early in the final period.

Everyone in future Apple Cup gab sessions will talk about Cody Pickett's 21-yard touchdown strike to freshman Corey Williams, giving Washington a 20-19 lead with 1:10 remaining.

It was the senior quarterback's poignant answer to the boos he has heard from his former adorers all season, and indeed heard again Saturday from the crowd of 74,549, the most ever to watch an Apple Cup.

But what the Cougars will remember is their seven turnovers, the distinct and mystifying knowledge that they again failed to bring their A, B or C game to the Apple Cup.

"It's definitely not a good feeling," WSU senior center Mike Shelford said. "I wanted to go out on top, beating the Huskies here in Seattle, but it didn't happen."

Twice this season the Cougars have won despite seven giveaways. This time, their two fumbles and five interceptions placed too heavy a burden on their defense, which allowed Washington to march 73 yards for the winning touchdown, converting on fourth-and-4 on Pickett's 15-yard dart to Charles Frederick at the WSU 39-yard line.

"It was a problem with staying focused," David said. "They got down inside our red zone and we had to buckle up. I don't think we did that too well. And we gave up a cheap pass (for the touchdown). It was a great throw and catch."

The Huskies tacked on a bonus touchdown when Marquis Cooper intercepted a third-and-12 pass from Josh Swogger and galloped 38 yards to score with 14 seconds left.

The Cougars (9-3, 6-2) appear headed to the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30 at San Diego as the Pac-10 Conference runner-up. Washington (6-6, 4-4) kept its bowl hopes mathematically alive.

"I don't know if this game saves the season," said Huskies first-year coach Keith Gilbertson, who has been struck with one off-the-field controversy after another, "but it sure is a marvelous moment."

The Huskies pulled within 16-14 on Shelton Sampson's 5-yard sweep with 12:03 remaining, capitalizing on Derrick Johnson's interception of Swogger on the WSU 31-yard line.

The Cougars again started Matt Kegel at quarterback, knowing the senior was especially hungry to beat the Huskies after two previous Apple Cup calamities. Again, though, his sprained shoulder protested. After throwing a touchdown pass and two interceptions, he gave way to the freshman Swogger midway through the second quarter.

This time, Swogger was guilty of the indiscretions one expects from a freshman. He completed 10 of 23 passes for 107 yards and three interceptions.

The Cougars unleashed one of their strongest ground attacks of the season, springing Jonathan Smith for 129 rushing yards, but they mustered no touchdowns in the final three periods.

"I give credit to them -- they played well," WSU coach Bill Doba said of the Huskies. "They played their hearts out, and they got after us on defense. We'd make a big run and then we'd drop the ball, throw a bad pass for an interception."

Cougar defenders held Washington to 261 yards, though WSU's repeated turnovers probably left the D fatigued in crunch time. Acholunu, a senior defensive end, submitted another first-rate game for the Cougars, with three sacks, five tackles for losses, a fumble recovery and a couple of key hurries. And cornerback Karl Paymah recovered a fumble, made an end-zone interception and held All-American receiver Reggie Williams to 59 receiving yards.

But Pickett sounded the last word, completing 23 of 45 passes for 183 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The Cougars led 10-0 for much of the first half, getting a 34-yard field goal by Drew Dunning and a 17-yard TD lob from Kegel to Devard Darling, who made an assertive catch in the end zone.

Much later, the Huskies answered with Pickett's 4-yard scoring toss to Charles Frederick 39 seconds before halftime.

In the interim, things got messy. The teams combined for six turnovers in the first half, including five in the second quarter.

The Cougars blew two second-period scoring opportunities with interceptions, though the video replay indicated one of them was trapped by UW safety Jimmy Newell, on the 12-yard line. The other theft was by Evan Benjamin on the 22. He finished with two picks and 10 tackles.

Far more efficient was WSU's final possession of the half, with Swogger directing a 64-yard drive in 39 seconds for a 34-yard Dunning field goal with time expired.

The high point of the drive, and one of the high points in the Cougar season, was Swogger's remarkable 14-yard completion to Darling while Benjamin was spinning the quarterback to the turf. It looked reckless one moment, brilliant the next.

Did the Cougars get spoiled by such moments? Every other gamble seemed to go in favor of the house.

Washington St. 10 3 3 3 --19
Washington 0 7 0 20 --27

First Quarter
WSU--FG Dunning 33, 11:17.
WSU--Darling 17 pass from Kegel (Dunning kick), 4:26.

Second Quarter
Wash--Frederick 4 pass from Pickett (Knudson kick), :39.
WSU--FG Dunning 34, :00.

Third Quarter
WSU--FG Dunning 20, 11:14.

Fourth Quarter
Wash--Sampson 5 run (Knudson kick), 12:03.
WSU--FG Dunning 26, 4:43.
Wash--C.Williams 21 pass from Pickett (pass failed), 1:10.
Wash--Cooper 38 interception return (Knudson kick), :34.

A--74,549.

                                        WSU                    Wash
First downs                        16                          23
Rushes-yards                 33-147                    42-78
Passing                              157                       183
Comp-Att-Int                 16-35-5                 23-45-2
Return Yards                     19                           81
Punts-Avg.                     4-47.5                     6-34.0
Fumbles-Lost                   2-2                         4-3
Penalties-Yards              10-74                      8-65
Time of Possession          26:49                     33:11

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--Washington St., Smith 20-128, Bruhn 7-26, Swogger 4-5, Kegel 2-(minus 12). Washington, James 19-70, Tuiasosopo 4-11, Sampson 4-10, R.Williams 1-5, Pickett 13-(minus 6), Erickson 1-(minus 12).

PASSING--Washington St., Swogger 10-23-3-107, Kegel 6-12-2-50. Washington, Pickett 23-45-2-183.

RECEIVING--Washington St., Darling 4-40, Lunde 3-33, Jordan 2-22, Boyd 2-17, Bienemann 2-11, Harvey 1-21, Moore 1-10, Smith 1-3. Washington, R.Williams 7-59, Frederick 6-41, James 4-28, Tuiasosopo 3-18, C.Williams 2-31, Lyon 1-6.

Lewiston Tribune Online - 11/23/03

WSU defenders out of position on winning TD

SEATTLE -- On Washington's game-winning touchdown play Saturday night, Washington State believes it had the right pieces in the wrong places.

Huskies quarterback Cody Pickett pump-faked toward the right sideline, then fired for the end zone, where freshman Corey Williams made a 21-yard catch for a one-point UW lead with 1:10 left.

The Huskies went on to win 27-19.

The Cougar closest to the play was Jeremy Bohannon, one of the backup safeties WSU uses in nickel and dime coverages. The Cougars had wanted to insert Hamza Abdullah, who was enjoying one of his best performances, but he was on the sidelines nursing cramped muscles.

Erik Coleman, the Cougars' savvy free safety and defensive captain, took the blame for the touchdown, saying it was his responsibility to help underneath.

"We had good enough people in the ballgame," defensive coordinator Robb Akey said. "We just didn't make the play on the ball."

A key play in the Huskies' winning drive was a fourth-and-4 completion for 15 yards from Pickett to Charles Frederick.

"The quarterback was trying to buy himself some time, and the receiver just dragged across," WSU cornerback Karl Paymah said. "He finally hit him when everything cleared up. They just made the play when it counted."

HOT LINE -- Washington State coaches began the postgame process of consoling 15 senior starters who were aiming for their third straight 10-win season and their first Apple Cup win.

"I feel sick for them more than anything," Akey said. "The thing we have to address with them is that we get an opportunity for a bowl game. That's celebration, however you look at it. Unfortunately it won't be in the Rose Bowl, and it won't be as repeat Pac-10 champion. But it needs to be a celebration of what they've done for us in their careers."

ANOTHER DUNNING RECORD -- Senior kicker Drew Dunning broke another of Jason Hanson's school records. His 20-yard field goal in the third quarter gave him 331 career points, snapping Hanson's record of 328.

INJURIES -- Freshman receiver Chris Jordan suffered a possible torn knee ligament, leaving him questionable for the Cougars' bowl game. Quarterback Matt Kegel reinjured his shoulder, and linebacker Al Genatone played only briefly before aggravating his ankle injury.

NO JERMAINE -- The Cougars were missing backup tailback Jermaine Green, whom coaches suspended on a disciplinary matter. For unknown reasons, he had failed to show up for a practice.

UNENVIABLE RECORD -- The Cougars tied an NCAA record for single-season penalties. Grambling was flagged 144 times in 1977, and the Cougars now have the same number. They drew 10 penalties for 74 yards Saturday.

OH WELL -- Other games around the country, most of them finished before WSU's kickoff, had gone the Cougars' way. For example, Michigan's win over Ohio State had enhanced their chances of squeezing into the Rose Bowl. But this loss makes that highly unlikely.

DEFENSIVE KUDOS -- Erik Coleman snagged his seventh interception of the season for the Cougars. ... D.D. Acholonu's five tackles for loss ties a school record held by Keith Millard and DeWayne Patterson. ... WSU middle linebacker Don Jackson made 15 tackles.

-- Dale Grummert

Cougfan.com - Posted Nov 23, 2003

COUGS TAKE TAILPIPE AGAIN
Red zone failures doom Cougars' Cup one more time

By BILL BYSON
CF.C Correspondent

SEATTLE -- Washington State's hopes of a second-straight trip to the Rose Bowl came crashing down today as the Cougars squandered a 10-point lead and committed a mind-bending seven turnovers, in the process gift-wrapping a dramatic 27-19 victory for underdog Washington.

Like the previous two Apple Cups, the Cougars came into the contest favored and looking for their 10th win of the year. And, seemingly, they could have put away their arch-rival a number of times. But, again like the last two years, the Cougars melted down inside the red zone.

Two trips inside the Huskies' 5-yard-line netted just two Drew Dunning field goals. And two other drives deep into UW territory were snuffed out by interceptions.

A year ago in the triple overtime loss to the Dawgs, two trips inside the five netted the Cougars just three points. And the year before that, three trips inside the five produced just three points.

A Cougar victory would have given UW (6-6) its first losing season since 1976 and secured a second consecutive Pac-10 co-championship for WSU (9-3).

For the third time this season, the Cougars committed seven turnovers, but — having won the previous two turnover-fests against UCLA and Oregon State —- Lady Luck would have no more.

The turning point came with just two minutes left on the clock. The Huskies were on their own 46, facing a fourth-and-four situation when Husky QB Cody Pickett hit Charles Frederick on a short strike underneath that secured the first down and carried the ball to the Cougar 39.

Thirty seconds later Pickett drilled a 21-yard laser to Corey Williams that appeared to craze off the outstretched hand of Cougar safety Erik Coleman at the 1-yard-line. And just like that the Dawgs were ahead for the first time all day.

"They did a good job in their two minute drill," said Coleman, who earlier in the game picked off a pass deep in Cougar territory. "They eventually ended up in the red zone and they made a big play when it counted. We were playing an underneath coverage and I was supposed to go over the top; unfortunately I wasn't able to get there. I couldn't make the play. It was a nice throw and a nice catch."

He added, "I think we all fought hard today, we gave it our best effort. When some guys were down they stepped up and they did a good job. I always felt that we had chances to stop them. Credit to them, they came to play today."

Washington State’s post-season play remains in speculative status —- although the Rose Bowl is definitely out of the picture —- it is likely the Cougs will be selected to participate in the Holiday Bowl on December 30 in San Diego.

Cougfan.com - Posted Nov 23, 2003

What They're Saying
David beats Goliath one more time

By the staff of Cougfan.com

The Mother of All Stinkers (edition three) garners a ton of quotable quotes from one end of the state to the other:

It's official. This isn't a series, it's a complex. The Cougars don't need coaching, they need a shrink. Last night at Husky Stadium, Washington State held a football team to 3 yards per offensive play, and lost. The Cougars forced Washington to throw 45 times for a benign 183 yards, and lost.
-- Bud Withers, Seattle Times

A rivalry, above all, has to have some give and take to it -- though, upon reflection, Saturday's game actually did. The Cougs gave. The Dawgs took. Presented with opportunity upon maddening opportunity to either blow out to a big lead or settle the issue, the Cougars were unfailingly generous.
-- John Blanchette, Spokesman-Review

It couldn't happen again. It just couldn't. But it did. It never seems to happen except in the most painful way possible for the Cougars, and this year was no different.
-- Dave Andreisen, Seattle P-I

Parents are a wise lot, after all. For a week I've been laughing at my 75-year-old dad, an eternal Cougar pessimist. He insisted that you could dress up the Poor Clare Nuns in Husky uniforms and they'd still win the Apple Cup. Not this time, Pappy, I countered. No how, no way. Alas, he was right. And do those sisters ever pack a sucker-punch.
-- Greg Witter, Cougfan.com

If only the Huskies could play the Cougars every week. And if only the Cougars never had to play the Huskies. For the third straight year, the Apple Cup featured two teams seemingly headed in different directions. And for the third straight year, the underdog Washington Huskies all but saved their season by handing the Washington State Cougars their most stunning defeat of the year.
-- Bob Condotta, Seattle Times

You'd think Lucy could yank the football away from Charlie Brown only so many times, that Wile E. Coyote would wise up after chasing Roadrunner off cliff after cliff, that Moe the Bartender wouldn't fall for Bart Simpson's phony phone calls.
-- John Blanchette, Spokesman-Review

In the end, there seemed one plausible explanation to an outcome that few saw coming. The Huskies rallied behind a senior quarterback who desperately wanted to leave a legacy of something other than leading the first losing team in 28 years. While on the flip side, the Cougars were trying to hang on with a raw freshman signal caller who looked into the glare of the spotlight and blinked.
-- Greg Johns, King County Journal

This was about a team that finally figured out, on the final Saturday of a disappointing season, what its youngest and least worldly athletes must've sensed all along: Emotion is the ultimate equalizer in college football. On paper, the Cougars boasted a talent edge on offense, on defense, on special teams. On paper, the notion of a close game - heck, a close game at halftime - required some imagination.
-- John McGrath, Tacoma News Tribune

Washington State players looked genuinely stunned after their 27-19 loss to Washington on a bone-chilling Saturday night at Husky Stadium.Oh, they had witnessed this scene before -- a clot of purple jerseys bobbing up and down in a midfield delirium. But they seemed truly surprised that it happened again, the Cougars' sixth straight Apple Cup loss, and their third straight as the supposed favorites.
Dale Grummert, Lewiston Morning Tribune

Washington State Official Athletic Website - 11/23/03

Huskies Take Apple Cup 27-19

Cougars likely to be invited to Holiday Bowl in San Diego, Calif.

Nov 22, 2003

Final Stats | Photo Gallery

By TIM KORTE
AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) - One pump fake and a tight spiral to the end zone. That's how Cody Pickett salvaged Washington's turbulent season.

Pickett threw a 21-yard strike to Corey Williams with 1:10 to play, lifting Washington to a 27-19 win over No. 8 Washington State on Saturday night in another thrilling Apple Cup.

Pickett, ineffective most of the game, established a rhythm in the fourth quarter and directed a 73-yard drive that kept the Huskies (6-6, 4-4 Pac-10) from their first losing season in 27 years.

Washington denied the rival Cougars (9-3, 6-2) a chance at a third straight 10-win season. Washington State is assured of a bowl bid, but that only won't offset the disappointment of a sixth straight Apple Cup loss.

"It was not our day," Cougars coach Bill Doba said. "Things fell their way."

Marquis Cooper sealed the win for Washington when he intercepted a pass by freshman Josh Swogger and returned it 38 yards for the final TD, touching off pandemonium in the crowd of 74,549.

"There was pressure on the quarterback and I followed his eyes," Cooper said. "When I made the pick, I knew I was going to take it back. All I thought about was scoring once I had the ball."

When the game ended, the Huskies staged a lengthy celebration at midfield and students spilled out of the stands to join in the fun. The Cougars walked solemnly to the locker room.

Washington State's Jonathan Smith had 128 yards rushing, and Dunning's four field goals helped him become the school's career scoring leader.

But it was another sloppy effort by the Cougars, who committed seven turnovers - just as they did in victories over Oregon State and UCLA. This time, though, their good fortune didn't come through.

"Not against these guys," Doba said. "These guys came ready and played well."

This win was sweet for Washington fans, who have endured one of the most turbulent years in school history after a tough season that followed the firing of former coach Rick Neuheisel last summer.

"A lot of the things we've encountered weren't just football things," coach Keith Gilbertson said. "And on the football side, we didn't have the year we thought we'd have."

Pickett wasn't fazed, though.

He found Charles Frederick for a 15-yard gain to Washington State's 39 on fourth-and-4 near midfield with two minutes to play. Then he fired a shot to Williams in the right corner of the end zone.

"I thought I had it intercepted," said Cougars free safety Erik Coleman, who was victimized on the winning play. "I felt the ball go by my fingertips."

Pickett completed 23 of 45 passes for 183 yards for two TDs with two interceptions.

Kegel was 6-of-12 for 50 yards with 1 TD and two interceptions before leaving in the second quarter.

The Huskies were coming off a 27-22 loss at struggling Arizona and an abysmal 54-7 loss last week at California where Washington surrendered 731 yards.

Seattle Times Online - Sunday, November 23, 2003
(Lots of related articles at this site)

Apple Cup Sweet redemption for Huskies

By Bob Condotta Seattle Times staff reporter

DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES Husky fans mob the team on the field after Washington's upset. "That's something I can take home with me, that I never lost to the Cougars," said UW senior linebacker Greg Carothers after the Huskies' sixth straight win over WSU.

(Links to these articles at this site)
Pickett pens his own final chapter at home
Bittersweet finale for WSU seniors
UW notebook: Huskies' other Williams gets second chance
WSU notebook: Dunning would rather have win than record
The bowl picture: WSU may head to San Diego, UW to San Jose
Two-minute drill

Other links
Washington State-Washington box score Apple Cup photo gallery

Apple Cup
Sweet redemption for Huskies

If only the Huskies could play the Cougars every week.

And if only the Cougars never had to play the Huskies.

For the third straight year, the Apple Cup featured two teams seemingly headed in different directions. And for the third straight year, the underdog Washington Huskies all but saved their season by handing the Washington State Cougars their most stunning defeat of the year.

"Everybody thought it would be a landslide," said Washington receiver Reggie Williams after the Huskies scored twice in the final 1:10 to pull off a shocking 27-19 victory over the eighth-ranked Cougars in front of a raucous crowd of 74,529 at Husky Stadium. "But we showed everybody we are still the Huskies and they are still the Cougars."

It was UW's sixth straight win over the Cougars, who entered the game as 6-1/2-point favorites, the biggest pro-WSU spread for an Apple Cup in Seattle in 30 years.

"That's something I can take home with me, that I never lost to the Cougars," said UW senior linebacker Greg Carothers, part of a Huskies defense that made a stunning turnaround from a week ago when it allowed a school-record 729 yards in a 54-7 loss at California.

What Carothers and the rest of UW's seniors can also take with them is the knowledge that Washington's streak of consecutive non-losing regular seasons didn't stop with them. By winning, UW avoided its first losing regular season since 1976.

JIM BATES / THE SEATTLE TIMES Washington fans try to tear down the goal posts after the Huskies rallied for a 27-19 victory over the eighth-ranked Cougars. Washington beat WSU for the sixth straight time.

"That's huge," Carothers said. "That's a lot of teams that played before us that we would have let down."

The Cougars, meanwhile, were knocked out of any realistic chance of going to the Rose Bowl. They are likely headed to the Holiday Bowl, which they would have to win for a third straight 10-win season. WSU is 29-8 the last three seasons, but 0-3 against the Huskies. The Huskies, 21-16 overall the past three years, might be a sub-.500 team over that span if not for their dominance of WSU.

"I don't have an answer," said Cougars coach Bill Doba when asked to explain UW's success against WSU. "If I did, I'd tell you."

Washington State tied or led for 58 minutes, 50 seconds of the 96th Apple Cup, which for most of the afternoon was more like Apple Turnover. The two teams combined for 12 turnovers — seven by WSU — and 18 penalties, including 10 by the Cougars, who set an NCAA season record with 144 penalties.

The Huskies didn't lead until a 21-yard TD pass with 1:10 left from senior quarterback Cody Pickett to freshman receiver Corey Williams, who became one of the Apple Cup's most unlikely heroes.

Corey Williams has just five catches this season and dropped a would-be touchdown two weeks ago against Arizona. But yesterday, he made a diving grab of Pickett's pass, which just got over the outstretched hands of WSU safety Erik Coleman for the winning score.

"I felt I had an interception," said Coleman. "I felt the ball go by my fingertips. It was a nice throw and a nice catch."

MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES WSU's Jason David can only watch as the final seconds tick off in another Apple Cup loss.

WSU's Jason David can only watch as the final seconds tick off
in another Apple Cup loss.

It was also the last pass at Husky Stadium for Pickett, who was booed earlier in the game but made his final throw his most memorable.

The Huskies then secured the win when linebacker Marquis Cooper picked off a pass and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown with 14 seconds left. That was Washington's season-high fifth interception and the third thrown by WSU freshman QB Josh Swogger, who played most of the last three quarters in relief of injured senior Matt Kegel.

Afterward, UW seniors presented the game ball to coach Keith Gilbertson, who took over less than four months ago for the fired Rick Neuheisel.

"I don't know if this saves our season, but it's a marvelous moment," Gilbertson said. "If you are coaching at Washington, your first job is to beat Washington State. For the next 24 hours, I get to be the happiest guy on the planet."

The Huskies may get to play again: The Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose, Calif., will have to pick between UW and UCLA for an opponent for Fresno State.

But sitting and waiting is far better than what the Huskies were doing a week ago, when they were listening to everyone say they had quit against Cal. Gilbertson said he felt a Monday team meeting helped turn his team in the right direction.

DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES True freshman Corey Williams catches the game-winning touchdown with 1:10 left over WSU's Erik Coleman. Said Coleman: "I felt I had an interception. I felt the ball go by my fingertips."

True freshman Corey Williams catches the game-winning touchdown with 1:10 left over WSU's Erik Coleman. Said Coleman: "I felt I had an interception. I felt the ball go by my fingertips."

"We challenged them," Gilbertson said. "We told them, 'We believe in you and know that you've got another great game in you.' "

That belief seemed to sustain the Huskies as they fell behind 16-7 after three quarters, due in large part to failing to score on five possessions inside WSU's 30-yard line. Two drives ended in interceptions, one on a fumble, one on a failed fake field goal and the other on a punt.

Washington State took a 10-0 lead less than 11 minutes into the game, taking advantage of two short fields set up by a UW fumble on a punt attempt and a shanked punt. It was 13-7 at halftime after WSU's Drew Dunning kicked the second of his four field goals as time ran out, seeming to retake the momentum after UW scored with 39 seconds left in the half on a Pickett pass to Charles Frederick.

Shelton Sampson's 6-yard run following a WSU fumble made it 16-14 with 12:03 left. Dunning's last field goal made it 19-14 with 4:43 left.

Then, in shades of last year's game, when Washington trailed by 10 with 4:41 to go before rallying, the Huskies mounted their best drive of the day, moving 73 yards in 10 plays. The key play was a 15-yard Pickett-to-Frederick pass on fourth-and-four from UW's 46.

Then came the touchdown to Williams, and when the game finally ended, UW fans rushed the field in one of the wildest celebrations seen at Husky Stadium in years.

"There's always been a misconception that this game means more to the WSU people than to the Washington people," said Gilbertson. "Not so. Our kids had a pretty tight jaw on Monday and Tuesday, and I just felt that these kids were ready to do something special."

Excerpt from the Seattle Times ... 11/23/03 (I feel better now. MY bolds and highlights ...)

...

"We are going to another great bowl," said WSU senior safety Erik Coleman. "When I first got here a bowl was kind of a far shot; now we are competing for BCS bowls and Pac-10 titles."

UW's postseason chances are murkier. But at least the Huskies have a chance to play in a bowl. UW would have been eliminated with a loss.

With the win, UW is 6-6 overall and tied with UCLA for sixth place in the Pac-10, the final guaranteed bowl slot for the conference.

That means the Silicon Valley Classic, held Dec. 30 in San Jose, Calif., will have to choose between the Bruins and the Huskies as an opponent for Fresno State.

Lewiston Tribune Online - 11/24/03

MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK: DALE GRUMMERT ... Habitual jaywalking

Grummert covers Cougar football for the Tribune.

SEATTLE -- They were, among other things, the masters of misdemeanor. They were recidivist jaywalkers. They heedlessly ripped the tags off mattresses. Their response to "Click it or Ticket" was "Stick it."

So this must be what happens to college football teams that obey the big laws but ignore the little ones. They go to the Holiday Bowl.

The 2003 Washington State Cougars were swift, they were devious, they were impeccably well-prepared. But they ignored some of the fine print, and that's why they will spend the holidays in San Diego instead of Pasadena. It could have been worse.

Washington State fans, instead of wondering why the Cougars blew a chance at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, should be wondering why they had a chance in the first place.

In any case, their crimes were small.

The Washington Huskies this season drew the scrutiny of ethical, medical and legal investigators of every stripe. The Cougars -- well, one of them reparked a car at an ill-advised time. One of them violated "team rules." And a whole lot of them jumped offsides. Again and again.

Surely few teams in the history of college football compiled as many 5-yard penalties as this bunch. Not 10- or 15-yard penalties. Just fivers.

Compare the Cougars, for example, to the 1977 Grambling team, which holds the NCAA record of 12.9 penalties per game. The Cougars actually exceeded Grambling's 142 flags that season, but didn't come close to its 134.2 penalty yards per game, another national record.

They didn't spear. They didn't head-hunt. They didn't chop-block.

They flinched. Evidently confused by their new sophisticated blocking schemes, they false-started 40 times in 12 games, which is their second-most amazing statistic.

Their most amazing statistic is that they outscored their opponents 123-25 in the first quarter.

Knowing speed was their best asset, they made excellent use of it, fielding a defense that devastated opponents with their habit of being everywhere at once, especially early in the game.

Direct in their approach, devious in their tactics, clever in their scheming, Cougar defenders repeatedly barged into opponents' backfields, causing turnovers, blocking punts and generally making life easier than their misdemeanor-prone offense deserved.

Not that WSU's four false starts had anything to do with its 27-19 loss to Washington. This time, the Cougars' penalties were symbolic of other types of rule-breaking. They broke all kinds of rules, all season. This was their best quality and their worst quality. The Cougars took an unorthodox approach to football, and it was brilliant in some ways and consistently inept in others.

The media consensus Saturday seemed to be that the Cougars had choked another Apple Cup. That's not really how it appeared. This was a fairly typical performance for them: good defense, shaky offense, boffo first quarter. It's just that Washington, unlike other WSU opponents in similar games, played superbly in the final five minutes.

Teams in a gag mode don't start the game as efficiently as Washington State started this game. Aaron Wagner set the tone by blocking an early punt -- the Cougars' fourth block of the season -- and defensive end D.D. Acholonu, playing in his hometown in his final collegiate regular-season game, began turning blockers into revolving doors. To no one's surprise, the Cougars led 10-0 after a quarter.

But they faltered in all the familiar, basic little ways. Even on a night when they rushed for a terrific-for-them 147 yards, they couldn't get a tough yard when they needed one.

Talk all you want about the defensive lapses on Washington's game-winning drive in the final minutes, but the Cougars' most basic failure, their most typical failure, had come on the previous possession.

Leading by three points with five minutes left, they looked like probable Rose Bowl participants while facing second-and-1 from the Husky 8-yard line. And they couldn't convert. They gained negative-1 and 0 yards on succcessive runs by Jonathan Smith, who had romped for 14, 14 and 9 yards earlier in the drive. They settled for a field goal that wound up doing them no good, since the Huskies piled up 14 points in the final 1:10.

Stubbornly and comically did the Cougars go down.

Trailing by eight points, they tried to take a cue from the California team that lateraled its way through the Stanford band in 1982.

On the kickoff following Washington's final TD, the Wazzu laterals went from Wagner to Smith to Sammy Moore. On the ensuing pass play from the Cougar 23-yard line, it was Moore to Troy Bienemann. The Huskies finally chased them down each time.

On both plays, in any case, the Cougars "lateraled" forward, illegally, and for good measure they used a bogus formation on the final play.

The two 5-yard penalties brought their season total to 144 flags, two more than that notorious Grambling team.

But the Cougars won't get saddled with an unwanted NCAA record. They played 12 games instead of 11, and the record book only recognizes the per-game ratio.

Which is just as well.

Even in desperation, the Cougars' crimes were small.

NOTES -- Although the Cougars are almost certainly headed to the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30 at San Diego, the official invitation can't come until the Bowl Championship Series picture clears up. That hinges in part on USC's game Dec. 6 against Oregon State. All WSU tickets to a Holiday Bowl scenario have been committed to buyers in either the "priority" or public distribution system initiated in recent weeks, but the school is asking for a new allotment.

Lewiston Tribune Online - 11/24/03

Cougars plummet in polls

Tribune and wire reports

The Washington State football team received an all-but-official notice that it won't repeat as Rose Bowl participant Sunday by falling to No. 16 in the media poll and No. 14 in the coaches' poll.

Those rankings leave the Cougars with little hope that they will make the top 12 in the Bowl Championship Series standings today.

A top-12 ranking by the BCS is necessary to get a Rose Bowl invitation.

Oklahoma finished its regular season where it started: No. 1. Boise State climbed to No. 18 in both polls.

The Sooners (12-0) remained the unanimous pick for the top spot in the rankings following a 56-25 victory over Texas Tech. Oklahoma received all 65 first-place votes in balloting by the panel of sports writers and broadcasters Sunday.

The Sooners have been No. 1 every week since the preseason. With wins against Kansas State in the Big 12 title game on Dec. 6 and in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4, Oklahoma will join Florida State's 1999 team as the only schools to go wire-to-wire since the advent of the preseason poll in 1950.

Southern California remained second this week ikn the media poll, followed by LSU, Michigan and Georgia. The Wolverines moved up a spot after beating then-No. 4 Ohio State 35-21 Saturday. The defending national champion Buckeyes fell to eighth.

Oklahoma received the maximum 1,625 points, beating out USC, which had 1,558.

Texas, Tennessee, Ohio State, Florida State and Miami round out the Top 10.

The USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll had the same top six teams as the AP.

Florida leads off the second 10, followed by Purdue, Iowa, Kansas State, Miami of Ohio, WSU, Mississippi, Boise State, TCU and Pittsburgh.

No teams dropped out of the poll this week. TCU had the biggest fall, dropping from 10th to 19th following its first loss of the season, 40-28 to Southern Mississippi on Thursday night.

Virginia Tech, Bowling Green, Oklahoma State, West Virginia and Nebraska round out the poll.

The Big 12 and SEC lead all conferences with five teams apiece in the poll, followed by four each for the Big Ten and Big East, and two for the Pac-10 and Mid-American. Florida State is the only ACC team in the poll.

Lewiston Tribune Online - 11/25/03

Cougs slip to 15th

Tribune and wire reports

Washington State dropped five spots to No. 15 on Monday in the latest Bowl Championship Series standings, making it increasingly likely that the Cougars are headed for the Holiday Bowl.

The Cougars need to be ranked in the top 12 to qualify for a BCS bowl such as the Rose Bowl. They were on track for that honor until losing last week to Washington.

Southern California moved back into position to play for the national title -- for now.

The Trojans were once again in second place, moving up one spot after a loss by Ohio State.

Oklahoma (12-0) remained the runaway leader in the standings that will determine which teams will play for the national title in the Sugar Bowl.

Cougfan.com - Posted Nov 26, 2003

Ode to Acholonu
Temperment and stats make him one for the Ages

By JACK EVANS
Cougfan.com Managing Editor

ASIDE FROM THE obvious Rose Bowl implications, the worst part about WSU's upset loss to Washington is that it deprived D.D. Acholonu from getting the mountain of post-game attention he deserved for turning in what has to rank as one of the greatest individual defensive performances in Apple Cup history.

No adjective can truly capture his work against the Dawgs, but a few that I've heard bandied about by people in the know are brilliant, incredible, and -- my favorite -- other worldly.

His box score tells the tale nicely: The senior defensive end from Inglemoor High had nine total tackles against the Dawgs -- three of them sacks and two others for losses. He would have had a fourth sack were it not for a timely holding penalty by a Dawg lineman who put a virtual strangle-hold around D.D.'s neck in the second quarter. In addition, he recovered a fumble, and generally made life hard for Cody Pickett all day long.

It was a fitting exclamation point on a great season and career for one D.D. Acholonu, who will leave WSU with his name etched alongside two of the greatest sack-masters in Cougar history: DeWayne Patterson and Keith Millard.

D.D.'s 13.5 sacks this season rank him No. 2 in the Pac-10 in that category behind UCLA's Dave Ball (16.5), and also tie him with Patterson (1994) for No. 2 on WSU's all-time single-season list behind the 1993 Patterson (17). In addition, D.D.'s 18 Tackles for Loss this season rank him No. 5 on the school's all-time list.

From a career standpoint, the numbers are just as impressive -- 29.5 career sacks, ranking him No. 2 on WSU's all-time list behind Patterson (37.5). And his 43 career Tackles for Loss edge him past Millard for the No. 2 spot behind Patterson (52.5).

And how's this for a fancy footnote on D.D.'s college career: As a sophomore in 2001, he didn't start a single game, yet led the Pac-10 in sacks with 9.5 and earned honorable mention all-conference recognition.

It's no coincidence that during D.D.'s tenure, which coincided perfectly with fellow rush-end wonder Isaac Brown, WSU has been the nation's most prolific sacking team. Over the last four seasons combined, the Cougs have 158 sacks, four more than No. 2 Texas. And with 40 this year, the WSU leads the Pac-10 for a second-straight year.

IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, though, it's Acholonu's energy and attitude on the field that set him apart more than his statistical legacy. Simply put, his fight and fury make those around him even better. And his outgoing personality off the field truly qualifies him as a Cougar for the ages.

Bill Doba captured it well the other day when he said D.D. "is a special kid."

The coach also noted that Acholonu --- who stands 6-3 and weighs 245 --- has improved every week this season, combining his natural stength and speed with a growing knowledge of the game.

"He hasn’t played a lot of football, he only played about a year and a half in high school and he didn’t redshirt here," Doba said. "If some NFL team gives him an opportunity, I think he could develop into quite a football player (for them).”

Anyone who watched Saturday's Apple Cup can attest to that.

NOTABLE NOTES:

While the Holiday Bowl in San Diego, reserved for the No. 2 team in the Pac-10, looks to be a lock for the Cougars, there's still a mathematical chance WSU could sneak into the Rose Bowl. A number of things would have to happen, chief of which would be WSU climbing from No. 15 in the BCS ratings to no less than No. 12, which is the cutoff to qualify for a BCS bowl game. Climbing up would require a number of teams ahead of the Cougs to fall, which is a possibility since 10 of the 14 still have regular seasons to complete. From there, it would be a beauty contest likely among WSU, LSU and Texas. Bottom line, Sea World here I come!!!!!

Middle linebacker Don Jackson posted a bone-jarring 15 tackles against the Dawgs, to raise his season total to a team-leading 91. Unfortunately, a hip pointer late in the game on Saturday kept his sidelined during that maddening final charge by Pickett's brigade. Will Derting and Erik Coleman are tied at No. 2 on the total tackles list with 82 each.

Sammy Moore needs just 40 yards in WSU's bowl game to become just the fourth Cougar ever to amass 1,500 or more all-purpose yards in one season. Sammy has 1,460 so far, courtesy of 656 on kickoff returns, 467 in receptions and 337 in punt returns. Other CouGreats in that exclusive club are Bernard Jackson (2,118 in 1971), Steve Broussard (1,790 in 1989 and 1,533 in 1988) and Rueben Mayes (1,768 in 1984).

With 10 more penalties against UW, the Cougars racked up 144 in the regular season, tying the 1977 Grambling team for most flags in a single season.

With 128 yards against Washington, senior running back Jonathan Smith has put himself within striking distance of cracking WSU's 1,000 yard club. He has 851 ground hashes on the season, leaving him 149 away from the magic mark. With a big day in WSU's bowl game he'll become the 10th person in WSU history to rush for 1,000 yards or more in a single season.

Next up ... Holiday Bowl!