67 PASSES, ONE SACK:
COUGARS THRILLED WITH LINE
By Zack Menchel,
Murrow News Services
With a convincing
44-22 road victory against Cal Saturday, the Cougars answered lingering
questions regarding perseverance and resolve after a tough loss to Stanford.
Aside from pushing WSU to 4-2, the win also put to rest an eight-game losing
streak to the California Golden Bears.
WSU senior center
Elliott Bosch, a lifelong Cougars fan growing up in Spokane, said that being a
part of the team to end the losing skid added a little something extra to the
win.
“Talking to my
family after the game, nobody could even remember the last time we beat Cal on
the road. It was big,” he said.
Coach Mike Leach was
pleased his Air Raid offense finished strong in a shootout that saw teams
combine for more than 1,000 passing yards.
“I thought it was
good that we got into a rhythm early, played together well and distributed the
ball,” he said. “We still left a lot of plays and opportunities on the table
and need to be more consistent.”
Halliday’s heroics
Quarterback Connor
Halliday fought through an apparent hip injury, throwing for 521 yards and
three touchdowns en route to the Cougars’ second win against a Pac-12 opponent
this season.
Halliday finished 10
yards shy of Alex Brink’s school record of 531 yards against Oregon State in
2005.
There was concern
that Halliday would have to sit out against the Golden Bears. The injury came
against Stanford in Seattle and knocked him out of the game in the second half,
but the junior quarterback had little doubt he’d be back under center in Berkeley.
“I was pretty sure I
was going to start all week,” he said Saturday. “It’s frustrating that I’m
going to be dealing with this for awhile, but it is what it is and I need to go
out there and play as well as I can every week.”
O-line lets QB
survive
Praise for the
offensive line was abundant. Halliday passed 67 times and was sacked only once.
He expressed gratitude toward his line in helping him set season highs in pass
yards and touchdowns all while protecting his ailing hip.
“Those guys were
unreal and really got in a good rhythm up front while dominating the game for
four quarters,” said Halliday. “It’s a lot of fun back there when you have all
that time to get rid of the ball.”
Bosch said the
O-line is not complacent and would like to be able to run the ball more
effectively. Regardless, he took pride in the play.
“I think it shows
how we’ve grown as a team and its good that even with a win, we watched film
and were able to see how we could improve,” said Bosch.
Big-play Oregon State
A tough test awaits a
Cougars defense that surrendered several big plays over the top against both
Stanford and Cal. Oregon State (4-2, 2-0 Pac-12) rolls into town behind
quarterback Sean Mannion and the Pac-12’s second-ranked passing attack behind
WSU.
“We’re going to need
to be more disciplined with our eyes this week and not give up the big plays,”
said Leach.
Mannion has already
thrown for more than 2,000 yards with 21 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
“We played against
each other in high school, so I’m very familiar with Mannion and know he can
really sling it.” said defensive tackle Kalafitoni Pole. “We’re really focused
on beating the Beavers but we’re going to need to rise on all sides of the
ball.”
Bowl-bound?
Having already
passed year’s three-win total, the Cougs are two wins shy of qualifying for a
bowl game, but they are in no position to assume anything.
“We’re just trying
to win each week so we can’t start thinking of or talking about bowls just yet
because we’ve still got a long way to go,” said Bosch.
“Our coaches and my
teammates just want to focus on one game at a time and look at getting better
each day, making the most of each practice,” said senior safety Deone Bucannon.
“When Saturday comes, we’re going to do everything we possibly can to win the game.”
Armed Forces
Appreciation Day
In addition to the
usual Dad’s Weekend festivities, Saturday is Armed Forces Appreciation Day at
Martin Stadium. Deone Bucannon’s mother and father served in the military and
was asked to reflect on the importance of the event.
“It is incredibly
important to my family and I because it’s made me into the person I am today
and instilled discipline in me,” said Bucannon. “Who they are and what they
represent is more than I can even explain, It is definitely something that is far
beyond my words.”
Bucannon said if not
for football, he’d probably join the armed forces too, to honor his parents.
Leach the dog guy —
mostly
Leach’s weekly
post-game press conference concluded with the fielding of a question from a
student regarding references to dogs in his book, “Swing Your Sword.”
The coach discussed
several pooch-related topics including pheasant hunting, his favorite childhood
dog and his adoration for blacks labs and beagles.
The highlight of the
offbeat look into the unpredictable mind of Leach revolved around his take on
hand-held mutts.
“First of all, we’ve
got to distinguish that there is a difference between a dog and a guinea pig,”
said Leach. “These people carrying around dogs that resemble guinea pigs. I
can’t see it, I don’t understand it, never have, never will.
“My thought is that
if you have one of those bitty dogs that’s like a guinea pig, stick him in a
box rather than carry it around in your purse.”
