WSU 6, OSU 3 - Halftime
COUGARS
There must be some sort of bible verse that says "and the kickers shall lead them." At least there should be in a Cougar game-day bible.
That was the case in the first half Saturday, when kicker Loren Langley converted two field goals – 39 and 20 yards – with the latter set up by a 25-yard run by punter Daryl Blunt.
Blunt recognized his punt deep in the Cougar territory was going to be blocked, so he pulled the ball down, found a hole and raced down the right sideline, running over a Beaver defender at the end of the run.
From there Alex Brink teamed with Michael Bumpus, who set a personal single-season pass reception mark in this, WSU's fifth game, for 37 yards and a first down at the OSU 3. But a touchdown wasn't going to be in the cards, especially when you can't run, which is the Cougar problem today.
The Cougars have 12 yards rushing in the opening half, thanks in large part to the handful of sacks of Brink. At intermission, Blunt was WSU's leading rusher.
And if he lined up at receiver he might have led there as well, as WSU's passing attack accounted for just 78 more yards other than the Bumpus catch.
But the Beavers weren't doing much better themselves, adding three turnovers to an impotent offense. In one three-play sequence, the Beavers fumbled, Brink fumbled and the Beavers fumbled back. That led to the Cougs second field goal.
Things were so weird, the Beavers connected on a field goal near the end of the half, only to see it taken off the board on a Cougar pre-play penalty. The OSU kicker, Alexis Serna, was not to be denied, however, as he calmly booted the ensuing 42-yarder through.
Yes, the kickers are leading them.