WSU’s win over OSU, the day after, all done
COUGARS • UPDATED: 10 A.M.
We're getting an early start on the day-after post because we have to get going on the trip home. And we're going to do this a bit differently. We'll cover the Washington State report now, then hit you later with the rest of the Pac-10 – and what a Saturday it was – after we get a bit farther down the road. For your Cougar fix, read on.
• UPDATE: We've added Pac-10 links to the bottom of the post.
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• Washington State: We're going to start with the link to our game story and then segue right into our notebook, a longer version of which we posted on the blog last night. ... We also have the statistics, the scoring and the keys to the game. ... Josh Wright covered the WSU basketball game in my stead last night, and here's his story. One other piece of basketball news I learned this weekend. Freshman Dexter Kernich-Drew and the WSU coaching staff agreed he will redshirt this season. ... OK, other links that have a WSU connection. ... From the Oregonian, it seems Jacquizz Rodgers took exception to C.J. Mizell's late hit (and he should have; no matter what it did to fire up WSU, it was late and uncalled for). ... Markus Wheaton had two touchdown catches for the Beavers (correction alert: I'm sure if I mentioned Wheaton yesterday on Twitter, here or in a story, I misspelled his first name, sorry Markus). ... Can the Beavers save their season? ... Paul Buker's game story from the Oregonian, and Bob Clark's gamer in the Register-Guard. ... ESPN.com's Ted Miller hands out his first helmet sticker to WSU. He also mentions the Cougars' victory in his things we learned on Saturday. ... As we put up a lot of notes last night, we'll now move to the postgame quotes ...
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• Offensive coordinator Todd Sturdy on Jeff Tuel's play: "He also did a great job of scrambling. He picked up a couple huge first downs on scramble scenarios." ... "He made plays with his feet today. I always tell them, the quarterback, you can make big plays with your arm obviously, but you can make big plays that really hurt with your feet. Critical plays that keep drives alive, keep the offense on the football field."
• On the offensive line: "The offensive line did the little things today. Pad level, get off the ball with some urgency. There were great signs of that today. There was great push at times today."
• On the touchdown pass from Tuel to Marquess Wilson, a play that started out looking like an option run to the right: "We've been repping that, waiting for the right scenario." ... First time you've called it this year? "I haven't called that one since probably Eastern (Washington). It just sets up right with that play. We showed option last week, it was in the game plan. It's something that is good for that situation."
• Offensive lineman Zack Williams on the game: "We felt we had to be physical up front, on both sides of the ball. That's what we did. It felt good." ... "We hadn't had a bye week so we have to grind it out." ... "We just went at it a little bit harder, that helped."
• On the opening drive that came up empty: "It felt good because we were able to drive the ball down the field. We we're coming off the 2-yard line and were able to drive it down the field. We didn't get any points on the board. It was a tempo setter for us."
• On the long third-quarter drive: "I'm not going to lie, I was a little bit tired. It definitely helped us out, running some of the time off the clock, and kept our defense off the field."
• Senior running back Chantz Staden on what the win meant to him: "After sitting out last season with the knee surgery, working my tail off from January to this point and to have the season I had, individually, being plagued with injuries, I was really down to be honest. I needed the drastic change, so I cut the hair and the beard." ... "This game, and that touchdown, just signifies everyone in this program, our relentlessness, our perseverance from what we've been through." ... "I had high hopes for myself and this team this year. At a certain point, it was just very frustrating, very discouraging. It was just tough, hard to walk around school, hard to go to practice. Words can't describe it. I was just so happy. It was one of the best feelings I've had in a while."
• Tuel's on running more: "Coach Sturdy gave me the green light to run a little more, so I was just taking what they gave me. If stuff wasn't open, I looked down, saw places to run and just took them." ... "It didn't require any extra thought or game-planning. It was something I've known I could do all along, but I kinda of got the green light to do it. Took advantage of it." ... "With man coverage that gives you a lot of opportunity to run the ball because they are occupied by other guys."
• On the opening drive: "We shot ourselves in the foot. Should have had a field goal. But we knew we just took it to them, opening drive. It was a great drive, bottom line."
• Freshman linebacker C.J. Mizell on his play: "I feel every game I get a little bit better and it gets a little bit easier."
• On whether this was the defense's best game: "Yes, sir. No question. The defensive lined up and did their job. We got pressure on that quarterback all night."
• On game prep: "Our preparation building up to the game, everybody just looked like they were locked in. You just felt like a team that hadn’t lost any games this year."
• Defensive end Casey Hamlett on Jacquizz Rodgers: "We focused all week on being aggressive (against Rodgers) and attacking him and not giving him that space to wriggle around in. I think we were pretty successful. Sure, he busted a couple because that’s the type of player he is."
• On the level of WSU's play: "I don’t think it mattered what team. We were just ready as a team to take it to the next level … I don‘t think it mattered who the opponent was today. We were just ready to take that next step and put it together on the field, all three phases."
• On how the defense was able to get to the quarterback: "We didn’t have a lot of tricky stuff (rushing the QB). We were just going after them and it worked. … a lot of base rush. They were deep setting us a lot. It allowed us to bull rush a lot and get to the quarterback."
• Senior running back James Montgomery on whether to come back next year of he can get a medical redshirt for two lost seasons:: “I’d probably try to come back. It’s a big decision”
• On the level win: "We know we’re good enough to just beat a team, which is what we did today. We don’t have to win by a field goal in the fourth quarter." ... "Oh man, it felt so good. You’re kind of antsy in the fourth quarter when you’re up. The defense stepped up. The offense stepped up.”
• Defensive back Aire Justin on the pass defense: "We were in three-deep a lot, so they started to get smart and throw the seams, because that's where the weak spot is. They tried to find our weak spots, but we came out with the win."
• On the win: "We came out just like every other week, trying to get the game plan down, working hard, getting better every week. We knew it was our time, We had a good game plan with the coaches, we executed good in practice, and we came out here and did that today.
• Receiver Jared Karstetter on what the win means: "Right now, emotionally, its hard to describe the feeling; we've worked so long and so hard, and it really feels like a family, the older you get, with kind of your brothers out there on the field. It's so nice to finally be successful, with your family and your teammates. It just a real emotional win for us. I'm real proud of everyone on the team, everyone pulled together.
• Coach Paul Wulff on the win: "It starts with faith in our players and their believe in each other. To go 11 straight weeks like we've done, to be banged up and then to go on the road and play as hard and as physical as we did, it's a tribute to them."
• On the running game: "Jeff Tuel was a big part of it, whether it was a designed run or scrambles."
• On the level of WSU's play: "It was a pretty thorough win. I think we dominated in so many ways, in every aspect." ... "I thought we were very physical. We set the tempo for the football game. That's how we want to be at Washington State, tough, hard-nosed, throw the first punch."
• On Mizell's hit firing up the Cougars: "I think it did. I wasn't thinking it at the time, believe me. ... I thought it was OK. Just let them play."
• On the offense: "We didn't get any cheap scores, other than the last one. We had long drives and chewed up a lot of time off the clock."
• On the long third quarter drive clinching the game: "The way our defense was playing at that time, I felt if we could take the Rodgers kid out of the game, we would win."
• On whether he would like to play the Apple Cup on Saturday: "We'll take a bye. We need a bye. To play like that for 11 weeks, wow."
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• UPDATE: Around the Pac-10: Before we get there, one more Cougar link, the Seattle Times' 2-minute drill. ... OK, from around the conference, Oregon's near-defeat wasn't a defeat and that's crucial. ... The bowl picture just gets darker. ... Washington: Jake Locker was back at UW's practice Saturday but how far along he is still not clear. ... Oregon State: We covered all that above. ... Oregon: C'mon. Cal? For goodness sakes, 15-13?. Actually, the Bears did what they've done all year, play well at home. ... It was a great escape (minus Steve McQueen's motorcycle) for the Ducks, whose defense won the game. ... The offense did put on an impressive final drive. ... Cal: The Bears blew their chance to take down the No. 1 team. ... Stanford: The Cardinal avoided ASU's trap, 17-13, thanks in large part to a bogus penalty on Vontaze Burfict ... USC: Good old-fashioned Trojan football leads to a 24-21 win over UA. ... UCLA: The Bruins had a bye and will play UW on Thursday. ... Arizona State: It's not often a columnist apologizes for a column's content. But when it's called for, it's the right thing to do. ... The loss to Stanford ends ASU's bowl hopes. ... Arizona: With the loss, the Wildcats drop to 4-3 in Pac-10 play (you can see the standings here.
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• That's all for now. Paul Wulff will hold his weekly press conference this evening and we'll post after that. Ran into a couple WSU coaches as they hit the road recruiting, which is one reason why WSU isn't back on the practice field until Friday afternoon. Until later ...
