A GRIP ON SPORTS • What does it mean to be a quarterback? Read on.

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• There is a story that’s stuck with me for more than 25 years. It harkens back to Super Bowl XXIII, the one in which Joe Montana – admire him but hate him – led the San Francisco 49ers to a last-second touchdown and a 20-16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals – that’s the reason for the hate; for some reason as a young man I rooted for the Bengals. Anyhow, the 49ers were behind by three points with a bit more than 3 minutes left when they got the ball back for the final time. They had the ball at their 8. Miami’s Joe Robbie Stadium was going nuts. And Joe Montana stepped into the huddle – yes, they actually huddled back then – and saw his teammates were tighter than Charles Barkley’s belt. So he did what a great quarterback always does: he led. "There, in the stands, standing near the exit ramp," Montana reportedly said to tackle Harris Barton. "Isn't that John Candy?" Now, if you don’t know who John Candy is (because you are under age 20 or only watched “films” your entire life) you may not understand the reference. But the 49ers did. Candy was a star in those days, and everyone in the huddle turned to look. And relaxed. I’m not sure such an action is as important as the fact Montana completed 8 of 9 passes on the 92-yard drive but it might have been. By showing his teammates that “hey, I’ve got this,” Montana took the burden off them and put it on his shoulders. That’s part of what it means to be a quarterback. We bring this up because yesterday Washington State’s Luke Falk was named the Pac-12 offensive player of the week. He won the award because he threw for 478 yards and four touchdowns, including the game winner, in the Cougars’ 37-34 win at Rutgers.  But there was a play on the drive that may have been even more important than numbers in Falk’s development as the leader of WSU’s offense. It came as the clock was winding down, after the Cougs had scored what looked to be the game-winning touchdown but had suffered the deflating fate of a replay overturn. There was just a couple dozen seconds remaining. The Cougars needed a first down on a third-and-5 from the Rutgers 21. Falk took care of it with his feet, not something Mike Leach encourages. But something that was needed at the moment. He picked up 13 yards, including the last one while taking on two Scarlett Knights. “I think on the last drive you can’t slide,” Falk said. “You have to show your team that you’re trying to win the game.” They noticed. Football players, guys who put their bodies on the line every second they are on the field, always notice. It doesn’t hurt, either, that Falk stood strong in the pocket the next play, came off his primary read and found River Cracraft alone in the back of the end zone. Game WSU. And a win for Falk in his emergence as the Cougars’ leader. Did he earn his bones with a Montana-like relaxing statement in the huddle? No, Leach took care of that before the Cougars’ offense took the field the final time. Falk earned it with his courage, he earned it with his demeanor and he earned it the old-fashion way. “I think that’s all pretty well established because they know he works harder than they do,” Leach said yesterday when asked about Falk’s leadership. Yep, Falk has earned it in the film room, in the weight room, on the practice field. That’s a huge part of what it means to be a quarterback. And he doesn’t hurt when you can find the right guy on the game’s crucial play.

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• WSU: Yesterday was media interview day and Jacob Thorpe has it covered. He has video of Falk, Darryl Paulo, Isaac Dotson and Leach on the blog. And he has a notebook in the newspaper as well as the first look at Wyoming. He also has a morning post with links and passes along the WSU game notes. ... Falk’s performance put him on this list. ... Vernon Adams isn’t happy with his performance in East Lansing.

• Gonzaga: WCC rival San Francisco picked up its first recruit of the 2016 class.

• EWU: Not only did the Eagles suffer a key 38-35 loss at Northern Iowa, they also may have lost some of their most important players. Jim Allen has the list in this story.

• Seahawks: It was back to work yesterday for the Hawks, if not back-to-the-drawing-board. Pete Carroll made his media rounds and expressed as much frustration with Sunday’s outcome as the fans. He mentioned missed opportunities. He also said the loss won’t affect how the team deals with Kam Chancellor. ... So, about that fourth down play. Did the Super Bowl call have anything to do with it? ... Michael Bennett is, like Chancellor, unhappy with his contract. But he’s attacking it differently. ... Tom Cable keeps saying the offensive line will be fine.

• Mariners: In what may be his final (or not) start of the 2015 season, Taijuan Walker handcuffed the Angels while the offense beat them into submission. The M’s won 10-1 last night in case you missed it. ... Shawn O’Malley played a part in it despite being nailed in the jaw with a pickoff throw at second. ... Robinson Cano is still dealing with the abdominal issue.

• Sounders: Seattle picked up Ramon Torres to strengthen its defense. But now the Sounders will have to do that another way. Torres was lost for the season with a knee injury suffered at San Jose. ... The MLS’ Western Conference is a mess. The Eastern is pretty well decided.

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• Have anything on your calendar today? Me neither. It is trash day, however, so I get to do that. I put a gold star next to the task in my phone. It’s a little something I call “leadership.” Until later ...

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