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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Gutsy Calls Pay Off Leaf, Mcwashington Combine For Flawless Execution In Clutch

Two gutsy play-calls that paid off big for Washington State went almost overlooked in the chaotic final moments of the Cougars’ 37-34 victory over UCLA on Saturday.

Had the plays not worked, or had WSU coach Mike Price opted for more conservative calls, the Cougars may not have been able to run out the clock in the final 2 minutes.

As Price joked Wednesday, “They would have been audibles if they hadn’t have worked.”

The first big call came shortly after WSU’s defense stopped Jermaine Lewis on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard-line. Less than 2 minutes remained, and the offense needed two first downs to prevent UCLA from getting one final chance.

The Cougars ran tailback Michael Black on first and second downs, setting up third-and-2 from the WSU 9-yard-line.

Instead of handing off to Black a third straight time, which might have been the “safe” call, Price decided to pass. The decision paid off when quarterback Ryan Leaf threw to Shawn McWashington for a 6-yard-gain.

“That was the best call he could have made,” McWashington said. “He had faith in Ryan and I to make the play, and we went out there and did it.”

McWashington caught the ball near the left sideline. Instead of trying to turn upfield, he smartly stayed inbounds. The Bruins were forced to use their next-to-last timeout.

The second, and far more daring call came two plays later, after Black had gained only 2 yards on first down. Less than 1:30 remained. With UCLA probably anticipating another run, Price bravely opted for a play-action pass.

The ball was snapped. Leaf faked the hand-off to Black and deftly hid the ball behind his back. Not everyone was fooled.

“I got a little worried when I saw (UCLA safety) Shaun Williams back-pedaling when we faked the run up the middle,” Price said. “On the previous three downs, he sprinted up there and was in on the tackle - that’s why I called it.”

As several UCLA defenders converged on Black, Williams appeared to slip. McWashington was suddenly open over the middle.

“I threw it up high in the air so either Shawn would go up and catch it or it would fly over their heads,” Leaf said.

The 5-foot-10 McWashington made a leaping catch for a 25-yard gain. Game over.

How risky was that call? Consider the possibilities.

Leaf could have been hit and fumbled. He could have thrown an errant pass for an interception. The ball could have caromed off McWashington and into the arms of a waiting defender. The pass could have been incomplete, setting up an obvious third-down passing situation.

“It was a gutsy call by coach,” Leaf said. “I had been begging all game to run that play and he ran it. It was one of the gutsiest parts of the game.”

Upon further review …

The tale of the videotape tells UCLA coach Bob Toledo that his team should have won last weekend’s game at WSU.

“We throw the pass to (Jermaine) Lewis at the end, and in looking at our tapes… . it appears that it was a touchdown,” Toledo said. “I don’t know how much more I can say about that, but it appears it was a touchdown.”

Lewis had taken a pass from Cade McNown on a third-and-goal play from the 11. He scrambled along the right sideline, trying to keep his feet before stumbling near the goal line. The ball popped loose and rolled out of bounds, officials said, inside the 1-yard-line.

WSU stopped the Bruins on fourth down.

Jackson donates $21,000 to WSU

After the Cougars announced they had raised $21,000 at their annual fall sports banquet in Coeur d’Alene last week, ABC announcer and WSU alumnus Keith Jackson reached for his checkbook.

Jackson, who was the event’s featured speaker, promised to match that amount. The $42,000 will go to the athletic department’s scholarship fund.

Beavers tap Generation XXX

Oregon State’s new placekicker finally has time to sleep.

While attending a Los Angeles junior college last year, Jose Cortez worked five nights a week at a 24-hour video store. After games on Friday nights, he would drive straight to work and stay until 7 a.m.

A reporter from the Corvallis Gazette-Times asked Cortez to list his top 10 movie rentals. Cortez declined. “It was an adult video store,” he said.

No word on whether new Oregon State coach Mike Riley ever dropped by to, uh, “look at the films.”

Notes

With WSU freshman James Price having been elevated to second-string linebacker, the Cougars have moved sophomore Corey Scott to tight end. …. Receiver Rod Perry Jr., one of USC’s most prized freshmen, will miss the season because he needs a second surgery on his right knee…. Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said he will name a starting quarterback sometime during pregame warmups of tonight’s game against Arizona. Sophomore Jason Maas and transfer Akili Smith have been battling for the job.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

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