Stories by Theo Lawson for the Spokesman-Review

Sports > WSU football

Washington State football chat - 11/1

Wed., Nov. 1, 2017

The full transcript from Wednesday's WSU football live chat with Cougars beat writer Theo Lawson.

Sports

Video: Washington State wide receiver Kyle Sweet post practice Oct. 31

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 31, 2017

Washington State wide receiver Kyle Sweet talks about the Arizon game and the senior class that will be honored ahead of Saturday’s game against Stanford.

Sports

Video: Washington State rush linebacker Frankie Luvu post practice Oct. 31

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 1, 2017

Washington State rush linebacker Frankie Luvu talks about the challenge Khalil Tate presented for the Cougars and preparing for Stanford’s Bryce Love.

Sports

Video: Washington State running back Gerard Wicks post practice Oct. 31

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 1, 2017

Washington State running back Gerard Wicks talks about Saturday’s game versus Arizona and the Senior Day game against Stanford.

Sports

Video: Washington State coach Mike Leach post practice Oct. 31

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 31, 2017

Washington State coach Mike Leach talks about Stanford’s defense and his distaste for candy corn.

Sports

Washington State’s Mike Leach on the great candy corn debate: ‘I think it’s just awful’

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 31, 2017

There’s a reason that seasonal treats are only seasonal, Mike Leach believes, and when it comes to candy corn, the Washington State coach thinks the popular Halloween confection belongs in the same category as mint juleps and fruitcake.

Sports

Bryce Love, nation’s leading rusher, a game-time decision for Saturday at Washington State

Tue., Oct. 31, 2017

Love was unavailable when Stanford traveled to Corvallis, Oregon, last Thursday because of an ankle injury.

Sports

Washington State enters first College Football Playoff rankings at No. 25

Tue., Oct. 31, 2017

The Cougars cracked the first edition of the College Football Rankings, checking at No. 25 when the poll was released at 4 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.

Sports > WSU basketball

Video: Washington State men’s basketball coach Ernie Kent news conference Oct. 31

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 31, 2017

Washington State men’s basketball coach Ernie Kent talks about preparing to start the season.

Sports > WSU football

Pac-12 power rankings: Arizona continues to surge as Khalil Tate continues to dazzle

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 31, 2017

The Spokesman-Review’s Theo Lawson breaks down the Pac-12 Conference with his weekly power rankings.

Sports > WSU football

Washington State’s Hercules Mata’afa named semifinalist for Bednarik Award

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 31, 2017

Hercules Mata’afa was one of 18 players named a semifinalist for the 2017 Chuck Bednarik Award, which recognizes the nation’s top defensive player.

Sports > WSU football

First look: Stanford at Washington State

Mon., Oct. 30, 2017

No. 20 Stanford (6-2, 5-1) travels to the Palouse to face No. 25 Washington State (7-2, 4-2) on Senior Day and Dad’s Weekend for the Cougars.

Sports > WSU football

Luke Falk gets the starting nod from Mike Leach as Washington State prepares for Stanford

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 30, 2017

Mike Leach won’t be holding QB1 auditions this week at practice as the Cougars gear up to play Stanford on Saturday in Pullman

Sports > WSU football

With $500,000 donation, Washington State names Legends Lounge after former Cougars QB Jack Thompson

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 31, 2017

Monday afternoon, WSU announced the naming of the Gray W Jack Thompson Legends Lounge inside the Cougar Football Complex, thanks to a $500,000 gift from three donors: Glenn Osterhout, Greg Rankich and one other who wished to remain anonymous.

Sports

Washington State-Stanford secures lunchtime kickoff for Dad’s Weekend game in Pullman

Sun., Oct. 29, 2017

The 25th-ranked Cougars and 18th-ranked Cardinal are slated to kick off at 12:30 p.m. at Martin Stadium and will appear on FOX. The fifth and final home game of the season will also serve as Senior Day for WSU.

Sports

Washington State drops to No. 25 in Associated Press poll following loss to Arizona

Sun., Oct. 29, 2017

The Cougars (7-2, 4-2) also fell out of the Coaches’ Poll completely one week after checking in at No. 16.

Sports > WSU football

Analysis: Washington State played ‘hard’ but ‘dumb’ in 21-point loss to Arizona

UPDATED: Sun., Oct. 29, 2017

TUCSON, Ariz. – At the start of the season, the Washington State Cougars were supposed to be the team rich with offensive prowess, while the Arizona Wildcats were supposed to be the ones trying to find an identity. Scratch that. The Wildcats have one. The Cougars are still searching for theirs.

Sports > WSU football

Leach rides with Tyler Hilinski through the thick and thin of Washington State’s loss at Arizona

UPDATED: Sat., Oct. 28, 2017

Mike Leach could’ve pulled the plug on the Tyler Hilinski experiment at any point in the second half of Saturday’s game at Arizona. And the thought did cross the Washington State coach’s mind a few times, as the Cougars’ second-stringer continued to throw the ball into the hands of the opposing defenders, only making it harder for the visitors to stage a comeback against a team that was far more efficient on offense than they were.

Sports > WSU football

Difference makers: Tavares Martin Jr., Tay Martin shine in Cougars’ loss to Arizona

UPDATED: Sat., Oct. 28, 2017

Theo Lawson’s difference makers from Washington State’s 58-37 loss at Arizona

Sports > WSU football

Washington State lackluster on defense, mistake-prone on offense in 58-37 loss to Arizona

UPDATED: Sat., Oct. 28, 2017

Tyler Hilinski rushed for two touchdowns and passed for two more, but the redshirt sophomore also threw four costly interceptions and those combined with a lackluster day from the WSU defense, buried the Cougars in a 58-37 loss at Arizona Stadium.