Close One A Benefit, Price Says WSU Coach Appreciates Wake-Up Call With Asu Next For Unbeaten Cougars

Not only did Washington State receive a needed wake-up call against Arizona, but the Cougars were able to improve their record to 7-0 and maintain their No. 10 national ranking.

That’s the way football coach Mike Price saw Saturday’s 35-34 overtime victory, anyway.

“I think this game helped a lot more than had we beat Arizona 28-3 or something,” Price said Sunday. “I really felt a special bonding of the players during that fourth quarter and in the locker room after the game.

“I think that’s a positive thing. I think we can build on that.”

The close call should help WSU guard against complacency, Price added. The Cougars may have grown a little too comfortable after the previous week’s 63-37 trouncing of California.

Arizona entered the game with a 3-4 record and played without several injured starters, but the Wildcats dominated for much of the first half. To win, WSU had to rally from a 14-0 deficit, then stop Arizona’s two-point conversion try in overtime.

As Price knows, WSU probably needs a more consistent effort to beat 20th-ranked Arizona State this week in Tempe. The Sun Devils (5-2) crushed Stanford and USC in their last two games and are coming off a bye.

The Cougars, meanwhile, have never started 8-0, and they are 0-10 in November road games since Price became coach in 1989. All of which is enough to make Price yawn.

“I really look at it as just another assignment, another opportunity, another payday for us,” he said. “There’s a lot of things that we haven’t done in the past that we’re doing now. Every time I tell this team we haven’t done this or that, we seem to be able to do it.”

WSU notes

Quarterback Ryan Leaf (knee) and tailback Michael Black (ankle) are expected to be ready when WSU resumes practice Tuesday. Third-string tailback Jason Clayton (hamstring) is questionable… . . Price was surprised to read comments from Arizona freshman quarterback Ortege Jenkins, who said WSU will get “killed” in the Apple Cup. “He’s going to be fun to have in the league for three years,” Price said. “He’ll give you guys lots to write about.” … Until this week, WSU had never been ranked in the Top Ten for two straight weeks. The ‘42 and ‘58 teams spent one week at No. 10 and no WSU team has been ranked higher.

, DataTimes