A recipe for nervousness in Corvallis
PULLMAN – Derek Anderson and Alex Brink don’t have much in common these days, save for their job title: Pac-10 starting quarterback.
Anderson, a fifth-year senior, is a 6-foot-6 pocket passer atop the Pac-10 in passing yards this season and well on his way to shattering the Oregon State record for career passing yards. And Brink? He’s a 6-foot-1 scrambling redshirt freshman making the first start of his college career at Washington State.
And strangely enough, both coaching staffs seem equally nervous about facing off against the other’s team signal-caller.
“I think the kid’s doing a hell of a job. He’s leading the Pac-10 for a reason. He stands in there and is throwing the ball with a lot of confidence,” WSU defensive coordinator Robb Akey said. “He trusts his arm a lot and he’s willing to stick with it. He’ll zing the ball in there.”
But as Oregon State head coach Mike Riley points out, sometimes the fear of the unknown can be just as great as the fear of the known.
It’s especially true for him this week because of Brink’s reputation for getting outside the pocket and making plays on the run, a style of quarterbacking the Beavers have struggled against this season.
“We’ve had our problems with mobile quarterbacks,” Riley admitted. “Washington’s quarterback gave us fits running around last week and we’ve had some problems throughout the year. We’ve got to do a better job containing him and obviously prepare for a guy we don’t know.”
The teams Anderson and Brink play for also don’t seem to have much in common. Oregon State got off to a 1-3 start, while the Cougars won three of their first four contests. Since then, however, both teams have seen a reversal of fortune. And both are now 1-2 in the conference, needing a win to keep themselves in reasonable bowl contention.
That makes today’s game at 1 p.m. in Reser Stadium all the more important.
The Cougars, coming off consecutive losses at home, may actually be glad to get back on the road, where they are 2-0 this season. In fact, Pac-10 road teams are 8-7 in 2004 within conference play.
But WSU knows it must put forth a better effort than it did against Oregon and Stanford if the Cougars are to end the mini-losing streak – especially with Brink starting for the first time.
“I think they’re OK, but I don’t know, really, what to think,” WSU head coach Bill Doba said of his team’s psyche. “If you know that, write a book and you’d be a millionaire. It’s hard to tell. But they’ve had good practices.”
Notes
Brink will be relieved of the holding duties he had managed so far this season. Punter Kyle Basler will now be the one taking care of the extra-point and field-goal duties. … The Cougars stayed in Eugene, Ore., Friday night instead of Corvallis because there wasn’t enough hotel space. As a result, the team did its Friday walkthrough in Pullman at the indoor facility, which has artificial turf much like the carpet at Reser Stadium. … This is the only game of the 2004 season the Cougars will play on the original AstroTurf, as opposed to grass or the newer synthetic turfs that have become prevalent. … Because of the uncertain weather forecast and the playing surface, Doba said the equipment staff is bringing about 400 pairs of shoes for the weekend.