Troublesome points

STANFORD, Calif. – The numbers describe the agony.

For the fifth time in six Pac-10 Conference games, Washington State gave up more than 55 points.

Despite a non-stop downpour, WSU lost 58-0 to the Stanford Cardinal Saturday before an announced crowd of 26,662.

Midway through the third quarter, the Cougars set a dubious mark.

When Anthony Kimble raced 62 yards for a touchdown that gave the Cardinal a 44-0 lead, WSU replaced the 2001 California team in the Pac-10 record book.

That team yielded 333 points in an eight-game season – all losses.

Kimble’s score meant the Cougars had given up 335, and they still had more than three Pac-10 games to play. When they finally trudged through the mud to the locker room, the Cougars’ season tally stood at 350.

It’s probably appropriate the record-setting points came on a long run as Kimble’s sprint – basically untouched thanks to a goal-post wide hole in the middle of the WSU defense – was part of Stanford’s 344 yards on the ground. The Cardinal threw just 13 passes, despite a Cougars game plan aimed at making them throw often.

“Players are where they are supposed to be, but they have to make plays,” WSU coach Paul Wulff said. “… We had guys where they were supposed to be and (the Cardinal running backs) break tackles, physically. It goes back to our weight room (work), strength and the competitive things I’ve been saying since day one.”

WSU, second to last in the nation in rush defense, has given up more than 300 yards rushing in five of six Pac-10 games.

“It gets frustrating to all of us when things aren’t going your way,” senior middle linebacker Greg Trent said. “Sometimes there are missed assignments and the team starts getting frustrated and it makes it harder to rebuild (the defense). We need to swallow it and get over it.”

Mitz makes the most of it

With starter Dwight Tardy limited to three carries after missing time with a sore knee, Logwone Mitz assumed the rushing load.

The redshirt freshman from Redmond, Wash., carried the ball 11 times – giving him 30 carries over the last two games – and finished with 62 yards, tying his career high set in the Cougars’ win over Portland State.

“I was just trying to hit the holes that were open,” Mitz said. “They were definitely open. Very big. I took what I could.”

The holes weren’t open often – WSU finished with 73 yards rushing, the fifth consecutive game it has gone without breaking the century mark – but when they were, Mitz took advantage.

His longest run came late in the first half and jump-started the Cougars’ best drive. Pinned on their 10 with 2 minutes, 23 seconds left, Kevin Lopina dropped back as if to throw but instead handed to Mitz on a draw.

Mitz broke free and into the defensive backfield, collecting 25 yards before Michael Thomas could bring him down. From there the Cougars moved to the Stanford 19 as time ran down, only to be kept out of the end zone when Thomas intercepted Lopina’s pass intended for Brandon Gibson with 19 seconds before halftime.

Exit and enter

There were some players who missed the game with injuries and some who didn’t play much because of, as Wulff put it, a “performance-based” decision.

Starting defensive tackle Matt Eichleberger was in that latter category, being pulled early in the game after one of Toby Gerhart’s four touchdown runs. Sophomore Toby Turpin replaced Eichleberger and recorded two tackles.

Also in the pulled-for-cause camp was defensive back Markus Dawes, who was called for a personal foul early in the fourth quarter, taken out and never returned.

Dawes was playing because starting cornerback Tyrone Justin, second on the team in pass breakups, rolled an ankle late in Thursday’s practice and was in street clothes.

Also in street clothes at the end of the game was freshman guard B.J. Guerra, who made his second start of the season.

“He got hurt in the first series, so he was out,” Wulff said.

Guerra, who suffered a stinger, tried to return for the second Cougars possession, but he was unable to go and was replaced by Brian Danaher.

Defensive end Kevin Kooyman, who failed to record a tackle, also went down with a stinger in the second half and was replaced by Andy Mattingly, who had four tackles.

Good part-time work

As dismal as the conditions were for everyone, with a driving rain coming down all game, Stanford center Alex Fletcher still smiled afterward.

“Today was a lot of fun,” said the senior, who was an all-Pac-10 selection last year at guard before moving back over the ball this season. “I haven’t played less than a full game very many times in my career.”

Gerhart, who rushed for 132 yards on 22 carries, didn’t play the whole game either, sitting down early in the third quarter. But that didn’t stop the 6-foot-1, 232-pound junior from tying a Stanford single-game record for most rushing touchdowns.

Gerhart had the record, and four scores, all in the first half.

“The conditions here were the worst we’ve played in this year,” Gerhart said. “It turned into a mud bowl. … But it was a lot of fun to play in. … I feel like I weigh 270 pounds.”

Gerhart is the first Stanford running back to exceed 100 yards four consecutive games since Tommy Vardell did it in 1991.

Gerhart, who has 911 yards, eclipsed 100 six times this season.

Notes

Despite the lopsided nature of the defeat, Wulff went out of his way to single out the play of senior defensive end Matt Mullennix, in his sixth year. “He busted his tail,” Wulff said. “He’s done a great job for us all year.” Mullennix played every down, finishing with six tackles, including at least two that short-circuited possible long runs from Gerhart. … Chantz Staden set a school record with eight kickoff returns and a season mark for kickoff return yardage with 751. His 33 kick returns – including punts – tied the school single-season record. … Turpin blocked a Stanford point after in the third quarter.