HIGHS AND LOWS

Mon., Sept. 22, 2008

High point of the game

The best-thrown ball of the game for either team was delivered by Marshall Lobbestael midway through the third quarter. Devin Frischknecht got behind PSU linebacker Rory Richards on a deep out – but not by much. Lobbestael was able to loft his pass over the linebacker and into Frischknecht’s hands. The senior tight end did the rest, racing down the left sideline for a 53-yard score and an insurmountable 38-3 lead.

Low point of the game

Gary Rogers had just scrambled down the left sideline for 12 yards and a first down at the Portland State 48 early in the third quarter. On the next play, Rogers stepped back to throw to Jeshua Anderson on the right side, only to have Aaron Dickson come off the edge and force a low throw. Dickson continued on, however, and hit Rogers high, knocking the 6-foot-7 quarterback to the turf and drawing a roughing the passer penalty. Rogers didn’t get up and had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance. Though he has no permanent damage, he’ll miss the rest of the season.

A pat on the back

Lobbestael didn’t get much work with the No. 1 offense last week, but he did get some on Wednesday. Rogers had been dinged up on a scramble against Baylor and, due to a sore shoulder, had thrown with a different motion on Tuesday. That led to a tender elbow the next day, so he took time off. In stepped Lobbestael for a few snaps, which probably helped immeasurably on Saturday when he had to put down his clipboard and direct WSU’s offense. His final stat line: 9 of 12 for 149 yards and two touchdowns.

Needs fixing

The left side of the offensive line is still a trouble spot on passing downs. Joe Eppele did well on running plays, teaming with Vaughn Lesuma to bulldoze the smaller PSU defenders out of the way. But the Vikings’ quickness paid dividends on passing downs, with Eppele struggling to get a hand on the rusher at times. With the possible return this week of former starting left guard Andrew Roxas from a knee injury, more decisions will have to be made here.

Vince Grippi

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.

HIGHS AND LOWS

High point of the game

Low point of the game

A pat on the back

Needs fixing

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

Gonzaga commit Isiah Harwell withdraws from NBA Draft before G League Camp | Notebook

Gonzaga baseball heads into final stretch with eye on West Coast Conference title

Washington State baseball looks to clinch conference tournament berth in final Mountain West series