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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

WSU-Cal notebook: Pregame activites launch Homecoming

WSU receiver River Cracraft (21) scores a touchdown against Cal during the first half. (Tyler Tjomsland)

PULLMAN – Saturday’s late start against California provided ample time for festivities during Washington State’s Homecoming weekend and the events continued right up until kickoff.

As the sun set over Pullman, fans sauntered to Martin Stadium from wine tasting at the visitor’s center and receptions put on by various alumni associations. Anyone who took part in the Friday bar hop had plenty of time to sleep it off.

The Cougars hope this weekend also served as a homecoming of sorts for a number of football recruits who were in town – 10, according to recruiting websites – on official visits.

Many of the recruits are highly regarded by sites that rank college football prospects and would make a recruiting class that is on pace to be the most highly-ranked in the program’s history even better.

Quarterback Tyler Hilinski was reportedly in town. (He’s already signed a financial aid agreement to attend WSU.) Kameron Powell is a four-star safety from California who also said he will play for WSU next season, although nothing is binding until recruits sign a National Letter of Intent in February.

Also expected to be in attendance were consensus four-star defensive backs Stanley Norman from California and Marcus Lewis from Washington D.C.

It’s likely other recruits also were in town on unofficial visits, meaning they pay their own way and don’t spend as much time with the players and coaches.

Thursday their night

Many of the players lined up on the WSU sideline during Saturday’s game have almost no chance of playing a meaningful minute in a close game this season, if they play at all.

Those Cougars are young players who are still too green to see live action or are being kept off the field to preserve an extra year of eligibility. But on Thursday nights throughout the fall they take the field in Martin Stadium and compete in front of no spectators except their coaches during underclassmen scrimmages known as “Thursday Night Football.”

“Thursday Night Football gives them an opportunity to play fast,” defensive coordinator Mike Breske said. “We do a lot of pressures on defense and just be in the spot and get on film and make us notice you.”

Cougars ended skid

Last season’s 44-22 victory in Berkeley was WSU’s first win over the Golden Bears since 2002 and ended Cal’s eight-game winning streak over the Cougars. In that game, Cal actually outgained the Cougars in total yards, 585 to 570, and both teams passed for 521 yards.

But the WSU defense forced five Cal turnovers and sacked quarterback Jared Goff – then a freshman – three times, the difference in the critical road win.

Left side bad to the bone

Each week the “Bone” award is given to the WSU offensive lineman who performs the best during the previous game. So far in 2014 the left side has dominated. Left tackle Joe Dahl and left guard Gunnar Eklund are the only two members of the line who came into this season having started games for the Cougars, and they’ve each won two Bone awards. The only other winner is center Riley Sorenson, in the 38-31 loss to No. 2 Oregon.