WSU’s Falk Pac-12 Player of Week

PULLMAN – Washington State quarterback Luke Falk has started only five games in his burgeoning football career, but he has already picked up two Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week awards. On Monday, the Pac-12 Conference announced that Falk won the honor, which is voted on members of the media who cover the conference schools, after he led a game-winning drive in the last minute to beat Rutgers, 37-34, on the road. Falk was also Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week last year when he led the Cougars to a win at Oregon State in his first start. Against a depleted Scarlet Knights secondary, Falk passed for 478 yards and four touchdowns. While he started the season slow, struggling to maintain coach Mike Leach’s preferred tempo on offense, he was much improved against Rutgers, completing his first 13 passes and showing less reluctance to throw intermediate and deep passes. And he led a 10-play, 90-yard drive with 1:31 remaining to retake the lead after Janarion Grant’s punt return for a touchdown put Rutgers in front. “I thought the biggest thing is he was calm and composed and held the huddle together with his presence and expected to move the ball and win,” said Leach during WSU’s weekly Monday press conference. “I thought his demeanor was probably the strongest thing that he brought, which is impressive because that’s the most difficult thing for most people in those situations.” Falk benefitted from a solid performance by WSU’s offensive line. While Leach said that he would have liked the offensive linemen do a better job run-blocking beyond the point of attack, he said he was very pleased with the pass protection. His quarterback agreed. “I thought the offensive line played absolutely phenomenal,” Falk said. “I need to go buy those guys a steak dinner or something right now. They don’t get nearly the credit they deserve. On that last drive, there was only one play where I got touched and another sack was on me; I had a lot of time and they made it possible.” But the offensive line couldn’t protect Falk when he left the pocket, as he did during a 13-yard scramble to pick up a first down. On that play, Falk did not slide. Instead, he took a shot similar to the one that knocked him out of the game during a similar situation against Portland State, when he scrambled on fourth down and moved the sticks, but took a hit doing so. Falk said after Saturday’s win that he doesn’t avoid contact in those situations in part to show his teammates that he, too, is willing to put his body on the line for a win. Leach said Falk doesn’t need to do so in order to prove himself a leader. “I think that’s all pretty well established because they know he works harder than they do,” Leach said. Unfriendly confines Home field may not be an advantage for the Cougars. WSU has proven its ability under Leach to defeat tough opponents on the road, pulling upsets at Rutgers last week, Utah last year and Arizona and USC the year before. In fact, six of Leach’s eight wins against teams from Power Five conferences at WSU have come outside of Martin Stadium. Rather, the home crowds have seen heartbreakers such as last year’s 60-59 loss to California and last week’s loss to Portland State. Defensive lineman Darryl Paulo said he draws energy from playing on the road. “For me personally, I don’t know about the other guys, you feel like you want to win. You always want to win, but on the road, when you first run out of the tunnel and all the fans are booing you, you always feel like you want to prove them wrong,” Paulo said. A sparse home crowd is likely partially responsible for that same energy not being present last week against the Vikings. When WSU sold out its home game against Oregon last year, the Cougars nearly knocked off the second-ranked Ducks. HOF inductees Washington State will induct 25 former athletes into its Athletic Hall of Fame this weekend, growing the membership to 199. Football players being inducted are former stars Alan Kennedy, Jerome Harrison, Geoff Reece, Keith Millard, Lamont Thompson, Marcus Trufant, Pat Beach and Steve Broussard.