Oct. 5, 2005

PULLMAN, Wash. - Butch T. Cougar pulled off the improbable Monday, upsetting the previously undefeated Smokey the Dog of Tennessee in week four of the Mascot Challenge weekly match-ups. Butch takes on Georgia Tech's Buzz (3-1) in this week's clash as he looks to better his 2-2 record.

 "Butch once again shows what it means to be a true Cougar," said Women's Head Soccer Coach Matt Potter whose team upset Smokey's alma mater 3-2 earlier this season "The ultimate battle in any sporting event comes down to the one vs. one, mano a mano, or in this case ferocious mountain cat vs. droopy canine."

"Butch continues to raise the bar and give hope to all Cougar fans with his dedication, passion and efforts in the face of the biggest adversaries," Potter continued. "Thanks for leading the way Butch, a true champion in the world of fuzz, foam and weird and wonderful imagination. Bring on the `Buzz'!!"

Butch has taken the sting out of the competition, leading the Georgia yellow jacket by as many as 15,000 votes through the first three days of competition. This cross-species clash of the titans continues through 6 a.m. Monday, Oct. 10.

Butch left Smokey licking his wounds last week, handing the hound his first loss of the competition. The win pushed Butch to fifth place overall, up one from his week three standing. Cougar fans tallied 349,082 votes on Butch's behalf during the first four weeks of competition giving him the fifth highest vote count in the contest.

The Cougar mascot faces seven more weeks of head-to-head competition taking on each of the 11 other mascots in the challenge. The top six mascots with the most individual wins move on to the finals.

Visit www.capitalonebowl.com to cast your vote and help make Butch Capital One's Mascot of the Year.