Questions or comments? Please direct them to Joe Nickell, Assistant Director, Athletic Communications, Washington State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, at jnickell@wsu.edu.

• November 18 (6:38 p.m.)

Everything Apple Cup...

Well, we missed yesterday's entry (I was on my way back from Lubbock, Texas), so let's get on with everything...

WSU-UW SERIES
Dating back to the first meeting between the Huskies and Cougars in 1900, a 5-5 tie in Seattle, Washington leads the 100-game series by a 64-30-6 margin. From 1934-61 the winner of the cross-state rivalry was awarded the Governor's Trophy. In 1962 the Apple Cup trophy was instituted, and Washington holds a 32-13 record in Apple Cup games since. WSU has won three of the last four Apple Cups, however, including last season's 42-35 Cougar victory in Seattle. Washington holds a 15-12-1 advantage when playing in Pullman, including a 35-32 victory in 2006, the last time the Apple Cup was played at Martin Stadium.

NOTE OF THE WEEK
If the Cougars are able to earn a win over Washington, the WSU will have won four of five Apple Cups for the first time in school history. Redshirt senior defensive end Matt Mullennix, who was granted a sixth year of eligibility prior to 2008, would be the first Cougar in school history to be a part of four Apple Cup victories

Click HERE to view this week's release in its entirety.

Tuesday Teleconference
Coach Wulff talked to the media today at his weekly press conference.

On the difference between coaching and playing in the Apple Cup...
"Obviously, as a player your mindset is a little bit different than as a coach. You have a more physical part that you're demanding yourself to do. As a coach, it's truly all mental. So it is different."

On this year's match-up...
"The one thing about this game - you hear people say it all the time - you throw out the records. And that is true regardless of what the records are now. I don't think it's ever really been about the records, before now and in the future. That's how we're looking at it."

On the importance of this game...
"I think that both teams - and obviously us, I can't speak for the other team - we want to win it. It will help kill some of the sting from the season. I think it's important that we have the opportunity to do that, and you go into the offseason feeling a little bit better about yourself. I don't know that the outcome of the ballgame is going to affect the future of the programs, I don't think that's the case. It's not going to make a program worse, and it's not going to make a program better. But it does make you feel a little bit better. So I think it's very important that we try to get that accomplished for ourselves, our team and our alumni."

If you would like to see video footage from today's teleconference, click HERE. You will need to be an All-Access member to view the video.

As of yesterday there were still 1,800 tickets left for the Apple Cup. You can purchase tickets to the game by clicking the graphic in the upper right-hand corner of the front page of our site.

Some injury news...an MRI confirmed a torn ACL for running back Chantz Staden. He will have surgery early next month.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• November 14 (2:17 p.m.)

This Day in History, Five Reasons to Believe...

Before we take a look back, your game captains for this week are seniors Vaughn Lesuma and A'I Ahmu.

Nov. 14, 1981
WSU had reached as high as No. 14 nationally, but the loss to the fourth-ranked Trojans Oct. 31, 1981, dropped the Cougars out of the top 25. A win over Oregon the following week jumped WSU back up to No. 17 for its game against California in Spokane.

It was cloudy and winds were gusting as much as 53 miles-per-hour for the game, perfect conditions for the Cougar defense.

The Cougars forced the Golden Bears into punting on each of their first two possessions, but were unable to get any offense of their own going until late in the first quarter. With 3-minutes, 45-seconds left in the opening quarter, the Cougar ground game took control. WSU ran the ball on nine of 10 plays before the end of the quarter.

On the 11th play of the drive, and the first of the second quarter, WSU quarterback Clete Casper kept the ball on a sneak, scoring from the one-yard line. WSU missed the extra point, but still led 6-0.

The Cougar defense forced California into a three-and-out on its next possession, and California's punter was only able to advance the ball six yards. WSU's offense was given great field position at California's 32-yard line, and six plays later - all rushes - the Cougars scored once again to go up 12-0.

The Cougar defense continued to stifle the Golden Bear offense in the second half, as California was unable to get into Cougar territory the final two quarters.

WSU would add another Casper touchdown in the fourth quarter, knocking off the Golden Bears 19-0 en route to an appearance in the Holiday Bowl, WSU's first bowl game since the 1931 Rose Bowl.

Five Reasons to Believe

5. When They're Down
The last time Arizona State entered its game with the Cougars with a losing record was in 2003. ASU was 4-6, and WSU handed the Sun Devils a 34-19 defeat. ASU enters this game with a record of 3-6...

4. Is This the Week?
Senior wide receiver Brandon Gibson needs only 35 yards to become WSU's all-time leader in career receiving yardage. The feat could spark the Cougars in Tempe.

3. The Cougar Offense
Led by quarterback Kevin Lopina - who Coach Wulff says is really coming into his own - the WSU scoring attack is beginning to take shape. WSU scored 28 on Arizona last week - the second-most allowed by the Wildcats this season. How many can the Cougars put up on the conference's seventh-ranked scoring defense?

2. Vaughn Lesuma and A'i Ahmu
Your Cougar game captains for this week, Coach Wulff said yesterday that Lesuma has stepped up his game these last couple weeks, and Ahmu played every snap last week against Arizona, registering four tackles and a sack.

1. Redemption
ASU won last year's meeting on a 37-yard field goal with less than a minute remaining. The last team to defeat WSU on a last-minute field goal was Oregon in 2005 - a 19-yarder with 0:01 remaining. You all remember what happened the following year...WSU defeated a 16th-ranked Oregon team 34-23 in 2006, avenging the previous season's loss.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• November 13 (3:21 p.m.)

Teleconference Notes and Some Long Snapping Talk...

Much of the focus of today's teleconference was directed toward the offensive line...

Coach Wulff thinks his offensive line will look like this for the ASU game:

LT - Vaughn Lesuma
LG - Steven Ayers
C - Kenny Alfred
RG - B.J. Guerra
RT - Micah Hannam

"I think that Vaughn has picked up his play the last two weeks," Wulff said. "Steven Ayers and Andrew Roxas have gone back and forth with inconsistency. B.J. is coming into his own, and he's doing a nice job. I think he's got a big upside. And Micah has been battling a shoulder injury. He's been real tough. He's been battling through it all season. And of course Kenny, at center, has been solid.

"We feel like there is a flickering of light in the offensive line. We need that to keep going."

On Steven Ayers' future...
"I think guard, ideally, is where he is best suited by his god-given abilities. A lot of that will depend on some of the players we're redshirting now, and how they fit into the tackle position, and where that all comes to fruition next fall."

On this week's practice...
"It's been good. Tuesday and Wednesday have both been pretty solid practices. We've turned a corner in terms of we're practicing better. We're practicing more consistently the last two weeks than we have all year. There's some improvement in some of these players, particularly the young guys. It's been a good week of practice so far."

Zach Enyeart
Coach Wulff talked about Zach Enyeart, WSU's redshirt sophomore long snapper. Long snappers don't get a lot of attention - unless they mess up. One of the bright spots on the Cougar football team this year has been Enyeart's play.

Thus far in 2008 WSU has punted 67 times, attempted eight field goals and attempted 18 PATs - and Enyeart has snapped for all 93 total kicks. His number of bad snaps? Zero.

Enyeart has been battling a bit of a shoulder injury, and Coach Wulff said that he should be able to snap this week.

"We need him to snap," Wulff said.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• November 12 (6:34 p.m.)

A Blistery Wednesday...

It was a bit windy today, so the Cougars headed inside to the Indoor Practice Facility...

Running back Chris Ivory was at practice again today and fellow RB Logwone Mitz also returned to the field. Mitz was in a yellow jersey, and Ivory laid a huge block on a defensive end. He has missed some time, but he looked pretty good today.

A bit of news on the jersey front...Shane Thomas will be wearing No. 19 instead of No. 31. Thought you would like to know...

If you missed any of today's radio interviews on KJR, check out their Web site (www.kjram.com) and listen to the podcasts. James Montgomery was on with Ian Furness, and Xavier Hicks was on with Mike Gastineau. Coach Rasmussen taped a podcast with Jason Puckett tonight after practice, so look for that tomorrow.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• November 11 (10:46 a.m.)

Weekly Release, Veterans Day Story...

If you haven't checked out THIS STORY written by our own Jason Krump, you really should. It's a great Veterans Day read about former Cougar Darrin Friberg. Darrin is a really, really bright guy, and I'd like to wish him a safe tour once again.

On to this week's release...

WSU-ASU SERIES: Arizona State leads the all-time series by a 20-12-2 margin, including a 12-5-2 advantage when playing in Tempe. The Cougars have dropped the last four meetings in the series after winning the previous three. Last year Thomas Weber kicked a 37-yard field goal with less than one minute remaining to lift ASU to a 23-20 win, a game in which WSU recorded seven sacks. The last time these two teams met in Tempe, ASU came away with a 47-14 win in 2006. WSU's last win in Tempe occured in 2001, a 28-16 victory. This week's game also marks the third straight season the Cougars have faced ASU the week after playing Arizona, and WSU is 0-5 against the Arizona schools in that span.

NOTE OF THE WEEK: Senior wide receiver Brandon Gibson needs only 35 yards to become WSU's all-time leader in career receiving yards. Gibson currently has 2,670 yards during his four-year career, trailing only Jason Hill's 2,704 career yards.

Speaking of Jason Hill, how about his performance last night on Monday Night Football? A team-high seven receptions for 84 yards...Watching him catch that touchdown pass a couple of weeks ago against the Seahawks made me realize how Kevin Night-Pipe must have felt last year in the playoffs when Marcus Trufant returned an interception for a touchdown against the Redskins. Night-Pipe is one of our video guys, and he is a huge Washington fan. You want to be mad, but you just can't make yourself!

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• November 8 (5:55 p.m.)

Postgame Notes...

- Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Toby Turpin and redshirt freshman running back Logwone Mitz each made their first career starts today against Arizona...through the first 10 games of 2008, WSU has had 26 student-athletes register their first career start...Turpin is the ninth defensive player to register his first career start this season, and Mitz is the 17th player on offense.

- Running back Dwight Tardy's 18-yard first quarter touchdown run ended a scoring drought that lasted a total of 159-minutes, 18 seconds of game time...WSU had been held scoreless the previous 10 quarters...the touchdown gave the Cougars their first lead of the season against a Pacific-10 Conference school.

- WSU's first quarter touchdown were the first points off of a turnover since Louis Bland's 16-yard interception return for a touchdown against Oregon State...Cougars added a touchdown after recovering a third quarter fumbled punt...WSU has now scored 37 points off turnovers this season.

- With 10 tackles, Greg Trent became the 10th student-athlete in school history to record 300 career tackles...equaled season-high 10 tackles (set at Oregon State)...Trent also recorded his first fumble recovery since the 2007 Apple Cup.

- Sophomore cornerback Romeo Pellum's first quarter interception was the first of his career...Pellum's 32-yard return was the longest by a Cougar this season.

- Sophomore safety Chima Nwachukwu recorded 13 tackles against Arizona to tie his career high...first double-digit tackling performance since he set a career high with 13 tackles against USC in 2007...Romeo Pellum also recorded 10 tackles for the second time in his career to tie his career high.

- Logwone Mitz's 42-yard run at the end of the first quarter was the longest rush by a Cougar in 2008.

- Quarterback Kevin Lopina's four-yard second quarter touchdown and six-yard fourth quarter score were his second and third rushing touchdowns of the season, respectively...Lopina is the first Cougar quarterback to rush for two touchdowns in a single game since Ryan Lead did it against Washington in 1995.

- WSU's four rushing touchdowns were the most since the second game of the 2006 season (Idaho)...WSU also scored four rushing touchdowns against the Vandals.

- Senior wide receiver Brandon Gibson caught four passes for 37 yards, extending his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 33...entering today Gibson's reception streak was tied for the 13th-longest in the nation and tied for the longest in the Pac-10 with Arizona's Mike Thomas.

- Senior defensive tackle A'i Ahmu's third quarter sack was the first by a Cougar since Kendrick Dunn recorded a sack against Oregon earlier this season.

- With seven kickoff returns, Chantz Staden became the WSU single-season record holder...Staden now has 40 on the season passing Victor Wood (1988) and Sammy Moore (2003)...last week Staden set the WSU single-season record for kickoff return yards...Staden now has 905 kickoff return yards this season.

• November 8 (3:31 p.m.)

Halftime Update...

The Cougars trail 35-14, but it was an exciting first half...

Romeo Pellum recorded his first career interception, which led to WSU's first score in nearly 160 game minutes - an 18-yard touchdown by Dwight Tardy. The touchdown gave the Cougars their first lead over a Pac-10 school this season.

Logwone Mitz broke a 42-yard run - the longest by a Cougar this season - which set up a four-yard rushing score by quarterback Kevin Lopina.

Greg Trent already has eight tackles, and needs only two more to become only the 10th player in school history to record 300 career tackles.

Enjoy the second half...

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• November 8 (1:43 p.m.)

Pre-game in Pullman...UPDATED AT 2 p.m.

It's about 50 degrees and wet in Pullman. The showers have subsided, but only after a good couple of hours of rainfall...

We have about 30 minutes until kickoff. No TV for this game, but those of you listening to Bob Robertson on the Cougar Sports Radio Network are going to hear a new name in the Cougar defensive starting line-up.

At this point, I can tell you that Toby Turpin will be making his first career start as a Cougar.

Redshirt freshman running back Logwone Mitz will also be making his first career start today.

The Cougars will have had 26 different first-time starters through the first 10 games this season.

I will check back in at halftime with some news and notes...

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• November 7 (3:32 p.m.)

This Day in History, Five Reasons to Believe...

Nov. 7, 1992
No. 25 Washington State cranked up the offense in the third quarter to score two field goals and a touchdown in handing Arizona State a 20-18 loss at Martin Stadium. ASU jumped out to a 10-0 first quarter lead, but the Cougars scored 20 straight before a late Sun Devil score pulled the visitors within two points.

The Sun Devils' first score came after a Drew Bledsoe pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage and after being batted around, was finally grabbed by the Sun Devils' Greg Kordis, who took it 10 yards to the WSU nine. On the next play, ASU's first play from scrimmage, Kevin Galbreath put ASU ahead with a nine-yard touchdown run.

Later in the first quarter ASU drove 44 yards in 11 plays en route to a Mike Richey 27-yard field goal that game the Sun Devils a 10-0.

Early in the second quarter WSU drove 56 yards for their first touchdown, a 25-yard Bledsoe pass to Deron Pointer. The Cougars tied the game on their first possession of the second half when Aaron Price hit a 28-yard field goal following Kurt Loertscher's interception at the 29-yard line.

A Robert Turner interception and 27-yard return set up WSU on its next possession at the ASU 21-yard line, leading to a 31-yard Price field goal that put the Cougars ahead 13-10.

On their next possession, Bledsoe led the Cougars 80 yards, the final 31 on a pass to C.J. Davis. WSU led 20-10, but ASU would not go away.

In the fourth quarter, ASU's Shante Carver blocked a Steve Johnston punt that went through the end zone. The safety put the Sun Devils within eight. Then with 2:29 left in the game, Benton hit McCoy on a 29-yard touchdown, and ASU was within two. The Sun Devils would fail on their two-point attempt however, and the Cougars would go on to win 20-18.

Five Reasons to Believe

5. Dad's Weekend
The Cougars have won four of the last seven games played in front of Dad's Day crowds.

4. Making Strides
Led by Tyree Toomer, one of this week's game captains, WSU's freshmen have been seeing quite a bit of action and are improving every week.

3. Late in the Series
Though the Wildcats lead the all-time series 22-13, the Cougars have won four of the last six games played against Arizona.

2. Kevin Lopina
WSU's other game captain for this week, Lopina is looking to have his breakout performance as Cougar quarterback. After missing three games due to a back injury, Lopina is in his third game back as the WSU starter and is getting into a rhythm with his receivers.

1. Record Watch
Needing only 72 yards to become WSU's all-time leader in career receiving yards, senior wide receiver Brandon Gibson would like nothing more than to break Jason Hill's record and get a win in front of a home crowd at Martin Stadium.

GO COUGS!

Joe Nickell

• November 6 (4:25 p.m.)

Coach Wulff Teleconference...

At this afternoon's teleconference, Coach Wulff talked about election night with the Cougars and the rebuilding process...

On election night...
"The election was going on, and we had a team meeting at 8:30 p.m. Of course the coaches had been watching film. We didn't know what was going on. We had our team meeting, and when we break we always give a 1-2-3, Go Cougs. We said 1-2-3, and everyone said Go, then one half said Obama, and the other half said Cougs. I didn't know what was said. It was also mumbled to me and then I asked. So I said, `Oh, he won.' That is when I first found out."

On the rebuilding process...
"Regardless when there is change, even if you have a heck of a team coming back - a tremendous amount of experience and players - the change is enough is just enough to be out of the comfort zone where sometimes it can mess up the chemistry that was going on there. But it does take time. You can look at Arizona as an example. In my mind, I would like to think we're going to get things turned around quicker than that. There is no question. I believe that and that's how we're going to try to do it. That's really all of our focus; getting ourselves as good as we can as quick as we can."

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• November 5 (6:09 p.m.)

Gary Rogers Update, Practice...

The Cougars were in Martin Stadium for practice this afternoon, and it was a bit chilly - I had to put both the gloves and the beanie on...

Tight end Devin Frischknecht returned to practice this afternoon, though his status is questionable for this weekend's game.

Gary Rogers also made an appearance at practice - sans neck brace. The Cougar quarterback got to take the brace off as of this past Thursday. He said he is a little sore, but overall he feels good. He can begin throwing in a couple weeks and he has already started lifting two days a week.

If you missed today's interviews on KJR with Kevin Lopina and/or Vaughn Lesuma, you can listen to the podcasts on their Web site (www.kjram.com).

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• November 4 (6:28 p.m.)

NFL News, Wulff Teleconference...

Before we get to today's notes from Coach Wulff's teleconference, let's take a look at this past weekend's slate of NFL games. There were some exciting performances from former Cougars...

Karl Paymah made his first start of the season for the Denver Broncos (fourth of his career) and led the team with 12 tackles (11 solo), had an interception and two passes defensed.

Tyron Brackenridge was re-signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, and he recorded six tackles (four solo; one special teams) and forced a fumble.

Coach Wulff talked about developing leadership at today's teleconference...

"If you've coached team sports before, and you've been around successful teams and teams that aren't successful - successful teams always have strong personalities and leadership, not only as coaches, but as players. We need that maturity and players who have been there and done that. We need more of that and we're trying to foster that as we speak. We as coaches are trying implement that as much as we possibly can. As coaches we can scream and holler all we want. We can keep them motivated and use all the tactics. But ultimately they'll have to do it together. It's definitely an element we need to grow and foster in our team right now."

Today's practice was moved into the bubble because of the rain.

Tonight's coaches show was moved to tomorrow night due to the election.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• November 3 (6:15 p.m.)

This Week's Release, Some TV Info...

If you would like to see this week's release in its entirety, CLICK HERE.

Series Information...
Arizona holds a 22-13 ad¬vantage in the all-time series, although the Cougars have captured four of the last six games. The Wild¬cats earned a 48-20 victory last season in Tucson as quarterback Willie Tuitama threw for five touchdowns. The Wildcats hold an 8-4 edge when playing in Pull¬man, which includes a 27-17 victory in 2006, when WSU entered the game ranked No. 25 in the nation. Arizona has captured the last two games in the series after the Cougars had taken the previous four.

Stat of the Week...
This week's game against Arizona marks the 75th Dad's Day game in Cougar history. Dating back to the first Dad's Day game - a 61-0 trouncing of Montana - WSU is 34-35-5 in Dad's Day games. The Cougars won last year's Dad's Day game against Stanford (33-17), and has won four of the last seven Dad's Day games

Next week's WSU-Arizona State game was not selected for television and has been set for a 3:30 p.m. local (2:30 p.m. PT) start time.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• November 1 (5:05 p.m.)

Postgame Notes...

Well, that was a tough loss. Here are the postgame notes...

- For only the third time in nine games this season the Cougars started an offensive line combination that had previously started together...the combination of Vaughn Lesuma (LT), Andrew Roxas (LG), Kenny Alfred (C), BJ Guerra (RG) and Micah Hannam (RT) also started against Oregon State.

- Wide receiver Brandon Gibson hauled in five passes for 64 yards...Gibson has now caught a pass in 32 consecutive games...entering today's game, Gibson had the 14th-longest streak in the nation and second-longest streak in the Pacific-10 Conference.

- Kick returner Chantz Staden returned eight kickoffs against the Cardinal, setting the school's single-game record...previous record was seven, set by John Davis (1969; Iowa) and Eric Johnson (1972; USC)...Staden also became the WSU record-holder for single-season kickoff return yards...Staden racked up 132 return yards against Stanford, and now has 751 on the season...Staden surpassed Bernard Jackson's mark of 744, set in 1971...Staden's 33 returns this year are tied for first on the all-time single-season list, initially set by Victor Wood in 1988 and matched by Sammy Moore in 2003.

- True freshman JT Levenseller completed the first pass attempt of his career in the second quarter, a 14-yard pass to tight end Tony Thompson...Levenseller's father (Mike) and Thompson's father (Jack) played together at WSU from 1975-77...Jack Thompson completed 97 passes to Mike Levenseller during that span...JT, whose real name is Michael Jack Thomas Levenseller, was named after the elder Thompson.

- Sophomore defensive tackle Toby Turpin blocked a Stanford PAT in the third quarter...WSU has blocked PATs in consecutive games, as senior defensive end Matt Mullennix recorded a block against USC.

- Redshirt junior safety Xavier Hicks recorded 10 tackles against the Cardinal, his second double-digit tackle game of the season and the fourth of his career.

- The last time WSU was shut out in back-to-back games was in 1969...the Cougars were shutout by 18th-ranked Stanford (49-0; Oct. 18) and California (17-0; Oct. 25)...WSU has failed to score in 10 consecutive quarters...WSU's 280-game scoring streak, the fourth-longest Football Bowl Division streak all-time, was snapped two weeks ago against USC.

• November 1 (3:35 p.m.)

Halftime Update

The score is 31-0 in favor of the Cardinal. It has been pouring rain all game, and it has contributed to some fumbles and dropped passes...

The bounces aren't going the Cougars' way. WSU has fumbled three times and lost two. The Cardinal has fumbled twice, but lost none. The first interception thrown by Lopina slipped through the hands of wide receiver Brandon Gibson, and went right into the hands of Bo McNally.

JT Levenseller saw his first action as a Cougar and completed his first career pass attempt. An interesting note...the pass was caught by tight end Tony Thompson, whose father Jack is JT's namesake. JT's real name is Michael Jack Thomas Levenseller.

I will have my game notes here for you all after the game.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• November 1 (1:34 p.m.)

Nearly Game Time in Palo Alto...

Just over half an hour until kickoff...We have a steady rain falling, and at this point there looks to be more people in the press box than in the stands.

I have a little bit of down time before kickoff, and there were some questions about starters at a few positions, so I thought I would give you all an update: Vaughn Lesuma will start at left tackle, BJ Guerra will start at right guard and Kevin Norrell will start at wide receiver opposite Jeshua Anderson.

Since there won't be any television for this game, I will try and update the goings-on at halftime and post my game notes afterward.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 31 (9:33 a.m.)

This Day in History, Five Reasons to Believe

Happy Halloween to you all...

Halloween hasn't been all that kind to the Cougars over the years. WSU is 4-7 on All Hallows' Eve. WSU's last win on Oct. 31 came way back in 1959. And that is where we will go for today's look back...

(NOTE: What a difference a day makes. WSU may be 4-7 on Halloween, but Nov. 1 - the date of tomorrow's game against Stanford - has been a successful one. The Cougars are 10-6 on the first day of November.)

Oct. 31, 1959
There were 17,601 people on hand in Corvallis, Ore., to witness the Cougars face Oregon State. Washington State was riding a three-game winning streak, looking to extend it to four. The Cougars had shut out the Beavers the previous season (7-0), and the orange and black were looking for revenge this year on Halloween.

Quarterback Mike Agee got the Cougars started on the right foot, scoring on a nine-yard run in the first quarter. Agee then hit halfback Don Ellersick for the two-point conversion to give the Cougars an early eight-point lead.

After a scoreless second quarter, WSU halfback Perry Harper scored from five yards out to put WSU ahead by 14. The Cougars failed to score on a second-two-point attempt, but it didn't matter as neither team would put any more points on the board.

The Beavers were only able to muster 129 yards of total offense against the Cougar defense, and WSU kept OSU out of the end zone for the second consecutive season.

Led by halfback Keith Lincoln's 116 yards rushing, WSU racked up 380 yards of total offense en route to its fourth Halloween victory in 11 games played.

Five Reasons to Believe

5. It's a New Season
Forget what has transpired prior to this week. There has been a new level of intensity at practice all week, and the Cougars are hungry to get that first conference win.

4. Ben Woodard and Louis Bland
Your game captains for this week, expect Woodard (tight end) to be a major contributor this week with Devin Frischknecht out, and Bland has been on fire since taking over as the starter at outside linebacker four games ago.

3. Two Straight; Five of Seven
WSU has knocked off Stanford each of the last two times they have played, and five of the last seven. Stanford's two wins were by a combined nine points, while the Cougars outscored Stanford by 83 points in their five wins.

2. Road Success
The Cougars have won four straight over the Cardinal on the road. Stanford's last home win over the Cougars came in 1999.

1. Better with the Bye
The Cougars are 11-9 in games played following the bye week since 1990. Stanford, on the other hand, is 3-9 following their byes since 2000.

We're headed to Palo Alto and will have walk-thru this afternoon. You won't be able to see tomorrow's game on TV, but you can still listen to Bob Robertson, Jim Walden and Bud Nameck via the Cougar Sports Radio Network.

Have a safe Halloween!

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 30 (3:10 p.m.)

National College Football Day, Lobbestael Update and Scout Team Travels...

Before we get to notes from this afternoon's teleconference with Coach Wulff, I wanted to fill everyone in on National College Football Day, which is this Saturday.

Here is an excerpt from the National College Football Day Web site:

Nearly 100 spectators gathered around a field in New Brunswick, N.J., Nov. 6, 1869 to witness a game unlike anything seen before. The competition between Rutgers and Princeton was "replete with surprise, strategy, prodigies of determination and physical prowess," to use the words of one player. On that day 139 years ago, the Scarlet Knights defeated Princeton, 6-4, but more importantly, the players left a lasting legacy that would evolve into the great spectacle of intercollegiate football. To honor the birth of an American institution, the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic created a holiday held annually on the first Saturday of November.

Last year, the holiday took on added significance when the Classic teamed up with The V Foundation for Cancer Research. The V Foundation, based in Cary, N.C., was founded in 1993 by ESPN and legendary coach and commentator Jim Valvano.

Last year the Cotton Bowl helped raise nearly $20,000 for the V Foundation, and they are hoping to build on that success. If you are interested in making a donation to the V Foundation on behalf of National College Football Day, click HERE.

Now, on to Coach Wulff's teleconference...

On Marshall Lobbestael's surgery...
"I understand it went well. It went a little longer than thought, just because there was some work that needed to be done on his MCL. But he went through it fine. He is still in the hospital; he might be there another night."

On the team's freshness following the bye...
"I think that there is definitely a freshness now compared to what there was against Oregon State and USC. The physical piece and the mental piece - probably more mental than physical - but both are more fresh. Stanford will be as well; they're coming off a bye week. But we seem to be better - no question - than we were headed into the previous two."

Coach Wulff also announced that freshman safety LeAndre Daniels and freshman tight end Skylar Stormo will be traveling to Stanford. Both players are redshirting this year, but because of their hard work on scout team this week, Coach Wulff is rewarding them with a trip to Palo Alto.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 29 (6:24 p.m.)

Wednesday Practice

Before we get to today's practice notes, just thought I would update everyone on a former Cougar playing in the National Football League. Jed Collins was signed to the Chicago Bears' practice squad yesterday.

On to practice...

This is being touted as a new season for the Cougars, and the level of intensity has skyrocketed since the bye week.

WSU ended today's practice just like they ended yesterday's - with the first-team offense facing off against the first-team defense, and it was just as excitable today as it was yesterday.

Adding to the excitement was the brass section of the Cougar band, which played the Jaws theme music from the library as the Cougar defense did the "Cougar Chomp." (NOTE: I have no idea if this is what it is actually called. I went to school here, but still have no idea what people actually call it. Feel free to e-mail me if you know what the "official term" is.)

Midway through today's practice the coaching staff went back to a drill from fall camp, and it is obviously a team favorite. Vaughn Lesuma squared off against Matt Eichelberger in a sumo drill, the victor saving 10 up-downs for his side of the ball. In what was probably the longest battle in sumo I have seen, Eichelberger came out the winner and the offense had to do 10 up-downs.

The Cougars will hold their last practice tomorrow before flying to Palo Alto.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 28 (7:05 p.m.)

Teleconference and Practice Notes...

The big news at practice today was the fact that Michael Jack Thomas Levenseller, or JT, will play against Stanford this weekend.

The opportunity to play as a true freshman is pretty exciting for the quarterback:

"Ever since I was a little kid, stepping foot onto Martin Stadium, it's always been what I've wanted to do and it's finally here. It's kind of surreal right now."

It was a lively practice, especially toward the end. The first team offense squared off against the first team defense, and a 30-yard touchdown run by Logwone Mitz ignited the Cougar offense into an excited frenzy. On the next series Tyrone Justin swatted a pass away on third down to stop a drive, throwing the defense into a frenzy of their own.

The Cougar defense was named the victor and the offense had to run two gassers. On the second gasser, cornerback Romeo Pellum rounded up the defense and the team ran the second gasser together.

Following practice, Coach Wulff announced that a scout team player from both offense and defense would be making the trip to Stanford.

On to today's teleconference with Coach Wulff...

On the bye...
"It came at a good time for our players and coaches. It gets you back on track a little bit. You lose sight of some things when you get in the middle of the season. It allowed us to kind of regroup in every phase of what we're trying to do."

"There are a few guys that obviously feel better. A lot of these guys are already playing nicked up. We don't talk about those things. So it allows those guys to get healthy and feel better even though they were playing. And obviously the ones who were already hurt have an opportunity to get back, so that's going to help our team."

On Stanford's running game...
"If we can find a way to neutralize that run game of theirs, which a lot of people have struggled to do, it will give us a good chance in the ballgame."

On JT Levenseller...
"The number one guy hasn't been healthy to this point completely. I think to expect that he would take every snap for the rest of the year might be a little presumptuous on our part. It's an opportunity for JT to play and see how he does."

Coach Wulff also talked about freshman linebacker Cory Mackay. He joked that he would have liked to have had the 6-foot-4, 246-pound linebacker play running back for the scout team this week to give them a good look, but Mackay will be having knee surgery this week and will be out for a few weeks. Coach Wulff hopes to have Mackay back by the end of the season.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 27 (1:56 p.m.)

Back in Action

The Cougar football team didn't exactly have last week off (though they were given Friday and Saturday off from practice), but I pretty much took the week off from blogging.

Now somewhat caught up with everything I have been ignoring since the 2008 season began, let's get back to football...It's Stanford week...

Series Information...
Stanford leads the all-time series between the teams, 32-25-1, though the Cougars captured last year's meeting 33-17 in Pull¬man. WSU has won each of the last two meetings and five of the last seven. The Cougars also have captured the last four meetings played at Stanford, beginning with a 45-39 win during the 2001 season. The Cougars trail in the series 17-15 when playing at Stanford. The last Stanford win at home came during the 1999 campaign, a 54-17 victory.

Click HERE to view this week's release in its entirety.

Your stat of the week...
Since the start of the 1990 season, Washington State is 11-9 in games played following a bye week. The last time the Cougars had a bye week came last season and WSU put the extra rest to good use, defeating UCLA 27-7 in Pullman.

WSU's game against the Cardinal will not be televised, nor will next week's game against Arizona. Both the Stanford and Arizona games are slated for a 2 p.m. kickoff.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 23 (12:00 p.m.)

Checking In...

Good afternoon Cougar fans...

It has been a few days since my last post, as I have been trying to get to a number of things I didn't have time for prior to bye week.

The team has been working extremely hard in the Indoor Facility, and will have a conditioning session this afternoon. After today, the Cougars have been given a couple days off to rest up for the week leading up to the Stanford game.

Co-Defensive Coordinator/Cornerbacks Coach Jody Sears has a chat lined up with Jason Krump Monday (Oct. 27) at 11 a.m. If you have any questions you would like to submit to Coach Sears, keep your eye on wsucougars.com for instructions on how to do so.

Hope you are all enjoying the week...

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 18 (8:28 p.m.)

Game Notes, Scoring Streak

Waiting for the last of the writers to trickle out of Bohler, so I thought I would post some of the positive game notes from today's match-up...

Senior middle linebacker Greg Trent moved into 10th place on the WSU career tackles list...with five tackles against USC, Trent now has 286 on his career...Trent passed Don Hover (281; 1973-75, 77) and Steve Gleason (282; 1996-99).

Senior defensive end Matt Mullennix's blocked extra point was the first by a Cougar since Xavier Hicks blocked a PAT against 16th-ranked Arizona State, Oct. 6, 2007.

Senior wide receiver Brandon Gibson's reception extended his consecutive games with a catch streak to 31...the streak is tied for the longest in the Pacific-10 Conference and entered today's slate of college football games tied for the 12th-longest in the country.

Now...let's talk about the most notable of all notes...the Scoring Streak.

Every Cougar fan is obviously disappointed that the scoring streak came to an end, myself included. I thoroughly enjoyed writing that note week after week. At some point though, all good things come to an end...and this good thing ended at 280 games. WSU's last shutout was in 1984 - the streak is the fourth-longest in the history of college football.

BYU's streak lasted 361 games, Michigan's current streak is at 295 games and Texas' streak lasted 282 games. Those are the only three college football programs to post streaks longer than WSU's 280.

Knowing that the streak was eventually going to end, take solace in this: the fifth-longest streak all-time belongs to Washington at 271. At least it didn't end before the Cougars got to game 272...

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 17 (2:52 p.m.)

Five Reasons to Believe, This Day in History

Oct. 17, 1992
The Cougars were off to a 5-0 start to begin the 1992 season and were ranked for the first time in nearly three years. It had been four years since the Cougars had defeated the Bruins, but WSU was ranked 22nd in the nation and looking to climb even higher with a game against UCLA at Martin Stadium.

A Homecoming crowd of 32,208 was on hand for the game, and linebacker Rob Childs got the fans cheering with a 17-yard interception return for a touchdown, the game's first score with 4:21 remaining in the first quarter.

Later, Childs' fumble recovery at the UCLA five-yard-line set up a three-yard scoring strike from Drew Bledsoe to Brett Carolan. A two-point conversion put the Cougars ahead 14-7.

UCLA came back to take a 17-14 halftime lead, but Deron Pointer took the second half's opening kickoff 98 yards to re-gain a Cougar lead at 21-17.

That same quarter, DeWayne Patterson forced a fumble with a quarterback sack and Lewis Bush recovered at the UCLA two. The turnover set up a one-yard touchdown run by Bledsoe to extend WSU's lead to 28-17. WSU forced a safety in the fourth quarter, making the final margin 30-17.

WSU's defense held the Bruins to 29 yards passing and minus-three yards rushing over the final two quarters. The Bruins gained 86 yards rushing on the day, but most of that came on a 78-yard touchdown by Kevin Williams in the first quarter.

Five Reasons to Believe

5. Emerging Youth
I talked about it last week, but I'll talk about it again...WSU's freshmen are making an impact. Two weeks ago Louis Bland had a career-high eight tackles. Last week he returned an interception for a touchdown. As the youth on the WSU squad continue to improve, what is next?

4. Kendrick Dunn and Micah Hannam
Your game captains for this week, Dunn ranks sixth on the team in tackles (25), despite missing a game. Hannam has been solid for the Cougars this season, one of only two offensive linemen to start every game this season at the same position.

3. Ground Game
Head Coach Paul Wulff said to be successful against USC, the Cougars are going to have to run the ball. It looks like Chantz Staden may get the start for the Cougars, and he has a knack for picking up yardage. In 38 carries this season, Staden has only lost five rushing yards.

2. Back in the Saddle
Kevin Lopina returns this week after missing the last three games with a back injury. In his three appearances this season, Lopina completed 54 percent of his passes, the highest completion percentage amongst Cougar quarterbacks.

1. Never Overlook
Stanford in 2007. Oregon State in 2008. The Cougars could be the next team to upset the Trojans...

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 16 (5:13 p.m.)

Game Captains and Teleconference Quotes...

Head Coach Paul Wulff held his weekly Thursday teleconference this afternoon, and talked a bit about WSU's current state at left tackle and USC's core of linebackers...

On WSU's left tackle position...
"Right now Joe Eppele will probably be playing there. At this point, I don't know if Steven Ayers will be 100 percent ready or not. That's our plan right now."

On Kevin Ellison, Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga...
"All three of them are seniors. (Ellison) is a very productive football player, and I'm sure he is going to be able to move on and play at the next level. The other two guys are just first rounders. They're high-pick guys, which is why the get so much recognition. They're fairly mature on defense and obviously very talented. They have a heck of a linebacking core that runs the ship on that defense."

Coach Wulff also talked about JT Levenseller and his plans for the freshman quarterback...

"I think what we would like to be able to do is not play him this week no matter what. ... We'll see, and then have the bye week to refocus our team and our goals and exactly where he fits. That is what we'd like to do, so that is our plan headed into this game."

Your game captains for this weekend are linebacker Kendrick Dunn and offensive tackle Micah Hannam.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 15 (6:18 p.m.)

Practice...

Not a lot of notes from practice today, but I can tell you that it is starting to get a bit chilly in Pullman. Once the sun goes down over the library, it is definitely time to put the gloves on...

Tight end Tony Thompson had an outstanding day of practice, making two separate over the shoulder catches for touchdowns.

The wide receivers spent more time than usual working on route-running technique with wide receivers coach Mike Levenseller. Coach Levenseller sang the praises of not only his group of receivers on a number of occasions, but he was also extremely pleased with the locations of passes from Cougar quarterbacks.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 15 (12:30 p.m.)

Radio Interviews

Here is today's run down of radio interviews...

Redshirt freshman offensive lineman BJ Guerra will go on with Chad Vaughn on ESPN 960's Cougar Corner at 1:05 p.m. The Cougar Corner is a daily segment of The Bull Pen in the Tri Cities.

Junior defensive end Kevin Kooyman will be on with KJR's Ian Furness this afternoon. If you can't listen via 950 AM, check out their Web site (www.kjram.com) and click Listen Live at the top of the page. The interview will also be podcast later on their site.

Sophomore linebacker Myron Beck will be on with KRKO's The Fish this afternoon. If you can't listen via 1380 AM, you can listen online at www.thefishonradio.com, and the interview will also be posted at www.krko.com for playback.

Sophomore cornerback Romeo Pellum will be taping a podcast with KJR's Jason Puckett. Check out KJR's Web site to listen to the interview.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 14 (6:13 p.m.)

Gary Rogers Interview and A Little Practice Info...

We held a teleconference with Gary Rogers this afternoon, and here is some of what was said...

Are you in pain?
Not really, not right now. The only time it gets painful is if I'm out in the cold or standing too long. But that's really mostly it right now.

How much longer are you in the brace?
Three more weeks.

What is the hardest thing for you to do right now?
Really the toughest thing with the neck brace is sleep. That's definitely not the easiest thing to do with this thing on. One of the hardest things for me is watching us play on TV. When we played UCLA, that was the first time I ever watched us play on TV since I've been here. That was extremely difficult for me. Knowing I can't be out there to help my teammates; it was just a weird feeling for me to watch us play on TV.

How do you feel after waiting four years for your shot?
That's the biggest frustration I have, just knowing I'm not going to be able to go out and play again and help the team. That's difficult because I've waited so long here. Just to know I'm not going to be playing anymore this year is tough. On the other hand I just try to stay positive and know that I think I'm going to get a shot to play somewhere, sometime, so I'll just look forward to that and the opportunities that are going to come.

Are you hoping to play football again?
I definitely want to try to play. The doctors, so far, said everything should heal 100 percent. I'm just looking forward to getting these four months over. Then I can start having contact again. Hopefully when I get the neck brace off I can do some light workouts - probably not as much weights - and start throwing again. I definitely want to get ready for pro day and continue to play football. That's definitely what I love to do and this injury isn't going to hold me back.

Head Coach Paul Wulff commented on Gary Rogers during his teleconference this afternoon as well...

"When it happened, my stomach just felt so bad for him and his family. I still feel the same way. I don't know what to say because I don't have something that will allow him to come back and do what he wants to do. I wish I did, it's just unfortunate."

At this afternoon's practice, quarterback Kevin Lopina was fully active, though it was not a hard-hitting day.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 14 (2:40 p.m.)

Wulff Teleconference, Mid-Season All-Conference

WSU Head Coach Paul Wulff addressed the media this afternoon at his weekly teleconference. Coach Wulff talked at length about the rash of injuries WSU is facing. Here is an excerpt...

"I've been through some years where we've had a tremendous amount of injuries, but not this many. Based upon the offseason and fall camp - we were having some nicks and bruises along the way - it doesn't necessarily shock me that we've had a ton of injuries. It's been a little bit of a pattern, so we obviously continue to work through those things as we currently speak, and put ourselves in the position to become healthier as we move to the future. As we speak, we're playing with a lot of kids who are hurt, unfortunately. And I feel bad for them, I feel bad for the kids that are missing opportunities to play; and their teammates, who don't have their teammate on the field with them. All of us are disappointed for those kids who are losing opportunities. I think that is only natural because everyone is working so hard, and you don't want to see that happen."

On Marshall Lobbestael's injury...
"Marshall's injury is a very tough one. We have a good, young player that we could build upon for the future. It hurts his growth a little bit this year, so it will carry into the next. That is tough for him and everybody."

Phil Steele released his mid-season All-Pacific-10 Conference team today, and Brandon Gibson and Chantz Staden were each named to his list. Gibson was named All-Pac-10 First Team at wide receiver and Staden was named All-Pac-10 Third Team at kick returner.

We also held a teleconference with Gary Rogers this afternoon, his first media availability since suffering a season-ending back injury against Portland State. Check back later for some questions and answers with the senior quarterback.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 13 (3:27 p.m.)

Weekly Release

This week's game against USC will be televised by FSN, with Barry Tompkins calling play-by-play, Petros Papadakis serving as analyst and Jim Watson on the sidelines. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

WASHINGTON STATE vs. USC - THE SERIES: The Cougars have a record of 8-55-4 against the Trojans dating back to 1921. In games played at home the Cougars are 4-18-2, including a 4-11-2 mark when playing in Pullman (WSU is 0-7 in Spokane). The Cougars have lost each of the last five games to USC, with the Trojans recording a 47-14 win at the Coliseum last season. WSU's last win in the series came in 2002, a 30-27 overtime victory in Pullman. The last time these two teams met in Pullman the Trojans escaped with a 28-22 win, Sept. 30, 2006.

Keeping in mind the recent news about redshirt freshman quarterback Marshall Lobbestael, here is your vote of the week...

INJURY BUG HITS COUGARS: Through the first seven games of the 2008 season, the Cougars have not been able to avoid the injury bug on either side of the ball...16 of WSU's 43 players to start a game in 2008 have combined to miss 33 games this season due to injuries...that includes an injury-riddled offensive line, which has used five different lineups through the first seven games...this past week the Cougars were without offensive tackle Steven Ayers, who started three games earlier this year, guard Brian Danaher, who started each of the first six games, running backs Dwight Tardy and Chris Ivory, and wide receiver Daniel Blackledge...during the Oregon State game starting left tackle Vaughn Lesuma was lost to a shoulder injury, starting tight end Deven Frischknecht suffered a high ankle sprain and quarterback Marshall Lobbestael left in the third quarter with a knee injury.

To read this week's release in its entirety, click HERE.

Jerome Harrison and the Cleveland Browns face the New York Giants tonight on Monday Night Football. Newly-signed defensive back Hamza Abdullah could also play for the Browns tonight. In other news relating to Cougars in the NFL, former Cougar quarterback Alex Brink was signed to the practice squad by the Houston Texans.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 13 (12:16 p.m.)

Marshall Lobbestael Injury Update

Washington State University freshman quarterback Marshall Lobbestael suffered a torn ACL and torn MCL in his left knee during the Cougars game at Oregon State last Saturday, according to WSU Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Training Bill Drake. Lobbestael was injured during the fourth quarter at Oregon State and did not return. Initially diagnosed as an MCL tear, further tests Sunday revealed both the ACL and MCL were torn. Lobbestael will not play again this season and his recovery is expected to take approximately nine months.

• October 10 (8:53 a.m.)

This Day in History, Five Reasons to Believe...

We're getting ready to leave for Corvallis here in the next hour or so. Here is this week's installment of This Day in Cougar History, as well as Five Reasons to Believe...

I will try and get my postgame notes up here after the game against the Beavers, but depending on how quickly we have to get out of Reser Stadium, that may or may not (like last week against UCLA) happen...

October 10, 1981
It was partly sunny and around 58 degrees for kickoff in Corvallis, and Head Coach Jim Walden's Cougars were looking for their fifth consecutive victory to open the 1981 season. WSU had won the last two games played against the Beavers, and after two straight home games against Arizona State and Pacific, WSU had to hit the road for its second Pacific-10 Conference game of the season.

The first two quarters weren't pretty for either offense. The Cougars committed four turnovers - three fumbles and an interception - and the Beavers' Ed Singler was picked off by Paul Sorensen. Though the Cougars entered halftime without scoring, thanks to the efforts of the Cougar defense, the Beavers were also scoreless after the first two quarters.

The WSU offense got on track right from the start of the third quarter. On the first possession, WSU quarterback Ricky Turner ripped off a 49-yard touchdown run. A failed two-point conversion attempt left the Cougars up 6-0.

Neither team would score again until the fourth quarter. Running back Mike Martin scored on another touchdown run for the Cougars, this one from 10 yards out. The two-point attempt was good this time, and the Cougars led 14-0.

Kevin Morris hit three fourth-quarter field goals, and the WSU defense completed its shutout of the Beavers. The Cougars left Corvallis with a 23-0 victory.

"When you give a team four or five turnovers and you still shut them out, you're defense is doing a hell of a job," Walden said.

The victory was the Cougars' third consecutive win over the Beavers, and part of an undefeated 13-0-1 stretch that lasted from 1979-93.

Five Reasons to Believe

5. Last Time in Corvallis
The Cougars were victorious in their last trip to Reser Stadium, knocking off the Beavers 13-6 in 2006.

4. Cory Evans and Marshall Lobbestael
Your game captains for this week, Evans returns to the lineup after missing the last three games, and Lobbestael is getting more comfortable as WSU's staring signal caller.

3. Coming of Age
At the halfway point of the season, WSU's underclassmen are starting to make an impact. Freshman Louis Bland (eight tackles) and sophomores Romeo Pellum and Myron Beck (nine tackles each) are coming off a game that saw career highs in tackles.

2. Improved Run Defense
The Cougars held UCLA to 100 yards rushing, 31 of which came on a run late in the fourth quarter.

1. Can't Stop Gibson
Senior wide receiver Brandon Gibson has caught a pass in 29 consecutive games, tied for the 12th-longest streak in the nation. Gibson is also on pace to match Michael Bumpus' school-record 195 career receptions. The two have exactly the same number of career grabs (161) through the first six games of their senior seasons.

• October 9 (6:20 p.m.)

Game Captains, Wulff Teleconference and A Weather Forecast...

An excerpt from Head Coach Paul Wulff's Thursday teleconference held earlier today...

On the week of practice leading up to Saturday's game against the Beavers... "It's been a good week. Just a little bit on Sunday, and then Tuesday and Wednesday were good practices. You know, we turn on the film and we just keep seeing flashes of improvement. It's encouraging, and I think that is what is keeping all of us going and excited. You can just see the kids are still working hard - we're all working hard - and we're getting better. It's fun to come to work when you know that is the approach and that's what's going on."

Your game captains for this week are linebacker Cory Evans and redshirt freshman quarterback Marshall Lobbestael.

The Weather Channel's Web site predicts a high of 63 degrees and mostly sunny skies Saturday in Corvallis...Perfect weather for a football game...

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 8 (6:26 p.m.)

Wednesday Practice

If you missed any of today's radio interviews on KJR, check out www.kjram.com to take a listen. Each interview is podcast on their Web site. Brandon Gibson was on with Ian Furness and Kenny Alfred was on with Mike Gastineau. New addition Peter Roberts is taping a podcast with Jason Puckett tonight.

The WSU football team wasn't in full pads today, but that didn't prevent a couple of big hits. During a three-on-three drill, Greg Trent laid a HUGE hit on a blocker, knocking him into two players, who knocked out the ball carrier...One hit, four guys...

Cory Mackay laid a hit on a blocker during a kickoff return drill, and it was one of the loudest hits of the season during practice.

The Catch of the Day went to Benny Ward, who leapt for a ball in the corner of the end zone and just barely got his foot down before going through the back of the end zone.

I'd like to wish a Happy Birthday to Spokesman Review beat writer Vince Grippi. If you'd like to wish him a happy birthday yourself, go HERE, and click on Vince's most recent blog entry.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 7 (7:16 p.m.)

Release, Teleconference, Peter Roberts and More...

It was a busy day here in Pullman...so let's get to everything...

From our weekly release, here is the series information on the Oregon State game...

WASHINGTON STATE vs. OREGON STATE - THE SERIES: WSU leads the all-time series by a 47-42-3 margin, including a 13-6 victory the last time these two teams met in Corvallis during the 2006 season. The Beavers captured a 52-17 win last year in Pullman, snapping a two-game home winning streak for the Cougars. When playing in Corvallis the Beavers hold a slight 21-20 advantage. Saturday's game marks the fourth time in the last five seasons that the game has been played in Corvallis.

Your FSN Northwest broadcast crew for the OSU game includes: Todd Mansfield calling play-by-play, Jason Gesser and Steve Preece as analysts and Cathy Marshall and Jen Mueller as the sideline reporters.

And here is your stat of the week...

STADEN MAKING IMPACT ON RETURN GAME: Through the first six games of 2008, junior college transfer Chantz Staden already has 541 kickoff return yards, breaking a 38-year-old single-season record for a junior...the previous record was 498 yards, set by Bernard Jackson in 1970...Staden ranks fifth on the WSU single-season list...his 25.8 kickoff return average currently ranks fifth on the all-time single-season list, and his 21 returns this season is ninth.

Click HERE to view the release in its entirety.

We had Coach Wulff's weekly teleconference this afternoon. Here is an excerpt...

On the positives he took from the UCLA game...
"I thought our run defense was very consistent in their execution. When I say that, I thought they were all fitted into their gaps where they needed to be. I thought that was very encouraging to see them rally and defend the run really well. Other than late in the game where the one kid slipped a tackle when we had him wrapped around his ankle and then busted it loose, their yardage on the ground was very minimal. I thought how our players were played throughout - I thought they were focused, the sidelines were talking and saying the right things throughout the game, they were in it and supporting each other - those are all little, positive signs that are going to help this team grow and develop as the culture changes."

On to today's practice...

Following yesterday's quarterback tryout, freshman Peter Roberts (Woodinville, Wash.) was added to the WSU roster as a quarterback. Wearing No. 13, he participated in practice today and saw some action with the scout team. Click HERE to see his bio information.

The Cougars practiced in the Indoor Practice Facility this afternoon. Kevin Lopina, Daniel Blackledge, Mike Ledgerwood and Cory Evans all returned to practice today and participated in some capacity.

"Mean Joe" Green was also on hand for practice, scouting for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

WSU's Jared Prenguber taped interviews with WSU's new quarterback Peter Roberts and freshman linebacker Louis Bland. Check out the All-Access portion of our site to see them.

Tomorrow's slate of radio interviews will include Tyree Toomer, Kenny Alfred, Brandon Gibson, Andy Mattingly and Peter Roberts. I will have times on all of the interviews in the morning.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 6 (4:56 p.m.)

Scout Quarterback Tryouts ...

There was a lot more going on today than on your average Monday, as WSU held a tryout for a scout team quarterback. With somewhere around 200 people watching from Rogers Field, the new CUB elevator and on top of the library, 29 WSU students tried to earn a spot on the team.

"It's great to have this many kids interested in coming out," WSU Head Coach Paul Wulff said. "It's awesome that they want to try to help the team."

Here is the situation that the WSU football team is in...With Gary Rogers and Kevin Lopina both suffering back injuries, the Cougars currently only have three quarterbacks: Marshall Lobbestael, Dan Wagner and JT Levenseller. The WSU coaching staff would like to have all three quarterbacks taking reps with the offense, but one of them has to run the scout team for the defense; thus the need for a scout team quarterback.

"We just need somebody who can read a card and execute what our defense needs from what an opposing quarterback would give us," Wulff said. "That's really all we're looking for right now. There are no plans for this individual to be a long-term part of our program. Right now it's just get us through the season and then we'll evaluate and see if we want to move forward."

What started out as 29 students was cut to four, and Coach Wulff said they would let them know in the morning if any of them would be making the team.

"We'll sit and talk about it here tonight. We'll probably either pick one or two. We're not sure, but we have an idea with two, and maybe if we decide to go with two we'll just go with two. If we're only comfortable with one, then we'll just go with one."

Either way, if someone did earn a spot on the roster, he could be at practice as early as tomorrow.

Click HERE to see a photo gallery from the tryout.

Be sure to check out tonight's Monday Night Football matchup, featuring Husain Abdullah and Eric Frampton of the Minnesota Vikings against Jason David and the New Orleans Saints. As always, you can track former Cougars playing in the NFL by clicking HERE. The link is also now at the top of this page.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 3 (9:21 a.m.)

This Day in History, Five Reasons to Believe...

Before we get to the usual Friday blog stuff, tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator Rich Rasmussen will be joining Jason Krump as part of the Cougar Chats series. Click HERE for information on submitting questions to Coach Rasmussen.

With a game against the Bruins on the docket for tomorrow, I thought we would take a look way back at another meeting with UCLA...

Oct. 3, 1931
In the second meeting between the Cougars and Bruins, 77 years ago today, Washington State College shut out UCLA 13-0 in Pullman in front of 10,000 fans.

The game was the second of three consecutive shutouts over UCLA to begin the series between the two schools, and one of five Cougar shutouts in the 54-game series.

Following a 1930 season that saw WSU's second trip to the Rose Bowl, the win over the Bruins put the Cougars at 2-0 to start the 1931 season. The Cougars had also shut out their first opponent of 1931, defeating the College of Idaho 41-0 in Pullman.

WSU would finish the season at 6-4, the fourth of nine consecutive winning seasons spanning from 1928-36.

As you can imagine, I don't have a box score from the game. However, I did find some photos from the 1931 season, thus have put together a photo gallery.

Click HERE to view the gallery.

Five Reasons to Believe

5. Pasadena
WSU hasn't lost to UCLA at the Rose Bowl since 1998, winning each of the last three games played there.

4. Devin Frischknecht and Xavier Hicks
Your game captains for this week...Frischknecht has caught five passes in three of his last five games and set a career high with 110 receiving yards two weeks ago against Portland State. Hicks is coming off a 14-tackle game against the Ducks and has led the Cougars in tackles in both games he has played this season.

3. Recent Success
The Cougars have won six of the last seven meetings dating back to the 2001 season. The only loss was to a 12th-ranked Bruins squad in 2005, and that game took overtime.

2. Down and Out
UCLA is coming off a 36-31 loss to Fresno State...The Cougars have faced a UCLA team coming off a loss 12 times since the formation of the Pacific-10 Conference in 1978, and in eight of those 12 games the Cougars were victorious. WSU has a record of 8-3-1 against UCLA teams coming off a loss since 1978, including wins in each of the last four such games, and seven of the last eight.

1. The Cougar Offense
The Lobster. Ocho Rojo. Whichever nickname you prefer, redshirt freshman Marshall Lobbestael had a good showing in his first career start last week. He and the rest of the Cougar offense had a good week of practice, and WSU is looking to take another step this week on the offensive side of the ball against a UCLA defense allowing 415.75 yards of total offense and 37.50 points per game.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 2 (6:22 p.m.)

The End of an Era...

He has been "retired" for about a year now, but has still been in the office nearly every day working part-time. But on Tuesday, after more than 30 years at Washington State University, former Sports Information Director Rod Commons called it a career, officially retiring.

Many of you know Rod, and many of you may not, as most of the time Sports Information Directors lay low behind the scenes. But he was very well known amongst his peers, serving as the president of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) during the 2004-05 academic year, and he was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 2007.

Rod has done a lot not only for WSU and its athletic department, but for countless students who have attended this school, myself included. Bill Stevens, the new Director of Sports Information at WSU, is a Cougar graduate. Three of the four assistant directors in this office are Cougar graduates. There are Cougar graduates in sports information offices throughout the country. Each and every one of us owes a great deal to Rod.

We had a retirement party for Rod this afternoon, and he will be honored at a basketball game later this year. But I personally want to thank Rod for everything he has done for me. He has had a major impact on my life, and the lives of many others.

Rod...Your presence will be immensely missed...

If you would like to send Rod a message, feel free to e-mail it to me (jnickell@wsu.edu), and I will gladly pass it along.

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 2 (3:23 p.m.)

Wulff Teleconference...

Just got done with Coach Wulff's weekly Thursday teleconference, and here is some of what he had to say...

On the WSU seniors...
"Our seniors, a lot of them are just doing a great job. I can't speak highly enough of Matt Mullennix and Ben Woodard, two guys that have their college degrees, both have had knee injuries, both chose to come back and play their last year...Those guys work every single day. They work very, very hard and their effort, they are just making a great impression with the young guys on the team. Those two guys and Greg Trent, they're just great Cougars. They're giving it up for the team and they didn't have to. I think those guys are going to leave a big impression on this football team for years to come."

On where he has seen the biggest improvement this week...
"I think defensively, to start with that, the kids seem to be executing and playing with more of a purpose in practice, which is very good to see. Offensively, the same thing. I think the team came out on days that were pretty warm at practice and they slugged through it and kept focus straight ahead. They just came out to get better and they're working at it. As coaches, we're very excited about their attitude of working hard to get better. Now we obviously want it to show up on game day, but the players are doing a number of things right, and that's all we can ask for right now, and they're doing that."

I'll be back a little bit later to pay homage to a Cougar legend...

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

• October 1 (6:41 p.m.)

Wednesday Recap...

It was an absolute beautiful day in Pullman, and the pads were cracking loudly out on Rogers Field.

WSU got practice started with the first team offense against the first team defense, and Head Coach Paul Wulff declared the match-up a tie, thus no up-downs for either side of the ball.

It looked like there was an extra emphasis on tackling today, and the scout team took a beating in scrimmage and in a three-on-three drill.

I don't talk a lot about what the scout team brings to this team, but everyone should know how hard they work day in and day out. Come take a look at practice one of these days and see what these guys bring to this team.

Jarred Walker looks to be giving the first team offense a great look from his safety position on scout, and defensive tackle Anthony Laurenzi picked off a batted pass today.

Laurenzi wasn't the only defensive tackle picking off passes today. Toby Turpin also hauled in an interception...which was the "Catch of the Day."

Matt Eichelberger is taping an interview with KJR's Jason Puckett as I type, so be sure to look for the podcast tomorrow at KJR's Web site (www.kjram.com).

Go Cougs!

Joe Nickell

Archives
September, 2008
August, 2008