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September 27, 1997

PULLMAN, Wash. - Washington State's defense allowed zero points and only seven first-downs as the 14th ranked Cougars blew out Boise State 58-0 in front of 34,131 at Martin Stadium.

Ryan Leaf passed for 289 yards and three touchdowns, while Michael Black rushed for 141 yards and one touchdown to help the Cougars improve to 4-0. BSU fell to 1-4.

In the first quarter, Leaf rumbled ten yards for what would prove the game winning score, capping off an eight-play, 45-yard drive. On the Cougs' next possession Leaf hooked up with Kevin McKenzie for a ten-yard touchdown reception to go up 14-0.

WSU started the second quarter by marching to Boise State's 18 yard line, but penalties and a quarterback sack knocked the Cougars back to the 39. Rian Lindell responded with a 57 yard field goal, equaling the fourth longest in WSU history.

The Cougar defense forced one of BSU's 13 punts on their next possession, which Shaun Tims received on the bounce and returned 73 yards for his first touchdown of the season.

Up 24-0, WSU was not finished with its first-half scoring. Before the intermission, WSU added a 37-yard touchdown pass from Leaf to Kevin McKenzie and an eight yard touchdown scamper by Michael Black.

At half-time the Cougars led 38-0 with 337 yards of total offense to BSU's 55 total yards.

In the third quarter, a ten-play, 46-yard drive set up a 33-yard field goal by Lindell. Leaf followed with his third touchdown pass of the day, an 11-yard strike to Chris Jackson.

With the game well in hand, 48-0 going into the fourth quarter, Steve Birnbaum took over for Leaf at the helm of the Cougar offense. Birnbaum set up Lindell's third field goal of the day with a five-play, 24-yard drive. Lindell's 37-yard boot put the Cougs up 51-0.

On BSU's next possession, Bryant Thomas intercepted a Bart Hendricks pass and returned it 21 yards to the BSU 16. Two plays later, Birnbaum completed his first collegiate touchdown pass to Nian Taylor, putting an exclamation point on the game for the Cougs.

WSU's stunning defense allowed only 115 total yards, 46 rushing and 69 passing. Boise State crossed into WSU territory just twice, once on a fumble recovery.

So dominating was WSU's defense that BSU had just two runs longer than three yards, one eight yards and the other 19 yards. The Bronco's longest pass was 14 yards.

Steve Gleason had three tackles-for-losses, while Shane Doyle added two quarterback sacks. Todd Nelson and Gleason each had five tackles as WSU substituted often in the second half.

The shutout for the Cougars was WSU's first since blanking UCLA 21-0 at the Rose Bowl in 1994.

WASHINGTON STATE	14	24	10	10	58
BOISE STATE		0	0	0	0	0


TEAM	QTR	TIME	SCORING PLAY (Yards/Plays/Drive Time/How Gained Possession)
WSU	1	9:24	Leaf 10 run (Lindell kick) (8/45/2:47/punt)
WSU	1	2:13	McKenzie 10 pass from Leaf (Lindell kick) (12/99/5:00/punt)
WSU	2	14:05	Lindell 57 kick (5/1/2:00/punt)
WSU	2	9:36	Tims 73 punt return (Lindell kick)
WSU	2	4:45	McKenzie 37 pass from Leaf (Lindell kick) (2/81/0:32/punt)
WSU	2	0:42	Black 8 run (Lindell kick)(6/61/1:36/Punt)
WSU	3	7:49	Lindell 33 kick (10/46/3:24/punt)
WSU	3	2:21	C. Jackson 11 pass from Leaf (Lindell kick) (6/78/2:36/punt)
WSU	4	8:23	Lindell 37 kick (5/24/1:31/punt)
WSU	4	6:36	Taylor 11 pass from Birnbaum (Lindell kick) (2/16/0:41/interception)


TOTAL OFFENSE  -  WSU 78/565/7.2.  BSU 57/115/2.0.
RUSHING  -  WSU 42/250/41/209/2/22:  Black 17/141. Clayton 4/34, Gilmore 3/30, Meriwether 2/10, Hawkins 3/6, DeMakas 1/5, Leaf 4/3, Gecas 1/2, Arzu 2/1, Klein 1/0, Dixon 1/0, Muir 1/-2, Birnbaum 2/-21.  BSU:  26/66/20/46/0/19:  Tatum 8/36, Hurley 4/8, Brown 3/3, Etheridge 1/3, Chan 1/2, Hendricks 1/-1, Malaythong 2/-2, Sparks 5/-3.
PASSING  -  WSU  36/22/0/356/4/44:  Leaf 30/17/0/289/3/44, Birnbaum 6/5/0/67/1/26.  BSU:  31/9/1/69/0/14:  Sparks 22/7/0/49/0/14, Hendricks 9/2/1/20/0/12.
RECEIVING  -  WSU:  McKenzie 6/101, McWashington 4/87, Tims 4/62, Jefferson 3/61, Jackson 2/18, Taylor 2/16, Black 1/11.  BSU:  Pound 3/16, Smith 2/26, Mamaril 2/14, Chan 1/8, Nelson 1/5.
INTERCEPTIONS  -  WSU:  Thomas 1/21.  BSU:  None
PUNTING  -  WSU:  Banks 3/159/53.0/59.  BSU:  Davis 13/485/37.3/81.
PUNT RETURNS  -  WSU:  Tims 3/78, Taylor 2/19, McKenzie 1/8.  BSU:  None
KICKOFF RETURNS  -  WSU:  None.  BSU:  Mamaril 1/11, Wilson 1/20, Brown 1/0, Farris 1/10.
SCORING  -  WSU:  Lindell  16, McKenzie 12, Tims 6, Taylor 6, Black 6, Leaf 6, C. Jackson 6.  BSU:  None
FIRST DOWNS  -  WSU:  30/12/17/1.  BSU:  7/2/4/1.
FUMBLES/LOST  -  WSU:  3/1.  BSU: 2/1
PENALTIES/YARDS  -  WSU:  11/123.  BSU:  6/38.
POSSESSION TIME  -  WSU:  32:12.  BSU:  27:48
THIRD-DOWN CONVERSIONS  -  WSU:  4/11.  BSU:  3/16.
ATTENDANCE  - 34,131
WSU TACKLERS (T-P-A)  --  Nelson 5/5/0, Gleason 5/4/1, Nance 4/3/1, Stewart 4/2/2, Boose 3/3/0, Doyle 3/3/0, Bender 3/2/1, Gibbons 3/2/1, Thompson 2/2/0, Philley 2/2/0, Moore 2/1/1, Wagner 1/1/0, Wilson 1/1/0, R. Jackson 1/1/0, Taylor 1/1/0, Moronkola 1/1/0, Thomas 1/10, Meirer 1/0/1, Price 1/0/1.
WSU SACKS  --  Doyle 2/-11
WSU TFL  -   Gleason 3/-4, Doyle 2/-11, Bender 2/-2, Moore 2/-2, Nance 1/-2, Nelson 1/-1, Stewart 1/-1, Boose 1/-1.