Wazzu Upsets Beavers

For the first time since 2007, the Washington State University Cougar football team won a football game against a Pac-10 conference opponent not named the Washington Huskies as Wazzu upset Oregon State, 31-14 in Corvallis. With the win, Wazzu improves to 2-9 overall and 1-7 in conference play.

The game began ominously for the Cougars as true freshman linebacker C.J. Mizell picked up a personal foul penalty on the first defensive series and receiver Isiah Barton picked up a personal foul on the first offensive series which took the Cougars out of field goal range.

But the tone of the game was set on the second series for each unit. The much-maligned defense stopped the Beavers on a 4th-and-1 attempt at midfield late in the first quarter and the offense took over and proceeded to score on a one yard touchdown run from running back Logwone Mitz to take a 7-0 lead with 14:17 remaining in the half.

After Oregon State missed a field goal attempt, Wazzu scored again with senior James Montgomery running the ball in from a yard out for a 14-0 lead and Wazzu defensive back Aire Justin intercepted Beaver quarterback Ryan Katz at the 12-yard line with 2:22 left in the half to snuff out an OSU drive and preserve their first two-touchdown halftime lead since 2008 [against Portland State].

Barton fumbled the opening kickoff but Wazzu recovered and promptly went on another scoring drive with quarterback Jeff Tuel tossing a touchdown strike to freshman Marquess Wilson for a 21-0 lead. It was Tuel's first touchdown pass since the Stanford game three weeks ago.

The Beavers fumbled the ensuing kickoff and backup linebacker Hallston Higgins recovered but on the Cougars' possession, Tuel was sacked and fumbled. The Beavers recovered and converted the turnover into their first touchdown of the game with a pass from Katz to Markus Wheaton to cut the lead down to 21-7.

Wazzu held that lead into the fourth quarter and then added three more points when freshman Andrew Furney made a 37-yard field goal for a 24-7 lead. Oregon State responded with a short drive that ended in another Katz-to-Wheaton touchdown pass to cut the lead down to 10 points at 24-14 with 9:50 remaining.

But that was as close as the Beavers could get and after failing to convert on a fourth down play, Wazzu tacked on another late touchdown run from Chantz Staden with 2:04 left in the game. The Beavers fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Cougars ran out the clock to end the game.

NOTES:

- Wazzu's 21-0 third quarter lead was the first the Cougars more than a touchdown lead on a Pac-10 opponent since October 2007 when Wazzu defeated UCLA, 27-7.

- Wazzu rushed for 226 yards - their season average was 76 yards per game.

- Wazzu recorded six sacks in the game.

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