Not quite far enough

PULLMAN – When Washington State University last hosted USC, a majority of the fans had filed out of Martin Stadium by the time halftime was through.

This time, they stayed well past the final gun to cheer the Cougars as they walked back toward the locker room.

The end result was the same as in 2004 – a Cougars loss. But the fight shown by the home team couldn’t have been more different on Saturday evening.

No. 3 USC left Pullman with a 28-22 victory, but this 25th consecutive Trojans Pac-10 win wasn’t assured until the final play.

“We were right there,” said Cougars quarterback Alex Brink, whose Hail Mary throw on the final play was intercepted around the 3-yard line. “That hurts that we had those opportunities.”

The Cougars (3-2, 1-1 Pac-10) never looked overwhelmed by the Trojans (4-0, 2-0), but found themselves playing with a narrow deficit for much of the game. In the end, as Brink pointed out afterward, missed opportunities weren’t so much about drives in the final minutes as they were about long drives that turned into three points instead of seven.

On three occasions the Cougars had drives of at least eight plays and 3 minutes on the clock that resulted in Loren Langley field goals. The third such drive included a first-and-goal from the 3-yard line.

“We knew we had to score touchdowns to beat USC, that field goals weren’t going to beat them,” said offensive lineman Sean O’Connor. “I think that’s kind of the consensus in the locker room, that we feel we should have won this football game. But a few plays here or there will make games like this when they’re this big.”

USC consistently showed an ability to make the significant play when it was needed most. After Langley’s third field goal pulled WSU within six points less than a minute into the fourth quarter, the Trojans responded with a 17-play, 87-yard drive that took more than 8 minutes off the clock. Unlike some of the WSU drives, USC ended this one with a Steve Smith touchdown reception, points that ended up sealing the win.

Still, the Cougars offense was able to play well against a defense that hadn’t yielded more than 14 points in a game. Opening up with a series of quick throws and a patient rushing attack, WSU never had to veer away from its offensive game plan, and USC never did anything to suggest it would stonewall the Cougars attack.

WSU finished with more offensive yardage than USC (418-404) and had more first downs (26-20).

“We just ran our offense,” Brink said. “Our coaches put together a great game plan and we came out and executed it.”

The Trojans offense, however, showed an ability to make plays of many different varieties when they were needed most. In the first half, quarterback John David Booty found receivers over the top for long gains – something WSU’s defense hadn’t allowed to that point on the season – for quick scoring drives.

Late in the game, as on the methodical fourth-quarter drive, USC was able to grind out first downs while the WSU defense grew weary. In the fourth quarter the Trojans were 4 of 6 on third downs, and also converted on a lone fourth-down play.

“Mentally, it hurts us when you want to eliminate the big play,” defensive end Mkristo Bruce said. “But if you get a team that pounds you and keeps getting those first downs, it takes the morale away from a team.”

The Cougars were heavy underdogs going up against a top-five team for the second time this season. As their fans acknowledged, their effort far outstripped expectations.

But without a win, head coach Bill Doba said a lot of attention has to go into winning next week at Oregon State.

A loss would not only send his team’s conference record to less than .500, but also it would negate some of the positive momentum found in a close loss to a tough opponent.

“They proved that they can play with anybody, but we didn’t win. That’s the whole key,” Doba said. “How many teams do you see come close or upset somebody and then not do squat the next week? We have to get better, continue to get better, and we’ve got to play well next week. Then I’ll have an idea of what kind of team this is.”