Cougars Open Pac-12 Play Saturday Hosting Oregon

COUGARS OPEN PAC-12 PLAY HOSTING OREGON
Washington States (1-2, 0-0 Pac-12) opens Pac-12 Conference play hosting the University of Oregon (2-2, 0-1 Pac-12) Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.

NEXT WEEK
The Cougars will hit the road to face defending Pac-12 champion Stanford University next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. either on ESPN or ESPN2.

ABOUT OREGON-WSU SERIES
Washington State snapped an eight-game skid to Oregon with a 45-38 win in double overtime in Eugene last season. Oregon leads the all-time series 47-39-7 and has won four straight meetings in Pullman including a 38-31 decision in 2014. Washington State's last win against UO in Pullman came in 2006, 34-23. WSU is looking for back-to-back wins over the Ducks for the first time since posting a 32-21 victory in 2002 in Pullman and a 55-16 win in Eugene in 2003.

COLLEGE GAMEDAY RECORD
Dating back to the beginning of the 2004 season, ESPN's College GameDay has had the WSU flag appear throughout the show. The streak is now at 182 after last week's appearance at Tennessee. Two flags – Ol' Crimson and Gray – have been flown in the background of the GameDay set by dozens of friends and alumni. The Gray flag was added in 2014 after Whitey was retired in honor of Steve Gleason's "No White Flags." WSU recognized the GameDay flag wavers in a pregame ceremony prior to the Montana State game in 2010. In addition to the flags that fly, there is a traveling flag signed by the holders after each episode. The traveling flag is retired after each season, the first of which is hanging in WSU's Alumni Center.

COUGAR QUICK HITS
TEAM
•  WSU has seen 12 players make their debuts in 2016 including five true freshmen
•  9+ players have recorded a catch in each of the first three weeks, 10+ players had a rec. in all 13 games in 2015
•  WSU owns a 9-3 record when forcing multiple turnovers under defensive coordinator Alex Grinch
•  WSU enters the week third in the country in both kickoff and punt coverage
•  WSU recorded a sell out in the season-opener, now owns eight sellouts since coach Mike Leach arrived at WSU in 2012, only one sellout in the five seasons prior

INDIVIDUAL
•  QB Luke Falk is the FBS active career leader in passing yards-per-game (359.5)
•  WR Gabe Marks owns the WSU record for career receptions (254), fourth-most in Pac-12 history
•  Marks ranks third among all active FBS receivers in career receptions and second in career touchdowns
•  Marks owns eighth career games with 10+ receptions, the most in WSU history
•  WR River Cracraft owns a catch in 32 consecutive games, ninth-longest current streak in the country
•  WR Tavares Martin Jr. posted a career highs of 12 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown at Boise State
•  PR Kaleb Fossum is fourth in the Pac-12 in with a 7.7 punt return average

YOUNG COUGS TAKE THE FIELD
Washington State has seen 12 players make their debuts in 2016 with nine players record their first career start including seven on defense. Five true freshman have played for the Cougars including Isaiah Johnson-Mack (WR), Frederick Mauigoa (OL), Derek Moore (DE), Dezmon Patmon (WR) and Jalen Thompson (S). Thompson has started all three games while redshirt-junior left guard Cody O'Connell has also started the first three games, the first career starts for him. Last season, the Cougars saw 23 players make their debuts and 11 make their first career start while 14 freshmen contributed including seven true freshmen.

FALK CONTINUES TO RACK UP THE NUMBERS (Pages 16-17)
Quarterback Luke Falk has picked up where he left off from 2015, as one of the leading quarterbacks in the country. Falk opened the season with 418 yards and four touchdowns against Eastern Washington, followed with 480 yards and four more scores at Boise State, nearly leading WSU to a fourth-quarter comeback and added three more touchdown passes in the win over Idaho. Falk enters the week fifth in the country in passing yards per game (374.7),  No. 12 in passing touchdowns (11) and third in completion percentage (.741). Last season, Falk finished the year with a school-record ten 300-yard games and five 400-yard games. In just 21 career games including 18 starts, Falk owns 16 career 300-yard games, second-most in WSU history, the fourth-most touchdown passes (62) and the fifth-most passing yards (7,549).

FALK'S FOURTH-QUARTER COMEBACKS
Luke Falk is no stranger to leading fourth-quarter comebacks, owning five fourth-quarter comebacks in his career including four last season. The first came in 2014 at Oregon State, WSU trailed early in the fourth and Falk led a pair of scoring drives for a 39-32 victory. Earlier this season, trailing by four with 1:31 remaining at Rutgers, Falk leading WSU on a 10-play, 90-yard drive capped by an 8-yard touchdown pass to River Cracraft with 13 seconds remaining. In the win at Oregon, Falk led WSU on a pair of scoring drives late in the fourth quarter that erased a 10-point deficit and sent the game into overtime after an eight-yard touchdown pass to Dom Williams with one second remaining. In overtime, Falk rushed for a touchdown and then threw for another before the Cougar defense picked off a pass in the second overtime to clinch the win. Against Arizona State, trailing 24-17 to start the fourth quarter, Falk led the Cougars on three touchdown drives (73, 99 and 75 yards) in the quarter, capping each one with touchdown throws to post a 38-24 victory. His last one came at No. 18 UCLA, trailing by three with 1:09 remaining, Falk led the Cougars on a seven-play 75-yard drive, capped by a 21-yard touchdown pass to Gabe Marks with three seconds remaining to knock off the Bruins.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR LUKE LAST SEASON
Last season, Luke Falk was a Manning Award Watch List, a Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award Semifinalist, one of 15 "Players to Watch" for The Walter Camp Football Foundation 2015 Player of the Year award and was one of three finalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, given to the nation's top player who started his career as a walk-on. The Walter Camp Player of the Year award is the fourth-oldest college football award in the nation. The Davey O'Brien Award is presented annually to the nation's best college quarterback and is the nation's oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award. Falk was one of 17 semifinalists and  earned a spot on the Davey O'Brien Award "Great 8" Performance of the Week five times this season. Falk led the FBS in passing yards-per-game (380.5), was third in total offense (370.9), and tied for fourth in passing touchdowns (38) and fifth in passing yards (4,566). In Pac-12 play, Falk averaged 399.5 passing yards-per-game, completed 69.9 percent of his passes and threw 28 touchdowns against seven interceptions and also rushed for two scores. Earlier in the season, Falk was named the Walter Camp National FBS Player of the Week (the first Cougar to receive the honor since the 2004 season), the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week three times and the Maxwell Award Player of the Week.

NEW LOOK LINE
The offensive line has a new look to it this season after the departure of three-year starters Joe Dahl at left tackle and Gunner Eklund at left guard who combined for 79 starts. Dahl capped his career earning All-Pac-12 honors and was a fifth-round draft choice by the Detroit Lions. The Cougars return a trio of starters in center Riley Sorenson (24 starts), right guard Eduardo Middleton (28 starts) and right tackle Cole Madison (24 starts) who have started next to one another for the past two seasons. Taking over at left tackle is redshirt-sophomore Andre Dillard who appeared at left tackle in three games last year, making his collegiate debut in the second half at No. 18 UCLA and went on to start against Colorado and at Washington. At left guard, redshirt-junior Cody O'Connell is in his first season as a starter after playing on the field goal team all of last season.

COUGAR OFFENSIVE LINE "BONE" AWARDS  
Each week, Washington State coaches give out the "Bone" award to the offensive lineman who performs the best during the previous game. Left guard Cody O'Connell picked up his first "Bone" after the win over Idaho. The awards in 2016: Eastern Washington: None; at Boise State: None; Idaho: Cody O'Connell

OFFENSIVE LINE BULKED UP
Not only have the Cougars produced big offensive numbers, leading the country in passing the past two seasons, WSU has produced bigger offensive linemen. The size of the front five has gone up each season with the 2016 offensive line averaging 322.6 pounds. Last season, the Cougars averaged nearly 310 lbs after averaging 288.6 in 2012, 288.2 in 2013 and 309.4 lbs in 2014.

ALL-PURPOSE BACKS
The Cougar running backs have picked up where they left off from last season, combining for 208 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns (2 rushing, 1 receiving) against Eastern Washington. Gerard Wicks rushed for 52 yards and a score and added his first career receiving touchdown. Jamal Morrow added 45 rushing yards including one touchdown. Against Boise State, Jamal Morrow caught two touchdowns. In the win over Idaho, it was redshirt-freshman James Williams turn to shine, rushing for 126 yards and his first career touchdown while Wicks also rushed for a score and later scored after scooping up a fumble while covering a kickoff. Last season, WSU rushed for over 100 yards five times after recording four 100-yard efforts the previous three seasons combined. The Cougars averaged 80.1 rushing yards per game in 2015, doubling its average from 2014 (39.1). The backs combined to rush for 1,195 yards, averaging 6.1 yards-per-carry, the highest by a WSU backfield since All-American Jerome Harrison and DeMaundray Woolridge combined for 8.5 per-carry in 2005. Wicks led the way with 610 rushing yards and three touchdowns while Morrow averaged 6.5 per-carry and recorded four receiving touchdowns. The Cougars rushed for 1,041 yards in 2015, the most in the Mike Leach's era at Washington State.

COUGAR RUSHING ATTACK BREAKS OUT
The Cougar rushing attack of redshirt-juniors Jamal Morrow and Gerard Wicks, and redshirt-freshman James Williams highlighted WSU's 228-rushing yard performance in the win over Idaho, the most by a WSU team under coach Mike Leach and most since the 2011 season-opener. Williams led the way with 126 yards and a score, the first 100-yard rusher since Wicks ran for 123 against Colorado last season and was the most since Dwight Tardy posted 214 at UCLA in 2007. Williams also became the first Cougar freshman to record a 100-yard game since Tardy in the 2006 Apple Cup. The Cougars had three different running backs score touchdowns in the win as Williams score from two-yards out,  Wicks scored on a two-yard rush, and later after recovering a fumble on a kickoff, and walk-on Alijah Lee spun his way with a gritty six-yard touchdown carry to cap the day.

SPREADING THE BALL AROUND
Washington State was the only team in the country with 10 players who recorded 20+ receptions last season and was the only Power-5 Conference team with two players owning double-digit touchdown receptions. The Cougars had 10+ receivers catch a pass in every game last year and nine players finished the season with at least one touchdown catch. Washington State opened the season with 10 players catching a pass in each of the first two games and nine caught a pass in the win over Idaho.

THE VET AND THE YOUNGSTER POST BIG NUMBERS
Redshirt-senior wideout Gabe Marks has put up impressive receiving statistics the first three games while sophomore receiver Tavares Martin Jr. had a breakout game at Boise State. Marks snagged 10 receptions in each of the first two games and owns a touchdown catch in all three games while Martin Jr. broke out at BSU with 12 catches for 158 yards including an acrobatic 50-yard tumbling touchdown. Marks sits second in the Pac-12 in catches and Martin Jr. is tied for sixth with 19 catches and is fifth in kick return average at 21.0.

RECEIVERS MAKING THEIR WAY UP THE RECORD BOOK (Pages 16-17)
•  Gabe Marks owns 254 career receptions, fourth-most in Pac-12 history
•  Marks owns 28 career TD catches, third-most in school history and tied for 11th in Pac-12 history
•  Marks also sits third in WSU history with 2,801 career receiving yards
• Marks led the Pac-12 with 104 receptions, second-most in WSU single-season history behind Vince Mayle's record of 106 set in 2014
•  Marks' 15 TD catches were a WSU single-season record, breaking Jason Hill's mark of 13 (2005)
•  Marks set a WSU single-game record and tied a Pac-12 record with four TD catches at Arizona
•  River Cracraft sits sixth in WSU history with 179 career catches
•  Cracraft is closing in on the WSU all-time top-10 for receiving yards (2,114) and TD catches (15)
•  Cracraft owns a catch in 32 consecutive games, ninth-longest current streak in the nation

COUGAR DEFENSE DIALING IT UP
Washington State forced three turnovers at Boise State and forced two fumbles in the win over Idaho to push the season turnover margin to +3, tied for fourth-best in the Pac-12 while playing one fewer game than most conference teams. The Cougars also enter the week second in the Pac-12 in rushing defense (103.0) and tied for third in red zone defense (77.8%). In the week three win over Idaho, WSU did not allow a touchdown in the 56-6 victory, surrendering just 257 yards of total offense, the fewest allowed since the 2013 matchup against the Vandals (253).

2015 DEFENSE MADE STRIDES UNDER GRINCH
The Washington State defense clamped down the hatches in 2015 under first-year defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. The Cougars' defensive unit allowed 27.7 ppg and 416.6 ypg while forcing 24 turnovers. WSU kept the explosive plays (20+ yards) to a minimum giving up 56 in 2015, averaging 4.3 per game. In 2014, the Cougar defense allowed 6.1 explosive plays per game, a total of 73 on the season. By removing special teams touchdowns allowed, WSU allowed 23.3 ppg, a vast improvement after allowing 38.6 ppg in 2014. The Cougars finished the season with 24 turnovers forced, averaging 1.8 takeaways per game and tripled the amount of turnovers from 2014 (8). In the 27-3 win over Colorado, WSU held an opponent without a touchdown for the first time since a 42-0 victory over Idaho in 2013 and the first time holding a conference opponent without a touchdown since Oregon State in 2006. It was the fewest points allowed to a conference opponent since 1996 (OSU).

GET THE BALL BACK
Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch emphasized the need to force turnovers and get the ball back to the Air Raid offense and the Cougars did just that in 2015. Washington State forced 24 turnovers, fourth in the Pac-12 and three times as many as the 2014 total of eight. The Cougars recorded 13 interceptions, recovered 11 fumbles, and led the Pac-12 with 16 fourth-down stops. WSU received a big boost from the return of Shalom Luani who missed the first game. The senior free safety picked off a pair of passes at Boise State and helped the Cougar defense record three turnovers, all interceptions. The Cougars forced two more fumbles against Idaho and enter the week tied for fourth in the Pac-12 with a +3 turnover margin. Under coach Grinch, WSU owns a 9-3 record when forcing multiple turnovers.

DEFENSE PUT THE PRESSURE ON IN 2015
Last season, Washington State racked up 33 sacks and was eighth in the country with 7.8 tackles-for-loss per game (102 Total), the second-best average in the Pac-12 and the second-highest total in WSU history. All-Pac-12 honorable mention defensive lineman Hercules Mata'afa shared the team-lead with seven sacks, tied for fourth-most in the conference. Against Wyoming, WSU recorded 14 TFL's, tied for third-most in school history and later posted 11 TFL's at Cal, and eight more in the games against Arizona State, Colorado and Washington. WSU finished the season with five players owning 10+ tackles-for-loss, the most players by any Pac-12 team and tied for the most in school history (2002).

LINEBACKERS LEAD THE WAY
The Cougar linebackers filled up the stat sheet last season with All-Pac-12 honorable mention Peyton Pelluer tied for fifth in the Pac-12 with 7.8 tackles-per game (101 total) along with 11 tackles-for-loss. Pelluer tallied a career-best 14 stops against Wyoming and has shared the team-high in tackles in the wins over Oregon (8) and Oregon State (11), and led the way at UCLA (8). The redshirt-junior started the 2016 seasons with a game-high 10 against EWU including one for loss and a pass breakup. He added six more at Boise State and tied for the team lead in the win over Idaho with seven. Making his first career start as a linebacker, Isaac Dotson made five tackles against EWU and in his first career start, WIL linebacker Frankie Luvu made a career-high seven tackles including 1.5 for loss against Idaho.

YOUNG SECONDARY
The Cougar secondary has gone through a youth movement the past two seasons. Last season, WSU received solid contribution from true freshman Darrien Molton (44 tackles, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery) at cornerback while being named the top freshman cornerback in the country by Pro Football Focus. All-Pac-12 honorable mention Shalom Luani started all 13 games at safety, finished third on the team with 91 tackles, with two forced two fumbles and tied for third in the Pac-12 with a team-best four interceptions, the first sealed the double overtime win at Oregon and the next two came in the win over Oregon State, one he returned 84 yards for a touchdown. Cornerback Marcellus Pippins recorded three interceptions, nine pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and 43 tackles. The 2015 secondary combined for 10 interceptions with all four starters owning at least one.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Washington State special teams own a couple impressive statistics through the first three games of 2016. The Cougars enter the week third in the country with a Pac-12 best 13.9 yards per return average against on kickoff coverage and are also third-best in the country in punt coverage, allowing -1.5 yards-per-return. Sophomore Kaleb Fossum has a had a couple solid games at punt returner, averaging 7.7 per return, fourth in the Pac-12. Wide receiver/punter Kyle Sweet owns a 41.4 punt average, good for eighth in the Pac-12, and that includes three punts for 50+ yards.

SPECIAL TEAMS PROVIDES BIG BOOST
Cougar special teams provided a couple highlights in the win over Idaho week three, scoring a pair of touchdowns, blocking a field goal and recovered a fumble, scoring touchdowns on both plays. Midway through the second quarter, nose tackle Robert Barber blocked a 32-yard field goal attempt and cornerback Marcellus Pippins picked up the loose ball and raced 72 yards for the touchdown, giving WSU its first touchdown return of a blocked field goal in school history (dating back through the 1983 season). It was the first touchdown scored on special teams since Michael Bumpus returned a punt 87 yards for touchdown at Nevada in 2005. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Cougar kickoff team forced a fumble that Gerard Wicks scooped up and returned 11 yards for a touchdown. It was the first time the Cougars scored two special teams touchdowns in the same game since returning two punts for touchdowns against Idaho in 1973.

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA TAKEOVER
The Cougars have tapped into the Rancho Santa Margarita High School pipeline, currently owning four players from the school in center, Riley Sorenson, defensive lineman Nick Begg and receivers River Cracraft and Kyle Sweet. One other Coug to point out who also went to RSMHS, would be Golden State Warrior Klay Thompson.

POLYNESIAN PIPELINE
The Washington State roster has seen an influx in Polynesian players since Mike Leach and his coaching staff arrived in 2012. Assistant Head Coach / Defensive Line Coach Joe Salave'a, a native of Pago Pago, American Samoa and a nine-year NFL veteran, has helped bring a number of players to Pullman in his three seasons at Washington State. The 2016 roster has 16 players who are of Polynesian decent including seven who list their hometown from American Samoa.

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Three Cougars share a unique bond with their dads and/or grandpa, each have worn the crimson a gray. Redshirt-sophomore left tackle Andre Dillard's dad, Mitch was an offensive lineman and tight end for the Cougars in the late 1980's; redshirt-junior linebacker Isaac Dotson's dad, Michael was an All-American wrestler for WSU from 1983-86; redshirt-junior linebacker Peyton Pelluer's dad, Scott also played linebacker for the Cougs, matching Peyton's No. 47 from 1977-80; Peyton's grandpa, Arnie played end for WSU in the mid 1950's and his great grandpa, Carl, played flanker in the 1920's.

SEVEN COUGARS TO BE INDUCTED INTO WSU HALL OF FAME
The WSU Hall of Fame will welcomed in seven new members Sept. 17. Joining the current 206 members was Marv Chamberlain (Baseball), Erin Elridge (Swimming), Jason Gesser (Football), Mark Hendrickson (Basketball/Baseball), Mike Price (Football Coach), Jennifer Robertson (Track & Field) and Marcia Saneholtz (WSU Administrator).

FALK NAMED TO 2016 AWARD WATCH LISTS
Quarterback Luke Falk was named to the 2016 Davey O'Brien Award, Rotary Lombardi Award and the Maxwell Award Watch List. Falk is one of 30 quarterbacks named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award presented annually to the nation's best college quarterback and was also named to the Maxwell Award Watch List for America's Player of the Year. Falk, a redshirt-junior, was an All-Pac-12 first-team selection last season after leading the country in passing at 380.5 yards-per-game and guiding the Cougars to a 9-4 record capped by a Sun Bowl victory over Miami. The Logan, Utah native set a school record with 38 touchdown passes, good for fourth in the nation, and was second in school history with 4,566 yards. Falk tallied three Pac-12 Player of the Week honors and was Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention.

MARKS NAMED TO 2016 BILETNIKOFF, Maxwell AWARD WATCH LISTS
Wide receiver Gabe Marks was named to the 2016 Biletnikoff Award and Maxwell Award Watch Lists. The Biletnikoff Award recognizes the nation's most outstanding receiver each year and the Maxwell Award is presented to the nation's Player of the Year. Marks was one of 10 Biletnikoff Award semifinalists last season, earning All-Pac-12 First Team honors and tallied 104 receptions for 1,196 yards and a school-record 15 touchdowns. Marks led the Pac-12 in receptions, touchdown catches and was second in receiving yards while also tallying four 100-yard games.

SORENSON NAMED TO 2016 RIMINGTON TROPHY WATCH LIST
Center Riley Sorenson was named to the 2016 Rimington Trophy Watch List. Sorenson, a senior from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., has started 21 games over the past two seasons and has been one of the anchors for a Cougar offensive line that helped WSU lead the nation in passing each of the last two years. Additionally, he was named a 2015 All-Pac-12 honorable mention selection. Sorenson also received the 2016 Pac-12 Sportsmanship Award for the strength of character and dedication to his team that he displayed throughout the 2015 season even while he and his family faced extreme personal challenges. The Rimington Trophy is presented annually to the Most Outstanding Center in NCAA Division I-A College Football.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF EXTRA YARD FOR TEACHER
The Extra Yard for Teacher's Program kicked Sept. 17 with the College Football Playoff Foundation.  The CFP is awarding each institution within the Pac-12 $10,000 to benefit an elementary school teacher or teachers in your community throughout the season, concluding at the 2016 Pac-12 Football Championship Game. Washington State will gift three elementary schools in Pullman with Google Chrome Books as part of the program.

STEVE GLEASON RECRUIT SUITE DEBUTS IN COUGAR FOOTBALL COMPLEX
WSU announced the naming of the Steve Gleason Recruit Suite, inside the Cougar Football Complex this summer. Gleason, the Washington State Athletic Hall of Famer who played football and baseball in a Cougar uniform from 1995-99, was on hand as the room all future Cougar football players will walk through was named in his honor. The opportunity arrived courtesy of Cougar alumnus Glenn Osterhout's naming donation of $250,000. With his pledge, Osterhout, a 1983 graduate who is a certified financial planner in Bellevue, was presented the opportunity to name the recruiting room inside the Cougar Football Complex.

NICHOL, SHEPHARD JOIN COUGAR COACHING STAFF
The Cougar coaching staff added two new position coaches as Dave Nichol joined the staff as the outside receivers coach and JaMarcus Shephard as the inside receivers coach. Nichol is no stranger to a Mike Leach-coached team, having spent three seasons (2003-05) as an offensive line assistant at Texas Tech under the current Cougar head coach. Most recently, Nichol served as the offensive coordinator at East Carolina in 2015. Shephard arrived at WSU following two seasons as the receivers coach at Western Kentucky University. In addition to his duties as receivers coach the past two seasons, Shephard added special teams duties for the 2015 season.

COUGAR FOOTBALL BROADCAST TEAM
Hall of fame announcer Bob Robertson is in his 50th season calling Cougar football games, and according to a nation-wide survey of sports information directors, is the longest tenured radio announcer in the country with the next closest being Bill Hillgrove who has announced 46 straight seasons at Pitt. Robertson began calling WSU games in 1964 and with the exception of a three-year period in 1969-71, has been calling Cougar games ever since. Robertson now hosts the Cougars pre, halftime and postgame shows, while also providing analysis during the games. Matt Chazanow is in his second season as the play-by-play voice for Cougar football, men's basketball and baseball broadcasts. Joining Chazanow and Robertson in the booth for his third season will be Cougar legend Jason Gesser who quarterbacked WSU to the 2001 Sun Bowl and 2003 Rose Bowl. Returning for her fifth season as the sideline reporter is Jessamyn McIntyre, an executive producer for 710 ESPN Seattle.