Cougars look to carry on with Falk against Oregon State

WSU football is ready to take the field for the 10^th time this season on Saturday at 1:00 pm as the Cougs take on Oregon State on the road in Corvallis. Last week, WSU was dealt its fourth loss in a row and seventh loss of the season by USC 44-17. In addition to losing the game, the Cougars also lost quarterback Connor Halliday to a devastating leg injury. Halliday finished his career as the all-time leader for WSU in several passing categories. Starting in Halliday's place will be redshirt freshman Luke Falk. Falk replaced Halliday last week and threw the ball 57 times completing 38 passes for 346 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Falk appears to be on a good trajectory for a redshirt freshman. He has a good grasp of Mike Leach's offense, makes good decisions when throwing the football, and has an excellent feel for the pocket. The remaining three games of the season are a big opportunity for Falk to gain some valuable experience heading into the spring where he will compete with Peyton Bender for the starting quarterback position in 2015. Leach has sung high praises of the former walk-on quarterback, including after his performance last week against USC.  The one thing Falk is going to have to dial up if he will be the long-term quarterback for WSU is being more explosive. Falk's ability to make big plays is something fans will want to keep an eye on.

With bowl considerations long gone, the Cougars are playing for pride and cosmetic improvement on a very disappointing season. When WSU was at the midway point of its season following a devastating 60-59 to Cal, there was a lot of talk about how the Cougs were much better than their record. The following three games against Stanford, Arizona, and USC put a damper on that narrative with WSU pretty much looking like a two-win team in each of those games. It is imperative that the Cougs play a competitive game and challenge for the win this week to keep fan faith from further sinking into an abyss.

Oregon State might be the best opportunity for WSU to pick up another win before closing out their season. OSU is sitting at 4-4 after a 45-31 loss to Cal last week. The Beavs have dropped four of their last five games. Still, WSU enters the game Saturday as a nine-point underdog, the largest spread the Cougs have seen since they played Oregon in game four.

Stopping quarterback Sean Mannion, who last week broke the all-time Pac-12 passing yardage record, will be the challenge of the day. Mannion has had his way with WSU owning a 3-0 career record against the Cougars. Mannion's season has been somewhat disappointing as the loss of his top receiver, Brandin Cooks, and struggles on the offensive line have limited his numbers. Regardless, it is safe to say that WSU's young secondary will have their hands full on Saturday.

Again, WSU will be displaying a lot of youth with 11 freshman listed in the two deep. Youth has made some of the frustration associated with the 2014 season tolerable. But at some point, these young players need to give a performance to convince fans that better days for WSU football aren't too far away. WSU has a lot of questions to answer in its final four games.

WSU at OSU

CORVALLIS, Ore.: Luke Falk gets first start for the Cougars | Football | FresnoBee.com
A year after walking on at Washington State, redshirt freshman quarterback Luke Falk is a starter.

Washington State's Luke Falk gets first start at QB against Oregon State | NCAA.com
Luke Falk gets first start at quarterback for Washington State

College Football Picks ATS: Washington State Cougars at Oregon State Beavers | Maddux Sports

Pac-12 Preview: Oregon State Beavers vs Washington State Cougars - Pac-12 Blog - The Pacific-12 Conference
The Oregon State Beavers and Washington State Cougars will clash this weekend in the 99th meeting of the series that dates all the way back to 1903. It's one of the most

College football: Inside Oregon State-Washington State
Beavers look to snap three-game losing streak and move closer to bowl eligibility.

Men's Basketball

Hawkinson’s Big Game Lifts WSU in Exhibition Win - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
The sophomore had a double-double with 24 points and 18 boards.

Soccer

Cougars Extend Unbeaten Streak Against Washington - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Washington State is unbeaten in its last 11 against the Huskies.