The day after the Cougs went to Autzen and won

Good morning, Coug fans. I don't even know where to begin. Once again, WSU outplayed its opponent Saturday. And once again, it looked like that wouldn't be enough, as the Cougars trailed Oregon by 10 points late in the fourth quarter. You couldn't blame any WSU fans for thinking the team would come up agonizingly short. After all, Oregon had won 100 consecutive games when leading by 10 or more points in the fourth quarter (H/T Andrew Greif). On this day, the Cougars were not going to let that streak reach 101.

Despite its running backs gaining over 170 yards, and despite having more first downs and more total yards, it took 59 minutes and 59 seconds for WSU save the game, and possibly the season. They had outclassed Oregon for much of the afternoon, with the notable exception of Royce Freeman, who put the entire Oregon roster on his back and nearly got them over the finish line. However, two crippling Keith Harrington fumbles, uneven special teams play (I know, I'm just as stunned as you are) and awful officiating threatened to once again relegate the Cougars and their fans to saying "almost."

Why didn't we have to say "almost" again? Well, the defense, despite being gashed by the aforementioned Mr. Freeman, came up with two momentous three-and-outs late in the game. When Freeman, who averaged nearly 10 yards-per-carry, needed just two yards to end the game, the defense only gave him one. Oregon punted, Luke Falk matriculated the offense down the field and Dom Williams caught the game-tying touchdown with one single second remaining. The rest, as they say, is history.

Likes:

• Luke Falk's toughness - It looked he'd need a gurney to get back on the field for the second overtime. Instead, he hung tough and got his team the winning points.
• Jamal Morrow - Can anyone tell me why he's barely played this season?
• The rushing attack - For the first time in the Leach era, the Cougs have a legit running game.
• The "never say die" attitude - As with many past instances, WSU had multiple chances to pack it in and wait for next week. They didn't.
• Robert Lewis' reflexes - He went from signalling "touchdown" to catching the winning score in a split second.
• The penetration on Oregon's second play of the second OT - The line got so far upfield that an Oregon lineman had no choice but to tackle a WSU defender. With Oregon's limited passing attack, the game was all but over.
• The pressure on Lockie on the game-ending play - The pass rush forced Lockie into desperation mode, and Shalom Luani made him pay.
• Oregon's premature celebration - HAHAHAHAHA
• WSU's actual celebration in the locker room - That was really cool to watch, since we rarely get a peak inside there.

Dislikes:

• So. Many. Sacks. - This absolutely has to be corrected.
• Keith Harrington's ball security - Keith, we love you man. You are a dynamic play-maker, but you won't see the field if you keep fumbling the ball.
• Dom Williams' hands through three quarters - Dom, we love you too man, but you can't keep dropping the ball.
• Peyton Pelluer's read/react on Oregon's first touchdown - Yeesh.
• The officiating - I could probably write 1,000 words on all the ways the officials screwed WSU in this game, from picking up the flag after Oregon's offensive PI call, to not flagging Oregon for nearly ripping Falk's helmet off, while simultaneously flagging Falk for intentional grounding, and absolutely refusing to call Oregon for defensive pass interference, like at all. The #Pac-12refs definitely lived down to their reputation Saturday.

On this day, the offense overcame the turnovers. The defense stiffened every time it absolutely had to. The kick coverage teams didn't allow Oregon to break a big return. At last, it all came together. WSU won the day for crimson and gray. Yes, Oregon, the slogan belonged to us long before you stole it. Go Cougs

Football

Luke Falk, WSU upset Oregon in double overtime | The Seattle Times
Saturday night at Autzen Stadium, a Cougars team many had written off earlier in the season delivered an inspired performance to outpace the up-tempo Ducks and notch its first Pac-12 victory of the season.

Jamal Morrow gains tough yards for WSU in win over Oregon | The Seattle Times
Washington State isn’t exactly known for its running game, but tailback Jamal Morrow played an integral role in the Cougars’ electric 45-38 double-overtime victory over Oregon on Saturday.

Fans and media members react to WSU’s stunning upset of Oregon | The Seattle Times
Lots of CougCenter authors and even a contributor featured here! I will say I'm disappointed that my bourbon and F-bomb-laden tweet was not included.

Cougars pull double-overtime upset over Oregon - Spokesman.com - Oct. 10, 2015
"We played a whole game to our potential the whole way through. I think that’s the most important thing to take from this game," Marks said. "We played a full game against Rutgers and we won. We played a full game tonight and we won. If we do that every night, we’re going to be a tough team to beat."

WSU-UO notebook: Cougars’ ground game more productive than Oregon’s passing attack - Spokesman.com - Oct. 10, 2015
The 136 yards the WSU running backs found on the ground were the most of the Mike Leach era and the most for the Cougars since 2011. UO quarterbacks Jeff Lockie and Taylor Alie, meanwhile, completed just 13 of 24 passes for 123 yards.

Goe: With the loss to Washington State, Oregon's season takes a sharp turn for the worst | OregonLive.com
"We moved the ball pretty much the whole game. All of a sudden there would be mishap." Until the game was on the line. Then the Cougars finished like Muhammad Ali. "We outpunched them at the end," Leach said. It happened at Autzen, in front of 57,775 fans imploring the Ducks to land the last blow.

Washington State snaps eight-game losing streak to Oregon Ducks in fourth-quarter comeback | OregonLive.com
The Ducks led 31-21 with 8:20 remaining in regulation and the fans who hadn't already been chased away by the intermittent downpours would have been safe thinking they could bolt to the parking lot. Oregon had won 100 straight games when leading by 10 points, dating to 2005.

Oregon Ducks fall to Washington State 45-38 in double overtime at Autzen | Oregon Ducks Football | Eugene, Oregon
"We’ve just got to be more aware than that and know the situation," Lockie said of the premature field storming by the Ducks. "I think a lot of people thought that was an and-goal situation, when really there was a first down they could have got."

Washington State Cougars keep battling to end losing streak to Oregon Ducks | Oregon Ducks Football | Eugene, Oregon
"Coach Leach brought us together right before overtime and said teams that are focused, chances are they’re going to win the game," said Falk, who threw for a season-high 505 yards on 50-of-74 passing with five TDs. "We haven’t really practiced that situation, but I think everybody did a nice job responding to it. … We had the momentum on our side and we expected to win."

Washington State pulls outs dramatic 45-38 double OT win at Oregon
What the win means for Washington State: Even though quarterback Luke Falk was inconsistent throughout the game and the defense gave up major chunks to Royce Freeman, when it mattered most the Cougs got it done.

Game recap: WSU 45, Oregon 38 (2 OTs) | Sportspress Northwest
Washington State made the most of its fourth-down opportunities, going 4-for-5.

Mike Leach calls Oregon's Lewis and Clark uniform tribute 'irrelevant', gives history lesson (Video) | FOX Sports
As only Leach could, he called Oregon's "Pioneers" uniforms "irrelevant" before explaining what intrigued him about the exploration of the western United States.

Beer

Here's how a Big Beer merger could hurt craft brewers - Fortune
A Big Beer combination of AB InBev and SABMiller could get the mega-brewer to focus on its bigger brands at the expensive of craft labels.

Non-Sports

The 25 Most Rewatchable Movies Of All Time | FiveThirtyEight
People like to rewatch epics: Space operas, fantasy series and iconic films of historical significance make up the vast majority of the top 25. Also, "Grease."