WSU beats Idaho by half-a-hundred

Good morning, and welcome to the first time in 2016 when we can wake up and read about a win. Sure, it was Idaho, probably the worst team on the schedule. And sure, WSU started off like they have done so often, which is to say quite poorly. Fortunately they didn't finish poorly, as the Cougs were able to go deep into the bench midway through the fourth quarter. It's much more fun when that happens.

You may not be aware of this, but it's been a bit of a rough week for WSU and its fans. First, there was the maddening loss at Boise State, a game WSU could have (some would say should have) won. Then there was the news of Logan Tago's arrest. Then there was Robert Barber's expulsion, which is currently under appeal. Finally, Friday brought a press conference in which the police recommended assault charges against Barber and T.J. Fehoko. As one of the authors mentioned, it feels like the season is two months old, not two weeks. But WSU overcame some early sputters and did what big favorites should do, leave no doubt.

With that, let's get to a new segment we call the good, the bad, and the ugly. I owe this new segment to a guy I used to fly with. Normally after a flight (which, if you flew gunships almost always landed after midnight), the pilot-in-command would go through every segment of the mission and ask the crew what they thought about it. Nearly every time, I wanted to suck-start a revolver within five minutes. But this one guy would simply talk about a thing or two that went well, a thing or two that went poorly, and a thing or two that we really screwed up. Then we'd be out of there. It was quite refreshing, so here goes:

The Good: Boobie Williams - Many Cougar fans saw the awe-inspiring practice videos he would post to his Twitter account. Today, everyone else got to see what he can do. Did I mention that he's a freshman? No? Yeah, dude is a FRESHMAN.

The offensive line - While the offense hasn't performed up to its capability yet this season, you've probably noticed that Luke Falk has had a TON of time to sit in the pocket and look for receivers. Oh, and did I mention that the running backs averaged 7.2 yards-per-carry(???!!!) Awesome day for the big guys up front.

The Bad: Speaking of Luke Falk, something just doesn't seem right with him. I don't know if he's dinged up, if he has a mental block or what. It's clear that he has regressed since last season, and his indecisiveness could very be the thing that ultimately derails the season.

Penalties - I can honestly say that I don't remember a kick return that didn't result in a penalty on WSU. That cannot continue. WSU had 11 penalties accepted for 108 yards, and that obviously doesn't count the flags Idaho declined. Have you ever seen a wide receiver penalized for grabbing the facemask WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO CATCH THE BALL? Teams that live on a razor-thin margin can't afford to put themselves in those situations. Luckily, Idaho was the opponent.

Paul Petrino - I get it, Paul. You'll never be half the coach, or motorcycle crasher, that brother Bobby is. That doesn't mean that you have to call timeout late in the game to try and prove some sort of point. Yeah, WSU's walk-on scored a touchdown on you and your sorry team. Take your beating like a man. Oh, and thanks for kicking a field goal, down 18, on fourth-and-goal from the one yardline. Solid move right there.

The Ugly: We'll reserve this space for one person this week. Jamal Morrow, come on down. Look, I know that Idaho player pushed you in the back unnecessarily. Despite that, you can't turn around and throw a punch, especially when you're standing on the opponent's sideline. Not to mention the fact that WSU has had a bit of a rough week when it comes to punches being thrown. As they're fond of saying on ESPN, come on, man.

In the end, the Cougs destroyed the Vandals again, and will get a chance to heal up (looking at you, Gabe) for a bit before conference play begins. It may not have started well, but it sure got better. Leach now leads Petrino 98-6. Go Cougs.

Football

Robert Barber ignites Cougars to 56-6 win over Idaho | The Spokesman-Review
At the end of a hellish week that saw him arrested and possibly kicked out of school, Robert Barber made a play that injected life into his lethargic team and sprung the Cougars to a 56-6 victory over the Vandals that the program and fan base sorely needed.

WSU Cougars football players of the game versus Idaho Vandals | The Spokesman-Review
Perhaps most impressively, Williams was never tackled for a loss while gaining an average of nine yards per rush.

John Blanchette: New WSU Hall of Famer Hendrickson was an uncommon talent | The Spokesman-Review
On the subject of rarities, Hendrickson may well own one baseball record: most times drafted. Starting with his senior year of high school at Mt. Vernon, he was selected in six consecutive MLB drafts and might have succumbed the first year if the Braves hadn’t sent a scout who "rubbed my family the wrong way."

WSU Hall of Fame

John Blanchette: New WSU Hall of Famer Hendrickson was an uncommon talent | The Spokesman-Review
On the subject of rarities, Hendrickson may well own one baseball record: most times drafted. Starting with his senior year of high school at Mt. Vernon, he was selected in six consecutive MLB drafts and might have succumbed the first year if the Braves hadn’t sent a scout who "rubbed my family the wrong way."

Non-Revenue

Volleyball Moves to 10-1 with 3-0 Win over Virginia - WSUCougars.com | Washington State University Athletics
WSU, also receiving votes in the last two consecutive AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll, is now 10-1 on the season after it tallied its sixth consecutive sweep and ninth consecutive victory with set scores of 25-10, 25-15, and 25-16 in the victory over Virginia.

WSU Men Three-peat as Sundodger Invitational Champions - WSUCougars.com | Washington State University Athletics
It was déjà vu all over again for the Cougars cross country teams. Junior Michael Williams led the Washington State men to the team title with his runner-up finish Saturday at the 25th Annual Sundodger Invitational Cross Country meet at Lincoln Park in Seattle.

Beer

Best beer I had this week: I was all excited when I found Funky Buddha's Sweet Potato Casserole Strong Ale the other day. It meant fall is here. In Tampa, that means that the heat index only gets above 103 for a couple hours every day. Well I don't know if they changed the recipe or what, but it is not nearly as good as it was last year. Previously, it tasted exactly like sweet potato casserole, but with alcohol! This year it seems much more sour. I am disappoint.

So we'll go with Cigar City Vanilla Maduro. Their standard Maduro is the best brown ale I've ever had. Adding a hint of vanilla takes in to a whole 'nother level.

Craft beer will never have a seat at Oktoberfest - MarketWatch
Germany’s 500-year-old beer purity laws keep the real Oktoberfest in Munich from being trendy, says Jason Notte.

Non-Sports

‘We’re the Only Plane in the Sky’ - POLITICO Magazine
I can't recommend this article enough. Unbelievably gripping.