We’re already into week six of the college football season... And the Cougs have yet to hit the road.

That’s about to change this weekend, when Washington State heads to Eugene to take on the Ducks this Saturday.

After spending so much time sleeping in their own beds, you would think the Cougars would dread their first road trip of the year. But, at least one WSU player is looking forward to a specific part of the trip:

Cheeseburgers.

“I’m really excited to play an away game, I’m not going to lie,” Jamal Morrow told the media last week. “I like to just get on the flight and... You know, those little cheeseburgers they have on the airplane. It’s like one of the greatest cheeseburgers of all time. Alaska [Airlines], shout out to them.”

Morrow didn’t give any further information about the cheeseburgers, but a quick look at the Alaska website, gives this profile (and a picture) of the menu item:

A customer favorite featuring beloved Northwest specialties; certified Angus beef® is topped with Oregon’s Tillamook® cheddar cheese and served with Tim’s Cascade potato chips.

“I don’t know what it is, it just fits,” Morrow adds. “You know, you throw a little mayo, ketchup on it... With the chips, it just works. I don’t know what it is. I don’t know what they do to the burgers, but they’re good.”

I’m sold. I’m definitely trying one on my next flight. But, if you ask Morrow’s teammates, the reviews are mixed.

“I think they might be a little more popular with Jamal than some,” said Mike Leach this week. “They’re not necessarily objected to and a lot of people eat them and a lot of people are reasonably fired up by them, but it’s also mixed.”

(On a slightly related note, Leach then proceeded to rank his favorite burger places. He was asked to choose between In-n-Out, Five Guys and Steak and Shake. Coach ranked In-n-Out first, followed by Steak and Shake and Five Guys. He also admitted that he “has fairly limited expertise.”)

Kicker Erik Powell gave his thoughts on the topic after practice Tuesday. “They’re great. They’re probably not the best cheeseburgers, but when you’re on the plane, they’re pretty darn good. I agree with him 100%.”

And finally, Mr. Clean Eating himself, Luke Falk gave his thoughts and, unsurprisingly, admitted that he steers clear.

“I don’t eat them, but I know a lot of the guys really love them. Especially Jamal and all the big boys. I heard they’re really good, but I’m probably going to stay away from them. I bet they’re really good.” Luke then added he’d stick with a good old fashioned Cougar Country burger.

Hopefully those burgers give the team the juice they need to win their first road game of the year in Eugene on Saturday. But one thing is for sure: this strange viral marketing campaign for the Alaska Airlines Angus beef burger worked on me. I might book a flight just to get a burger.

Football

Washington State Cougars hit the road for first time this season
Among other things, it means the players will finally get their cheeseburgers. Running back Jamal Morrow loves the free cheeseburgers the team gets when they travel on Alaska Airlines to road games.

Oddly enough, No. 11 Washington State dying to leave Pullman for first road game | The Spokesman-Review
PULLMAN – As much as they’ve enjoyed five consecutive games in front of a home crowd, the Cougars are actually a little roadsick.

Oregon preparing for Washington State's run defense | OregonLive.com
Tyrell Crosby is not a defensive coordinator, but he's a realist. He knows Oregon is down a starting quarterback and he knows the backup situation calls to question just how good the Ducks can be over the next four to six weeks with Justin Herbert on the shelf.

Washington State’s Luke Falk, Erik Powell, Mike Leach recognized with national weekly awards following USC win | The Spokesman-Review
There wasn’t another quarterback in the country who had a better Week 5 than Washington State’s Luke Falk, according to the Davey O’Brien Foundation.

Pac-12 football: Coaches decry late-night kickoff times, but there’s not much they can do about it - The Salt Lake Tribune
The Pac-12 has staged a regular schedule of late games for most of this decade. The issue was revived this week when Washington coach Chris Petersen apologized to Husky fans about a 7:45 p.m. kickoff vs. California and said the schedule “hurts us tremendously in terms of national exposure,” with games lasting well after midnight in the East.

Volleyball

Kyra Holt Talks About Her First Year as a Professional Player | Washington State University Athletics
After an outstanding career at Washington State University, Kyra Holt spent last spring playing professional volleyball in Puerto Rico.

Soccer

Soccer Heads to Eugene | Washington State University Athletics
The Cougs hit the road for the first time in Pac-12 play Thursday.