Anthony Gordon has been ‘starving for this opportunity’ at WSU

When the Washington State Cougars take on the New Mexico State Aggies tomorrow in the first game of the season, virtually everyone will have their eyes on the new starter at quarterback, Anthony Gordon.

He’s ready.

“A bunch of people are probably still thinking I might flinch or something, but I spent four years, I’ve been waiting for this, I’ve been starving for this opportunity and to finally get it, I’m ready,” Gordon said. “I think a lot of people are going to find out they’re wrong for doubting me.”

That’s part of an extended feature by Theo Lawson at The Spokesman-Review, and it’s 100% required reading for you today. There are a number of incredibly interesting nuggets in there, including this one: As near as anyone can tell, Gordon is the only fifth-year senior making his first start at QB in FBS. It also touches on his recruitment.

“It was just pretty tough … everyone’s telling me, ‘You’re very talented, someone’s going to get a great quarterback,’ and all this, and why won’t you take the chance then?” Gordon said.

He won’t be Gardner Minshew II when he steps on the field, but he learned something from watching last year’s starter.

“You need to be a leader; you need to be somebody the guys can go to and through adversity,” Gordon said. “Gardner, throughout the season, we had a lot of game-winning drives and stuff, and Gardner kept his calm, cool and collectiveness the whole entire time. That’s something I’ve been really trying to draw from, the way his personality was and all that while giving my own taste to it as well.”

We’ll see just how much he’s learned, starting tomorrow.

After waiting his turn at Washington State, quarterback Anthony Gordon is ready to step into the college football spotlight | The Spokesman-Review
Saturday morning, hours before Mike Leach ended any speculation and named Washington State’s starting quarterback, another piece of college football news involving a signal-caller from the Pac-12 sent a shockwave throughout the conference’s footprint.

Soccer

The soccer team plays its second game — and first home game of the season — of the season tonight against Montana at Lower Soccer Field. Kickoff is at 7 p.m., and you can watch it from the comfort of wherever you are via WSU’s live stream.

Grizzlies return to Pullman for rough rivalry – The Daily Evergreen
It will be a busy weekend for WSU Athletics in Pullman, but an even busier one for the Cougar Women’s soccer team. The Cougars (1-0-0) will play the Montana Grizzlies (0-0-2) in a regional non-conference game for their first home match of the season at 7 p.m. Friday at the Lower Soccer Field. The Cougars...

Back Home for Soccer - Washington State University Athletics
Game notes.

Football Links

Five questions on the Washington State Cougars - Las Cruces Sun News
Thank you to Spokesman Review sports writer Theo Lawson for taking some time to answer five questions regarding the No. 23 Washington State football team.

No. 23 Washington State enters new season with untested QB - The Washington Post
Anthony Gordon has barely seen the field in three seasons at Washington State but the Cougars are his team now

NM State with several ties to Washington State's Air Raid attack - Las Cruces Sun News
The Air Raid offense doesn't deviate from year to year and has stood the test of time in college football.

Opinion: football key matchups – The Daily Evergreen
Expectations have never been higher for No. 23 WSU football. A year after posting a program-record 11 wins, the Cougars find themselves in the AP preseason poll for only the fourth time since 1952. How can WSU get its season off on the right foot this weekend? Here are three key matchups as Washington State...

The Bridge Podcast: Eugene native and former WSU QB Alex Brink
Alex Brink sat down with host of The Bridge, Justin Myers, to talk about a variety of topics including his lack of recruitment from Oregon, the city of Pullman, and the fans of the Cougars.

College football best bets, Week 1: Betting lines, score predictions for Oregon vs. Auburn, Boise State vs. Florida State, 20 other games - oregonlive.com
Score predictions for 22 of the most intriguing games this week as the 2019 college football season gets underway with a full slate of action.

Pac-12 saw some key QB competitions heading into season | KIRO-TV
Gardner Minshew's success was something of a pleasant surprise last season for Washington State. Now the Cougars will look to his backup, Anthony Gordon.

Watchability rankings: The most entertaining teams in college football | abc7.com
10.Washington State(21 points)

Franklin’s time on the Palouse helped mold his future | Sports | dnews.com
A long time before sixth-year Penn State coach James Franklin was breaking new football ground, and allowing his Nittany Lions All-Americans and top-tier national recruits to help order their depth

Pac-12, Oregon have something to prove in marquee matchup | Sports | thetimestribune.com

Everything Else

College volleyball: Youthful rosters at Washington State, Idaho after strong 2018 seasons | The Spokesman-Review
The youth movement is on for the four area Division I volleyball programs, particularly on the Palouse.

'I just couldn't believe it': Landscaper surprises longtime WSU fan | krem.com
Bev Moser's fandom for Cougars football started her freshman year at Washington State University 68 years ago.

Cougars welcome a spate of newbies | Sports | dnews.com
If Jen Greeny were a Division I football coach, she could dole out 85 scholarships per year and, over time, assemble a roster that’s smoothly gradated in terms of classes

Cougars UNLEASH Strategic Plan - Washington State University Athletics
UNLEASH to advance the future of Cougar Athletics.

Volleyball Begins 2019 at JMU Invitational - Washington State University Athletics
WSU will travel to Virginia for a trio of matches this weekend.

Cougars Host WSU Open Friday - Washington State University Athletics
Cross Country begins the 2019 season at the Colfax Golf Club.

Letter From Athletic Director Pat Chun - Washington State University Athletics
Cougar home athletic events begin this weekend.