HCA: #DUUUVAL

Gardner Minshew captured the attention of the Cougar faithful last season like few players I can ever remember. Now he has brought the magic or aura (if you will) to the National Football League. Minshew’s performance after relieving Nick Foles on Sunday in the Jags game against the Chiefs has made him one of the most talked about players in the whole league. His flamboyant style definitely won’t hurt in that regard. Here is Ryen Russillo of the Ringer on Sunday seeing Minshew throw two touchdown passes in relief and setting a completion percentage record (88) for a player in his first game with 25 attempts.

Rodger Sherman of The Ringer went deep on Minshew in a nice piece yesterday that exposed the “mustache” to NFL fans. He goes deep on his origin story and explains the mustache and Minshew’s famous “stretching habits”. Here is Sherman on the greatness of Minshew’s debut.

So Minshew’s Week 1 is etched in the league and the Jaguars’ record books. But I still think that sells the ridiculousness of this debut short. If we compare Minshew’s performance with those of other quarterbacks in his position—rookies who did not start for their teams in Week 1, but who were pressed into action—nobody has come close. Since 1999 (which is as far back as we have reliable data on who started individual games), only two QBs who fit this criteria have ever thrown a touchdown: Minshew and Deshaun Watson, a college football national champion and first-round draft pick who entered his rookie season with enormous hype. Only one player in this scenario besides Minshew has thrown for 100 yards: Ken Dorsey, a seventh-round pick who split snaps with Tim Rattay in San Francisco’s 2004 opener.

Minshew wowed the media yesterday in his first press conference as well. Here he is talking about his comm degree which of course the press corps just ate up.

He also talked about the Cougar Nation.

There is already parody account of Minshew ala Andrew Luck. We now get to revel in letters from “Sheriff Minshew”.

Last, but not least there is a great hype video from Jags fan @colefartley2. Enjoy!

Pop Culture

Worth watching:

Mindhunter Season 2: Fantastic Netflix show by David Fincher about the early days of the FBI hunting serial killers starring Jonathan Groff and Holt McElleney. If you liked Zodiac you’ll love this. The second brings the investigators in contact with the Son of Sam and Charles Manson.

Succession Season 2: HBO comedy-drama about a fictional Murdoch type family is the best show on TV. Equal parts hilarious and smart it reminds me of the glory days of Mad Men.

Worth reading:

Raised in Captivity by Chuck Klosterman: New collection of fictional short stories from one of America’s best thinkers. Nice little twisty stories filtered through Klosterman’s unique worldview.

Football

Better after the break: WSU has flipped the script from last season, dominating third quarter | The Spokesman-Review
In two games so far this season, against opponents from less heralded conferences, the third quarter marked the difference between enduring an upset bid and enjoying a head-to-the-exits-early blowout for the Washington State Cougars.

Washington State mailbag: On Travion Brown, Cougars v. Cougars and USC’s potential interest in AD Pat Chun | The Spokesman-Review
In this week’s mailbag, I talk about the true freshman linebacker, why he’s been able to dazzle the first two weeks of the season and what his role might look like Friday against Houston. In addition, we examine the Cougars vs. Cougars matchup in more detail, assess WSU’s tackling woes and address the Pat Chun-to-USC rumors.

Houston’s Dana Holgorsen was right down the road when Mike Leach, Hal Mumme conceived Air Raid offense | The Spokesman-Review
Dana Holgorsen wasn’t there for the birth of the Air Raid offense, but he was as close as you could get. If Holgorsen wasn’t inside the labor room itself, he might as well have been right outside the door.

WSU's Jeff Phelps says we haven't seen McDougle's best game yet
3 young players stood out to Coug DL coach in Thursday Night Football

For WSU's leading WR, Brandon Arconado, patience makes perfect
WSU receiver Brandon Arconado says he has some catching up to do

WSU's Drew Hollingshead, ex-Houston QB, is headed home on Friday
Make no mistake of offensive quality control coach's importance to WSU QBs and program

Gardner Minshew: 'We have some of the best fans at Wazzu’
Minshew on Pullman: 'Up there it was chaotic, it was crazy. In that little corner of the country it was something else.'

The lifelong love of WSU on clear display at Hall of Fame dinner
Ryan Leaf delivers a power-packed speech