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This team is frustrating. It's talented, it's explosive, and it's inconsistent as all hell. The Washington State Cougars are a roller coaster.
From game to game and drive to drive, we watch, waiting for it all to fall apart with a sinking feeling. And when it doesn't, well … you beat Oregon. In Autzen. In double overtime. By pulling a win squarely out of your backside. By never giving up.
We all fall victim to moments of frustration and pessimism, myself very much included. We curse and swear off football. Yet we keep coming back to watch, waiting and hoping to see something special. You saw something special tonight, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Washington State going on the road and beating Oregon -- finally beating Oregon after coming close over and over again -- is something to remember. It doesn't matter what came before it or what will come after it. Beating Oregon, whether the Ducks are down or not, is incredibly special.
There was fight, from both the offense and defense. Washington State backed itself into a corner multiple times on Saturday night and kept freaking swinging. The Cougs came out of the gates swinging with an early touchdown. After falling behind by halftime, they came right back out swinging after the half.
And when the clock wound down to zeroes, the Cougars swung one more time, as hard as they could, and delivered a blow to tie the game and force overtime.
Even after Oregon scored quickly to take the lead in overtime, the Cougs kept on fighting. Luke Falk destroyed himself to tie it back up, then powered through for the go-ahead score. And that defense? How bout that defense stiffing up time and again, picking up the slack as the offense hit a lull.
And oh by the way, 50-74for 505 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions is one hell of a game. Be proud of what Falk did at Autzen. Be proud of what every single one of those players did.
This team is going to make mistakes and have a slim margin for error. But it has potential. It has talent and explosive playmakers on both sides of the ball. And it did something on Saturday night that's been almost unfathomable for about a decade.
It doesn't matter that this isn't the same Oregon powerhouse. Having been in Pullman as a student the last time Washington State beat Oregon, and on the field in celebration, there is something absolutely special about beating the Ducks. We've suffered through what feels like nine years of almost. There was no almost in Autzen on Saturday night.
Cherish what you just saw. Don't worry about next week or the week after that, or how the season may turn out. Live in the moment and enjoy the living hell out of this.
When the rollercoaster pulls back up next week, hop into the seat, strap yourself in, throw your hands up and ride the thing again. The twists and turns, the frustration and jubilation: it's all worth it.
We'll all be here next week, riding the ride again. That's what we do, in hopes of seeing something like we saw on Saturday night. Is all the frustration and all the almosts worth it?
You're damn right it is.