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I don't think a 5-5 record has ever felt so good.
Washington State hasn't won a home game since Sept. 21 and the Cougars are 5-5. Leading receiver Gabe Marks didn't catch a pass on Saturday and the Cougars pulled off the 24-17 upset. I'm not entirely sure how WSU keeps doing these things, but I thoroughly enjoy them when they happen.
Coming off three straight ugly losses, the Cougars' season appeared to be on the verge of spiraling out of control. They have had very little success playing at Arizona recently and a possible six-game losing streak to close the season began to creep into conversation.
All of that is out the window now and instead the conversation is on the Cougars picking up their third Pac-12 road win of the season and what it means for the bowl outlook. WSU fans are bowl watching in November and the Apple Cup will have postseason implications for the Cougars for the first time since 2006. This is fun.
WSU reaction:
WSU notebook: Cougars find success, unity on the road - Spokesman.com - Nov. 17, 2013
Like USC and Cal before them, Arizona fell in front of its home crowd to a WSU team that has had more success on the road than in Pullman this season. The last time the Cougars won multiple conference road games was during the 2006 season when they beat Stanford, Oregon State and UCLA in their respective stadiums.
Washington State hangs on to beat Arizona, 24-17 | Bud Withers | The Seattle Times
B.J. Denker’s final, futile pass sailed too far for his receiver to corral inbounds, and the collective breath held on the Washington State sideline was released, a gust of desert air.
Game in the Arizona desert becomes a battle among Floridians | Cougar Football | The Seattle Times
When Washington State and Arizona kicked off here at high noon in the Sonoran desert, there was little to suggest that a couple of old cronies from Florida would suddenly be prominent.
WSU-Arizona: Jacob Thorpe’s Keys to the Game - Spokesman.com - Nov. 17, 2013
What went right WSU put together a complete game, something it has struggled with lately. Against OSU the Cougars gave up 35 unanswered points after hanging with the Beavers for nearly three quarters and the team didn’t pick up a first down against ASU until the Sun Devils were up 21-0. But on the road against Arizona the Cougars jumped out to a 10-0 lead and made critical and plays late in the game.
Desert storm - Spokesman.com - Nov. 17, 2013
It took a trip to the desert for the Washington State football team to find its oasis. The Cougars (5-5, 3-4) ended a three-game losing streak that spanned five weeks by earning a 24-17 victory over Arizona (6-4, 3-4 Pac-12) in front of a partisan – if somewhat thin – Wildcats home crowd.
Arizona reaction:
Washington State Cougars pull off the upset of UA football
Connor Halliday threw 25 yards to Isiah Myers for the tie-breaking touchdown with 2:15 to play to give Washington State a 24-17 upset over Arizona on Saturday.
Err-izona: Sloppy Wildcats let one slip away against Washington State - AG's Wildcat Report
Let’s start with error. That was a popular word after the Arizona Wildcats’ 24-17 home loss to Washington State on Saturday.
Washington State upsets Arizona
It’s a good thing for the Arizona Wildcats that Arizona Stadium was half-empty this afternoon. They don’t anyone to see what just happened.
Greg Hansen: Soft Cats regress as spirit, fans disappear
This is not the end. It is the beginning. An exasperating loss to a bad team. Shanked punts, missed kicks. No pass rush. A botched two-minute drill. Thousands of empty seats.
Incomplete: Wildcats struggle in all phases, lose to Washington State
The door to the visitor’s locker room shook like thunder. Cheering, yelling, clapping and singing all blared out the bottom two inches of the door frame. It was the loudest Arizona Stadium got all day.
UA football notes: Special teams struggle in loss to Cougs
Just when the Arizona Wildcats seemed to have the problem solved, it became an issue yet again. Stop if you’ve heard this one before: Special teams gave Arizona fits on Saturday in its 24-17 loss to Washington State.
Football:
2014 NFL Draft: Washington State's Bucannon passes test vs. Arizona - CBSSports.com
Washington State's defense has shown the ferocity of a house cat in recent years, but strong safety Deone Bucannon is proving a notable exception.
Men's basketball:
WSU cruises past Lamar, 84-64 - SportsLink - Spokesman.com - Nov. 16, 2013
Hours after the Washington State football team took down Arizona in the desert the men's basketball team was holding down the fort back in Pullman against Lamar University. Due to my football duties I couldn't be there to cover the game, but I was able to watch the snippets of it that the Pac-12 Networks actually broadcasted on my computer.
DaVonte Lacy scored 21 points and hit three 3-pointers in the second half to help Washington State beat Lamar 84-64 Saturday night.
Soccer:
Cougars Eliminated in NCAA First Round - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
Washington State and visiting Illinois battled through 110 minutes without a goal on a muddy terrain at Lower Soccer Field, Saturday in the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship First Round.
Women's basketball:
Cougars Lose to Mountaineers in Honolulu - Washington State University Official Athletic Site
The Washington State University women's basketball team couldn’t stop West Virginia’s lights-out shooting, as the Cougars fell to the Mountaineers, 88-66, at Stan Sheriff Center in the Bank of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Classic Saturday.