They Coug'd it
Well, the drive up from Boise to Pullman went off without a hitch. We nearly hit two deer, but completed the trip intact. While it was good seeing family and old college friends again, the football game against UCLA was a heartbreaking disappointment. They were off to a good start in the first half, scoring a touchdown within the first minute of gameplay, and at one time were up 21-0.
In my opinion, the moment that started to swing the momentum was during the 2nd quarter when WSU decided not to punt when it was 4th down and they were pinned against their own end-zone. Granted, they only had one yard to go for a 1st down, but even if they'd got it, they still would've been fighting an uphill battle. In my opinion, that would've been the time to punt, and let the defense hold 'em. That turnover handed UCLA an easy touchdown.
Inevitably, in typical Cougar fashion, they let UCLA chip away at their lead, resulting in overtime, in which the Cougs decided not to go with what had been their bread-and-butter the entire time - the run game. In overtime, they went with nearly all passing plays, because the Bruins' defense had caught on to the fact that Jerome Harrison was pretty much running all over them, forcing WSU to actually throw the ball. Unfortunately, this is not our strong suit this year. When it was all said and done, the game ended in a close 44-41.
It's just sad that their #1 (literally, that's his jersey number) running back had a career-high of 260 yards in one game, only to have the rest of the guys not pull through. He carried the team on his shoulders all throughout the first half, and the game was looking to be a shut-out. It just goes to show that it takes more than one player to win a game. Too bad the rest of the Cougars didn't show up to play. Does anyone else have a team that breaks your heart?