By Howie Stalwick
Paul Wulff, the first-year coach of the Washington State Cougars, has been asking fans to show patience with his rebuilding football team. In retrospect, the Cougars might have been better served if Wulff had asked the California Bears to show patience with his rebuilding football team. The Bears scored three touchdowns on their first 10 offensive plays, including an 80-yard run on the first play from scrimmage, and lambasted Washington State 66-3 Saturday at Martin Stadium. The 63-point margin of defeat is the worst in the history of WSU football, which dates back to 1894. "Embarrassing! Embarrassing!" a fan yelled at the Cougars as they left the field. "We were outmanned," Wulff said. "They are a lot bigger, a lot stronger and a lot faster."
The Bears led 7-0 after 11 seconds, 14-0 after 1:31, 21-0 after 6:05 and 42-3 at the half. The Pac-10's smallest stadium was barely three-quarters full at the start of WSU's conference and home opener, and thousands of the 27,906 spectators left during the second quarter on a sunny afternoon. The points scored and margin of victory are records in the Cal-WSU series, which dates back to 1919. The points scored is tied for fourth in the history of the Pac-10 and its predecessors, dating back to 1916. WSU has yielded more points only once, that coming in a 70-33 loss to USC in Spokane in 1970. California holds the record for points scored by a Pac-10 team, thanks to a 127-0 drubbing of Saint Mary's in 1920.
California (2-0 overall, 1-0 Pac-10) crushed WSU (0-2, 0-1) 505-167 in total yards, including 391-57 on the ground. Speedy sophomore tailback Jahvid Best sat out most of the second half after setting career highs with 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries. The Bears averaged 9.8 yards per carry, compared to 1.6 for the Cougars. Best lived up to his name on the first play from scrimmage, bolting up the middle, faking safety Chima Nwachukwu out of his shoes and zooming 80 yards untouched into the end zone.
"I knew he was fast, but I wasn't ready for that," Nwachukwu said. Two plays later, Gary Rogers threw the first of WSU's four interceptions. Two plays after that, Kevin Riley found Sean Young all alone in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown pass. A few minutes later, Shane Vereen (Best's backup) scored on a 39-yard run. "We always talk about what we expect out of each other it's kind of like a good rivalry," Best said. "We just keep pushing each other to be the best players we can be." The outcome was decided long before Rogers was benched at the half and Best scored on an 86-yard run early in the third quarter. Wulff said Rogers will have to beat out Kevin Lopina and possibly Nate Lobbestael in practice this week to hold on to the starting quarterback job. Rogers had the best passing stats of the three quarterbacks Saturday, although he went just 10 for 21 for 78 yards, no touchdowns and two picks. Lopina and Lobbestael each threw an interception. "We have to have someone ultimately who can perform at that position," Wulff said.
The Cougars take a break from conference play the next two weeks. WSU visits 1-1 Baylor next Saturday in Waco, Texas, then returns home to face 1-0 Portland State on Sept. 20 (4 p.m., FSN). "We've got two games ahead of us that we're going to win," Rogers said.
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