Game Day On The Palouse The Beavers Can Make A Great Day
Driving up through the Columbia Gorge, and across the open (very open) spaces of NE Oregon and SE Washington, I will again be eagerly looking forward to a memorable game day. It always is in Pullman. Always. The passionate fans that always welcome Beaver Nation as family, and that was before the new found alliance in arms thrust upon the Cougars and Beavers by conference realignment moves that left them behind. The usually large turnout of OSU fans because its a makable drive for a road game. And with the Ducks and Huskies bound for a different conference, the Palouse trip may soon be the shortest road trip Oregon State makes going forward.
And this one, the first time in over a century of history, that the Beaves and Cougs have ever met when they were both ranked, has all the makings of being one for the ages. On the first day of fall. Worthy of network tv, and in prime time in the east. And a far cry from 14 years ago, when few made the treacherous trip for the Icy Road bowl, a week before the season ending rivalry games, for the what is believed to be the last Power 5 game ever played where there was no video coverage of any kind.
Only radio was available, and you had to be in the coverage area of a network station of one of the two schools. And the last Beaver game I didn't see a single play of, at least on tv or a stream, if not in person. I've not missed a play of a Cougar-Beaver game since, and I'm glad that though many long time rivalries may be about to end, this probably won't be one of themm.
The Beavers have a legitimate chance, and are slight favorites, to make the return trip just as enjoyable, something that has not been the case in a decade. Since that multiple second half interception sparked win, back in the early days of the Air Rais, when it was thought it would work to just keep chucking it up against a P-5 secondary, its been 4 straight disappointing drives home for Beaver fans.
That was to be expected, and a common occurrance, in the early days of the Gary Anderson era, where there was no evidence that there was any semblance of understanding principles of defense. But little did we know the worst was yet to come.
I remember the feeling of apprehension after the Jake Luton injury. And the sense of relief, when already almost back to where you could see the lights of Pasco in the distance, the txt message came that Jake would be ok, and would be released from the hospital. And also make the ride back to Corvallis. Something that was not at all to be assumed at any time after the hit happened, all of about 30 feet in front of me.
And the frustration after the inexplicable decision to give away almost half a field of field position in the waning seconds of the game with an inexcusable 4th down call (after a pointless 3rd down call, and an even worse 2nd down call), a game the Beavers were leading, led directly to the Max Borghi touchdown with seconds left, that sent the Cougars to a bowl, and cost Oregon State what would have been their first bowl in 6 years, and resulted in a losing season.
And then another come from ahead loss 2 years ago, when an under-productive first half offensively, and another failed 4th down gamble, set the Beavers up for the Cougar comeback, against a Tim Tibesar defense that was not just incapable of, but immune to adjustments. At least that finally started the process that would culminate with the replacement of Tibesar with Trent Bray, who introduced actual defensive stategy, a foreign concept data back to the early Banker years.
A win this time up there would not only check off another checkbox on Coach Jonathan Smith's checklist (he got his first win against WSU last season at Reser), given the stakes both on the field and in the negotiation space, but deliver the best drive back from Pullman ever. What a Game Day that would (or will?) be.
Go Beavers!
Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com