SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 8, 2014
Washington State 39, Oregon State 32: Freshman Luke Falk threw for 471 yards and five touchdowns as the visiting Cougars edged the Beavers in a Pac-12 shootout.
Falk went 44-of-61 and completed passes to nine different receivers in his first career start for Washington State (3-7, 2-5 Pac-12), which lost Connor Halliday the previous week to a season-ending ankle injury. Vince Mayle snagged six passes for 143 yards and a touchdown while Tyler Baker added nine catches for 113 yards and a score for the Cougars, who netted 506 total yards.
Sean Mannion finished 31-of-41 for 419 yards and a touchdown while Terron Ward collected 49 yards rushing and two scores for Oregon State (4-5, 1-5), which has dropped four straight games in league play. Victor Bolden hauled in 10 passes for 126 yards and Garrett Owens kicked four field goals for the Beavers, who committed 10 penalties for 100 yards.
Falk connected on three touchdown passes in the first half, including a 48-yard strike to Mayle, to put the Cougars up 21-16 at intermission as the Beavers were forced to settle for three field goals after their first drive went for a touchdown. Ward punched in a score from a yard out to pull Oregon State within 24-22 midway through the third quarter and Owens secured a one-point edge with his fourth field goal on the day จC a 46-yard attempt in the first minute of the fourth quarter.
Washington State reclaimed the lead at the 11:01 mark when Falk rolled to his right and hooked up with Dom Williams for his fourth TD pass and the advantage grew to 39-25 when Robert Lewis hauled in a 9-yard score with 5:57 remaining. Ward capped off an 11-play, 75-yard drive with a short TD run to trim the deficit to seven, but the Cougars retained possession for the final three minutes to hold on and snap a four-game skid.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Mayle set a single-season record at Washington State with his 83rd reception. ... Washington State DB Daquawn Brown was cited for targeting in the fourth quarter and was disqualified. ... Mannion passed former Stanford standout John Elway for ninth place in career TD passes (78) in the Pac-12.