Nov. 10th – No. 10 Washington State – I Would Be Happy Either Way

Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew completed 35-of-58 passes for 335 yards and two touchdowns, running for a third, leading the No. 10 Cougars to a 31-7 win over Colorado in Boulder.

The Cougars held the ball for 41:46 of game clock (to 18:14 for the Buffs), going for 477 total yards. The Buffs were held below 300 yards (297), and turned the ball over three times. Steven Montez went 20-of-35 for 199 yards, but was ineffective against the Cougar defense. Wide receiver Laviska Shenault returned for the first time in a month, collecting ten receptions for 102 yards, but had drops when the game was still in doubt, and later fumbled the ball away for the first time all season.

“Washington State is good team,” said Colorado head coach Mike MacIntyre. “Minshew made some plays like he always does. I thought our guys came out and played extremely hard. I feel like if we had been able to get something going offensive, it might have been a different story.”

“We have to say on the field and convert on third downs,” said Montez (the Buff offense was 2-for-11 on third down conversions). “I think we are struggling in the third down area. We had opportunities in this game to keep those drives going but we have to do a better job executing.”

The Buffs are on a five-game losing streak, with a seven-game losing streak to end the season a real possibility … The Buffs are either going to rebound, and finish on a high note, or Rick George needs to find a new head coach … I’d be happy with either scenario …

Cal becomes bowl-eligible with first win over USC in 14 years … Utah surprises Oregon, 32-25, with backup quarterback and backup running back … Arizona State bowl-eligible after 31-28 win over UCLA …

Game Day! … MIke MacIntyre: “Our goal is to play extremely hard and to get one more point that the opponent has” … Scouting Report: Five Cougars to Watch … Neill Woelk’s Friday’s Fast Five: Digging In …

Buffs the only home underdog in the Pac-12 this week … Six Buffs listed as “day-to-day” on CU injury report … Israel Antwine sets freshman record for defensive linemen … WSU five wins short of what milestone? …

“T.I.P.S.” for the Buffs v. Cougars … Which team has the advantage in playing an afternoon, nationally televised game? … Mike Leach 0-4 v. Colorado at Folsom Field … How does my prediction for the game square with yours? ….

CU moves up two spots in this week’s rankings, but now must face the No. 1 team in the Pac-12 … Buffs will get national attention this week, as the Washington State game will be a national game (ESPN, 1:30 p.m., MT) …