Historic sports moments as a student at WSU

[TrumpCoug]

The current students have had quite a run. 6 straight bowl games, 11 win season, college game day, women's soccer final four, Klay's Jersey hoisted to the rafters.

Yesterdays historic celebration of Klay's jersey being hoisted to the rafters got me thinking about some of the historic sports moments while I was in Pullman as a student. Here are mine in no particular order.

Johnny O's 1988 season where he hit .464 with 23 HR, 81 RBIs, 108 hits, 204 total bases, and a .876 slugging percentage. As a pitcher, undefeated 15–0 season with a 2.49 ERA and 113 strikeouts. He was a consensus All-American as both a first baseman and pitcher and was named the Baseball America College Player of the Year.

1988 Apple Cup - the last time the goal posts came down in Martin Stadium.

1990 Watching Drew Bledsoe gain the starting job during the 1990 season as a true freshman (joined later by Jeff Tuel as the only two in school history),

Honorable mention - golf partner during the Summer of 1990 with Dan O'Brien who had just flunked out of U of I. The golf wasn't quite historic but what he later accomplished as a world class decathlete would be.

I probably left a couple out but those three stand out. What were your top 3?

 

[Coug90]

Does beer pong or flip-cup count?

 

[Observer11]

1981 - Holiday Bowl -51 year albatross broken.

1982 Apple Cup - Chuck Nelson wide, goalposts in the river.

1983 UCLA - Bryan Pollard tip in at the buzzer.

1985 - LCSC mugging/brawl.

 

[kougkurt]

Rueben Mayes. 357

 

[fingerdisco]

1988- knocking off #1 UCLA in their house

 

[chugspig]

I was in school 08-12. My pain knew no bounds, especially as I watched the last sliver of our basketball progress collapse in on itself.

 

[95coug]

I was in school 08-12. My pain knew no bounds, especially as I watched the last sliver of our basketball progress collapse in on itself.

I was trying to come up with a silver lining for you, but....sorry. You caught a bad bounce and hit the WSU Athletics dark ages.

For me: Drew. Ike Fontaine & Bennie Seltzer. The Posse. Ryan. Rose Bowl.

 

[chugspig]

I was trying to come up with a silver lining for you, but....sorry. You caught a bad bounce and hit the WSU Athletics dark ages.

For me: Drew. Ike Fontaine & Bennie Seltzer. The Posse. Ryan. Rose Bowl.

I was in the crowd for the last Apple Cup win. I shed a tear or two and hugged my buddy who had been a team trainer up until that year. Was about the only great memory I have.

 

[95coug]

I was in the crowd for the last Apple Cup win. I shed a tear or two and hugged my buddy who had been a team trainer up until that year. Was about the only great memory I have.

Well, at least that’s something.

Not to do my end zone dance on your one shining memory, but somehow I forgot the Snow Bowl - which I got paid $100 to watch from the field. That’s certainly up there on my list too. It wasn’t 5 straight bowl games, but I caught a pretty good bounce.

 

[chugspig]

Seems like a good deal.... it’s nice to hear all the good stuff people experienced through their time there. We need more of it to continue to pull people back. BTW I lived in Pullman from 2000-2015 w/ season tickets so it wasn’t all bad....I was in the crowd for all the 2001/2/3 games. That’s what hooked me.

 

[CougSinceBirth]

I was in school 08-12. My pain knew no bounds, especially as I watched the last sliver of our basketball progress collapse in on itself.

09-13 here, so I feel your pain.

 

[Coug90]

I was trying to come up with a silver lining for you, but....sorry. You caught a bad bounce and hit the WSU Athletics dark ages.

For me: Drew. Ike Fontaine & Bennie Seltzer. The Posse. Ryan. Rose Bowl.

That’s quite the run of success. Congrats professor!

 

[TrumpCoug]

1988- knocking off #1 UCLA in their house

Damn how did I forget the one. Rosie to Stallworth and Moton with the pick to seal the deal.

 

[M-I-Coug]

• When COUGS beat #1 UCLA in football at Martin.
• Listening to Bob Robertson on radio when games weren't televised.
• 1981 Holiday Bowl. "BYU nudges WSU in thriller".

 

[moxeecoug]

1981 - Holiday Bowl -51 year albatross broken.

1982 Apple Cup - Chuck Nelson wide, goalposts in the river.

1983 UCLA - Bryan Pollard tip in at the buzzer.

1985 - LCSC mugging/brawl.

All of those plus beating USC in 1986 for the first time in 30 years. Also the first time they came to Pullman in a number of years.

 

[BSpike76]

The current students have had quite a run. 6 straight bowl games, 11 win season, college game day, women's soccer final four, Klay's Jersey hoisted to the rafters.

Yesterdays historic celebration of Klay's jersey being hoisted to the rafters got me thinking about some of the historic sports moments while I was in Pullman as a student. Here are mine in no particular order.

Johnny O's 1988 season where he hit .464 with 23 HR, 81 RBIs, 108 hits, 204 total bases, and a .876 slugging percentage. As a pitcher, undefeated 15–0 season with a 2.49 ERA and 113 strikeouts. He was a consensus All-American as both a first baseman and pitcher and was named the Baseball America College Player of the Year.

1988 Apple Cup - the last time the goal posts came down in Martin Stadium.
1990 Watching Drew Bledsoe gain the starting job during the 1990 season as a true freshman (joined later by Jeff Tuel as the only two in school history),

Honorable mention - golf partner during the Summer of 1990 with Dan O'Brien who had just flunked out of U of I. The golf wasn't quite historic but what he later accomplished as a world class decathlete would be.

I probably left a couple out but those three stand out. What were your top 3?

Hanging 45 on the Huskies in the first half in ‘73. Hanging 84 on the Spuds in ‘75.

Almost stole the game ball after beating the Ducks in the snow in’73. Fortified with hot buttered rum made with Bacardi 151 in the old wooden stands on the north side. Ref picked up the ball just as my buddy and I slid past.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

1996 MBB "snapple" game.
2002(?) AC "Dasani" game

 

[dgibbons]

1996 MBB "snapple" game.
2002(?) AC "Dasani" game

The takeaway here is that you were in college a long time.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

The takeaway here is that you were in college a long time.

Once a student, always a student?

 

[cr8zyncalif]

I started Fall '76 and left after the volcano blew and finals were made optional my senior year, '80.

1.) 3 FB head coaches in 4 years. Though many trash Walden, and he has said some pretty stupid things in the past 10 years, I will always think well of him. Right guy at the right time.

2.) Raveling. Greatest hoops coach in the history of WSU, and that is saying something. There was no point as a student in trying to go to a hoops game (at least a league hoops game) unless you were prepared to wait in line 7-8 hour or were a frat rat with minions to hold places in line for you. Packed Beasley. Loud games. Raveling the cheerleader, telling the crowd when to get loud.

3.) Bobo. An almost unbelievable run.

Honors to Jeanne Eggart. An amazing athlete who stood out on every basketball floor she touched.

 

[Coug95man2]

Well, at least that’s something.

Not to do my end zone dance on your one shining memory, but somehow I forgot the Snow Bowl - which I got paid $100 to watch from the field. That’s certainly up there on my list too. It wasn’t 5 straight bowl games, but I caught a pretty good bounce.

Were you a parab op?!

 

[95coug]

Were you a parab op?!

I’m not sure what that is, so I guess not. I was shoveling snow.

 

[TTyacke1]

I’m not sure what that is, so I guess not. I was shoveling snow.

I am pretty sure I was throwing snow balls

 

[Wasichus]

I started Fall '76 and left after the volcano blew and finals were made optional my senior year, '80.

1.) 3 FB head coaches in 4 years. Though many trash Walden, and he has said some pretty stupid things in the past 10 years, I will always think well of him. Right guy at the right time.

2.) Raveling. Greatest hoops coach in the history of WSU, and that is saying something. There was no point as a student in trying to go to a hoops game (at least a league hoops game) unless you were prepared to wait in line 7-8 hour or were a frat rat with minions to hold places in line for you. Packed Beasley. Loud games. Raveling the cheerleader, telling the crowd when to get loud.

3.) Bobo. An almost unbelievable run.

Honors to Jeanne Eggart. An amazing athlete who stood out on every basketball floor she touched.

I was there just before you were. 71-75 for me. So many great memories.. Many, many more than just "top three".

- We beat the Rose Bowl bound Stanford team (were they still Indians back then?) in 1971. Was in a car caravan between E-berg and Spokaloo (don't ask) and almost ran of the road when the Cougs pulled the huge upset. Stanford "Thunderchicken" defense was pretty awesome.

- Another highlight for me was the '72 Apple cup in Spokane. Gary Larsen vs Sonny Sixkiller. Larsen won that battle...LOL And the Albi stadium management, who filled the slope behind the endzone (scoreboard end) with apples...close enough to the WSU student section for "easy access", REALLY needed to think that through better.

- Hiring of "The Rav" as head hoops coach. Replaced Bob Greenwood (who, as I understand it, was later instrumental in developing the game in Europe) and his head assistant Dale Brown (who went on to big things at LSU later). George was a true force of nature.

-'73 Apple cup in Seattle. "A-Train" and "Chuck Peck" (roomed with Charlie in the Beta house a semester or two). 52-26.....for the good guys!

-Climbing around in the rafters of the unfinished Beasley/Performing Arts Coliseum, while future wife yelled at me the get the #@@$! down from there!. Great perspective from up there...LOL

- Going to Coug baseball games and watching Bobo.

So very, very many great memories.

 

[BSpike76]

I was there just before you were. 71-75 for me. So many great memories.. Many, many more than just "top three".

- We beat the Rose Bowl bound Stanford team (were they still Indians back then?) in 1971. Was in a car caravan between E-berg and Spokaloo (don't ask) and almost ran of the road when the Cougs pulled the huge upset. Stanford "Thunderchicken" defense was pretty awesome.

- Another highlight for me was the '72 Apple cup in Spokane. Gary Larsen vs Sonny Sixkiller. Larsen won that battle...LOL And the Albi stadium management, who filled the slope behind the endzone (scoreboard end) with apples...close enough to the WSU student section for "easy access", REALLY needed to think that through better.

- Hiring of "The Rav" as head hoops coach. Replaced Bob Greenwood (who, as I understand it, was later instrumental in developing the game in Europe) and his head assistant Dale Brown (who went on to big things at LSU later). George was a true force of nature.

-'73 Apple cup in Seattle. "A-Train" and "Chuck Peck" (roomed with Charlie in the Beta house a semester or two). 52-26.....for the good guys!

-Climbing around in the rafters of the unfinished Beasley/Performing Arts Coliseum, while future wife yelled at me the get the #@@$! down from there!. Great perspective from up there...LOL

- Going to Coug baseball games and watching Bobo.

So very, very many great memories.

So you must have been there for the first ever conference game in the coliseum. A big comeback on U$C, with Gus Williams. That was fun. Played freeze out on the way back from break to see that game. It was cold that weekend.

 

[Ravenridge]

1983 UCLA - Bryan Pollard tip in at the buzzer.

The full house crowd flooded the court, some of them went to the locker room and presented Pollard with the rim they had broken off the glass backboard.

 

[BSpike76]

1983 UCLA - Bryan Pollard tip in at the buzzer.

The full house crowd flooded the court, some of them went to the locker room and presented Pollard with the rim they had broken off the glass backboard.

Was there for that, but no longer a student. Man, he elevated for that.

 

[couginphx]

Well, I was lucky, 3 straight ten win seasons in football, the Holiday Bowl over Texas. I was on the phone ordering a pizza as the game against UCLA started (when we clinched the rose bowl) and half way through my order started screaming as we scored on the 1st play (I believe) and the pizza guy asked what was happening and i told him and then he started screaming.

Beating Oregon 52-16 in Autzen the week they were on the cover of SI after beating Michigan

The Win over USC '02, I had a class with Drew Dunning's GF, she was smokin' hot.

Dick Bennett came and spoke to one of my classes just before the season (sport mgmt major) he was so good, i was ready to take a bullet for the guy when he was done, had to have been a great recruiter.

Almost memory; Bennet's team at home vs. #1 undefeated Stanford, we lead the entire game, and up one in the final moments, a loose ball scramble and Stanford player chucks up a miracle shot to go in and we lose, when the entire arena was ready to rush the court, it was pretty deflating, but after watching Paul Graham teams the 1st few years, it was still nice to see some decent ball.

I stayed behind one winter break and caught a game against Arizona at Beasley back when they had Luke Walton, et al. place was empty and when it would get real quite I remember yelling crap at Walton, we also lead that game and gave it away in the final minute or two.

 

[Wasichus]

So you must have been there for the first ever conference game in the coliseum. A big comeback on U$C, with Gus Williams. That was fun. Played freeze out on the way back from break to see that game. It was cold that weekend.

We went to ALL the games back then.

The one that sticks with me the most at that particular time (after the move from Bohler) was against Oregon. Their big gun was Ron Lee. We were ahead by one, with very little time left, and Lee rushed the ball up the court, BLATANTLY used his off arm to push off (against Edgar Jeffries, I think?) and cast off from about 30 feet. Of course it went in and they won the game. No offensive foul called. Miracle cast off shot. Still "PO'd" about it to this day. LOL

PAC8/10/12 refs. Nothing but consistently inept through the years. Wonder whatever happened to Soriano??

 

[95coug]

Well, I was lucky, 3 straight ten win seasons in football, the Holiday Bowl over Texas. I was on the phone ordering a pizza as the game against UCLA started (when we clinched the rose bowl) and half way through my order started screaming as we scored on the 1st play (I believe) and the pizza guy asked what was happening and i told him and then he started screaming.

Beating Oregon 52-16 in Autzen the week they were on the cover of SI after beating Michigan

The Win over USC '02, I had a class with Drew Dunning's GF, she was smokin' hot.

Dick Bennett came and spoke to one of my classes just before the season (sport mgmt major) he was so good, i was ready to take a bullet for the guy when he was done, had to have been a great recruiter.

Almost memory; Bennet's team at home vs. #1 undefeated Stanford, we lead the entire game, and up one in the final moments, a loose ball scramble and Stanford player chucks up a miracle shot to go in and we lose, when the entire arena was ready to rush the court, it was pretty deflating, but after watching Paul Graham teams the 1st few years, it was still nice to see some decent ball.

I stayed behind one winter break and caught a game against Arizona at Beasley back when they had Luke Walton, et al. place was empty and when it would get real quite I remember yelling crap at Walton, we also lead that game and gave it away in the final minute or two.

I think it was '94, we had UCLA on the ropes. As I recall we were up 3 with under a minute to play. Ref made an accurate but not really necessary call against us on the baseline. Bunch of idiots in the student section started throwing things on the court. Easy call for the refs, crowd got a T, UCLA hit all 4 free throws and scored on the subsequent possession, and we lost by 3.

Left that game furious. Team played hard and earned the win, but lost because of a bunch of overlubricated morons.

Think it was the same year we had Arizona on the ropes too, when Damon(?) Stoudemire started hitting from about 35 feet...and the refs refused to call fouls as UA players plowed over our guys setting screens.

 

[BSpike76]

We went to ALL the games back then.

The one that sticks with me the most at that particular time (after the move from Bohler) was against Oregon. Their big gun was Ron Lee. We were ahead by one, with very little time left, and Lee rushed the ball up the court, BLATANTLY used his off arm to push off (against Edgar Jeffries, I think?) and cast off from about 30 feet. Of course it went in and they won the game. No offensive foul called. Miracle cast off shot. Still "PO'd" about it to this day. LOL

PAC8/10/12 refs. Nothing but consistently inept through the years. Wonder whatever happened to Soriano??

Yep, spent many a night camped out to get front row seats. Played zoom, schwartz.... to pass the time during the night. I was there for that Oregon game also. Bunch of us gave the Ducks their half court stare down before the game. Got elbowed by the guy with the white spot in his hair.

Snuck in the back way early for UCLA game in 74. Had blue and yellow painters hats from my in laws company near L.A. talked to Wooden after his daily walking around the court. Cougar supers were our pre-game meal.

 

[billyjoecamaro]

Olerud’s entire career.
1988 beating #1 UCLA
1985(?)Mayes 357 at Oregon
1985(?) Ed Blount beating USC then spinning music with Breland at our Frat.
1988 Apple Cup
In a weird way, it was cool to be there for Walden, Erickason and Price.....

 

[Flatlandcoug]

1992 Snow Bowl
1993-94 Making it to the NCAA tournament for the first time in over a decade (graduated in December, but lived in Pullman when I wasn't out of town for work).
Bobo Brayton's 1000th win in 1990.

 

[Observer11]

I think it was '94, we had UCLA on the ropes. As I recall we were up 3 with under a minute to play. Ref made an accurate but not really necessary call against us on the baseline. Bunch of idiots in the student section started throwing things on the court. Easy call for the refs, crowd got a T, UCLA hit all 4 free throws and scored on the subsequent possession, and we lost by 3.

Left that game furious. Team played hard and earned the win, but lost because of a bunch of overlubricated morons.

Think it was the same year we had Arizona on the ropes too, when Damon(?) Stoudemire started hitting from about 35 feet...and the refs refused to call fouls as UA players plowed over our guys setting screens.

Getting jobbed in Friel is a tradition.

In the old days, they used to serve soft drinks in plastic cups that, shall we say, had good aerodynamic design. I don't recall exactly which game it was because most likely a flask was smuggled in to augment said soft drink consumption. That was fairly common back then amongst students concerned about hydration. Security consisted of maybe one or two Pullman cops. Blue vested security guards weren't a thing.

After one particular egregious call, the plastic cups RAINED down on the court. Dozens of them. I didn't chuck mine because preservation of flask-enhanced soft drink was important. But it wasn't one or two cups...bunches of cups getting tossed on the court.

Raveling grabs the mic and says "I don't care how bad these refs are, don't throw stuff on the floor'.

Classic slam and crowd control at the same time.

 

[random soul]

My freshman year was the '97 Rose Bowl run. Didn't leave until '08 (got a Masters and taught as an adjunct for a while). Got to see 2 Rose Bowl teams and a Sweet 16 run, so I can't complain

 

[ttowncoug]

Losing our ncaa record of not being shut out?

 

[95coug]

Losing our ncaa record of not being shut out?

It wasn’t an NCAA record. We were #2. I think it’s Michigan who has a longer streak...which I think is still active.

 

[etowncoug]

It wasn’t an NCAA record. We were #2. I think it’s Michigan who has a longer streak...which I think is still active.

I thought Rich Rod got shut out.

 

[95coug]

I thought Rich Rod got shut out.

Might have, I don’t follow Michigan much during the season. Certainly don’t track their past results...except when they’re losing to Appalachian State.

EDIT: you’re right, they lost to Notre dame 31-0 in 2014, ending their streak at 365 games. Ours was the 2nd longest active streak (280 games) when it ended, and was the 4th longest in history. Several teams have passed us since, it’s now the 12th longest ever. Florida holds the current record at 385.

 

[etowncoug]

Might have, I don’t follow Michigan much during the season. Certainly don’t track their past results...except when they’re losing to Appalachian State.

EDIT: you’re right, they lost to Notre dame 31-0 in 2014, ending their streak at 365 games. Ours was the 2nd longest active streak (280 games) when it ended, and was the 4th longest in history. Several teams have passed us since, it’s now the 12th longest ever. Florida holds the current record at 385.

Thanks for tracking that down. I guess Rich Rod was able to avoid getting shut out and it was Hoke instead. Really highlights how unforgivably bad the Wulff era was, as he got shut out 5 times in 4 years.