Cougars Beat Ducks in Offensive Show

It was just another one of those crazy Washington State-Oregon football games.

In a series known for its high scores, another memorable chapter was written Saturday.

The 21st-ranked Cougars beat the No. 23 Ducks, 51-38, in a Pacific 10 game that featured 905 yards total offense, a blocked punt for a touchdown, an 89-yard kickoff return and a line-drive kickoff that bounced off a stunned Washington State defensive lineman and was recovered by Oregon.

The two teams averaged 67 points in their five previous meetings. Last year, Oregon won, 43-28. That was a defensive struggle compared with Saturday’s contest, the second-highest scoring game in Autzen Stadium history.

The highest was in 1984, when WSU’s Rueben Mayes rushed for an NCAA-record 357 yards in a 50-41 Cougar victory. That was the last time Washington State had beaten the Ducks.

Steve Broussard did a pretty good Mayes impersonation Saturday, rushing for a career-high 205 yards in 41 carries and scoring three touchdowns as the Cougars amassed 503 total yards.

The Cougars scored early on a blocked punt and jumped to a 20-6 halftime lead, then withstood a second-half rally and added 24 fourth-quarter points to improve their record to 5-1 and 2-1.

Ron Ricard intercepted two passes by Bill Musgrave in the fourth quarter, returning one of them 74 yards for a score, to thwart the Ducks’ comeback attempt.

Playing in front of 44,963, the second-largest crowd in Autzen’s 22-year history, Musgrave completed 29 of 49 passes for a career-high 347 yards and two touchdowns. His passing yardage total was the fourth-best ever at Oregon. Only Dan Fouts and Chris Miller have done better.

The game marked the first time Oregon (3-2 and 2-2) has lost at home when Musgrave gone all the way.

The Cougars lost star receiver Tim Stallworth in the second quarter because of torn knee ligaments.