PACIFIC 10 : Freshman Has Big Day for Washington State

Freshman quarterback Drew Bledsoe passed for 188 yards and three touchdowns Saturday in his first collegiate start to lead Washington State past Oregon State, 55-24, in a Pacific 10 game.

Washington State (3-5 overall, 2-2 in Pac-10) overwhelmed the Beavers (1-6, 1-2). After a punt on their first possession, the Cougars scored six straight touchdowns.

Anthony Prior’s 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the first quarter was the second-longest kickoff return in Washington State history. Bernard Jackson returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown for the Cougars against UCLA in 1971.

Despite coming off an upset of then-No. 21 Arizona, Oregon State could get little to go right against the Cougars. In a five-minute stretch in the second quarter, the Beavers lined up offsides to receive a kickoff, had a punt blocked and fumbled away the ball on a kickoff return.

Beaver quarterback Fred Schweer had a pass for a two-point conversion picked off and returned 100 yards by linebacker Curt Newton. Under a rule adopted last year, Newton’s return counted for two points.

Bledsoe threw touchdown passes of 39, nine and 34 yards and ran 11 yards for another touchdown. He completed 10 of 20 passes before leaving in the fourth quarter. He was not intercepted or sacked.

The Cougars’ Phillip Bobo caught two passes for 73 yards. Both went for touchdowns.

Washington State scored first on a 49-yard run by running back Rich Swinton. Bledsoe made it 14-0 on a 39-yard pass to Bobo.

Oregon State’s James Jones scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 17-yard run, but kicker Jamie Burke missed the extra point to make it 14-6. Prior ran the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown and holder Jody Sears ran in on a fake for a two-point conversion to give the Cougars a 22-6 lead after one quarter.

Bledsoe hit tight end Clarence Williams for nine yards and a touchdown to open the second half. Running back Shaumbe Wright-Fair ran eight yards for a touchdown and Bledsoe hit Bobo for 34 yards to make it 43-6.

Jason Hanson made a 51-yard field goal with 29 seconds left in the first half to give Washington State a 46-6 lead. Hanson, the Pac-10 field goal leader, has 12 field goals of 50 yards or more.

Jones scored his second touchdown on a 1-yard run in the third quarter. Schweer’s pass for the two-point conversion failed.

Bledsoe made it 53-12 on his 11-yard run, then Oregon State’s Dwayne Owens came back with a one-yard touchdown run. Newton made it 55-18 by picking off Schweer’s pass on the conversion attempt.