PACIFIC 10 ROUNDUP : Cougars Roll as Bledsoe Has Five Scoring Passes

Drew Bledsoe threw five touchdown passes and Washington State capitalized on Oregon State miscues to rout the Beavers, 55-7, Saturday at Pullman, Wash.

Bledsoe’s five scoring throws, before a homecoming crowd of 25,100, tied a school record set by Jack Thompson in 1976 and equaled by Timm Rosenbach in 1988.

Bledsoe completed 20 of 26 passes for 270 yards in the most lopsided victory by Washington State, 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the Pac-10, since a 64-14 victory over Montana State in 1985.

The rout ruined the Pac-10 debut of Oregon State Coach Jerry Pettibone.

Washington State had a 14-0 lead before starting quarterback Ed Browning of Oregon State (0-4) touched the ball.

Rodney Scott scored from a yard out five plays after Maurice Wilson fumbled Jason Hanson’s punt 4:24 into the first quarter.

Chad Paulson fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Bledsoe connected with Phillip Bobo on a 22-yard touchdown pass play for a 14-0 lead.

Bledsoe hooked up with Deron Pointer on a 32-yard scoring pass play and Washington State was ahead, 21-0, with 2:37 remaining in the first quarter.

Mark Olford, who replaced Browning for most of the second and fourth quarters, broke through the middle of the Cougar line for a 58-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Olford led the Beavers with 94 yards in 21 carries.

C.J. Davis ran 20 yards on a double reverse to score with 3:07 remaining in the half as the Cougars padded the margin to 28-7.

Following the ensuing possession, an errant pitchout by Olford was recovered by Michael Wright at the Oregon State 14. One play later, Bobo ran 14 yards and the Cougars led, 35-7, at halftime.

Augustin Olobia caught a 14-yard pass from Bledsoe for the first touchdown of his collegiate career with 9:48 remaining in the third quarter.

Davis scored his second touchdown on a 26-yarder from Bledsoe to cap a 97-yard drive and give the Cougars a 48-7 lead.

Paul Carr scored on a one-yard run with 9:17 remaining in the fourth quarter for Washington State’s final points.

Oregon 29, New Mexico State 6--Daryle Smith and James Bautista returned interceptions for touchdowns as the Ducks scored a nonconference victory over the Aggies of the Big West Conference at Eugene, Ore.

Smith’s 94-yard interception return, which put the Ducks (3-2) ahead, 21-3, early in the third quarter, equaled the third-longest runback in school history.

Bautista’s 11-yard return gave Oregon a first-quarter lead it never relinquished.

New Mexico State (0-4) stayed close and had only 27 fewer total yards than Oregon, but lost for the 31st time in 32 games.

After Bautista’s touchdown, the Ducks made it 14-0 with a 14-play, 86-yard drive that ended with Donovan Moore’s one-yard scoring run. Oregon had been forced to punt from its 19, but kept the ball when the Aggies were called for roughing punter Tommy Thompson.

New Mexico State’s Jose Ortiz kicked a 37-yard field goal to slice the lead to 14-3 just 32 seconds before halftime. He later added a 33-yard field goal that made it 21-6.

Oregon starting quarterback Danny O’Neil sustained a sprained right thumb in the first half and was replaced by Brett Salisbury. He threw an interception on his first series, but also had a three-yard scoring pass to Anthony Jones for the Ducks’ final touchdown with 9:17 left.

Oregon’s starting tailback, Sean Burwell, returned after missing two games with a sprained ankle. He rushed for 74 yards in 17 carries.

Arizona State 21, Utah 15--Kurt Lasher passed for a touchdown and set up another with a 48-yard completion to Eric Moss as the Sun Devils downed the Utes in a nonconference game at Tempe, Ariz.

Mario Bates scored on a six-yard run and Mike Richey added field goals of 37 and 25 yards as Arizona State (3-1) built a 21-7 lead.

Frank Dolce got Utah (3-2) close with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Rowley with 4:05 left and Dolce’s two-point conversion pass to Greg Hoffman, but the Utes couldn’t advance after getting the ball back 77 yards away with 1:08 left.