After Washington State Wins, Price Campaigns : Pacific 10: Cougars beat Oregon State, 35-10, and coach says his 5-0 team is worthy of top-25 poll recognition.

Coach Mike Price says it’s time his unbeaten Washington State team got some national attention.

“Sure,” he said when asked whether his team deserves to be in the top 25. “How many teams out there are 5-0?”

But the Cougars’ quarterback, Drew Bledsoe, said his team didn’t do much to enhance its reputation Saturday, despite its 35-10 Pacific 10 victory over Oregon State.

“I don’t think we played like a top-25 team today,” he said. “We were a little lackadaisical.”

Bledsoe, who passed for 248 yards and two touchdowns, said the real season starts next week against UCLA.

“The feeling on the team is that the preseason is over now,” he said. “Going into the season, these were five games we felt we should win. Now we’re ready to get to the meat of the season to determine just how good we are.”

The game featured an Oregon State halfback throwing for a touchdown, a Washington State wide receiver throwing for a score, a successful on-side kick, two botched punts and six missed field-goal attempts, four by the Beavers (1-4-1, 0-2-1).

The Cougars, 2-0 in the Pac-10, outscored Oregon State, 21-0, in the second quarter to lead, 28-7, at halftime.

C.J. Davis caught a touchdown pass and threw for a score for the Cougars, who are off to their best start since 1981.

Oregon State had 305 yards in the first half, including a surprising 136 through the air, but had only seven points to show for it.

The Beavers drove deep into Washington State territory five times in the first two quarters, but Jamie Burke missed field-goal attempts of 26, 28, 28 and 39 yards. He finally connected on a 41-yarder in the third quarter.

Oregon State, which had averaged eight passes per game, scored its only touchdown 13 seconds into the game on two quick completions, the second a 30-yarder from halfback Chad Paulson to Kenyan Branscomb.