Published: Sunday, November 29, 2009
Tough day for Cougs’ backup QB Lobbestael
SEATTLE — Washington State backup quarterback Marshall Lobbestael returned to the field Saturday but might have wished he had spent the day holding a clipboard.
Lobbestael, a former Oak Harbor High School star, replaced injured Cougars’ starter Kevin Lopina late in the first quarter, but was knocked out of Saturday’s Apple Cup before halftime. After completing 3-of-9 passes, Lobbestael tried to run over a UW defender and came out of the game with concussion-like symptoms with five minutes left in the first half.
The sophomore came out after a helmet-to-helmet hit with Washington safety Jason Wells at the end of a scramble and missed the rest of the half.
Lopina, who had suffered a shoulder injury earlier in the game, came back in but lasted only four snaps before a knee injury knocked him out of the game. With freshman Jeff Tuel sidelined by a knee injury, sophomore Dan Wagner was the only quarterback the Cougars had available. Wagner handed the ball off four times to finish the first half before Lobbestael returned to start the second half.
For the game, Lobbestael completed 9-of-22 passes for 71 yards while getting sacked four times. He got drilled on his final play, an incomplete pass toward the sidelines, and limped off the field for the final time this season.
The Cougars’ offense didn’t get much help from a receiving corps that dropped five passes.
Thirty’s enough
As UW tight end Kavario Middleton headed to the tunnel following Saturday’s win, Huskies offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier grabbed the sophomore and broke out into a big grin.
“We fell short of 50,” he said with a chuckle.
After Saturday’s 30-0 victory over WSU, the Huskies were able to laugh about Middleton’s comments to Q13 television early last week that UW planned on “scoring at least 50” points on the Cougars.
Middleton said after that game that he didn’t regret making the comments, even though head coach Steve Sarkisian reprimanded him for making them.
“We used that as a motivation,” he said. “But honestly, we didn’t need to get riled up; it’s the Apple Cup.”
While the Huskies fell short of Middleton’s point total, he was more than satisfied with the result.
“As long as we got the win,” he said, “that’s all that matters.”
Scary moment
The game was delayed for about 15 minutes early in the second quarter when a member of the chain gang suffered an unspecified injury and had to be taken from the stadium in an ambulance.
UW spokesperson Jeff Bechtold said that the injured person, whose name was not released, had a pre-existing back condition that was aggravated by a hit along the sideline. The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center and Bechtold said he was “fine” as of Saturday night.
Short yardage
Ben Ossai and Nick Wood split time at left guard for the Huskies. ... Among the players who did not suit up for UW was starting linebacker E.J. Savannah (broken thumb). Cort Dennison started in his place for the third consecutive game. ... The Cougars are missing 10 starters from their opening-day lineup due to injury. ... Huskies senior Daniel Te’o-Nesheim was credited with one sack, leaving him 11/2 short of the school record for career sacks (28, by Ron Holmes). ... Washington State has never won three consecutive Apple Cup games. Before Saturday’s game, the Cougars had won two years in a row.
Lobbestael, a former Oak Harbor High School star, replaced injured Cougars’ starter Kevin Lopina late in the first quarter, but was knocked out of Saturday’s Apple Cup before halftime. After completing 3-of-9 passes, Lobbestael tried to run over a UW defender and came out of the game with concussion-like symptoms with five minutes left in the first half.
The sophomore came out after a helmet-to-helmet hit with Washington safety Jason Wells at the end of a scramble and missed the rest of the half.
Lopina, who had suffered a shoulder injury earlier in the game, came back in but lasted only four snaps before a knee injury knocked him out of the game. With freshman Jeff Tuel sidelined by a knee injury, sophomore Dan Wagner was the only quarterback the Cougars had available. Wagner handed the ball off four times to finish the first half before Lobbestael returned to start the second half.
For the game, Lobbestael completed 9-of-22 passes for 71 yards while getting sacked four times. He got drilled on his final play, an incomplete pass toward the sidelines, and limped off the field for the final time this season.
The Cougars’ offense didn’t get much help from a receiving corps that dropped five passes.
Thirty’s enough
As UW tight end Kavario Middleton headed to the tunnel following Saturday’s win, Huskies offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier grabbed the sophomore and broke out into a big grin.
“We fell short of 50,” he said with a chuckle.
After Saturday’s 30-0 victory over WSU, the Huskies were able to laugh about Middleton’s comments to Q13 television early last week that UW planned on “scoring at least 50” points on the Cougars.
Middleton said after that game that he didn’t regret making the comments, even though head coach Steve Sarkisian reprimanded him for making them.
“We used that as a motivation,” he said. “But honestly, we didn’t need to get riled up; it’s the Apple Cup.”
While the Huskies fell short of Middleton’s point total, he was more than satisfied with the result.
“As long as we got the win,” he said, “that’s all that matters.”
Scary moment
The game was delayed for about 15 minutes early in the second quarter when a member of the chain gang suffered an unspecified injury and had to be taken from the stadium in an ambulance.
UW spokesperson Jeff Bechtold said that the injured person, whose name was not released, had a pre-existing back condition that was aggravated by a hit along the sideline. The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center and Bechtold said he was “fine” as of Saturday night.
Short yardage
Ben Ossai and Nick Wood split time at left guard for the Huskies. ... Among the players who did not suit up for UW was starting linebacker E.J. Savannah (broken thumb). Cort Dennison started in his place for the third consecutive game. ... The Cougars are missing 10 starters from their opening-day lineup due to injury. ... Huskies senior Daniel Te’o-Nesheim was credited with one sack, leaving him 11/2 short of the school record for career sacks (28, by Ron Holmes). ... Washington State has never won three consecutive Apple Cup games. Before Saturday’s game, the Cougars had won two years in a row.
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