WSU Football | Cougs work on finishing the deal

Butch, the Washington State Cougars mascot, started to lead the team onto the field for the second half Saturday against California in an all-terrain vehicle when the vehicle stalled.

It was emblematic of what happened to the Cougars' offense the entire game.

The Cougars managed only one field goal and lost to 10th-ranked California 21-3. It was their lowest point production since the Cougars were hammered 50-3 by Washington in the 2000 Apple Cup.

The Cougs have scored just one touchdown in the past two games and only have three field goals to show for seven trips inside the 20-yard line.

Saturday against the Bears, trips inside the 20 resulted in a 25-yard field goal in the second quarter, a failed quarterback sneak on fourth-and-one (after an apparent touchdown was reversed late in the third quarter), and a badly thrown incomplete pass on fourth down.

Red-zone improvement tops the list of where the Cougars (4-3, 2-2) must improve if they hope to get to a bowl game. They face 16th-ranked Oregon (5-1, 3-1) Saturday at 2 p.m. in Martin Stadium in a game that won't be televised live.

One apparent outcome from the loss to California is that coaches no longer will be reluctant to change quarterbacks if touchdowns aren't being scored. However, the situation this week is that WSU might have only one healthy quarterback with any experience — starter Alex Brink.

Backup Gary Rogers suffered a separated left shoulder (his non-throwing shoulder) against Cal in his short appearance.

Brink was lifted with the Cougars down 21-3 despite having completed 13 of 20 passes for 163 yards with one interception.

Quarterback coach Timm Rosenbach said, "He [Brink] wasn't playing poorly at all. But we had three points. So, the bottom line is we've got to get in the end zone."

Brink was clearly unhappy and said, "No comment" and "I don't want to talk about that" when asked after the game.

Brink re-entered the game after Rogers threw an interception. Rosenbach said Rogers might have been allowed to continue if he hadn't been injured. The injury apparently occurred two plays before the interception.

Rogers' medical status is expected to be released today. Brink said the Cougars' red-zone problems aren't mental.

"It isn't a confidence issue," he said. "It's an execution issue. When a play gets called, we need to make that play work. Whatever the defense does, we have to make that play work."

Against Oregon, the Cougars will try to avoid a historical comparison that goes back to 1982. That was the last time the Cougars scored only one touchdown in a three-game span.

In 1982, they lost 12-0 to Colorado in Spokane, got drilled 41-11 at Minnesota, then lost 10-3 at Tennessee. The offensive dry spell was a low point in a season joyously remembered among Cougars fans for the stunning 24-20 victory over Washington in Pullman.

NOTE

• Despite going sackless against Cal, WSU defensive end Mkristo Bruce still leads the nation with 10 sacks. The Cougars had only one sack (by Ropati Pitoitua) against Cal, and still lead the country as a team with 28.

Craig Smith: 206-464-8279 or csmith@seattletimes.com