WSU Football | Cougars chasing a bowl against weakened OSU

Senior quarterback Alex Brink and 19 other Washington State Cougars play their final game at Martin Stadium today and it's a must-win if they want to keep their dream of a bowl game alive.

The Cougars (4-6 overall, 2-5 Pac-10) face unpredictable Oregon State (6-4, 4-3) at 3:30 p.m. Washington State is a three-point favorite and likely to try to throw deep early.

Oregon State will be without three defensive backs, two of them starters, in the first half because they were ejected in the second half of the wild 29-23 victory over Washington last Saturday. The missing Beavers will be cornerback Brandon Hughes and safety Bryan Payton. Also being penalized is backup James Dockery.

"We have to take advantage while we have that opportunity," said Brink.

Oregon State coach Mike Riley isn't happy about missing some key players.

"I certainly don't like to be without a couple secondary guys against Alex Brink and company," Riley said.

The Beavers are more vulnerable through the air anyway. Their rushing defense is the best in the nation, allowing only 62.1 yards per game.

The Beavers rank 10th nationally in total defense, allowing 302 yards a game.

"They're a tough, aggressive defense that really flies around to the ball," said WSU coach Bill Doba.

Brink, who will be making his 39th consecutive start, can expect a lot of pressure — the Beavers lead the Pac-10 in sacks with 39.

This will be the first road start for Lyle Moevao, Oregon State's sophomore quarterback who started last week because No. 1 QB Sean Canfield has an injured shoulder.

Oregon State's best weapon is running back Yvenson Bernard, who ran for 149 yards against the Huskies.

The weather could favor a ground attack because there is an 80-percent chance of rain today with temperatures in the 40s.

Oregon State has been one of the most hard-to-figure teams in the Pac-10. The Beavers were blown out 34-3 at Cincinnati in the second week of the season, then later beat California 31-28 on the road when the Bears were ranked No. 2.

Pullman has been a difficult place for the Beavers, who have only one victory (27-13 in 1999) and a tie in their past 12 trips to the Palouse.

A big question is what the attendance will be. The one-week Thanksgiving break began at WSU after classes Friday, and Doba has been urging students to help the team by staying for the game.

The Cougars have played their best football at home this year, and the noisy crowd is an asset.

With the exception of linebacker Chris Baltzer, who played as a freshman in 2003, no Cougar has played in a bowl game. To qualify, they need to beat the Beavers today and Washington next week to reach the qualifying standard of six victories.

"For us seniors, it's been real up and down," Brink said. "Lot of good times and some rough ones, too. We all want to go out with a win. And that's the most important thing on our minds. When the game is over, we'll all take a step back and talk about it and enjoy that experience that we had there."

The fifth-year seniors, who play their final home game today, were in Doba's first recruiting class as the head coach in 2003.

"They've hung in there with us through some good times and not-so-good times," Doba said. "They become like your sons."

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