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Washington State buried a lot of ugly history Saturday, but to quarterback Jeff Tuel, it did not feel like the end of something bad, but the beginning of something special.
''It's huge for us, for my class and the class below me,'' said the sophomore from Fresno, Calif., who was both coldly efficient and devastatingly athletic in the Cougars' surprise 31-14 demolition of Oregon State on a gloomy day at Reser Stadium.
The Cougars (2-9, 1-7 Pacific-10), who have been conference doormats for the past three seasons, shucked off a 16-game Pac-10 losing streak that stretched back to the 2008 Apple Cup. They won on the road for the first time in nearly three years, and earned their first win over a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent this season.
That Washington State, a 23 1/2-point underdog, stood victorious is a noteworthy event in itself. But how the Cougars won was equally impressive. They were tougher, faster and more resilient than the Beavers.
Tuel stood tallest in the victory. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. But it was his running that left the Beavers searching for answers. Tuel had 18 carries for 76 yards and would have nearly hit the century mark if not for four sacks.
''(Offensive coordinator Todd) Sturdy gave me the green light to run a little more, so I was just taking what they gave me,'' said Tuel, ''If stuff wasn't open, I looked down, saw places to run and just took them.''
Tuel set up the first two Cougars touchdowns with his running.
''Jeff's going to make plays regardless, whatever the coaches tell him to do,'' center Zack Williams said. ''He's just a playmaker.''
When the Beavers finally scored, on a 25-yard pass from quarterback Ryan Katz to Markus Wheaton, the Cougars calmly responded with a clock-chewing, 16-play, 8:20 drive capped by an Andrew Furney 37-yard field goal.
Oregon State (4-5, 3-3) played maybe its worst game in several years, and is now in serious danger of missing a bowl game for the first time in five seasons.
The Beavers have lost three of their last four conference games. They need to win two of their final three games to be eligible for the postseason. That will be no easy task, as their opponents are No. 20 USC, No. 7 Stanford and top-ranked Oregon.
''There are guys in this locker room lacking the killer instinct,'' said Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers, whose 93 yards rushing was slightly less than his season average. Rodgers added: ''We better do something quick, man, or we're going to have an early break.''
Though the Cougars, 4-31 in coach Paul Wulff's three years entering the game, had continued to collect losses lately, they had showed promise in recent performances against Oregon, Stanford and California.
Washington State's timing is less than ideal. A quirk of scheduling had the Cougars playing 11 straight weeks to start the season. Now, instead of capitalizing on the momentum they have picked up, they have to cool their heals for two off weeks before hosting Washington Dec. 4 in the Apple Cup.
But the Cougars are looking ahead to a brighter future, confident that they have turned a page.
''It's the beginning,'' Tuel said. ''It's a start.''
