The Columbian

Washington St. Struggles Over Latest Failure

PULLMAN -- As the Washington State Cougars look ahead to Saturday's Apple Cup, it will be difficult to avoid looking back. Maybe to the Oregon State game, in which they led 30-16 at the half before losing.

Oregon State Must Defeat Oregon to Qualify for Bowl

CORVALLIS It looked almost reminiscent of last season: There was Oregon State placekicker Alexis Serna, throwing himself to the turf in anguish. Serna missed three field goals Saturday in Oregon State's tough 20-17 loss to Stanford at Reser Stadium. The one that hurt was the last one, a 52-yarder that fell short with 16 seconds left.

Gamecocks Enter Top 25 at No. 19

Steve Spurrier has South Carolina in the Top 25. The Gamecocks made it to No. 19 in The Associated Press media poll Sunday, the first time they have been in the rankings under their new coach.

Seahawks Rain On Rams

SEATTLE -- First, he dashed. Then, he danced. Shaun Alexander's end-zone jig following a 17-yard touchdown run - - his third scoring scamper of Sunday's game -- put an exclamation point on Seattle's 31-16 victory over the St. Louis Rams at Qwest Field.

Nascar Nextel Cup - Out of It, but Not Down

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- For one day, almost everything felt good again for Greg Biffle and his NASCAR Nextel Cup No. 16 National Guard/ Post It Ford race team. The 35-year-old Vancouver driver finished second Sunday to Kyle Busch in the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway after dominating the race for most of the day.

High Schools: Papermakers Continue Their Fall Sports Celebration

OK, it's official. This fall's high school sport season definitely broke the mold. It was not a good weekend for local football teams, as the final four local hopes saw their seasons end.

Pilots Beat Huskers to Reach Third Round

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Christine Sinclair scored two goals and assisted on the third, leading the Portland Pilots women's soccer team to a 3- 2 victory over host Nebraska on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA tournament. It is the sixth consecutive season the Pilots (20-0-1) have advanced to the third round.

Howell Holds Off Woods, Wins Asia's Richest Event

England's David Howell held off Tiger Woods in the HSBC Champions on Sunday at Shanghai, China, closing with a 4-under 68 for a three- stroke victory. Howell, who began the round with a one-stroke lead over Woods, finished with a 20-under 268 total to claim the $833,300 first- place check in the $5 million event, the richest tournament in Asia.

Patterson Sees the Possibilities of Young Trail Blazers Squad

TUALATIN, Ore. -- Maybe it was just a casual conversation that wasn't meant to be taken seriously -- a couple friends sharing what- if scenarios. But the fact that Ruben Patterson was even having this conversation with Denver Nuggets guard Earl Boykins illustrates the Portland Trail Blazers' changing mindset.

Huskies Freshman Shows His Stuff in Season-Opening Victory

Freshman Jon Brockman, one of the most heralded recruits in Washington basketball history, scored 17 points and snared 10 rebounds while senior forward Bobby Jones added 18 points -- 16 in a frenetic first half -- as the revamped Huskies steamrolled Morgan State 118-51 in the first round of the Black Coaches Association Classic on Sunday in Seattle. It was the second-highest point total in Washington history. The Huskies beat Chico State 130-67 on Dec. 1, 1992.

Bucs, Alstott Find Way to Beat Redskins

TAMPA, Fla. -- With the ball sitting on the 1-yard line, Jon Gruden couldn't resist. The temptation to give it to Mike Alstott on a gutsy 2-point conversion call -- even if it meant going home without a victory -- was too strong.

Unlikely Hero Powers Packers Past Falcons

The Green Bay Packers are sure glad that Samkon Gado put his medical career on hold. Making his first career start on his 23rd birthday, the Nigerian- born Gado scored three touchdowns and the Packers won for only the second time this season, upsetting the first-place Atlanta Falcons 33-25 on Sunday in the Georgia Dome.

Broncos Take Command of Division with Victory

Jake Plummer worked tirelessly to eliminate all the mistakes that plagued him last season. Now he's nearly perfect, and his Denver Broncos are in command of the AFC West. Plummer passed for 205 yards and a touchdown, had no interceptions and wasn't sacked all day, and Jason Elam kicked three field goals to lead Denver past the Oakland Raiders 31-17 on Sunday.

No Offense, No Problem for Vikes

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Minnesota Vikings reversed two negative trends Sunday, despite having their worst offensive day of the season. The Vikings became the first team in NFL history to return a punt, kickoff and interception for touchdowns, then their offense came to life long enough to set up kicker Paul Edinger's 48-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining in a 24-21 win over the New York Giants.

Panthers Win Sixth in a Row, 30-3

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina's defense turned it up a notch just in time to turn a ho-hum game into the Panthers' sixth consecutive victory. Will Witherspoon returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown and Ken Lucas grabbed two of Carolina's four interceptions Sunday to lead the Panthers to a 30-3 victory over the stumbling New York Jets.

Seahawks Notebook: Defense Rises to the Occasion Again

SEATTLE -- A primary reason for the Seattle Seahawks' five-game winning streak and three-game lead atop the NFC West Division has been the play of the defense. During Sunday's 31-16 victory over St. Louis, Seattle held the Rams to one touchdown on six possessions that penetrated the Seahawks' 20-yard line.