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Richland's Bohannon, PULLMAN - Washington State led Arizona State 27-6 at halftime, but Jeremy Bohannon knew the game wasn't over, at least not yet. So Bohannon, a sophomore defensive back from Richland, grabbed the sign-of-the-week out of the Cougars locker room and carried it out onto the field. "Finish strong," it read. Washington State did just that on a frigid Saturday afternoon in Pullman. The final was 44-22 WSU and it came after a long week in which a bizarre fight between WSU teammates left one defensive starter, Ira Davis, suspended and another, Jason David, unable to play with an injury. That fight overshadowed a game that featured what were the last two undefeated teams in the Pac-10 fighting for what may turn out to be the prestigious Pac-10 title. "I had 'Finish strong ' plastered all over everything," said WSU coach Mike Price. "Bohannon tore a sign off the bathroom wall and brought it out on the field and was showing it all around. It was real important that we finished strong today, no matter what they did." The win puts WSU at 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the Pac-10. Thanks to some upsets of teams ranked ahead of the No. 8 Cougars, WSU should receive its highest ranking in school history. Bohannon said his sign carrying was a simple reminder for the Cougars to stay focused after what was a dream first half. "We wanted to come out with that same fire in the second half," Bohannon said. "Arizona State is known for its comebacks, so we didn't want to give them that opportunity." Bohannon plays mostly on passing situations and special teams, and he played one of his best games Saturday with four solo tackles and returning an onside kick attempt 19 yards. He said that although this Cougars team is finally getting some recognition, it's still better than most people think. "The thing about us is that we play hard every practice and every game," Bohannon said. "Other teams still think we're not the real deal, but everybody in this locker room knows in their heart that we are the best team. So we go out to prove it every week." The Cougars play Oregon in Pullman next Saturday and then have a bye before the Apple Cup with Washington on Nov. 23. The Cougars then finish the regular season at UCLA on Dec. 7. Bohannon said there is a very similar feeling on this Cougars team to the Richland team he helped win the 4A state title in 1999. "I was just thinking about that," Bohannon said. "Our team at Richland wasn't picked high, but everyone just came together. I'm definitely feeling that same togetherness here." Bohannon said there was no doubt the Cougars defense could overcome the loss of David, who leads the Pac-10 in interceptions but is sidelined several weeks with a broken cheekbone. "We have a lot of depth on this team and it showed the way Karl Paymah came in and played today," Bohannon said. "All of our backups are good enough to start, so everyone had confidence in him." The final straw for ASU came on an attempted onside kick late in the fourth quarter that Bohannon caught in the air and returned to the Sun Devils 24. Bohannon was disappointed he didn't go the distance. "I knew there was a chance I could get all the way to the end zone," Bohannon said. "Unfortunately I cramped up and couldn't quite get it there." This is only the third time in school history that WSU has won its first five conference games. In 1997, WSU finished 7-1 and went to the Rose Bowl. In 1930, the Cougs went 6-0 in the Pacific Coast Conference and went to the Rose Bowl. This year? "Our goal is to win out," Bohannon said. | ||||||||||
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