The good, the bad & the unknown: Oregon State

The Good

Bounce back - I was worried the Huskies might be walking into a trap in Corvallis in senior day after the darkest half of football played by the team all season on a back-to-back road week but they didn't even flinch. The team came out ready to dominate in the way they should have literally from the opening kick.

Special teams - By far the best game played by the special teams unit all season. From the trick big opening return to Dante Pettis' return for the score, to excellent kick coverage to a really nice return by Chico McClatcher later in the game.

Coaching - The bounce back and focus shown were huge testaments to the coaching staff. So does the most well-executed game of the season after the sloppy affair in Tempe. I also loved that the staff gave Washington State a lot of looks to consider heading into next week without taking away from the game plan.

Entire defense - The defense didn't give an inch when it mattered. I can't remember the last time they dominated  Pac-12 team the way they did the Beavers.

Receivers/tight ends - This unit really bounced back after a terrible game against Arizona State. They got open, avoided drops and made plays with the ball in their hands.Special shout out to Darrell Daniels who had his second-straight good game.

Jake Browning - He didn't have to do much, but he was flawless, Browning threw just two incompletions while tossing for more than 200 yards and four scores.

Myles Gaskin - Gaskin made his patience really show as he allowed his linemen to open holes and burst through them with tough running. He also showed that he can shoulder a bigger load with 23 carries.

Deontae Cooper - On top of always simply being a nice story by being out on the field, Cooper averaged eight yards per-carry and scored a touchdown.

Feeney run down - Feeney's run down of a Beaver running back on what seemed like a sure touchdown was a seven-point swing and the kind of score that could have won the game if it were a closer game. I am sure that play will end up on his NFL Draft highlight reel.

The Bad

Oregon State - I didn't think the Beavers were as bad as their record indicated coming into Saturday. I was wrong. The Beavers looked like by far the worst FBS team the Huskies played all season. To make matters worse, I don't see any young exciting players on the Beavers roster and it's not simply a team that got devastated by injuries. Gary Andersen has a tough road ahead of him in Corvallis.

The Unknown

Elijah Qualls & Dwayne Washington - I thought both of these guys were going to play Saturday, but they were absent. I think this could be good news though as the staff may have thought they could get by Saturday without these guys to ensure they would be available for a huge Apple Cup.

Luke Falk - Falk went down with an ugly head injury Saturday night and one would have to assume that  the star QB won't be playing in the Apple Cup. However, the secretive nature of injury reporting these days might mean no one will know his status until game time Friday. His status could greatly affect the game.

Peyton Bender - A huge fallout from Falk to Bender (if he starts) isn't necessarily expected as he was in competition with Falk for a long time and since it seems Mike Leach quarterbacks always seem ready to play in put up yards, but one has to wonder how big the drop off will be if he ends up being the starter.

Washington State - The Cougars are the best they have been since the end of their 10-win streak in the early-2000s, but they don't seem to have the respect of other teams with their stellar records. Are the Cougars as good as their record indicates, or are they a 5-6-win team that has gotten some breaks that is very beatable?

Bowl game - It's pretty simple for the Huskies now, win the Apple Cup and go to a bowl game and more than fulfill preseason expectations.

But wait... could the Huskies disgracefully get to a bowl at 5-7? It still could be an outside possibility if enough teams fail to win six games around the country.