It's been a long, tough ride for WSU's Alex Brink. The senior QB has shot up the Washington State record books, passing the likes of Jason Gesser, Drew Bledsoe, Ryan Leaf, Timm Rosenbach, Mark Rypien and Jack Thompson to become the all-time leader in passing yards and TD passes among many school records. But the one thing that sticks out like a sore thumb to WSU fans has always been his inability to lift the team onto his shoulders and win the big one, however that is defined. Alex Brink tonight, however, showed all the doubters, the "Brinkhaters" and all others, that he could in fact have that shining senior QB moment that everyone had been waiting for.
In a seesaw battle that saw both teams combine for nearly 1,000 yards of total offense, Brink lit up the brisk Seattle evening with 399 yards and five TD passes. The last throw was maybe his best, as he beat a corner blitz and threw a rainbow 35-yard TD pass to a streaking Brandon Gibson with 31 seconds left in the fourth quarter, leading the Cougars to a 42-35 victory. That now gives Brink a 3-1 record in his four Apple Cup starts, the best WSU starting QB ever in terms of wins and losses in the 100-year history of the rivalry. That's more wins than Bledsoe, Leaf, Gesser, you name it.
