Pacific 10 Roundup : Arizona Holds Off Wilhelm, Oregon State

Running back Art Greathouse’s 2-yard dive over the middle with 7 seconds left in the third quarter put Arizona in the lead and then quarterback Bobby Watters added a 25-yard run with 2:24 to play in the game clinched the victory as Arizona beat Oregon State, 24-13, Saturday night in Corvallis, Ore., extending the Beavers Pacific 10 Conference losing streak to 12 games.

The loss offset a strong performance by Oregon State quarterback Erik Wilhelm, who completed 29 of 40 passes for 227 yards and was not intercepted. His 44-yard touchdown pass to Jason Kent gave the Beavers a 10-7 lead with 10:23 left in the first half.

Arizona came back to tie the game at halftime, 10-10, on Gary Coston’s 31-yard field goal with 6:02 to play.

Alonzo Washington led the Wildcats in rushing with 70 yards in 12 carries, while Greathouse ran 8 times for 31 yards. Watters, who sat out the first quarter in favor of Ronald Veal, completed 4 of 7 passes for 39 yards.

Brian Taylor paced the Beavers’ rushing attack with 89 yards in 20 attempts.

Washington State 44, Illinois 7--Steve Broussard ran for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns and quarterback Timm Rosenbach scored 3 times as the Cougars overwhelmed the Illini at Champaign, Ill.

The victory was the Cougars’ first on the road in nearly three years. It also spoiled the debut of John Mackovic as Illinois’ coach.

Rosenbach completed 21 of 29 passes for 228 yards. The 5-7 Broussard was Washington State’s leading receiver last season with 59 catches. This year, the Cougars plan to use him more in the backfield, a role he obviously fit against the Illini, as he carried the ball 27 times.

Often moving behind a pair of 290-pound linemen on the left side, Broussard scored on runs of 1 and 5 yards. He gained 137 yards in the first half. Teammate Riche Swinton gained 116 yards in 17 carries.

Illinois’ best play and only score was Howard Griffith’s 53-yard run in the second quarter.

Illini quarterback Jeff George, making his debut after transferring from Purdue and sitting out last season, completed 19 of 31 passes for 143 yards.

The scoring started late in the first quarter when Rosenbach, rolling to his right at the Illinois 16-yard line, kept the ball and ran for a touchdown.

In the second quarter, freshman Jason Hanson kicked a 41-yard field goal, and Rosenbach later capped a 63-yard drive with a touchdown gallop from the 6-yard line.

After Illinois’ lone touchdown with 1:50 left in the first half, Washington State moved 74 yards for another score, Broussard diving over from the 1-yard line with 9 seconds remaining.

Washington State, leading, 23-7, as the second half opened, got the ball first and immediately built a 30-7 advantage. A 78-yard series ended when Broussard took a pitch from Rosenbach and ran 16 yards for a touchdown.

Washington State’s last victory away from home came on Nov. 23, 1985, when it defeated Washington.

Illinois and Washington State were both 3-7-1 in 1987, but the Cougars returned 19 starters, including 9 on offense. Nearly 70% of the Illini are freshmen or sophomores and only 14 players are seniors.