Erik Powell won the job in fall camp and has since been a beacon of consistency for WSU. He’s perfect on extra points and 5 of 6 on field goals, including a pair of clutch 46- and 47-yard conversions against Rutgers, but the biggest difference stems from his mind-set.
Last year’s Washington State-California game is best remembered for the 734 passing yards Conner Halliday hung on the Golden Bears’ defense en route to rewriting the NCAA passing record.
Yet, WSU still lost 60-59, and the enduring image from the dying seconds of that game was the potential game-winning 19-yard field goal Quentin Breshears pushed wide right.