Oregon State Interim Head Coach Robb Akey Talks Season Finale vs Washington State With Media

The Oregon State Beavers upset the Cougars in the first of two PAC-12 matchups this season, and now the teams face off once again.

Amid a whirlwind of coaching carousel rumors and news, interim head coach Robb Akey will look to finish his brief tenure off with a win.

Before the team's final contest against the Cougars, he spoke to the media about the upcoming game.

Oregon State Interim HC Robb Akey on facing Washington State for the second time

"[In the NFL] that was a normal way of life because everybody in the division, and that's kind of something that we talked about when we went into the game against them the first time. It's a cool situation that you get to go about, and so we've tried to approach it as a cool situation and you got two teams that are going to know each other pretty well and two teams that fought their tails off against each other the last time they were together. I think it's got the makings of being a
hell of a game. It's going to be pretty cool."

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Oregon State Interim HC Robb Akey on the tendencies of Washington State that he noticed

"Well, I thought the coolest thing of all in that game was the way [our team] all fought together all three phases of the game. The guys played their tails off. The offense was chopping wood, trying like hell to find a way to make something happen. They've got a good defense. They play well. They still play well. They're a good outfit there. And they kept banging, and the defense went out there, and hey, we'll get the ball back for you. And the special teams were taking care of the field position. Those things all went together and and made the play to get the ball back and then made the big catch on the sideline and the big run and then we hit the the go-ahead score and then maintain that lead and then when we had it and got it stopped at the end being able to, you know, the offense closed it out, it was the team taking care of the team."

"I thought that was cool. And then, you know, it's been fun. You watch the film, you watch the tape of it going back again. And I thought the way that our guys played, there was a physicality, there was a way that they went about doing things that I would like to think they'd be excited to draw upon that again. That's what stood out to me in the first game; it was kind of a battle royale. It was pretty cool."

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Oregon State Interim HC Robb Akey on getting the offense going against Washington State

"I think the time for guys to be able to get feeling better again and be able to get some work done that we were able to do over the course of last week, this weekend, and going into this game week I think has been very big. I think the fact that we've got three quarterbacks that are talented guys that each have different situations. That could put some stress pretty good on who we're playing against. They got to, you know, be able to plan for some of those things. And it is a good defense that we're playing. It's a good football team that we're playing. They've had some great battles throughout the course of the year. I look at the way our guys played them. I would think our guys would be excited as hell to go and make this happen again."

"So you'd look in each phase of the game, where are things that you know, maybe
they were vulnerable to things that we've got the ability to attack them with. And then obviously, where did we show vulnerability that we have to make sure it's shut up. I'm sure the beginning of this game is going to be a prove-it period for both teams. Let's get a spark lit and get some gasoline put on that fire. And you've heard me say that a lot before, but I'm going to say it again. I think that's what it all needs to be. And that might help it be a little bit warmer in Pullman, too, if we get a big old bonfire built."

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