Luke Falk orchestrates thrilling comeback, gets #Pac12AfterDark help

Luke Falk has been Washington State's starting quarterback for a little less than a calendar year, but has had a career’s worth of exclamation-point moments. In a game that will surely air on “Pac-12 Classics” in the near future, Falk threw for 505 yards in the Cougars’ 45-38 double-overtime win at Oregon, sending the game to overtime on a touchdown pass with one second left and providing the game-winning score in a manner fitting of #Pac12AfterDark.

Trailing by 10 midway through the fourth quarter, Falk led the Cougars on two scoring drives of 50-plus yards apiece and orchestrated a game-tying 12-play, 70-yard drive that culminated in an eight-yard touchdown pass to Dom Williams, who came down with the end-zone fade after dropping two big passes earlier in the game, with one second left.

After forcing a second overtime with a one-yard sneak and driving down to the Ducks’ 4-yard line on the ensuing possession, Falk found a crossing River Cracraft, who couldn’t control the pass as he went down on the goal line. Luckily, the ball popped backwards right to Robert Lewis, who waltzed into the end zone. Here’s the play that the “Lewis, Robert 4 yd PASS from Falk, Luke” live stats scoring description doesn’t do justice:

Did I mention that the sun was going down in Eugene?

With the win, the Cougars are 3-2 and halfway to the six wins necessary to make a bowl-game appearance for the second time in three seasons. It’s already the second time this year that Falk has led the Cougars on a last-minute drive to win or force overtime, earlier leading Washington State to a 37-34 win at Rutgers on a touchdown pass to Cracraft with 13 seconds left.

The loss ruins a career night for Oregon running back Royce Freeman, who piled up a collegiate-best 246 yards on 27 carries. It was the first time an Oregon rusher amassed 200 yards on the ground since Kenjon Barner ripped off 321 against USC on Nov. 3, 2012.