Brink disappointed in debut as starter.

Byline: Adam Jude The Register-Guard

CORVALLIS - After scrambling away from Oregon State's defense all afternoon, Alex Brink scrambled some more after the game, searching for words to assess his performance Saturday.

A 38-19 loss to the Beavers in his first career start for Washington State wasn't the kind of homecoming the former Sheldon High School star quarterback had envisioned.

"I felt like I could've played better," said Brink, a redshirt freshman for the Cougars. "I felt if I could've played better, the team would've won. Coming back home, it was fun, but we didn't get a win."

Starting in place of the injured Josh Swogger, Brink was generally efficient against the Beavers, but he wasn't any more effective than decaf coffee. The same could be said for much of the WSU offense.

Brink was 7-of-9 passing in the first quarter for 59 yards but finished 15-of-41 for 201 yards with two interceptions. His lone touchdown pass, a 32-yard completion to Greg Prator, came late in the fourth quarter, with the game out of reach.

It's not exactly the way Sheldon head coach Marty Johnson remembers his former pupil. Before Saturday, the last time Johnson saw Brink play in person was during the 2002 state championship game, when Brink led the Irish to the title with a 31-24 victory over Lake Oswego.

"I actually thought he did pretty good," said Johnson, sporting a Sheldon green hat. "It was a tough team to play against; Oregon State has a good defense. I was just hoping he would do his best, play strong and stay healthy.

"He battled till the end, which is typical Alex."

Johnson was accompanied by a handful of other Sheldon coaches and supporters, all waiting to greet Brink outside the visitors' locker room afterward. Brink's parents, Russ and Jennifer, also attended the game.

"I'm glad they got a chance to come watch me play," the quarterback said. "I just wish it would've turned out a little better, but I'm glad they're here."

Harassed, hurried and hit constantly by the Oregon State defense, Brink was sacked four times and lost a fumble in the second quarter. Fleet-footed at 6-feet-2 and 203 pounds, Brink was often able to roll away from the pressure, but he rarely connected with receivers when he threw on the run.

`(The pressure) wasn't more than I thought, but I definitely thought I could've handled it better," Brink said. "At times, I didn't feel the pressure as well as I could've. I made some mistakes throwing the ball. I felt like I made good reads but didn't make good throws at times. Consistency was an issue for me and the whole team."

The Beavers quickly opened a 10-0 lead in the first quarter and held a 24-3 edge at halftime.

"It is hard to play come-from-behind, especially for me in my first start," Brink said. "We felt confident in the first half that we could come back from it. We just didn't make plays."

Brink completed just one pass to WSU receiver Jason Hill - the Pac-10 leader in touchdown catches heading into Saturday's game - and that came with less than a minute left in the game.

"Alex Brink did a nice job for his first start, but he's got to have some help," Washington State coach Bill Doba said. "I thought the kid played his butt off."

Quarterbacks coach Timm Rosenbach, a former WSU signal-caller, praised Brink's ability to elude the pass rush.

"He's flexible, and when he does take a shot, he absorbs it well," Rosenbach said. "He's a quick study. Any time a kid can keep his head in a game like that, you have to be proud of him."

After compiling a 35-3 record in three years as Sheldon's starting quarterback, Brink is now 0-1 as the Cougars' main man. He's also 0-2 at OSU's Reser Stadium, where his Irish fell to McNary in the 2001 state title game.

Brink now must prepare for his toughest test yet, when the Cougars look to end a three-game skid at No. 1 USC next week.

"It's a huge challenge, but it's also a huge opportunity," Brink said. "A win like that could really get us back on track and get us headed to a bowl game."

CAPTION(S):

Washington State's Alex Brink, the former Sheldon High School quarterback, tries to run away from Oregon State's Joe Lemma in the first half. Brink finished 15-of-41 for 201 yards.