In 120 years of Washington State football, the Cougars have never had more success than they did in the late 90s and early 2000s, when quarterback Jason Gesser and head football coach Mike Price combined their considerable talents to usher in the Golden Era of Cougar football and become the most successful quarterback and coach tandem in school history
Gesser and Price won 24 games together and led the program to back-to-back 10-win seasons, a Sun Bowl win and a Rose Bowl appearance. Their pinnacle came in Pasadena, Calif. on Dec. 7, 2002, when the gritty Gesser played through a partial right meniscus tear and a severe high ankle sprain to lead the Cougars to a 48-27 win over No.