Its true that No. 23 Washington State gets most of its yards via the pass in coach Mike Leachs Air Raid offense. Its also true that Washington State this year has the most productive running backs in the Pac-12.Put those two facts together and you have a pretty good explanation for why the Cougars are having one of their best seasons in recent history. Washington State (8-3, 7-1) remains in the hunt for a league title heading into Fridays Apple Cup against No.6 Washington.Leach said people who think the Air Raid involves only a quarterback and receivers do not understand the offense. It is often running backs who get the most touches, he said. Wed like to have the highest level of production from that position, Leach said.Gerard Wicks, Jamal Morrow and James Williams are the backs carrying the load. Of the three, Wicks is the biggest and strongest, Morrow has more versatility and Williams is the most dynamic runner, Leach said.Opposing coaches have noticed.Not only are they trying to run it (more), theyre really good, Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre said before the Buffaloes 38-24 victory over Washington State on Saturday.The three have piled up 1,537 yards rushing and 954 yards receiving to lead the league in total yards from scrimmage.The Cougars also lead the Pac-12 with 29 touchdowns scored by running backs.Washington State has scored 50 or more points a record four times this season, and is averaging 42 points per game.A lot of that has to do with our offensive line, Leach said. This is the biggest group weve had.Offensive lineman Eduardo Middleton said its fun to do something besides drop back into pass protection.We get to show people we are not just guys who can pass the ball, Middleton said. Its been nice.Quarterback Luke Falk, who has thrown for 3,935 yards so far this season, said the running game keeps the defense honest.People cant drop eight back on us now, Falk said. They have to respect our run game.Receiver Gabe Marks said the running backs deserve the touches they get.Back in the day, wed just run it and nothing would get done, Marks said after the Cal game, when Washington States backs combined for 254 yards and averaged 8.2 yards per rush. Its hard to deny that type of production.Washington States running game began to improve during last years 9-4 season. Washington State scored just eight rushing touchdowns and averaged 80 yards rushing per game last year but that was a big improvement over the dreadful 2014 average of 39.8 yards per game.This season, the Cougars are averaging 132 yards per game, highest in Leachs head coaching career. The Cougars have topped 200 yards rushing in a game three times.Balance is good, Marks said. Weve got some good balance right now.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 Adidas Superstar Uomo Scontate . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice. Adidas Superstar Outlet . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. http://www.adidassuperstarscontate.it/ . LOUIS -- Heading into the final stretch of the season, the issues for the Chicago Bears banged-up defence only seem to be getting worse. Adidas Superstar Saldi .C. United of Major League Soccer. United chose the defender in the second round of the 2013 MLS re-entry draft. Adidas Superstar Scontate . McPhee said that Ovechkins father Mikhail is in stable condition after having the surgery this week and is no longer in intensive care. "Weve told him to stay as long as necessary with your dad," he said. Ovechkin and his Russian national team were eliminated from the mens hockey tournament in Sochi on Wednesday with a 3-1 quarter-final loss to Finland. Durham 156 for 6 (Stokes 56) beat Yorkshire 149 for 9 (Lyth 64, Wood 4-25, Rushworth 3-19) by seven runsScorecardMark Woods menace got Durham into a NatWest Blast semi-final - and there was no let-up once Finals Day dawned as he bowled Durham to a stunning seven-run victory against Yorkshire in a high-quality match at Edgbaston.Two ankle operations and nagging fears that his season might be over were pushed aside as Wood, once again looking as hostile as any fast bowler in the country, ended Yorkshires hopes of a treble with figures of 4 for 25, his best in T20, in three excellent spells delivered to order for Durhams captain Paul Collingwood.So the Blast final became a contest between two of the most financially stricken countries in the country - Northants and Durham - both of whom have had to rise above their issues and who proved far from bankrupt on the field on a Birmingham day of tormenting heavy showers.Yorkshires defeat also came with an injury to David Willey which will concern England ahead of the one-day series against Pakistan. A ferocious return drive from Mark Stoneman in his second over struck him on his left wrist, a technical chance that would have ended the involvement of lesser men. A break must be feared.Unlike in their quarter-final victory against Glamorgan in Cardiff, Yorkshire could easily cover the absence of an overseas player - Travis Head having been summoned by Australia for the one-day series in Sri Lanka - by the influx of three England batsmen: Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance.Indeed, by fielding them all their balance was batting heavy, relying on three pace bowlers plus the spin of Azeem Rafiq and Adil Rashid with no seam-bowling cover. With Rashid scheduled to bat at No 10, there was an argument for omitting Ballance, England player or not, for an extra seamer, especially with the weather so grouchy.Such batting insurance, though, looked invaluable the moment that Wood took the new ball for Durham. Fit and fresh, recovered from an injury-disrupted season, the England fast bowler was a hostile proposition.There were nerves around in Yorkshires early forays: 30 for 2 with five overs spent. Willey could summon no heroics with the bat, removing his bottom hand as a leg-side swing at Chris Rushworth skied to extra cover. Roots charge-pull at Rushworth became a comfortable catch in the leg side. It looked as if I had my hands and feet on backwards - I couldnt get settled, Root said. Rushworth had shrewdly nipped in beneath the new-ball stormLeaky first overs from Usman Arshad and Scott Borthwick settled Yorkshire and even though Alex Lees dragged a googly from Borthwick to a pumped-up Ben Stokes at deep midwicket, Yorkshires 77 for 3 at halfway gave them a slight edge.But Collingwood, summoned Wood for a third over to devastating effect. He immediately cleaned up Bairsttow with an 89mph yorker and then Ballance followed for a second-ball duck as the Durham skipper, 40 years old and carrying several injuries, pulled off a brilliant diving catch to his left at leg gully.ddddddddddddWith 39 needed off four, Collingwood again hunted wickets. The admirable Rushworth returned to defeat Adam Lyth with a slower ball, caught at backward point for 64 from 42 balls. Jack Leaning, signalling in his stance his long-on intent against Arshad, failed to clear the boundary.The final assault never happened and, with 23 needed from two, Wood struck the stumps of Liam Plunkett and Tim Bresnan in turn to settle the tie.Durham were indebted to Stokes for setting Yorkshire 157. Stokes pulverised the leg side in his muscular 56 from 36 balls, batting at No. 3, until one of his few forays into the off side saw him make room against the offspin of Rafiq and, to his obvious irritation, crack a long hop to Bresnan at cover.Stokes had not played a competitive match since injuring a calf during the second Test against Pakistan almost a month ago and he only had permission to bat with England taking a conservative view ahead of their Royal London one-day series against Pakistan.Yorkshires lack of bowling options might have been exposed by Willeys injury. He does not easily grimace, and continued his spell after painkillers and a defiant slug of water. After leaving the field briefly, he returned to finish his overs - one of the better 0 for 25s of the season - much to the relief of Yorkshires captain, Lees, no doubt.By then the persistent squally showers had intensified, giving Willey time to strap an injured wrist which, if worst fears are realised, could rule him out of Englands limited-overs matches against Pakistan, a potential Royal London Cup final (Englands call had already excluded him from next Sundays semi-final against Surrey at Headingley) and Yorkshires Championship run-in.Durham were 60 for 2 in nine overs at the rain break, the tie evenly poised. Yorkshire could also thank Rafiq for that. Relishing his second coming at Yorkshire, his ambition to bowl his offspin in the Powerplay gives Yorkshire welcome flexibility and he dismissed Keaton Jennings in his first over, well stumped down the leg side by Bairstow, who adjusted superbly to a big flick off the pad. On the resumption, however, he a bungled stumping when Rashid drew Michael Richardson, on 3, down the pitch.Yorkshire were left with an uncomfortable period of spin with a wet ball which skidded on invitingly before the seamers could return for the closing overs. Stokes had no compunction in peppering the leg side, while Richardson hunted the off side until Rashid ended a stand of 72 in 42 balls with an lbw. ' ' '