The University of Washington Huskies won the annual Apple Cup, defeating their rival Washington State Cougars 31-13.
The Washington Huskies went into Pullman for the annual Apple Cup and blew out the rival Washington State Cougars 31-13. The Huskies (8-5, 4-5 in Pac 12) dominated throughout the game. The Cougars (3-9, 2-7 in Pac 12) were able to keep the score close in the first half, before Washington run away with this one in the second half.
The story for Washington was the way in which their defense dominated Washington State’s offense. The Cougars didn’t score their first points until 9:55 in the fourth quarter. The Cougars came into the game as one of the nation’s best passing offenses, but were held to just two garbage-time scores by Washington’s defense.
The Huskies got after WSU quarterback Luke Falk all game, finishing with four sacks. The were able to get pressure without blitzing on almost every play, allowing the Huskies to regularly drop seven or eight players into coverage. They also pressured Falk into two interceptions.
Offensively, the Huskies were carried by running back Dwayne Washington. The speedster has two long touchdown runs at the start of each half, and finished with 16 carries for 135 yards.
The Cougars were able to keep things close in the first half with solid defensive play. A rare WSU interception kept the Huskies from extending their lead early in the 2nd quarter. It was just the third interception of the year for the Cougars.
The Cougars were able to move the ball well in the first quarter, but were unable to convert all those yards into points. Washington State went for it on fourth down while inside scoring range on each of their first three possessions, but failed to convert on any of them.
The loss ends Washington State’s dismal and disappointing season. The Huskies, on the other hand, will be headed to a bowl game next month.