With realignment shifting the landscape, Saturday marks one last duel as Pac-12 rivals.
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FROM THE DESK OF THE SPORTS EDITORS
It definitely sucks.”
There were few words more fitting than the ones Washington senior running back Sean McGrew uttered shortly after the embarrassing 40-13 loss to Washington State in 2021.
Sucks is an admirable way to describe a blowout loss to your cross-state rival, but there may not be a strong enough word to express the humiliation in watching thousands of crimson-clad supporters rush onto the turf of Husky Stadium shortly after, capping off the celebration with the Cougars’ sophomore quarterback Jayden de Laura planting a Washington State flag at midfield.
It’s been two years since that infamous day, but you’d be forgiven for mistakenly believing it to be closer to a couple decades since then.
This is due in large part to what’s felt like a ceaseless number of changes, whether it’s Washington’s hiring of head coach Kalen DeBoer, who promptly resurrected the Huskies into an 11-win squad last season, or the transfer of de Laura from Washington State, who’s now desperately vying for a starting job down in Tucson, rather than the Palouse.
But the most consequential change of all was a late-summer decision by Washington to join the Big Ten Conference, electing to leave the Pac-12 at the conclusion of this academic school year.
With the move, and the ensuing implosion of the conference, Washington State was one of two teams left behind — resigned to an uncertain future for its program.
Amid the muddied waters of conference realignment, and with a seismic gap suddenly materializing between the two sides, the future of the Apple Cup suddenly hangs in the balance.
It seems almost inconceivable that this historic and storied rivalry can disappear entirely. But to keep playing the Thanksgiving weekend staple as they always have, well, that seems just as impractical.
But for now, there’s still one guaranteed duel left. And don’t be mistaken, Saturday will certainly be no act of Washington solidarity.
Because even after all the changes, one thing is bound to remain the same.
Pure, unbridled hatred toward the other side.
God bless the Apple Cup.
– Ethan Kilbreath and Ty Gilstrap, Sports Editors
The Beauty of the Apple Cup
BY ETHAN KILBREATH The Daily
Editor’s Note: This edition had a deadline set two weeks before the Apple Cup. Therefore, there is an absence of current stats, records, and quotes. All articles in this edition leaned on historical context and previous Apple Cup matchups, instead
Rivalry games are both beautiful and cursed.
No matter how dominant one side has looked throughout the course of a season, no matter how meager the other has performed, there’s something special in the air when two bitter rivals take the field.
If you’re on the latter side, and you can stand in the way of your rival achieving their loftiest goals despite enduring a pedestrian campaign of your own, it’s beautiful. If your season is the one being spoiled, though, that final game over Thanksgiving weekend feels like a curse.
The Apple Cup is exhibit A.
Take 1992, for example. The Huskies entered their final regular season game with a 9-1 record, No. 5 ranking, and had won in 23 of their past 24 games, including a national championship in 1991.
This rivalry doesn’t care about any of that.
In that particular game, No. 25 WSU smacked UW in Martin Stadium, toppling the Huskies from their peak.
Fast forward 10 years, and it was the Huskies who played spoiler to a special Cougars season.
In the 2002 Apple Cup, WSU entered as the No. 3 team in the nation. UW, on the other hand, came to Pullman with a mediocre 6-5 record. But the Huskies weren’t about to let the Cougars enjoy their stellar season. UW took the game to three overtimes, where it won, 29-26, and ruined one of the greatest WSU games of all time.
In both 2016 and 2018, the Apple Cup was set to decide the Pac-12 North winner. The Huskies won each time. In the 2018 game, the Cougars were
enjoying one of their best seasons ever, taking a 10-1 record and No. 8 ranking into the game. But the Huskies rained on their parade, flustering Gardner Minshew in the snow and relegating WSU to the Alamo Bowl.
All that’s to say, the Apple Cup presents one final hurdle at the end of each regular season that needs to be cleared. Any season, no matter how promising it looks, can quickly be soured by a loss in the Apple Cup.
This year, the Cougars are looking to ruin a historical season for the Huskies, who have trailblazed their way through the regular season.
WSU began the season 4-0, then quickly began to sputter in the midseason.
Despite their struggles, though, the Cougars would love nothing more than to play spoiler to their biggest rival. When considering that it’s the final season of the Pac-12, and potentially the final year of the rivalry as well, the stakes are raised even further.
It’s like Michigan-Ohio State, or Auburn-Alabama. As much as these teams love to succeed, they love to cause their counterparts to fail just as much, if not more. And while UW may view Oregon as a bigger rival than WSU, the Cougars have no one they’d love to knock down more than the Huskies.
Washington leads the series, 72-32-6. In what could be the final chapter of the Apple Cup, WSU would love nothing more than to add just one more win to that tally.
It’s become tongue-and-cheek to say, “This is their Super Bowl” in a derogatory way of explaining your opponent’s stakes in a game. But while the Huskies may be looking ahead to more important trophies this season, they still need to act as if the Lombardi is on the line Saturday evening to avoid a heartbreaking meltdown.
Reach Sports Editor Ethan Kilbreath at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @EthanArles
Maddy Grassy The Daily
UW: STOP THE MONKEY BUSINESS
Snatched from their homes. Shoved into planes. Sick. Suffering in labs.
During the last 30 years, the University of Washington has imported pig-tailed macaques from Indonesia, cramming them into diseaseridden U.S. facilities and selling their babies to laboratories around the country for use in cruel and wasteful experiments. UW also acquires long-tailed macaques imported from around the world.
U.S. experimenters’ demand for these species is wiping them off the face of the Earth.
UW must get out of the global monkey trade and end its flawed experiments on monkeys.
Please take action at PETA.org/Seattle.
3-2-1, Football: The Daily’s Primer on Washington State
BY TESS KADIAN The Daily
3 Numbers to Know
337.9: The average number of yards passing for the Cougars through the first 10 games. The mark ranks third in the nation, trailing only the Huskies and Oregon. Behind two electric quarterbacks in junior Cameron Ward and senior Michael Penix Jr., there’s no doubt that most of Saturday’s contest will be spent in the air.
46.1: Washington State’s average penalty yards through 10 games. While not a staggering number by any means, it provides context for a Washington squad that records 70% more penalty yards per game. If Washington aims to keep the Governor’s Trophy in Seattle, it’ll have to significantly limit the emergence of the yellow linen.
102: The number of times the Apple Cup has been played as an in-conference rivalry. After over a century of conference play, UW and WSU will meet for one final time as Pac-12 opponents in late November.
2 Players to Watch
Cameron Ward: It’s no secret that the 6’2’’, 223-pound quarterback is one of the premier talents in the Pac-12 this season. Remarkably, however, Ward left high school as a zero-star recruit. Clearly, he’s proven himself more than capable throughout his collegiate tenure, with the junior recording over 300 yards passing per game with the Cougars this season.
Josh Kelly: The 6’1’’, 192-pound Fresno State transfer has quickly found his footing at Washington State, playing a critical role in Ward’s passing success. Kelly is averaging nearly 70
yards receiving per game and has been a frequent presence in the end zone. This quarterback-receiver duo will be one to look out for.
1 Recap of One Year Ago
It was the perfect end to head coach Kalen DeBoer’s first regular season — taking back the Apple Cup.
In a back-and-forth shootout, UW pieced together a six-minute, 94-yard drive early in the fourth quarter that put the Huskies ahead for good, and ultimately led them to a 51-33 win in Pullman.
Washington’s 703 yards of total offense is what set it apart late in the game, but excessive penalties and a handful of turnovers kept it a closer game for far longer than it should’ve been. To keep the Apple Cup in Seattle, UW will have to limit the penalties and turnovers, while retaining its yardage production.
Reach reporter Tess Kadian at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @tkadian21
Mark Summer The Daily
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BATTLE ROYALE
Ethan Kilbreath SPORTS EDITOR
The great Myles Gaskin once said, “I ain’t never lost to no Coug.” On Saturday evening, Michael Penix Jr. will be able to quote that iconic one-liner. The Cougs will come out swinging in an emotional finale, but they won’t spoil this special Husky season. UW wins, 49-28.
What’s your favorite Apple Cup memory?
Pretty much all of them — besides 2012 and 2021, of course. If I had to choose one moment, Myles Gaskin trudging 80 yards through the Pullman snow to punctuate a 28-15 Husky win in the 2018 edition, clinching the Pac-12 North in the process, stands alone.
In honor of the fact that UW may never return to Martin Stadium, what’s your favorite thing about Pullman?
There has been talk of the Apple Cup being preserved as a neutral-field rivalry game at Lumen Field. Aside from Husky Stadium, what would your dream venue be for the game moving forward?
I’m going to go with a place close to my heart — Newport High School in South Bellevue. It may not be the most fitting host for a high-caliber football game, but man, that place radiates with academic prowess.
Ty Gilstrap SPORTS EDITOR
Had you asked me shortly after Washington State took down then-No. 19 Wisconsin, I’d be a little less confident in Washington’s chances. But since that point, the Badgers’ season has tumbled downhill quicker than an avalanche, and the Cougars’ year has gone with it. The 10-7 loss to Stanford in early November provides all the assurance I need to take the Huskies, 45-14.
My grandfather has always been a stickler for snow games, and I’ll always vividly remember his insistence that we tune in for the 2018 contest that Ethan referenced — my first introduction to the Apple Cup. Three years later, I began my freshman year at the University of Washington. Funny how life works sometimes.
The cheesy chips. Easy. Washington State’s Bear Center, home to a handful of live grizzly bears and Pullman’s only redeeming quality.
I can’t imagine the Bahamas’ Thomas Robinson Stadium is necessarily overflowing with events this time of year — so that’ll be my vote. But what do we think is less likely, Washington’s staple rivalry moving to the Caribbean, or convincing The Daily to pay for international airline tickets? I’m leaning towards the latter.
Williams SPORTS WRITER
For the magnitude of this game, Husky Stadium might be the loudest it has ever been. A chance to potentially clinch a College Football Playoff berth against Wazzu would be an all-time moment in Apple Cup lore. Ultimately, I think Wazzu gives the Huskies their best shot, but Penix and the boys will come out firing as well. Washington wins 42-31. And, of course, a Jack Westover touchdown for good measure.
As only a two year veteran in this rivalry’s history my Apple Cup knowledge does not stem as far back as many of the Washingtonians, so I would have to go with Penix’s reception from Jalen McMillan for a touchdown in last year’s victory.
Luke Amrine EDITOR IN CHIEF
While I suspect it might not come as easily as anyone would like (teams in desperate positions do have some tricks up their sleeves from time to time), the Huskies are going to get down to business this weekend. UW all the way, 45-21.
Call me a broken record, but there was something special about 2018 (probably the snow). Between that and spoiling the Gardner Minshew bandwagon, that was quite the game.
I’d probably say Klay Thompson. The former Coug helped give my Golden State Warriors four titles.
Well ideally the matchup would be played at the Best Setting in College Football every year, but since that is not nearly creative enough, I would say Oracle Park in San Francisco. A stadium widely regarded as the best in Major League Baseball would be a fantastic spot to watch the best rivalry in college football.
It’s a great campus for exercise with all the hills.
I mean, despite being much too small and widely inconvenient, Stadium High School in Tacoma is about as good as it gets for a nongreatest setting location.
Danny
Norris: The Apple Cup’s deeper meaning
BY JACK NORRIS The Daily
The Apple Cup is more than just a football game.
It’s a rivalry that emphasizes vastly different collegiate experiences, rooted in feelings of perceived superiority that are only vindicated once the final whistle blows.
Although the rivalry has taken on an unmistakable purple hue as of late, with the Huskies taking 11 of the last 13 matchups, an air of uncertainty always lingers around each Apple Cup — sustaining the historic rivalry year in and year out. The awaiting result could either vault the respective team to glory, or tear apart a promising season just as quickly.
But I consider myself to be one of the
few that truly understands the significance of this rivalry.
That’s because prior to my time at Washington, I was a member of the other side. A student at Washington State.
Don’t be mistaken, my view of the Apple Cup is hardly conflicted. I see things strictly through a purple and gold tint now. But my time spent in Pullman greatly influenced how I view this storied rivalry.
Imagine attending volleyball matches in Pullman’s Beasley Coliseum, where Washington State welcomed UC Irvine, only to hear “F*** the Huskies” chants spreading through the crowd, perhaps the best indication of where the rivalry stands among Cougars fans.
Hatred for the Huskies is paramount. But most of the trash talk that comes out of the rivalry has nothing to do with football at all, or even the Apple Cup in particular. That inevitably dies down a few days after the game.
But disparaging the opposing universities or cities, well, that’s 24/7, 365 days a year.
Even Christmas Day isn’t safe.
All that’s to say the idea that the Apple Cup as we know it could disappear after this season is troubling.
Of course, the rivalry between the two sides will continue to exist in nonconference play of a handful of Olympic sports, but it’ll always be missing the main event — the clash of titans to either confirm
Ethan Kilbreath, co-sports editor, in the USC press box.
Ely The Daily or deny the superiority of the school for a calendar year.
Take 1982, for example, when the Cougars entered the Apple Cup with a 2-7-1 record. The Huskies, on the other hand, were 9-1 and ranked No. 5 in the nation. All signs pointed to another Rose Bowl appearance for the Huskies, at least, until the greatest upset in the rivalriy’s history ended the hopes for another trip to Pasadena under head coach Don James’ reign.
Cougar fans will always revere this as one of their favorite Apple Cup memories.
And the sudden absence robs us of the opportunity to see the unthinkable, the great upset. The game that could ultimately decide whether a Husky team can reach a College Football Playoff game — or the one that can send a 9-2 Washington squad to the Aloha Bowl.
I consider myself lucky to be one of the few that experienced this great rivalry on both sides, and I know I’m hardly alone in lamenting the end of what has transformed into a profoundly personal rivalry.
While the Big Ten Conference offers an incredible amount of promise
and opportunity — this lifelong Washingtonian is still grieving the loss of a tradition that binds our community together, if only for a day.
There’s middle ground between being excited for the future and grieving the loss of a date that’s been circled on calendars every year for decades.
It’s in this middle ground that this Saturday’s game will be played. With the legacy of 114 Apple Cups in the rearview mirror, the prospect of new beginnings and uncertain futures will collide in one last David vs. Goliath showdown on the shores of Montlake.
So here’s to hoping your side comes on top. Otherwise, you’ll be destined to hear about it for a long, long time.
Reach reporter Jack Norris at sports@dailyuw.com.
Twitter: @jack_enorris
Lydia
Job Number: SBX23-816014
BY DANNY WILLIAMS The Daily
Reach reporter Danny Williams at sports@dailyuw.com.
1 Apple Cup win for Washington State across the past 10 seasons 75 Wins in the Apple Cup for the Huskies — more than double the Cougars’ 33
Producers:
51 Points Washington scored in last season’s win in Pullman Times former Washington running back Myles Gaskin lost to the Cougs
2 Teams left in the “Pac-12”
ALL IN FOR THE DAWG PACK
INFORMATION PEOPLE TECHNOLOGY
Shannon Gatta, Informatics ’20, is a data engineer and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community at Blue Origin. Informatics is the study, design and development of information technology for the good of people, organizations and society.
Information is central to knowledge, to truth, to impact. It plays a pivotal role in solving the challenges we all face, including climate change, public health crises, and threats to democratic institutions. The UW Information School is leading the global movement to devise information solutions that improve people’s lives.
Left behind in the Pac-12, WSU enters an uncertain future
BY TY GILSTRAP The Daily
It’s far from perfect, but perhaps the most on the nose description for the future of Washington State and Oregon State is that of the doomed hero in James Cameron’s “Titanic.”
While neither have the credentials to proclaim themselves kings of the world, both are victims of a sudden implosion of their multi-million dollar vessel and relegated to a vast unknown because of it.
But with the two universities still left without a secure conference just weeks out from the end of the football season, it feels as if both are destined to suffer a similar fate to Jack.
That’s not to say there hasn’t been promising news as of late, with the both schools sharing a judicial win when a Whitman County Superior Court judge granted a temporary restraining order to prevent the Pac-12 from convening as a board without explicit court approval.
With the win, they believe they’ve salvaged their respective universities from falling victim to the whim of the departing schools, providing the necessary leverage to take control of their assets and brands.
But in recent months, Washington State has time and time again shown an inability to capitalize on any leverage it builds for itself, at least the kind created through athletic play.
When WSU president Kirk Schulz proposed three options for the future of the Cougars, he did so at the peak of a rejuvenated athletic program, one that featured the No. 4 volleyball team, No. 13 football team, and No. 23 women’s soccer team.
Behind the perhaps surprising success, Schulz felt confident in an ability to rebuild the Pac-12, work its way into the American
Athletic Conference, or at the very least, join the Mountain West.
But since his press conference, two of the final Pac-12 members, Cal and Stanford, departed for the ACC, the American Athletic Conference announced it wouldn’t pursue any teams west of San Antonio, and only the volleyball team remains in any NCAA rankings.
Just months after seemingly holding all the cards, the Mountain West appears the only viable option for a land-grant university tormented by conference realignment. It’s hardly the ideal option for a WSU program that’s become accustomed to a Power Five lifestyle, but when the ultimate goal is keeping the lights on — it becomes a saving grace.
However, with deals far from finalized
as the season winds down, the Cougars’ future is just as uncertain as it was when Washington and Oregon initially announced its intention to join the Big Ten Conference.
But remember, Rose’s makeshift wooden raft wasn’t readily apparent when she was first submerged in the icy Atlantic ocean.
So while all signs might point to the Mountain West, Washington State’s true liferaft may not be visible just yet.
Reach Sports Editor Ty Gilstrap at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @ty_gilstrap
Caean Couto The Daily
BY TY GILSTRAP The Daily
hortly after Washington’s 35-28 win over Utah, junior running back Dillon Johnson finally felt assured enough to deliver his toned-down version of “I told you so.”
While we’ll refrain from referring to him as the modern-day Galileo for his fall camp predictions, credit is certainly due for his declaration to a horde of reporters that Washington would showcase the “best offense in the country.”
Not the best passing offense. Not the best individual offensive player.
The best offense.
And in the first few contests against Group of Five opponents to kickstart the season, the passing offense did more than its
part, delivering a combined 99 points and re-solidifying senior quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s name in the Heisman contention.
But the rushing offense lagged significantly behind, ranking 128th among 133 eligible teams for rushing attempts — due in large part to the limited nature of Johnson, who was still navigating his return from a knee injury he sustained last season with Mississippi State.
“That was the main thing when I got here, I was hurt, and I shouldn’t have played in the first game,” Johnson said. “But you know me, trying to be a big head, I was trying to play, especially for my guy Cam Davis who was out. That sucked. I was trying to help the team as much as possible,
but I wasn’t doing [anything] but hurting myself.”
Additional lower back and hamstring tightness limited the junior to just 12 yards rushing against Boise State, and kept him out of the contest against Tulsa.
Throughout camp and into the early season, Johnson spent countless hours on training room tables and in physical therapy, working his body back into shape to handle the physical style of running he’s showcased in years past.
And in UW’s meeting with Arizona in the second week of conference play, a rejuvenated Johnson looked every bit the part the staff expected from the transfer back at the start of the season.
The junior notched his first 100-yard performance of the season down in Tempe, 91 of which came on the ground, with 48 through the air. And on a night where Penix
failed to record a touchdown, Johnson had two.
Then came a 100-yard rushing performance against Oregon. A few weeks later, he had a staggering 256-yard, four touchdown outing against USC, one that earned him Pac12 Offensive Player of the Week honors, the first Husky running back to do so since Myles Gaskin in 2018.
And a week later, Johnson picked up 104 yards against a physical Utah squad — a performance he bashfully admits was an effort to show he’s just as much of a force against formidable defenses, too.
“I pointed that out to our offense, as far as getting stronger as the season goes on and taking care of your body and getting yourself in a position to be a difference maker,” offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said. “That’s what I thought Dillon [Johnson] has done a great job of, strengthening his body.”
When asked of his elevated performance in conference play, Johnson is quick to distribute the lion’s share of the praise to those behind the scenes, like a racing
James Anderson Furber
December 21, 1928 – May 21, 2023
driver to his pit crew.
“Throughout this season, the coaching staff and the trainers have done a great job of taking care of me, so all of this is a salute to them,” Johnson said.
Through the first 10 games, Johnson has recorded 790 yards and an impressive 5.8 yards per carry to elevate Washington’s rushing attack to 126 yards rushing per game — lightyears ahead of its production in early-September. And Johnson’s 11 touchdowns have contributed to UW’s premier scoring offense, one that’s tallied 41.7 points per game.
How’s that for the best offense in the country?
“Like I said at the beginning of this season, I don’t know if anybody remembers it, but I told everybody that we have a special group of guys,” Johnson said. “I’m grateful to be a part of it, and I’m grateful that I ever made the decision to come here.
Reach Sports Editor Ty Gilstrap at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @ty_gilstrap
JimboPalooza
Jim, aka Jimbo, bled purple from the day he was born.
Jim was a third generation University of Washington graduate (B A 1951, JD 1956) When Jim’s kids were applying to universities, Jim advised “I don’t care what university you choose as long as it’s a four year public university in Seattle.” All three of his children & two of his grandchildren happily obliged
Jim courted Linda Bolton Polk at Husky Stadium in Autumn 1960 with great success Jim & Linda maintained their passion for Husky football throughout their lives
In celebration of his passion, Jim s family has dubbed this Apple Cup 2023 game to be the “JimboPalooza ”
Washington Huskies running back Dillon Johnson rushes during Washington’s game versus the University of Southern California Saturday, November 4, 2023 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | BY MADDY GRASSY The Daily
Top 10 Apple Cup games of all time
BY ETHAN KILBREATH AND TY GILSTRAP The Daily
On Nov. 29, 1900, the Washington Agricultural football team traveled to Denny Field for a meeting with Washington in front of a now-meager crowd of 1,500.
While the excitement of the inaugural meeting pales in comparison to the storied matchups that followed, perhaps the 5-5 tie was a fitting way to kickstart a rivalry famous for its competitive games that have captivated Washingtonians and national audiences alike throughout the years.
Here’s our picks for the Top 10 Apple Cup games in the 123-year rivalry.
1975 — UW 28, WSU 27
Perhaps you could say Washington State’s head coach Jim Sweeney paved future Oregon head coach Dan Lanning’s footsteps.
Facing a fourth-and-1 on Washington’s 13-yard line, and a 13-point lead in his back pocket, Sweeney placed his faith in WSU quarterback John Hopkins — who was promptly picked off across the middle for a 93-yard pick six to bring the game within reach for the Huskies.
A few drives later, and with 1:58 remaining in the fourth quarter, Washington quarterback Warren Moon heaved a pass deep downfield that somehow bounced off a Washington State defensive back and right into the awaiting hands of wide receiver Spider Gaines — turning a surefire interception into the second consecutive Apple Cup victory for the Huskies.
1982 — WSU 24, UW 20
The Seattle Times were perhaps overly confident in the Huskies’ chances in the
1982 Apple Cup.
So much so that they opted to send columnist Georg Meyers to Columbus to scout the Wolverine side in the Ohio StateMichigan game rather than the contest on the eastern half of Washington.
But, in the first game in Pullman after 28 years in Spokane, perhaps a little Cougar magic should have been expected.
After WSU stormed back to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, the Huskies lined up for a 33-yard field goal attempt to win its ninth consecutive Apple Cup behind the leg of a kicker who had made his last 30 attempts.
His kick missed wide.
And with it, the two-loss Huskies were suddenly eliminated from Rose Bowl contention.
1988 — WSU 32, UW 31
Timm Rosenbach has an extensive history of derailing Husky seasons.
Before he did so as an offensive coordinator with Montana in 2021, he mounted a 12-point comeback win for the Cougars in 1988, taking a fourth-and-goal quarterback keeper into the end zone for the winning score on a blustery late-November day.
Washington State’s defense did its part to support Rosenbach’s efforts, digging its heels in for the remaining nine minutes to hold onto the narrow one-point victory.
But perhaps most importantly for the Cougar faithful, it sent WSU to the Aloha Bowl for a date with Houston, while the Don James-led Huskies were sent home packing with a 6-5 record.
1991 — UW 56, WSU 21
1991 isn’t to be brought up without good reason when it comes to Washington football.
That team, which finished a perfect 12-0 and won a co-National Championship, is widely considered to be the greatest squad in program history.
But, as always, they couldn’t reach that
mountaintop without first summiting the Apple Cup. The Huskies trailed early to the struggling Cougars, but UW was simply too good to be contained. The Huskies stormed back to a 56-21 win, walloping their rivals en route to the Rose Bowl.
As the 2023 season concludes with the Apple Cup, UW can only hope that its aspirations will fall in accordance with that legendary ‘91 team.
2002 — UW 29, WSU 26
Allow the 2002 Apple Cup to serve as a warning: no matter how good of a season one side is having, that final regular season game has the potential to thwart their hopes and dreams.
In 2002, the Cougars ended on the wrong side of that soul-crushing defeat. Entering the game ranked No. 3, WSU’s aspirations were as high as ever. But a relatively mediocre UW team, which entered with just six wins, had to bring the Cougars back down to Earth.
Recovering from a 17-7 deficit, UW managed to send the game into overtime before a controversial fumble secured a Huskies victory in the third overtime. WSU fans didn’t take too kindly to their
season being ruined; fans began throwing objects onto the field in the aftermath, and The Daily’s own Chris Jordan even needed stitches after being struck by a water bottle.
2003 — UW 27, WSU 19
Seven turnovers.
After surrendering 729 total yards to the Aaron Rodgers led-Cal squad the week prior, Washington’s defense was the difference maker in a 27-19 win over thenNo. 8 Washington State — preventing the Cougars from a third straight 10-win season.
Miraculously, WSU had won the two prior games it committed seven turnovers in, but this time around, five interceptions and two lost fumbles proved too much to overcome. And late in the fourth quarter, senior quarterback Cody Pickett delivered a 21-yard strike to freshman wide receiver Corey Williams to retain the Governor’s Trophy in Seattle.
2008 — WSU 16, UW 13
In terms of high-quality football, this game has absolutely zero business being on this list. But the 2008 “Crapple Cup,” between 0-10 UW and 1-9 WSU, was so hilariously bad that it produced one of the
more dramatic games in the rivalry’s history.
Washington took a 10-0 lead into halftime, seemingly on its way to salvaging a singular win from a dreadful season. But the Huskies proved they were the worst of the worst on that field, allowing a third quarter field goal, then a deep pass to set up a game-tying Cougars field goal in the fourth quarter. In overtime, WSU escaped with a 16-13 win, and UW instead claimed the unwanted title of worst season in conference history.
After that game, Washington slowly began to turn the page from the darkest era in program history, winning the next three Apple Cups and returning to bowl eligibility in 2010.
2012 — WSU 31, UW 28
Holding onto a 28-10 lead early in the fourth quarter, Washington had all but won its fourth consecutive Apple Cup.
Until it didn’t.
Despite entering the Nov. 23 showdown with eight consecutive losses, the Cougars orchestrated a miraculous comeback underneath first-year head coach Mike Leach, with WSU benefitting from a seemingly endless number of self-inflicted penalties and turnovers committed by the visiting side.
Looking to stave off an 18-point comeback, Washington was left with a 35-yard field goal to escape with a narrow victory.
It sailed wide right.
Then, on the first play of overtime, UW’s senior quarterback Keith Price immediately threw an interception, allowing WSU to kick a 27-yard field goal and send the crimson-clad faithful barreling onto the field to celebrate the biggest comeback in the history of the rivalry.
2018 — UW 28, WSU 15
The image is unforgettable.
The still shot of running back Myles Gaskin extending the football across the goal line, sliding through the snow atop a Cougar defender in the process, has become immortalized in UW football lore.
That 80-yard touchdown run by Gaskin sealed a 28-15 win for the Huskies in one of the most consequential Apple Cups in the rivalry’s history. In a matchup between two top 15 teams, the Pac-12 North, and potential Rose Bowl berth, was on the line for both sides.
WSU, powered by quarterback Gardner Minshew and “Minshew Mania” couldn’t keep their offense hot in a blizzard at Martin Stadium. Instead, UW smelled roses as
it pulled away for a rivalry-defining win before winning the Pac-12, and earning a bid in the Rose Bowl.
2022 — UW 51, WSU 33
Revenge is a dish best served with some apples.
Entering the 2022 Apple Cup, the Huskies were looking for revenge more than ever. One year earlier, after all, the Cougars had embarrassed them at Husky Stadium, winning a 40-13 rout and infamously celebrating at midfield after the fact.
But under a new coaching administration, and with a new star quarterback, UW wasn’t about to let the fun continue for its cross-state rival. The Huskies led by just two entering the fourth quarter, in what shaped up to be a dramatic finish. But in the final 15 minutes, revenge came in abundance for UW.
The Huskies won the fourth quarter, 16-0, Zion Tupuola-Fetui returned the flagplanting gesture from a year prior, Wayne Taulapapa added a little showboating of his own, and UW brought the Apple Cup back to Seattle.
Reach Sports Editors Ethan Kilbreath and Ty Gilstrap at sports@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @EthanArles and @ty_gilstrap
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