The Pac-12 North title is on the line for No. 13 Washington State as they take on rival No. 17 Washington in the Apple Cup but neither team seemed to sense the urgency of such stakes after a half of play in rainy Seattle, with the Huskies slogging their way to a 24-0 lead in a game mostly dominated by defense.
Quarterback Jake Browning threw for only 68 yards but couldn’t find much down the field and was pressured several times as Chris Petersen’s team stuck mostly with the ground game given the conditions. Running back Myles Gaskin ran for 114 yards and two of the game’s touchdowns while Browning had a keeper for the other score.
Injuries were perhaps the bigger story for Washington in the half as two of the team’s biggest playmakers both went to the locker room with lower leg injuries. FBS record holder and leading receiver Dante Pettis was hurt while fielding a punt while No. 2 tailback Lavon Coleman seemed to twist his leg into the turf while getting tackled.
Much of the offense was the result of big defensive plays amid a pretty fired up crowd on Montlake. Wazzu quarterback Luke Falk managed just 132 yards through the air, getting sacked four times while throwing two interceptions. To make matters worse, the senior signal-caller also fumbled on a scramble in what was a nightmare start for the team needing a win in order to take the division crown and wind up in the Pac-12 title game.
FUMBLE! But nice recovery, coach. đŸ˜‚ pic.twitter.com/6J5tSThnS5
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) November 26, 2017
The Cougars still have plenty of time and firepower to get back in this one but Washington is looking pretty determined to ruin their rival’s title hopes and hit the double-digit win mark for the second year in a row. The Apple Cup has been full of some wild games but you don’t get the vibe that this year’s edition will be all that memorable unless Falk, Mike Leach and company get things fixed in the locker room and come out determined to reverse this outcome.