No. 5 Washington (11-1, 8-1) and No. 23 Washington State (8-4, 7-2) just played one of the biggest Apple Cups ever. It goes down as UW’s biggest win in years, 45-17.
2016 Apple Cup final score and highlights: Washington blasts WSU and continues Playoff run
One of the country’s most heated rivalries ended up defining a Power 5 division on Black Friday. Highlights of scoring plays below!
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The Huskies clinch the Pac-12 North title and advance to play either Colorado or USC in Santa Clara next week, depending on whether the Buffs beat Utah on Saturday. With a win there, the Huskies would have an excellent case for a Playoff spot.
The basics
- The Huskies were favored by a touchdown, with the scoring total over/under set around 64 points, meaning Vegas expected something like a 35-29 UW win. S&P+ picked UW to win by 13.
- Washington fans should visit SB Nation’s UW Dawg Pound every day.
- WSU fans should all head to Coug Center.
The scores
- Washington 45, Washington State 17 is the final. UW out-gained WSU, 510 yards to 334, and dominated the turnover battle, four to one. QB Jake Browning finished with 292 yards and three TDs.
- Washington 45, Washington State 17 with 8:07 left, and the Huskies just keep finding more doors to slam shut.
- Washington 45, Washington State 17 with 8:36 left. A WSU turnover on downs gave the Huskies a short field. They took a couple shots at the end zone — BECAUSE THIS IS THE APPLE CUP, BABY — but settled for the field goal.
- Washington 42, Washington State 17 with 10:56 to go after Lavon Coleman stumbled into the corner of the end zone, his second TD of the day, to conclude a 10-play, 98-yard, 4:41 soul-crusher.
- Washington 35, Washington 17 with 15:37 left in the game after UW’s second goal-line stand of the game. Add in that end zone INT, and UW’s winning largely because of a few clutch red zone plays.
- Washington 35, Washington State 17 with 8:45 to go in the third. Nine-yard throw from Luke Falk to Gabe Marks on a drive saved by a Washington penalty (15 plays, 69 yards, 6:11).
- Washington 35, Washington State 10 at the half after DJ Beavers picked off Falk in the end zone. That’s two goal-line trips that produced zero points for WSU. UW QB Jake Browning has 243 passing yards and three TDs already.
- Washington 35, Washington State 10 with 3:21 left in the second. Coleman ran 22 yards to cap a 7-play, 85-yard, 2:41 response drive.
- Washington 28, Washington State 10 with 6:07 left in the second. A UW fumble by John Ross set up a 1-yard TD run by Jamal Morrow (4 plays, 17 yards, 1:24).
- Still Washington 28, Washington State 3 after a 64-yard WSU punt return by Morrow set up a short drive, which UW stuffed right at the goal line. 8:16 left in the second.
- Washington 28, Washington State 3 and 274 yards for UW ... with 17 seconds still to go in the first quarter, LOL. Browning threw to Ross to cap a 7-play, 57-yard drive (3:08).
- Washington 21, Washington State 3 only 45 seconds later, after a 61-yard pass from Browning to Pettis, who was interfered with along the way. Didn’t matter.
- Washington 14, Washington State 3 with 5:49 left in the first after a 6-play, 36-yard WSU drive.
- Washington 14, Washington State 0 in the first quarter after Washington State’s first drive ended with the game’s first turnover, recovered by UW’s DJ Beavers. The score: an 18-yard pass from Browning to Dante Pettis (8 plays, 46 yards, 2:08).
- Washington 7, Washington State 0 after a two-yard, opening-drive TD run by Myles Gaskin (7 plays, 76 yards, 3:27), set up by this:
The constant updates
Before, during, and after the game, this live Twitter list will include plenty of other stuff from the scene:
This is a huge rivalry in the state, which a lot of people might not realize, but it’s been a long time since it’s meant this much nationally:
What’s crazy about it is that it’s not as though it’s a great or competitive series: Washington owns a 70-32-6 all-time record, and Friday’s matchup will be only the second time both teams come into the game with each playing for the same title. The last was in 1936.
The teams
Washington rode a top-10 defense in yards allowed per play, a potential Heisman-finalist campaign by sophomore QB Jake Browning, and plenty of other offensive talent to one of the greatest seasons in recent program memory, with only a loss at home against a surging USC. The Huskies have leveled up from a few years of mediocrity since hiring longtime Boise State head coach Chris Petersen.
For the second year in a row, WSU started with an early loss to an FCS team (Eastern Washington this time) before ripping through much of the Pac-12. The Cougars put up a ton of passing yards, as always under Mike Leach. QB Luke Falk is No. 3 in the country in yards per game. But now they play somewhat more capable defense and run the ball efficiently (still No. 127 in the country in rushing attempts, but more than a full yard better than last year in yards per carry, up to No. 60).
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