Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images
First Quarter
6:38 - UDub 7 Wazzu 0 - The teams trade three-and-outs. Luke Falk still doesn’t have time to throw, but the Cougars finally have something good happen when Erik Powell hits a line-drive punt that dies on the Huskies’ one-yard line.
8:28 - UDub 7 Wazzu 0 - That was quick. Wazzu’s first drive goes nowhere. We’re on immediate blow-out alert. On a happier note, the Apple Cup is sponsored by Boeing, which I love because if any company is going to slap its name on a game, it should be one with a local presence. In homage, here’s a shot of a B-29 from the Boeing Museum that I snapped this summer. Anyone want to debate the merits of the dropping of the atomic bombs or the strategic bombing campaign against Japan? We might need to go that route if Wazzu doesn’t start playing.
9:25 - UDub 7 Wazzu 0 - the Huskies have a perfect opening drive, predominantly on the ground. They face only one third down - a third and three - and put the ball into the end zone thanks to a short Miles Gaskin run. After one drive, this game seems like a continuation of the last two years. Bad news for the Cougars.
The game is only kicking off at 8:15, so the wife and I are explaining jewelry commercials to our kids. I referred to shiny gifts after a certain period of marriage as “maintenance jewelry.” Need to remember that line for the future. Also, we’re going with the Falcons pint glasses for the Dark & Stormies in honor of Blair Walsh.
Pregame
When Mike Leach came to Pullman, Washington State had not had a winning season in its last eight. The Cougars were coming out of the disastrous Paul Wulff era, in which the team won nine games in four years. Washington State has won as many games this season and tonight, it goes for the Pac-12 North title in Seattle against arch-rival Washington.
The Huskies are one year removed from a Pac-12 championship and a Playoff berth. They have had another excellent season, as they rank sixth nationally in S&P+, but two losses - most notably an inexplicable setback in Tempe - mean that Chris Petersen’s team can do nothing more than play the role of spoiler.
S&P+ likes the odds of the Huskies to do just that, making Washington a 10.4-point favorite. Part of the reason is that Washington State’s 9-2 record is a little soft. One-third of its wins have come in instances in which Wazzu’s win expectancy was below 50%. This is also an odd Mike Leach team, one whose offense ranks behind its defense. One wonders how Leach will coax points out of his attack when they are going against the #3 defense according to S&P+. It’s also worth noting that after winning his first Apple Cup, Leach has lost the last four, all by double digits.
As for the cultural context, let Brian Floyd’s excellent piece on the rivalry set the scene:
As you leave Seattle and head east on Interstate 90, cutting through the Cascade Mountains, you’ll notice the scenery changing. The range, which extends from Canada to California, serves as a natural dividing line in the state: East and west; rainy and arid; urban and rural; Huskies and Cougars. There’s a tension between the two sides of the state in politics, environment, and lifestyle.