It was a cold and snowy evening in Pullman, Washington when the UW Huskies beat the WSU Cougars 28-15 in the 111th annual Apple Cup.
Prior to the game, the Huskies were ranked 16th in the nation, and the Cougars were ranked 8th, despite the Huskies who have won the previous five Apple Cups.
The players with the most major roles in the outcome of the game were WSU Quarterback Gardner Minshew, UW Quarterback Jake Browning, UW Running Back Myles Gaskin, and UW Linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven. Heisman candidate Minshew is an unexpected talent as a senior transfer from East Carolina University. He threw for 4,325 yards and threw 36 touchdowns this season. His passing game of 70.4% completion won the Cougars games time and time again. He is a major contributor to WSU’s high ranking this year. Browning is statistically the best quarterback UW has ever had. His strategy of running the ball and sneakily switching to passing down the field prevailed against WSU. O’Dea graduate Gaskin was also a key player in the UW offense and is statistically the best UW running back to date. Browning’s offense wouldn’t work without Gaskin steadily barreling down the field. But the Apple Cup was really won through the Huskies potent defense. Led by the intuitive Linebacker, Burr-Kirven, the Huskies were often one step ahead of the Cougar’s offense.
In the first quarter, it was looking to be a normal game, but then the snow started really picking up in the second quarter. The WSU offense, relying on passing, was ill-equipped to deal with the weather. The cold stiffens the fingers and the snow makes the ball heavy and slippery, making throwing and catching much harder. This forced the Cougars to focus their offense more on running, which was weaker than the Husky run game. Gaskin ran for three touchdowns, including the game-winning play, when he dove into the snowy end zone for an 80-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, crushing any hope for a Cougar comeback.
The Huskies managed to win without the support of their band. One of their buses flipped due to fog and icy roads, and 47 band members were injured, but thankfully none were killed. The injured band members spent the night in a local hospital and were sent back to Seattle the next day. The whole band stayed behind to support their injured musicians, missing the big game. “The Husky Marching Band is like a family,” says Brad McDavid, the Washington band director, “We do everything together.”
Post Apple Cup, the Huskies are now ranked 9th in the nation and the Cougars are ranked 13th. The Huskies will go on to play the Rose Bowl against Ohio State, who so far has had a dominant season. The OSU quarterback, Dwayne Haskins, is a likely Heisman candidate with 42 touchdowns and 4,000 passing yards. Ohio State will prove to be a formidable opponent against Washington.
