However, the Cougars nearly matched their sky-high turnovers total when offering varied theories behind their wretched performance. Washington (5-6, 3-5) can take all debate about its bowl worthiness out of question by beating the Cougars and getting the requisite six victories.
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They needed to be that and more Saturday afternoon in the 108th Apple Cup – and were not even close. Washington State, bowl eligible for three weeks and ranked 20th in both polls entering the game, finished 8-4, 6-3. The numbers aren’t as one sided as you would predict, but Washington’s offense is not on the same level as Washington State’s.
Washington Freshman quarter Jake Browning was 14 for 20 for 203 yards with an interception.
But Washington’s secondary has been the strength of the Huskies’ defense and is second-best in the Pac-12 in yards allowed and passing efficiency. Though it was possible they might slip in with a 5-7 mark, the focus was on closing the regular season with back-to-back wins. Washington also recorded a third consecutive win over WSU.
“WSU”s Marcellus Pippins intercepted Browning and returned it 66 yards to set up the Cougars” first touchdown, a 1-yard pass from Bender to Dom Williams late in the third quarter. Chico McClatcher added 40 more rushing yards and a touchdown on just three carries.
Washington gained 443 yards to 319 and dominated the time of possession, 37:28 to 22:32. Polk had 1,113 yards as a redshirt freshman in 2009. Marks wasn’t much better, hauling seven passes for 58 yards. He has 30 career TD catches, two shy of Jason Hill’s record. Washington State looks to have the upper hand this time, but freaky things happen in rivalry games. “Two days? So they’re day-to-day and we’ll see in two days”. You better not lose when you get seven turnovers.
Bender’s second interception was returned 27 yards for a score by UW linebacker Azeem Victor on the first play from scrimmage after Gardenhire’s scoop-and-score. There was a lot riding on this and our guys were all in. The Huskies have four athletic starting defensive backs who are quick enough to play a physical game with wide receivers at the line of scrimmage, and still cover them once they break down the field.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at CougCenter for Washington State fans and UW Dawg Pound for Washington fans. It kind of snuck up on me.
The Cougars will still be going to a bowl game for the second time under Leach but lost out on a chance at just the sixth 10-win season in school history and may tumble down the Pac-12 pecking order.
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Progress for a football team rarely is a simple, uninterrupted advancement from bad to good to great.
