SEATTLE — Without starting quarterback Luke Falk, the Washington State University football team was going to have a tough time against rival Washington in Friday’s Apple Cup.
Seven WSU turnovers took that tough task and made it impossible.
The UW defense, which has been the best in the Pac-12 Conference this season, overwhelmed the Cougars on a cool but sunny day at Husky Stadium, forcing five fumbles and intercepting backup WSU quarterback Peyton Bender twice, including two interceptions and one fumble that were returned for touchdowns in a 45-10 blowout.
“With all those turnovers and then those three (touchdowns) on defense, that’s pretty impressive,” UW head coach Chris Petersen said.
The Huskies, he added, “did a great job of preparing (during the week) and they were ready to roll. … It was our most prepared (game of the season) emotionally. I was really hoping they were going to play good because I knew they were all in.”
The Huskies, who reached bowl eligibility with their sixth win, spotted Washington State an early field goal, but then ran off three touchdowns and a field goal for a 24-3 lead early in the third quarter. After the Cougars reached the end zone later in the period, Washington broke the game open with 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, capped by two defensive touchdowns in the span of 17 seconds late in the game.
Getting turnovers “is what we’re striving for every week,” UW defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski said. “But when they snowball like that … it’s huge.”
The Huskies certainly benefitted from the absence of Falk, one of the nation’s best QBs who had head injuries in games against UCLA and Colorado the previous two weeks. Though Washington State head coach Mike Leach kept his starting quarterback a secret during the week, it was Bender — a redshirt freshman making his fifth college appearance and first start — who went the distance against Washington.
Bender guided Washington State to an early field goal, but from there the Cougars had trouble sustaining offensive drives. Their sole touchdown came late in the third quarter and followed an interception return that gave the visitors a first down at the UW 19-yard line.
Washington, meanwhile, had only one turnover and it was that same interception thrown by freshman quarterback Jake Browning. It was, he said, “a bad play by me.”
Otherwise the Huskies moved the ball efficiently throughout the game, getting 203 passing yards from Browning and 240 total rushing yards, including 138 rushing yards with two touchdowns from freshman Myles Gaskin. Gaskin’s totals gave him 1,121 rushing yards for the season and 10 rushing TDs, both UW freshman records.
Getting to bowl eligibility with a 6-6 record “was a little bit of motivation” for the Huskies, acknowledged linebacker Keishawn Bierria. “But (even more), this is the Apple Cup. It’s huge in Washington and it’s huge to us. Everybody cares about bragging rights. That’s how personal it is for us. It’s our legacy we have to leave.”
Washington must wait to learn both its bowl game and opponent, but “at least we get to play another game and that’s what I thought about all along,” Petersen said. “I’d like these guys to be able to play another game (because) I think that’s really important.
“But it’s not only going (to a bowl game), it’s winning,” he said. “And that’s something we’ll start talking about (today) or the next day. That is on the docket. Wherever we end up, we need to go and play well.”
When the Huskies lost games against Utah and Arizona State earlier this month, they slipped to 4-6 and put their bowl hopes in jeopardy. 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 accomplished that and did so emphatically, blasting Oregon State 52-7 a week ago and then breezing past the Cougars on Friday. Those outcomes should provide a large boost of confidence to a young team with just eight seniors in its two-deep lineup for Friday’s game.
“I’m excited for these guys,” Petersen said. “We’ve kind of had our backs to the wall. It’s been a battle all season long, but I do think there’s progress. I feel it and I think they feel it, too.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
