Apple Cup: Cougars lament missed opportunities in loss

Published 8:00 pm Friday, November 25, 2016

PULLMAN — The final score of Friday’s Apple Cup, a 45-17 victory by No. 6 Washington over cross-state rival and No. 23 Washington State, may look similiar to last year’s verdict, a 45-10 victory by the Huskies at Montlake.

But unlike last year’s game, the Cougars had starting quarterback Luke Falk healthy, and had numerous chances to hang with the Huskies despite allowing UW 28 first-quarter points.

Two UW goal-line stands, a fumble, a costly interception from Falk and several uncharacteristic dropped passes ensured the 28-3 lead the Huskies held at the end of the first quarter would be more than adequate.

“I thought we got in a hole early, came close early in the game to doing some good things and then as we let them off the hook,” WSU head coach Mike Leach said. “I thought we started pressing. I thought we started doing too much. … I thought we were too quick to press. I think we made more out of it (than) what it was.”

The Cougars already trailed 28-3 when they forced their first UW punt early in the second period. Jamal Morrow returned it 64 yards to the UW 6-yard line and WSU appeared to be on the verge of its first touchdown.

But then a false start knocked the Cougars back to the 11. Morrow gained those yards back on the next play, but the Huskies stopped Gerard Wicks short of the goal line three straight times to take over on downs at their own 1-yard line.

“You always have the option (to run the ball) out there,” WSU quarterback Luke Falk said. “I like to run the ball because I thought we could punch it in and unfortunately we didn’t. We just didn’t get off the ball and get it in. But I’ve had faith in those guys all year and still have faith in them. I mean, how many rushing touchdowns have we got down there? We kind of went with the strength of our team in that scenario and unfortunately we didn’t get it done.”

Still, the Cougars forced a fumble on the next drive that ultimately led to their only touchdown of the first half. The Huskies answered with their fifth touchdown of the half, but left Falk and Co. plenty of time to respond before halftime.

Falk drove the Cougars downfield and his pass to Marks on third-and-2 from the UW 26-yard-line went for 17 yards and a first down at the 9. But Falk tried to go to the end zone and was intercepted.

Those two series loomed large, particularly when the Cougars scored on the opening possession of the third quarter to make it 35-17.

The dagger came in the final minute of the third quarter. WSU had driven 78 yards on 13 plays to reach first-and-goal at the Husky 4-yard line. But two running plays and an incomplete pass set up a fourth-and-goal at the 1 and the Huskies stopped Wicks short of the goal line to once again take over on downs.

“(It’s) just us being soft, not finishing plays. That’s about it right there,” WSU right tackle Cole Madison said. “We didn’t finish anything. We called the run and you’ve gotta score on the run on the 1-yard line twice. (We) had two opportunities and we didn’t do it.”

The Huskies then drove 98 yards on 10 plays as Lavon Coleman scored on a 15-yard run to essentially end any hope of a WSU comeback.

“That’s a hard run offense to stop when they only need a yard or two yards,” UW coach Chris Petersen said. “They take those splits and have some big guys up there. So it was awesome to see. That’s really when you wanted to see that D-line kind of take over because it’s a hard team for the D-line to take over, in terms of their pass protection techniques, how much they throw it. A lot of times it doesn’t turn into a physical game, but now and then you can kind of feel it turn into that. It was good to see.”

Apple Cup win is fourth straight for Washington

The Huskies have now claimed four Apple Cups in a row and seven of the last eight. While both UW and WSU have had their struggles during that span, neither the 2015 or 2016 Apple Cups were the close contests many predicted, causing some to inquire if there is a psychological component.

“I’m not a psychologist or anything like that,” Marks said. “I don’t know if we psych ourselves out. We got down to the 1-yard line three times. That’s 21 points. If we can get one yard, three yards total, that’s 21 points. I don’t think we psyched ourselves out. I think we just got out-muscled by another team. We were soft.”

The Cougars actually got to the 1-yard line twice, but Marks’s point is somewhat validated noting the Beavers interception at the end of the half.

In winning Friday the Huskies held the nation’s second-best passing offense 111 yards below its average and the 10th-best scoring offense 25.5 points below its average. And it’s the Huskies who are now Santa Clara-bound.

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