SEATTLE – By all accounts, Bill Doba is an intelligent, thoughtful and imaginative man.
So, when asked why the University of Washington has won the past six Apple Cups, the last three coming against Washington State teams that were highly ranked and clearly better, it was a bit of an upset that the Cougars head football coach couldn’t come up with something more insightful.
“I don’t have a theory,” Doba said. “I don’t know. If I knew that answer, I guess we wouldn’t have lost. Both teams, whether they’re having a successful season or not, have talent. It’s no exception this year. Washington has some talent. If they get going and relax and play hard, they’re going to win the ballgame. Last year, Washington was battling like crazy not to have a losing season.”
Yes, sure. But in those last three seasons, Washington was unranked every season but once – 16th in 2001 – on the day of the game. Washington State, on the other hand, was ranked ninth, third and eighth. In 2002, the Huskies knocked the Cougars out of possibly the BCS title game with a 29-26 victory in triple overtime. So happy were the WSU faithful that they showered Martin Stadium with bottles, cans and whatever else they had handy.
Last year, Washington trailed all game except for the last 1:10. That was when Cody Pickett threw just barely over the outstretched hand of WSU corner Erik Coleman to true freshman Corey Williams for a 21-yard TD strike to give the Huskies a 20-19 lead.
It was a play the Huskies ran once before, weeks prior, but Williams dropped the ball.
“The ball bounced the right way for them,” Doba said. “If Erik Coleman knocks that pass down, we win.”
A minute later, inside linebacker Marquis Cooper slapped an exclamation point on the affair with a 38-yard interception return for another touchdown.
That capped a 20-point fourth quarter for Washington, which seemed all but dead up to then. The Huskies, who came up with five interceptions that day, went bowl-less, while all the Cougars did was go on to beat Texas in the Holiday Bowl.
Wow. They could beat mighty Texas, but not mediocre Washington.
The answer? Take a walk on the dark side.
“They definitely have to feel like they’re going up against a little bit of a curse, especially the last couple of years,” UW outside linebacker Evan Benjamin said. “They’ve been a great team the last two years. Looking at them on film, they definitely were one of the best in the Pac-10, if not the nation.”
Forget curses, UW coach Keith Gilbertson said.
“We were damn lucky,” he said.
As the victories against WSU have piled up over the years, UW senior cornerback Derrick Johnson said, the Cougars become more dangerous. Johnson has never lost to the Cougs, but he said No. 7 won’t be a cakewalk, and not only because the Huskies are 1-9 and the Cougars are 4-6 and 11-point favorites.
“It’s probably going to be a lot harder,” he said. “They’re tired of losing to us. It’s kind of like when your big brother beats you up all the time, you get tired of getting beat up and you’re going to beat him up someday.”
Short bursts: Gilbertson said wideout Charles Frederick (hamstring) and tight end Joe Toledo (back, ribs) would be evaluated at Tuesday night’s practice to see if they are fit to play. … Safety Dashon Goldson (shoulder) will play Saturday, but will undergo shoulder surgery following the season.
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