Washington (6-5, 3-5) vs. Washington State (6-5, 3-5)
Friday, November 29th @ 1:00 p.m. PT
Husky Stadium (Seattle, Washington)
Line: Washington -7.0
TV: FOX
Radio: KOMO AM-1000/FM-97.7
The Washington Huskies will face off against the Washington State Cougars at Husky Stadium, as they look to finish out the season with a winning record.
During their last game, the Husky offense couldn’t move the ball as Washington lost to the Colorado Buffaloes 20-14 down in Boulder.
This week, the Huskies are facing their cross-state rivals, who recently beat the Oregon State Beavers 54-53 at home. So far this season, Washington State is 3-5 in Pac-12 conference play, which is currently tied for third in the Pac-12 North Division.
“Their quarterback is a helluva player. He has some moxie to him,” Petersen said about WSU QB Anthony Gordon.
Last season, the Huskies beat the Cougars 28-15 at Martin Stadium, which pushed Petersen’s Apple Cup record to 5-0 over Washington State head coach Mike Leach.
Defensively, the Huskies will have to ground the “Air Raid” offense and keep the Cougars passing game in check the entire game.
Offensively, the Cougars will look to put a ton of points up on the board, to make up for their struggling defense on the other side of the ball.
Something has to give, in this contest between the young and aggressive Huskies defense and the “high octane” Cougars offense.
KEY PLAYERS: WASHINGTON
QB – Jacob Eason
The junior quarterback transferred from Georgia a couple years ago and possesses one of the strongest arms in the nation for any quarterback. His ability to fit balls into tight passing windows is what makes Eason a threat at all times when the Huskies have the ball.
DB – Myles Bryant
The senior defensive back was converted to safety during the offseason. He is the unquestioned heart and soul of the Husky defense. He was named to the preseason All-Pac-12 first team and was also named to the preseason watch lists for the Nagurski, Thorpe and Bednarik awards.
TE – Hunter Bryant
The junior tight end was named to the preseason All-Pac-12 second team. He was also named to the preseason watch list for the Mackey Award. Bryant is a mismatch nightmare for opposing defenses, with his ability to catch the ball and his physical blocking ability.
KEY PLAYERS: WASHINGTON STATE
QB – Anthony Gordon
Redshirt senior Anthony Gordon leads the country in passing yards (4,920), passing yards/g (447.3) and passing TD’s (45). Gordon owns the WSU single-season record for passing TD (45), and also the Pac-12 single-season record of 45 and counting.
WR – Easop Winston Jr.
Redshirt senior Easop Winston Jr. is on the Fred Biletnikoff Award Watch List for the most outstanding receiver in the nation. Currently, Winston Jr. leads the Cougars in reception touchdowns with 11 on the season and is a deep ball threat down the field.
LB – Jahad Woods
Redshirt junior Jahad Woods entered the season a preseason All-Pac-12 Second Team selection and had far exceeded expectation. Woods is currently leading the Cougars in tackles this season with 111 total, with 9 tackles for loss.
ESPN MATCHUP PREDICTOR
GAME NOTES
– HUSKIES vs. COUGARS HISTORY: The Washington-Washington State series dates back to 1900, when the teams played to a 5-5 tie in Seattle. Washington holds a commanding 73-32-6 edge in the 111-game series, including a 41-15 record in Apple Cup games (1962-present). UW is 41-15-5 against WSU, in games played in Seattle, and 12-7, in games played in WSU’s Martin Stadium. (The first UW-WSU game wasn’t played there until 1982.) UW is 32-15-1 in away games in the series, including games played in both Spokane and Pullman. The Huskies have won 16 of the last 21 Apple Cups; most recently six in a row.
– In five-plus seasons under Petersen, the Huskies have scored touchdowns on a total of 14 kickoff (4) and punt (10) returns. In that same period, UW hasn’t allowed a single return for a score.
– Joel Whitford’s 45.0-yard average ranks No. 2 in UW single-season history
– WSU’s wide receiver corp is rated 5th-best in the country, tops in the Pac-12.
– WSU has 3 players on the Biletnikoff Award Watch List (Brandon Arconado, Dezmon Patmon, Easop Winston Jr.), the most in the Pac-12 and second nationally only to Alabama’s 4
– The Cougars have had 26 total freshman play this season, 17 redshirt-freshmen and 9 true freshmen.
PREDICTIONS
This week we welcome a special guest to our predictions panel. Former Husky running back Terry Hollimon is a friend of “DubLife” owner/editor in chief Jeff Wright. Terry appears as a talented analyst for various shows and his expertise is well respected and recommended throughout the industry. He is currently a co-host on the weekly television show “Talkin’ Huskies” on Q13 Fox, as well as the creator & host of “The Barbershop Show” which appears on the radio. Terry will be in studio on Q13 Fox this Friday as an analyst covering the Apple Cup matchup during pregame and postgame coverage.
Terry Hollimon [“Talkin’ Huskies” Show Co-Host] (0-0)
We are 11 games into the 2019 college football season, and I still don’t know which Washington Husky football team will show up on any given weekend. Will it be the one that put up 51 points against Arizona down in the desert, or the one that could barely muster up 2 late TD’s in a 20-14 loss to the Colorado Buffaloes? The inconsistency of the Husky offense and the myriad of challenges that the defense has faced this season, make it hard to predict what will happen from week to week.
Assuming that both teams perform to their optimal potential for the Apple Cup, the Husky defense will have a harder time containing WSU QB Anthony Gordon and the “Air Raid” offense this year. They have a bunch of great receivers and RB Max Borghi can move the chains for the Cougars. Alternatively, Eason has shown that he ”Can” throw the ball as good as anyone in college football (even though he has had a rash of turnovers late in the season). The key will once again be Washington’s ability (and willingness) to run the ball. If the Huskies play ball control football and own the time of possession, I think they can outlast the Cougars in this one.
Washington 41 – Washington State 35
Tysen Allumbaugh [“Dawg Thoughts” Show Host] (6-4)
Beat the Cougs. Bring on the Cheez-It Bowl!
Washington 24 – Washington State 21
Jeff Wright (6-5)
Heading into this game, the Huskies have zero momentum after their “Bungle in Boulder,” while the Cougars have some confidence after beating the Beavers. Both teams have had lackluster seasons at best, to put it mildly, and the only way to feel good about the season is to win the Apple Cup at this point. Every season, the Huskies have the formula to make Leach’s “Air Raid” falter and go non-existent. While I have no concerns that the Husky defense will be up to the task and be prepared by Jimmy Lake, it’s the offense I’m super worried about. The Huskies just went up against the Colorado Buffaloes, who have one of the worst defenses in the conference. The Huskies couldn’t score more than 14 points and failed to move the ball consistently down the field. This week, the Huskies are facing an even worse defense in the Cougars! Can the Huskies score enough points to get the job done? The Cougars usually score in bunches so the Husky offense will have to actually perform in order for the Huskies to come out with a victory. Coach Pete has Leach’s number and also has a psychological advantage over him each season. This year’s Husky team is so inconsistent that it’s hard to predict any logical outcome anymore. With the game being played at Husky Stadium…the Huskies hopefully being pissed about their loss to Colorado, and the fact that Lake owns Leach’s “Air Raid,” gives the ever so slight edge to the Huskies. This year things just feel different, which means a closer contest than in recent past seasons. Eason marches the offense down to the 27-yard line and sophomore placekicker Peyton Henry kicks a 44-yard field goal through the uprights to win the game in epic fashion!
Washington 31 – Washington State 28
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