The Huskies dished out 487 yards of total yards to take out the Washington State Cougars, 28-15 on a snow-covered field at Martin Stadium in Pullman, and secure the Pac-12 North for the second time in three years.
The Huskies not only ruined the Cougar’s chance at getting into the Pac-12 Championship, possibly the College Football Playoff, and the chance for their highly-celebrated quarterback to stay in the Heisman race.
“This was a wierd game today with these elements” a snow-covered Chris Petersen said following the win, “I know they didn’t like it like that and we didn’t really like it like this either.”
Washington now will face Utah (a team they’ve already beaten this year) for the Pac-12 Championship in Santa Clara next week.
Going in, everyone knew this was going to be an epic Apple Cup, but when the snow was in forecast, most Cougar fans were excited — it would become their enemy on this day, however.
Washington’s offense was marching down field at will, and take away a couple of reckless turnovers, this game would have been closer to a blowout.
The Huskies got on the board first on their first drive when Myles Gaskin and the running game read the intro to what the rest of the game would be like for the Huskies.
On six plays the Huskies took a 7-0 score off the legs of Gaskin who ran it in from five yards out — he would do the same in the second quarter from five yards out and help the Huskies to a 14-0 lead as the first half was ticking away.
But a special teams failure on the part of Washington gave the Cougars some solid field position and the Cougars scored on a Jame Williams walk into the endzone with :33 left in the half. A fumble would put the ball into Washington State’s hands, but quarterback Gardner Minshew threw a pick and the Huskies took their lead to the locker room.
The Huskies would receive to start the second half, and again — they marched downfield and scored on a trick play that saw Hunter Bryant wide open for an Aaron Fuller pass and a touchdown that put the Huskies up 20-7, but the point-after was blocked, picked up by Cougar defender Hunter Dale scooped the ball up and ran it in for a two points.
The Cougars had one last burst when a turnover gave them the chance to score, which they did, by way of James Williams (again), but a two-point conversion failed and the Huskies took a 20-15 lead into the fourth quarter.
Huskies scored again when Myles Gaskin broke loose to start the final quarter with an 80-yard run to the house that put the Huskies back up 26-0, and a two-point conversion from Salvon Ahmed gave them the 28-15 lead.
From there, the Cougars couldn’t get anything going offensively, and Gardner Minshew, who usually throws for big numbers every game, finished the night with just 152 yards, two picks, and zero touchdowns.
Jake Browning, however, had 207 yards and Myles Gaskin ran for 170 yards and three touchdowns.
“I heard it sucks to have to lose to the Cougs, and I’m glad I never had to experience that”, Gaskin said following the game.
Petersen called Browning “Awesome”, regarding the fact that the senior quarterback will finish his Husky career having gone 4-0 against the Cougars, “I’ve got so much respect for that kid and he’s got the heart of a lion.”
“I thought it was pretty special”, Jake Browning said “We’re going to get back to work but I’m definitely enjoying this one…I bet that Wazzu wishes they ran the ball as well as we do, that’s why we won the game.”
One thing missing for the Huskies was the Husky band — but they still went to the stands and sang the fightsong with the fans who made the drive to Pullman.
The band missed the game after one of their charter buses slid on its side last night going over the pass. While no one was seriously injured, it was a traumatic ordeal for the young people involved and the entire band decided to turn around and go home.
The trophy goes back into the Husky trophy case again; a place it’s become comfortable for the past six years, and the Huskies are keeping one pre-season prediction: They’ve won the North.
Now, if they can defeat Utah again, they will go back to a place that’s dear to all Husky fans for New Year’s Day: The Rose Bowl.
