UW's 3 Best Wins and 3 Worst Losses Against WSU
The University of Washington and Washington State University football teams have met 113 times on football fields from Montlake to Spokane to the Palouse, but there seems to be some disagreement over when the Apple Cup officially became part of this intense state rivalry.
Some say 1962, while archived news accounts point to 1963 — eight days following President John F. Kennedy's assassination, in a game delayed a week to pay respects to the fallen leader.
Either way, this is East meets West.
Crimson vs. Purple.
Country vs. City.
Cat vs. Dog.
For parts of 13 decades this highly emotional football game has played out, clever or insulting words have been exchanged, and upsets secured.
This game always means a great deal to both sides, even though the Huskies hold a commanding lead in the series — 74-33-6 — yet the Cougars enter this latest matchup after handing out a 40-13 beating a year ago for the biggest WSU victory ever.
Every year, these teams hit each other, insult each other, usually talk nasty to each other.
WSU offensive lineman Dan Lynch, circa 1984, supplied one of the most memorable verbal summaries of this annual head-butting, when he proclaimed, "You're born, you play the Huskies, you get married, you die."
How metaphysical and geriatric of him.
To which UW coach Don James served up the following philosophical diatribe, meant to bring everyone closer together for a good laugh, when he said, "I’ve always felt that being a Cougar prepares you well for life — you learn not to expect too much."
That said, we've come to expect almost anything when these two sides meet on the football field and intermingle in the stands.
3 BEST HUSKY VICTORIES
1975, at UW 28, WSU 27 — The Cougars got way too greedy in this one. Midway through the fourth quarter, they held a commanding 27-14 lead and faced a fourth-and-1 situation at the UW 14 in a driving rainstorm. Then all kinds of weird stuff happened. Eschewing a game-clinching field goal, WSU went for the bigger win and threw an interception that Husky cornerback Al Burleson returned 93 yards for a touchdown. With 1:58 left to play, the UW had the ball back when Warren Moon threw a ball deep, where it bounced off a Cougar defender and into the waiting hands of Spider Gaines, who raced 75 yards for a touchdown, and the ensuing extra point supplied a sudden and totally unexpected Husky victory. Otherwise, the UW was horrible on offense, picking up a meager 9 first downs and 73 yards rushing ,and completing just 5 of 25 passes, 22 offered by the soon to be great Moon. "I really don't blame those in the crowd who left early," Husky coach Don James said afterward. "I almost felt like it, too." As for WSU coach Jim Sweeney, he blamed himself for the loss and resigned a few days later.
1981, at UW 23, WSU 10 — With the Rose Bowl at stake for both sides, the 17th-ranked Huskies broke a 10-all tie in the third quarter on Ron "Cookie" Jackson's 23-yard touchdown run, and followed up with a pair of Chuck Nelson field goals to build more of a cushion over the No. 14 Cougars, who were bitterly disappointed over missing out on their first trip to Pasadena in five decades.
2018, UW 28, at WSU 15 — Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. The 16th-ranked Huskies were much better prepared than the No. 7 Cougars in handling the white stuff by jumping out to a 14-0 lead and clamping down on quarterback Gardner Minshew and his high-powered offense. The UW ended up in the Rose Bowl and finished 10-4, while WSU went 11-2 and headed for the Alamo Bowl.
3 WORST HUSKY DEFEATS
1982, at WSU 24, UW 20 — The fifth-ranked Huskies were so close to a third consecutive trip to Pasadena, they could smell the roses. This just wasn't going to happen. Trailing 21-20 with 4:35 remaining, first-team All-America kicker Chuck Nelson lined up a 33-yard field goal after having made all 25 of his attempts that season, and 30 in a row dating back to the year before. His short kick shockingly sailed wide right and the Huskies were done, giving up a late 3-pointer to the Cougs and having to settle for the Aloha Bowl.
1983, WSU 17, at UW 6 — For the second consecutive year, only this time in Seattle, the unranked Cougars stunned the Huskies and knocked them out of the Rose Bowl. Don James' 15th-ranked team was held to two measly field goals and it pretty much seized up with everything on the line one more time. Another Aloha Bowl was the consolation prize.
1992, at WSU 42, UW 23 — Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. The white stuff showed up overnight in the Palouse and the Rose Bowl-bound and No. 5 Huskies wilted at the sight of it, falling behind 35-7. WSU was much more adaptable to the elements, outgaining their rival in total offense, 476 yards to 267. Shaumbe Wright-Fair rushed for 193 yards while apparently wearing studded tires, while Drew Bledsoe threw for 260 yards with snowflakes falling all around. The Cougars wound up in the Copper Bowl as their reward.
Go to si.com/college/washington to read the latest Inside the Huskies stories — as soon as they’re published.
Not all stories are posted on the fan sites.
Find Inside the Huskies on Facebook by searching: Inside Huskies/FanNation at SI.com or https://www.facebook.com/dan.raley.12
Follow Dan Raley of Inside the Huskies on Twitter: @DanRaley1 or @UWFanNation or @DanRaley3
