Maybe adjustments during the bye week, the return to Husky Stadium and the down-to-earth attitude of coach Steve Sarkisian will do the University of Washington football team some good in today’s 102nd Apple Cup game at Husky Stadium.
And quite possibly Washington State could discover a bit of magic from watching Apple Cup victories of years past, including last year’s 16-13 double-overtime win in Pullman. Coach Paul Wulff aims to get his players motivated by those means.
One thing longtime followers of this intrastate rivalry game have learned: out the door go the records, and on the field the heated rivals tend to bring out the best – and worst – in each other.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. as the host Huskies try to end their longest string of futility in the series, having lost four of the five past Apple Cups.
The oddsmakers – who favored UW by 241/2 points – think today’s game between two teams going nowhere (UW is 3-7, WSU is 1-10) should be a yawner.
The players know better.
“All rivalries are pretty close,” UW receiver D’Andre Goodwin said. “The records don’t matter. Two teams come out and they put it all out there.”
The past seven games in the series have gone down to the wire.
The biggest winning margin in that span was WSU’s 27-19 victory in 2003.
A slew of injuries for WSU, particularly on the offensive and defensive lines and the secondary, has caused a revolving door of lineup changes – the primary reason why the Cougars have one win this season.
“They’re not going to cancel the game until people are healthy,” WSU linebacker Andy Mattingly said. “You’ve got to go out there and you’ve got to compete and play with who you’ve got. I’m confident in the guys that we have out there.”
If the Cougars want to keep the game close, with a chance to win late, they need to follow one formula: Run, run and run some more.
WSU’s offensive line is getting its opening-game starters back. Center Kenny Alfred, a Gig Harbor High product, anchors this group.
Running back Dwight Tardy is about to become the Cougars’ single-season rushing leader for the fourth consecutive time, and will be playing in his final Apple Cup game.
“We’ve got to be better on offense, No. 1,” Wulff said. “We’ve struggled moving the ball in the first quarter (of games).”
If it’s the higher-powered Huskies – and not undermanned WSU – who get off to a quick start, things could get ugly.
“Sometimes when you don’t have success early, doubt can creep in,” Sarkisian said. “Anytime doubt creeps in, now hesitation creeps in.”
All week, Sarkisian has fended off questions about the Huskies being the heavy favorite in a rivalry game, and how his players might overlook an opponent that ranks near the bottom of the FBS listings in many offensive and defensive categories.
“Bottom line is, that football’s shaped a certain way for a reason. You don’t always know which way it’s going to bounce,” Sarkisian said. “You don’t always know how a guy might get the ball popped out and stripped, a dropped pass, a tipped interception.
“It’s a crazy game. And that’s the beauty of it. And that’s why we play it.”
Todd Milles: 253-597-8442
todd.milles@thenewstribune.com
THE SERIES
Today will mark the 102nd meeting between the two in-state rivals, dating back to 1900. Washington leads, 64-31-6, but the Cougars have won four of the past five games, including a 16-13 double-overtime victory last season in Pullman. WSU’s current success marks the Cougars’ best record ever during a five-game stretch.
THE COACHES
UW’s Steve Sarkisian (3-7 record) is in his first season with the Huskies, after spending seven seasons as an offensive assistant at Southern California. ... WSU’s Paul Wulff (3-20) is in his second season, and his lone Pac-10 win came against the Huskies last season. He played in four Apple Cups at WSU as a center, winning once from 1986-89. Wulff spent 15 seasons at Eastern Washington, including eight as the head coach.
Last season Nico Grasu kicked a 37-yard field goal in the second overtime, and the Cougars shocked the UW, ensuring their cross-state rival would end the season as the only winless FBS school. Grasu tied the game at 13 with his 28-yarder on the final play of regulation – set up by Kevin Lopina’s 48-yard pass to Jared Karstetter with 24 seconds to go. UW dominated the action on the ground (224 rushing yards) and time of possession (35:26) but couldn’t land the final blow to knock out the Cougars.
INJURY REPORT
For WSU: SS Eric Block (intestinal), G Brian Danaher (head), WR Johnny Forzani (head), PK Nico Grasu (arm), G B.J. Guerra (head), DT Dan Spitz (head) and TE Tony Thompson (head) are out; QB Jeff Tuel (knee) is doubtful; DE Jesse Feagin (hand) and CB Brandon Jones (back) are questionable; SS Jay Matthews (shoulder), SS Chima Nwachukwu (ankle), T Tyson Pencer (ankle) and DT Bernard Wolfgramm (back) are probable.
For UW: LB E.J. Savannah (wrist) is out; WR Jordan Polk (migraines) is doubtful; DT Cameron Elisara (neck), FS Nate Fellner (arm), RB Chris Polk (shoulder) and FS Jason Wells (foot) are probable.
THE MATCHUPS
Quarterback
UW’s Jake Locker is the most feared weapon in the Pacific-10 Conference as a run-pass threat, and is motivated to get his first Apple Cup win. WSU’s Kevin Lopina has tossed two touchdown passes in 13 career games and often plays carelessly. Not a difficult call.
EDGE: HUSKIES
Running back
Dwight Tardy might be finally finding his stride for the Cougars, but UW’s Chris Polk has been finding big yards through small seams all season.
EDGE: HUSKIES
Receiver
Much of UW’s success correlates with the quarterback, too. Locker has spread the wealth around among Jermaine Kearse (39 catches), James Johnson (37) and Devin Aguilar (34). Who do you key on? With WSU, that’s a no-brainer – Jared Karstetter.
EDGE: HUSKIES
Offensive line
Gig Harbor’s Kenny Alfred, the WSU center, is the best lineman on either team, and likely is NFL-bound. And the Cougars are finally getting their first-unit guys back late in the season. On the other side, little push is coming from the UW.
EDGE: EVEN
Defensive line
Even though each school has one big-time threat (UW’s Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, WSU’s Travis Long), neither unit has really gotten after opposing quarterbacks this season (32 sacks combined). The Huskies get the nod because they have more able bodies.
EDGE: HUSKIES.
Linebacker
UW’s Donald Butler (111/2 tackles for loss, five causing turnovers) is having a season that at least puts him in the conversation for conference defensive MVP. Butler and Mason Foster are better playmakers than any of WSU’s linebackers.
EDGE: HUSKIES
Defensive secondary
Cougars free safety Xavier Hicks arguably the best secondary talent on either side. But WSU may use converted receiver as DB and UW’s better all-around health more reliable.
EDGE: HUSKIES
Special teams
A wash in the overall kicking department, although UW’s Erik Folk is a better long-range option on field goals than WSU’s Patrick Rooney. Both rank near the bottom of nearly every Pac-10 special-teams category.
EDGE: EVEN
Intangibles
Based on 2009 records, the number of close games and, most importantly, momentum, the Huskies have a sizable edge here. Not to mention, the Huskies get this first Apple Cup under coach Steve Sarkisian in their home stadium in Seattle.
EDGE: HUSKIES
THE NEWS TRIBUNE PICK
Rain isn’t expected until the evening. If Cougs can get to that point and make it competitive, this could be a sneaky-good Apple Cup. But they have to buck their disturbing first-quarter trend of being outscored by the whopping total of 173-6.
WINNER: Huskies, 38-13
Todd Milles, The News Tribune
Prime numbers
WASHINGTON STATE
26Xavier Hicks, Jr. (FS)6-0/219Senior
Needs to be dependable force in decimated secondary still in flux.
31Dwight Tardy (RB)5-11/204Senior
Averaging almost 4.8 yards per carry in two games against the Huskies.
69Kenny Alfred (C)6-3/289Senior
Gig Harbor grad 17th WSU player selected for East-West Shrine Game.
84Jared Karstetter (WR)6-4/205Sophomore
A third of team’s TD total (18) has run through Spokane playmaker (six).
89Travis Long (DE)6-4/247Freshman
Only thing standing in his path to Jake Locker is ... OT Drew Schaefer?
WASHINGTON
1Chris Polk (RB)5-11/201Freshman
Fourth straight 100-yard rushing day would equal UW’s third-best alltime.
6Desmond Trufant (CB)6-0/172Freshman
Brother Marcus (WSU) never won an Apple Cup. Family fortunes could change.
10Jake Locker (QB)6-3/226Junior
He’s beaten Boise State, California and USC – but never the Cougars.
17Erik Folk (PK)5-11/185Sophomore
Recent lesson: Kickers go a long way in deciding game’s outcome.
36Donald Butler (MLB)5-11/225Senior
Vital to stop Dwight Tardy and WSU’s run game. Yo, Donald, that’s on you!
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.