It was 1982.
Washington strolled into Pullman as the unanimous favorite over Washington State.
The Huskies were ranked in the top five in the nation, whereas the Cougars were dead last in the conference after a disappointing season.
Washington went into the half leading 17-7, and looked to have its third-straight Rose Bowl appearance locked up. But Washington State scored 14 unanswered points and led in the final seconds 21-20. But the Huskies would not go away without a fight.
Kicker Chuck Nelson stepped on the field for Washington with 15 seconds left to try to propel the Huskies to victory with one final field goal. Nelson had made 30 straight kicks, an NCAA record at the time. He missed.
It was the greatest upset in Apple Cup history.
Twenty years later, the tables have turned. Washington State is ranked third nationally and looks to be headed straight for the Rose Bowl. The Huskies aren’t dragging along the bottom of the conference, but aren’t having the best year, either.
Washington State enters this year’s Apple Cup on a seven-game win streak, and a win over the Huskies will clinch at least a share of the Pac-10 title for the Cougars.
Quarterback Jason Gesser threw for four touchdowns in Washington State’s last win, over Oregon, and moved into a tie for third on the Pac-10 career touchdown pass list with 66.
Running back Jermaine Green ran for a career-high 180 yards against the Ducks on 25 carries. The Cougars’ defensive line has also been very solid, and will not make it easy for Washington to gain yardage on the ground.
Washington looks for a win in its last game to solidify an appearance in a bowl game. The Huskies’ confidence is high after the destruction of Oregon last week, when Washington worked its way through the record books.
Quarterback Cody Pickett established a new Pac-10 single-season record in passing yards with 3,818 and completions with 305. With a solid performance against the Cougars, Pickett could become the first quarterback in Pac-10 history to throw for 4,000 yards in a season.
Wide receiver Reggie Williams took care of his business, bringing home 14 receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns against Oregon.
With so much history in 94 meetings, this year promises to be no different. In the end, it looks to be a battle of who has the better arm.
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