Washington State wins Apple Cup with final minute goal-line stand

WASHINGTON STATE WINS THE APPLE CUP!

With two yards separating the archrival Washington Huskies from a third straight Apple Cup victory, the Washington State Cougars came up with a huge defensive stop on fourth down to take the Apple Cup trophy right out of the paws of the dawgs.

At the two-minute timeout, WSU’s (3-0) path to victory was simple. All they had to do was prevent UW (2-1) from getting nine yards on four attempts. A tackle behind the line of scrimmage, a pass breakup in the end zone, and a completion on a drag route that was forced out of bounds at the two setup the stop that will live on in Cougar lore forever.

On 4th and goal from the WSU 2, UW tried to run an option play with Will Rodgers to the right side with Jonah Coleman trailing behind him. The Cougar defense stayed step for step with the Husky blockers and powered through to clog up the lanes toward the end zone. As Rodgers was sandwiched between a WSU tackler and the boundary, he desperately pitched it back to Coleman, who could only take one step before being met by Kyle Thornton and driven down and out of bounds, well short of the end zone.

As the players streamed onto the field to celebrate, within that crowd of crimson exhilaration, was their leader, Jake Dickert, who earned this job with a win in this rivalry series almost three years ago now, in tears.

“We said we were gonna win this game not because we hated them, but because we loved each other. And that’s what you saw there for four quarters.” Dickert said who credited Nusi Malani with the quote later.

It wasn’t quite as easy as those four stops inside the 10. Twice in the fourth quarter WSU had a chance to put together a long drive that would put the game out of reach and failed to do so. Thaddeus Dixon picked off a deep toss intended for Kyle Williams with just under 10 minutes to go, but the WSU defense held firm and forced a Washington punt. Just four plays into the next drive with under five minutes to go this time, UW appeared to reel in another interception but after review, was ruled incomplete. A third down incompletion gave UW the ball back with 3:40 to go in the game.

After a 45-yard strike to Giles Jackson put UW in striking distance with all the momentum on their side, it started to feel like Apple Cups of nightmares past. WSU hangs tough, but ultimately UW gets that last play to take it away. Not to mention the missed opportunities WSU had in this one. An early missed 26-yard field goal and a few missed deep shots from John Mateer loomed over the heads of the Cougar faithful. It was all too familiar.

Yet, despite all the familiar feelings, this was the most unfamiliar Apple Cup of this games storied history and WSU may have just opened this next chapter with a whole new perspective.

It’s hard to describe what exactly this win means. For the past century, this game was towards the end of the season when conference championships were at play, trips to Pasadena were being booked or cancelled when the clock hit triple zeros. This year, it means something completely different. As a wave of crimson rushed on the field to celebrate, there wasn’t talks of a potential berth in a conference championship, roses weren’t being passed around, instead it was a celebration of pure pride. An inhale of euphoria and an exhale of over a years worth of frustration.

For all the years of being called little brother, the nine losses in the past 10 games and the ultimate dagger of watching that team across the sideline play a major role in trying to relegate you while they run off to get richer.

A neutral-site, non-conference Apple Cup in September, this game wasn’t the rivalry we all remembered for the past century. WSU proved that by flipping the script of everything we ever remembered about how these games have gone in the past and setting the tone for the new era of this rivalry. Despite UW doing what it can to put WSU down in pursuit of a shiny bag of money and to join a “superior conference”, it was that small gritty team in the middle of a bunch of wheat fields from a conference left for dead that did what it had been doing for over a century. Win big games.

“I mean at this point they should be mad we beat them. So I mean if they want their get back, if they think they’re better than us, then you got to prove it ever year.” Mateer said.

Josh Meredith’s name was called early and often in this game. On the games opening drive, Mateer connected with Meredith twice for 19 and 21 yards respectively. A 15-yard catch and run for Kris Hutson put WSU in the red zone, but ultimately the drive would stall out as WSU couldn’t convert a 4th and 1.

The second WSU drive started from just outside the UW 30 after Tony Freeman returned a punt 33 yards. Despite the great field position, WSU could only get three yards closer on a first down completion to Meredith. Janikowski booted a 44-yard field goal through the east uprights to give WSU the first lead of the ballgame.

It didn’t take long for Washington to respond. A 17-yard catch and run for Jonah Coleman and a 20-yard strike over the middle to Kelkai Latu set UW up at the WSU 31. On the next play, Will Rodgers hit a wide open Jackson in the end zone to flip the lead over to UW.

Now it was Mateer’s turn. Inside UW territory, Mateer let it rip towards the end zone for Williams, but a defensive pass interference kept Williams from getting to the ball. After the 15-yard penalty put the ball at the UW 23, Mateer did what he’s done best, make magic.

“[Mateer]’s just getting started. This is his third start. Throwing, passing, running, he’s just a warrior out there.” Dickert said.

As expected, UW punched right back. A 10-play drive that rolled the first quarter into the second came to an end at the WSU 27 after Rodgers couldn’t handle the snap on third down. The Huskies settled for a 44-yard field goal to knot the game up at 10.

On the ensuing UW possession, Jackson again gashed the WSU secondary for a big catch of 39 yards and into WSU territory. Again WSU’s defense bent, but didn’t break, holding UW to another field goal, this time from 42-yards out.

Following the field goal, Leyton Smithson took the kickoff out to the WSU 33, but a third 15-yard penalty on Washington already pushed the ball out to the 48. WSU was able to advance the ball into UW territory on a Wayshawn Parker catch and run to keep the drive alive and just two plays later, moved it another 15-yards on another UW penalty. The Cougs grinded their way inside the UW 10 but couldn’t punch it in after three straight incompletions. Dean Janikowski’s 26-yarder to tie the game at 13 pushed way left to keep the Huskies in front.

WSU got one more chance in the first half getting the ball at their own 9 with 2:02 to play with. Meredith got things moving with a 24-yard reception and Tony Freeman followed it up with an explosive 38-yard catch to the UW 37. A holding penalty on UW two plays later put the ball at the UW 15. On 2nd and 10, Mateer took nearly the worst possible outcome in a 10-yard sack. As WSU looked to be doomed to settle for three, Mateer made up for the sack by creating more magic, taking a QB draw up the middle and breaking outside past UW defenders and into the end zone.

To open the second half, UW grinded their way down field and into the WSU red zone but yet again, the WSU defense wouldn’t break and held UW to another field goal.

Facing a 3rd and 18 on the ensuing drive, UW again shot themselves in the foot a holding call negated a sack that would’ve ended the WSU drive in UW territory. Immediately WSU took advantage with Parker running through the UW defense for 37 yards to the UW 27. Two plays later, Meredith put a bow on his big day with a touchdown to put WSU in front 24-16.

“Josh has been here for four years now. He was here on the ‘21 team and he didn’t get what he wanted for three years. I remember tons of conversations with Josh that would be like ‘Coach, am I going to make it like I want to play’ and I just said keep staying the course, cause your time’s coming. But you know how rare that is in today’s world? So proud of him.” Dickert said.

“Me and John have been working together for the past two years on scout team together. We always had that connection. I felt like they weren’t respecting the middle of the field so I just took advantage of it.” Meredith said.

On the third drive of the third quarter, UW drove the ball into WSU territory and yet again, had to settle for three points to make it 24-19, where the score would sit for the remainder of the game.

Despite multiple opportunities for a team that is now in a conference that Coug fans have been told dozens of times over the past year that was a step above them, they couldn’t make those couple steps needed to get past the team that is supposed to be below them.

Yet even with all that new money that flowing in from their B1G new tv deal, it couldn’t buy them more focus, heart and determination than that small school from the middle of nowhere. It was evident and all game and made clear by the push WSU’s defense made against UW’s line on this final play of the game.

“I felt like were more battle tested and ready for this moment if it ever got tight. I knew exactly how our football players would react when that moment came and I thought they did exactly what I thought they would do and that’s not flinch.” Dickert said.