Huskies Wouldn’t Mind If It’s Snowy Apple Cup Dillon Figures To Get The Ball Regardless Of The Conditions

As the snow piled up in Martin Stadium and Washington State football players frolicked like overcaffeinated schoolboys after Monday night’s practice, Washington coach Jim Lambright probably wasn’t panicking.

“I believe it might play right into our strengths a little bit more if we do have bad weather,” Lambright said in the afternoon. “It’s not real complicated, turning around and handing the ball off to No. 4 a whole lot of times.”

No. 4 would be Corey Dillon, a Hum-Vee of a running back who, snow or not, figures to play a leading role in the 89th Apple Cup Saturday afternoon.

Led by Dillon and an overpowering offensive line, the Huskies are averaging 219.5 yards rushing per game - 17th in the nation, option-oriented teams included.

And while past Washington teams have folded in snowy conditions here, the current Huskies (8-2) have shown a degree of resilience that suggests this year might be different.

Specifically, this team has won five straight since having its lunch money taken by Notre Dame on national television Oct. 12.

“I just am very proud of the lessons we’ve learned and the way we’ve grown as a football team,” Lambright said, the 54-20 thrashing still fresh in his memory.

“And credit there goes to your leaders - our seniors and captains and starters - as far as the way they’ve taken control and we’ve really changed the personality of this football team.

“It was a very ugly day that we’ve been able to learn a lot from.”

Since Notre Dame, the Huskies have won by no less than 11 points, although the victories have come at the expense of two underachievers (USC, Oregon), one mediocre team (UCLA) and two perennial weaklings (Oregon State, San Jose State).

More notably, perhaps, Washington is 4-0 against teams that have defeated Washington State (5-5).

Along the way, the 12th-ranked Huskies have locked up second place in the Pacific-10 Conference. But that, Lambright said, doesn’t make the Apple Cup any less important.

“This is a one-game season, really, for both football teams,” he said. “It’s part of the way we have proceeded to approach the whole season. We’ve talked about 11 games and a 12th game from the very beginning.

“So you start with Arizona State and a great challenge (a 45-42 loss). You end with the Cougars with another away-game challenge. It all fits very perfectly.”

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