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Rival Dailies Add Spice To Apple Cup Huskies Made Sacrifice To Get Brock Huard At Quarterback

Doug Duer The Daily Evergreen

Part of playing the 89th game of the Apple Cup rivalry between the Washington State Cougars and the University of Washington Huskies is about preserving tradition.

The Huskies’ entire 1996 season has been about preserving tradition.

Take their offense, for example.

In an effort to set football back 80 years, UW coach Jim Lambright installed just two plays.

Corey Dillon over right tackle. Corey Dillon over left tackle.

Lambright, realizing the Huskies’ predictability on offense, tried to install a passing game. Unfortunately, he found UW receivers are recruited out of the stands before the game - which explains why they are so slow. The average age of fans attending a Husky game in Seattle is 72.

The fastest receiver the Huskies have had in recent history is Jason Shelly, the player who was chased down from behind by police and arrested.

Of course, it’s not all Lambright’s fault the Huskies’ offense resembles the gridlock on Interstate 5. He can cover up the fact only for so long that his best player, Rashaan Shehee, twisted his ankle after jumping off a two-story balcony during an out-of-hand party.

Let’s face it, the Huskies are no longer the dominating team that won a national championship now that they have to abide by those pesky NCAA rules.

No longer included in UW scholarships is bail or a legal expense stipend. Because of the lost television revenue during the past three years, UW also has been forced to close the Billy Joe Hobert School of Finance. Future NFL pine-riders must now take their own tests instead of hiring the nearest transient passed out on the Ave.

But the biggest blow of having to abide by NCAA rules is that the UW booster club can no longer give expensive gifts to prospective recruits. This explains why the Huskies had to suffer through two years of Damon Huard at quarterback in order to get younger brother Brock.

It’s easy to see why WSU will win the Apple Cup this year.

In fact, the Cougars might set football back 80 years as well, as Notre Dame did against the Huskies: Just run the ball up the middle - or lack thereof - of the UW defense.

But as the Cougars celebrate their victory, I’ll bet the UW fan his BMW and 2.5 kids that the Huskies will blame a frigid Martin Stadium for their loss. Because as tradition goes, it will snow.

And just to make sure, there are suspiciouslooking, fan-like machines with “Silver Mountain” on the side being mounted on top of the Martin Stadium press box.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Apple Cup fun One of the greatest traditions in college journalism is making fun of the cross-state rival the week before the big game. With that in mind, The Spokesman-Review asked a representative of the WSU and UW student newspapers to take a shot at the opposition.

This sidebar appeared with the story: Apple Cup fun One of the greatest traditions in college journalism is making fun of the cross-state rival the week before the big game. With that in mind, The Spokesman-Review asked a representative of the WSU and UW student newspapers to take a shot at the opposition.