On To Pasadena! ‘The Team Of Destiny’ Delivers Roses Cougars’ 41-35 Apple Cup Win Over Huskies Carries WSU To Historic Rose Bowl Berth

REPLAY: Sports, November 24, 1997: In Sunday’s Apple Cup coverage, WSU offensive lineman Cory Withrow was misidentified in a photo on page C1 and defensive lineman Dorian Boose was misidentified in a photo on C8.

This was a deliverance of sorts, for a football program, its coach and anyone who always wanted to believe but had come to know better.

Washington State University earned its first Rose Bowl trip in 67 years Saturday, swaggering out of Husky Stadium with a 41-35 victory over No. 17 Washington in the 90th Apple Cup.

The victory, coupled with UCLA’s 31-24 win over USC, assured the 11th-ranked Cougars a Jan. 1 date with top-ranked Michigan in Pasadena.

“Mel Hein and coach (Babe) Hollingbery are rolling over right now,” someone yelled, as coach Mike Price accepted the Apple Cup trophy from Secretary of State Ralph Munro in a chaotic postgame scene.

Hein, the Hall of Fame center, and Hollingbery were part of the Cougars’ last Rose Bowl team in 1931. The sense of history was not lost on Price, who officially bridged the gap when he accepted the formal invitation of Rose Bowl representative Bud Grist.

“I feel we’ve touched America,” Price said. “This team is going to be remembered.

“The cards and letters and e-mails you get from all over the country - it’s amazing. We’re the underdog, and everyone can identify with that.”

Even the hated Huskies.

“Washington State is the team of destiny,” conceded UW quarterback Brock Huard, who had five interceptions to prove it. “That’s nothing against them. It’s not luck. I have a lot of respect for them.”

The Cougars, picked seventh in preseason polls of Pacific-10 Conference coaches and media, are 10-1 for the first time in school history.

Their 7-1 conference record makes them co-champions with UCLA. Arizona State, the only team to defeat WSU this season, can claim its share of the title with a victory Friday over Arizona. Either way, WSU holds the Rose Bowl tiebreaker.

“To get to the Rose Bowl here in Husky Stadium makes it real special,” Price said, reveling in his first Apple Cup road win in nine seasons at WSU. “It’s every Cougar’s dream to do what we’re going to be doing Jan. 1.”

The 41-35 final score might suggest a shootout, but WSU was in control for much of the final three quarters. The Cougars never trailed after Michael Black’s 8-yard scoring run made it 7-7 with 12:53 left in the second quarter.

The Huskies made it close with a 32-yard touchdown pass with 9 seconds left in the game. When Shawn McWashington recovered the ensuing onside kick, the Cougars could finally exhale.

“We knew coming into this game that we were going to win,” WSU defensive tackle Leon Bender said. “I think they knew, too. All the interviews and all the television shows, you could see it in their eyes and you could hear it in their voices.

“We knew, especially in the second half - I mean, damn, we got Ryan Leaf, we have the Fab Five, we have Michael Black, we have a great offensive line and they couldn’t match that.”

The Huskies also had no answer for Lamont Thompson.

WSU’s freshman safety picked off three Huard passes and finished with a game-high 12 tackles. Cornerbacks Ray Jackson and Dee Moronkola also had interceptions.

“Turnovers kill you,” said UW coach Jim Lambright, whose team fell to 7-4 with its third straight loss. “A couple of his interceptions were those where he was hit as he released the ball.”

WSU’s offense was also brilliant, outgaining the Huskies 520-384 while converting 13 of 19 times on third down.

Leaf completed 22 of 38 passes for 358 yards and two touchdowns. Black carried a career-high 37 times for 170 yards. Chris Jackson backed up his bold pregame boasts - “We’re gonna kill them,” he had said - by catching eight passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns.

“I just think we’re better,” Price said. “I thought we were better going in and I think we’re better going out.”

Still, there were some anxious moments for WSU, especially after the Huskies erased most of the Cougars’ 24-7 third-quarter lead.

The UW rally started with Huard’s 38-yard scoring pass to Fred Coleman.

Minutes later, Leaf was intercepted by Tony Parish, who raced 32 yards for a touchdown that pulled the Huskies within 24-21 with 6:04 left in the quarter.

The majority of the fans in the Apple Cup-record crowd of 74,268 was suddenly worked into such a frenzy that the press box trembled overhead.

Five plays later, the Cougars were in the end zone. Order had been restored.

Leaf’s 51-yard touchdown pass to Jackson was stunning in its abruptness.

On second-and-5, Jackson ran a take-off down the right sideline. Leaf’s pass was perfect, and Jackson hauled it in over his left shoulder as cornerback Mel Miller came up inches short.

“When Chris ran in that second one, I said, ‘That dude’s great,”’ Black said.

Jackson’s TD made it 31-21 and established an important precedent: No matter how many times the Huskies would score, the Cougars were certain to answer.

Sure enough, when the Huskies closed it to 31-28 on fullback Mike Reed’s 18-yard catch-and-run, the Cougars answered with a touchdown of their own.

Leaf found Jackson for a 14-yard gain, and Black followed with a 38-yard run to the UW 11-yard line. The Huskies stiffened momentarily, forcing third-and-15, but Jackson drew a pass-interference call against Miller to set up first-and-goal from the 3.

Two plays later, Leaf fumbled on a 1-yard keeper, but he recovered almost immediately and the lead was back into double digits at 38-28.

The play marked WSU’s second fumble recovery for a touchdown. The Cougars had stretched their lead to 24-7 when offensive lineman Rob Rainville alertly covered a fumble by Black.

The game was often sloppy. The teams combined for 31 penalties and six interceptions, including five thrown by Huard.

None of that mattered when the final whistle sounded.

“There’s a few people just sitting there in the locker room looking at the ground, shaking their head,” said receiver Shawn Tims, who caught five passes for 87 yards. “It’s going to take a while. We are going to appreciate every moment of it.

“We’re past due.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 3 Photos (2 Color)

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: PAC-10 STANDINGS League Overall W L PF PA W L Washington St. 7 1 297 246 10 1 UCLA 7 1 292 181 9 2 Arizona St. 6 1 217 140 8 2 Washington 5 3 277 186 7 4 Southern Cal 4 4 171 181 6 5 Arizona 3 4 194 216 5 5 Oregon 3 5 241 264 6 5 Stanford 3 5 198 262 5 6 California 1 7 186 249 3 8 Oregon St. 0 8 112 250 3 8

Saturday’s results WSU 41, Washington 35 UCLA 31, Southern Cal 24 Oregon 48, Oregon St. 30 Stanford 21, Cal 20

Friday’s game Arizona at Arizona State