Grip on Sports: Each week the Apple Cup seems to grow in importance

A GRIP ON SPORTS • As Washington State and Washington play a weekly game of “can you top this,” the Apple Cup looms ever larger in our front window. Sort of like a thunderstorm coming out of the west and sweeping over the Palouse. You can see it from a distance, the noise is starting to scare the dog a little but the heavy stuff isn’t quite here. Read on.

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• It was a perfect Saturday around here for college football. And the two games featuring Washington’s Pac-12 schools, one in Pullman and one in Berkeley, played their part in setting up a near-perfect matchup.

First Washington State shook off all the dust from a week of off-field controversy and then shook off Arizona, 69-7. It wasn’t that close.

Then later Saturday night Washington rode all over California like Marshawn Lynch driving an equipment cart, routing the Bears 66-27.

Two blowouts. One week closer to the Apple Cup meaning just about everything.

Yesterday’s wins assured only the winner of Washington’s annual rivalry game can represent the North in the Pac-12 title game. No one else can crash the party. And one more win by both schools will assure the game will be for the North title.

The Huskies actually have the tougher road – next week. While WSU is hosting a bruised and battered Cal squad, UW will face off against the South’s hottest team: USC. The Trojans pounded Oregon in the Coliseum yesterday, a game interrupted by rumors Phil Knight is dangling $10 million for a coaching change.

“Eh, Mark, could you call Rob Mullens after the game?”

None of those problems around here – this season. The Huskies are on the verge of the college football playoffs and the Cougars are on the verge of their longest winning streak since The Depression. No, the Great one, not the one earlier this decade. If Washington State wins next Saturday night – the Cougars should be a double-digit favorite – it will be eight consecutive wins and it hasn’t done that since 1930. When Babe Hollingbery was coach.

As it is, the seven consecutive wins are the best in almost 20 years, harkening back to the Rose Bowl season of 1997.

That Apple Cup, in Seattle, was memorable. I’m guessing the 1930 one, also in Seattle, was as well, though the 3-0 final score seems a bit dull.

There was nothing dull about either of the rivals’ games yesterday, though Arizona’s offense was dreary enough. Part of that, heck a big part of that, was the play of the Cougar defense. This is the fastest group on that side of the ball since the days of the Palouse Posse – or that group’s younger siblings from the early 2000s. Either way, it points out that when WSU is at its best, the defense is fast, furious and fun to watch.

That is just another thing this state’s two Pac-12 schools have in common.

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• WSU: So the Cougars won, easily. Jacob Thorpe enjoyed the sunshine – only the second day game this season folks – and wrote a game story and a whole bunch of other accompanying pieces, including key moments, key players, new players, old players, records broken, scoring and videos from the postgame from Mike Leach and the guys who did the work on the field. … John Blanchette’s column covered the win and the emotional aspects of it. … Tyler Tjomsland has a photo report from the game. … The Cougars’ biggest Pac-12 win ever is also covered extensively in the Seattle Times. … Arizona seemed a little shell-shocked after the defeat.

Elsewhere in Pac-12 football, as we said, USC had no trouble with Oregon and Washington, hoping to move up in the CFP rankings, rolled all over California. … Oregon State kept it close but Stanford and Christian McCaffrey ultimately took care of business. … Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre has a foundation to build from.

• Gonzaga: The Bulldogs opened the season with an exhibition win over West Georgia, a game that highlighted the Zags’ depth. Jim Meehan has the game story and Dan Pelle the photo report. … Josh Perkins, who is dealing with a legal matter, has been suspended for about a week.

• EWU: The trip to San Luis Obispo was a productive one for the Eagles, with a 42-21 win over Cal Poly the reward. Jim Allen has the game story. … Around the Big Sky yesterday, Coeur d’Alene’s Chad Chalich threw seven touchdown passes in Montana’s easy win over Idaho State. … Host Weber State couldn’t handle Northern Arizona. … Portland State got healthy against UC Davis. … How long will North Dakota be in the Big Sky? It won its eighth consecutive game yesterday, this one over Northern Colorado.

• Whitworth: The Pirates may sneak into the Division III playoffs with two losses. They kept that side of the ledger from moving with a 34-14 win over Willamette at the Pine Bowl yesterday. Tom Clouse was there and has this game story.

• Chiefs: Tom was also in the Arena last night, when the Chiefs let a lead slip away in the closing seconds and lost to Tri-City in overtime.

• Preps: There is nothing more secure than North Central winning the State 3A boys’ cross country title. Though this year, the Indians’ 11th consecutive championship, seemed a bit more iffy than usual. Greg Lee was in Pasco and has this story along with others on the 4A and smaller school races. … Mt. Spokane was routed in the 3A playoffs by defending champion Eastside Catholic. … We also have a roundup of other prep action.

• Seahawks: The Hawks’ offense is not good. So how much of the blame should fall on Russell Wilson’s shoulders? Or his knee or ankle? … Monday night’s game against the Bills and Percy Harvin could be huge for the Hawks, who will play without Kam Chancellor again. … Richard Sherman may be right about one thing after all. …Earl Thomas didn’t get dinged monetarily. 

• Sounders: Seattle travels to Dallas with a 3-0 lead in the two-game series. One away goal would just about seal a Western Conference finals berth for the sung and unsung Sounders.

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• It’s raining today. It was beautiful yesterday. Everything in life is fleeting. Until later …