Two-minute drill: Keys to victory for Washington State against Washington in the Apple Cup
Don’t take your eyes off …
Have we used Max Borghi here yet? It’s likely your eyes haven’t left Borghi since he racked up 145 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in a dominant win over Stanford, then guaranteed a win over Oregon State in his postgame press conference. Your pupils were probably glued to the sophomore running back again last week when he got the ball on the 2-yard line and pranced into the end zone to beat Oregon State and offered up another guarantee. Borghi didn’t predict Friday’s outcome, but he did promise to score, and score “a lot” against the Huskies. The Pac-12 leader in yards per carry (6.7) has made himself the center of attention in this year’s rivalry bout. Now it’s time to see if he can make good on another promise.
When WSU has the ball …
Ball security is always important, but it’s absolutely necessary in the Apple Cup. The Cougars haven’t scored more than 20 points in this game since 2012, in part because Mike Leach’s quarterbacks have thrown at least two interceptions in each of the last six losses. A group that includes Connor Halliday, Luke Falk, Peyton Bender and Gardner Minshew has thrown twice as many picks (14) as it has touchdowns (7) during that span and current WSU QB Anthony Gordon has a tendency to get himself in trouble when he takes too many risks. Gordon’s aggression has also produced a few highlight-reel touchdowns, and it’s difficult to criticize someone who just set Pac-12 records for single season passing yards and TDs, but the redshirt senior needs to avoid turnovers if he wants to become the first WSU QB to knock off the Huskies since Jeff Tuel. The Cougars’ defense has had trouble stopping the opposition as it is, let alone when they’re given a short field.
When UW has the ball …
Jacob Eason’s shaky play has drawn the ire of some UW fans over the last two games, but if the Huskies have done their due diligence in the film room this week they’ll know they won’t need to lean too heavily on their first-year signal-caller. The Cougars are giving up 176.5 rushing yards per game, second-most in the Pac-12 ahead of Arizona (176.8), and they’re five days removed from allowing 202 yards per game, two touchdowns and 5.8 yards per carry to Oregon State. Plus, the Huskies have always been able to run the ball successfully in the Apple Cup, rushing for more than 1,400 yards (234.3 per game) in the last six rivalry meetings. But can Salvon Ahmed carry the torch for UW now that Myles Gaskin, a 550-yard career Apple Cup rusher, is gone? The electric junior is a breakaway threat who’s rushed for 916 yards on 166 carries this season and has nine rushing touchdowns. Sean McGrew and Richard Newton should also get some touches Friday.
Did you know?
If the Huskies win their seventh straight Apple Cup, they’ll extend the longest rivalry streak in the Pac-12. Stanford previously held that distinction, having beat Cal nine consecutive times in the Big Game, but the Golden Bears finally clawed out a win over the Cardinal, winning 24-20 last weekend in Palo Alto. The only other streaks belong to Arizona State, which will aim to win its third straight against Arizona in the Territorial Cup, and Oregon, which has claimed the last two from Oregon State in the Civil War. Seven Apple Cup wins in a row would denote UW’s longest streak in the rivalry since 1981, when the Huskies picked up their eighth consecutive victory against the Cougars. Eight straight wins is the longest streak in Apple Cup history and the Huskies have done it twice – from 1974-81 and from 1959-66. The Cougars have never won more than two in a row.