Top 5 Apple Cup Clashes Between Washington and Washington State

By Kyle Golik

Traditionally the contest between Washington and Washington State was played at the end of the season after Thanksgiving for The Apple Cup Trophy. Washington’s departure from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten, like the Civil War rivalry , only allows this game to be played this early in the season.

“We’ll continue to make sure our guys understand the importance of the game without making the game (mean) so much that you lose the discipline, that you lose your preparation,” Washington head coach Jedd Fisch said this week , as Washington and Washington State start the first of a five-game contract.

“I know we have it for the next five years,” Fisch said. “So it’s going to be really important over these next five years that we continue to make this game as important as it is.”

Washington State head coach Jake Dickert echoed similar sentiments , “The guys know what time it is.”

The Apple Cup has been dominated by Washington leading the all-time series 76-33-6, and has featured some of the sport’s iconic coaching figures like Don James and Mike Leach . Whether it was Warren Moon getting the Huskies back in their 1975 clash, Washington taking advantage of Washington State quarterback Clete Casper ’s injury in the 1981 encounter that left the Huskies smelling roses, or Mike Leach’s first Apple Cup in 2012 rallied from an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter deficit, forcing overtime. After Washington’s Travis Coon ’s field goal sailed wide right, it gave Leach his first win and sent The Palouse into euphoria.

Let’s review the Top 5 clashes in the history of the Apple Cup.

#5 National Championship Clinchers: 1960 Washington 8 Washington State 7/1991 Washington 56 Washington State 21

The University of Washington claims two national championships. Each year featured a clash that either provided an epic statement by the Huskies, but also provided a signature moment in the series.

During the 1960 season, the lone blemish on Washington’s record was a 15-14 defeat to the Naval Academy but their 34-0 win over Southern California set up The Apple Cup as the only thing that could prevent Washington from a date with No. 1 Minnesota in the Rose Bowl.

The 1960 Apple Cup was a defensive slugfest and hard-hitting. One of the victims early in the contest was Washington running back Don McKeta . McKeta took a carry in the first half and suffered a major laceration on his leg that required stitches during halftime.

As the laceration stopped bleeding, the passion McKeta had to continue to contribute proved big when he returned to the game and made the two-point conversion that kept Washington’s Rose Bowl hopes and national championship aspirations alive.

The 1991 encounter was the complete opposite. It was the display of perfection and dominance of those 1991 Huskies.

Two positives came from the 1991 Apple Cup for Washington State, it was only the second time all year Washington trailed after a quarter of play and it was the introduction to the world of Drew Bledsoe .

Bledsoe would finish the day with 430 yards passing but the combination of Washington’s Billy Joe Hobert and Mark Brunell who combined for four touchdown passes gave Washington the 56-21 win and set up national championship implications with Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

#4 Battle For A Bowl: 1988 Washington State 32 Washington 31

Up until the 1988 Apple Cup, it was rare that a bowl berth was on the line for both Washington and Washington State, but this encounter a berth to the Aloha Bowl was on the line and Washington State was streaking in hot, winners of three in a row that included an upset over No. 1 UCLA who was quarterbacked by Troy Aikman.

The 1988 Apple Cup seemingly had the feel Washington State was going to win this right out of the gate but Washington had different plans leading by two possessions after the first half.

Washington State quarterback Timm Rosenbach clawed the Cougars back, taking a slim one-point lead with nine minutes to go in the game. It was a tense defensive struggle that Washington State was able to hold on as The Palouse went crazy securing the Cougars' third bowl game in program history.

#3 Leaf Determination: 1997 Washington State 41 Washington 35

If the 1988 Apple Cup was the rare bowl game at stake for both schools, even rarer was Rose Bowl implications for Washington State, who was seeking their first Rose Bowl appearance in 67 years.

Washington had national championship aspirations in 1997, rising as high as No. 2 in the nation. But injuries and a late-season swoon losing to rival Oregon and UCLA tanked Washington’s national championship hopes but looked to play spoiler to Washington State’s.

In what would be one of the highest-scoring Apple Cup’s, Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf was determined to get to the Rose Bowl.

Despite having a 24-7 lead, Washington quarterback Brock Huard inched the Huskies to within a field goal. It was then where Leaf took command and targeted wide receiver Chris Jackson for the touchdown that kept the Cougars pacing in front of Washington.

“There was no way we were going to lose to them,” Leaf said afterwards . “There was no way we were going to lose to Washington. We worked too hard.”

#2 Cody Pickett - The Cougar Tamer: 2002 Washington 29 Washington State 26 / 2003 Washington 27 Washington State 19

If there is evidence one could provide at Washington’s dominance in The Apple Cup, you would look no further than the 2002 and 2003 editions where Washington upset a Top 10 ranked Washington State in each.

In 2002, Washington State was ranked No. 3 in the nation heading into The Apple Cup. The Cougars had remote national championship aspirations; it would need help as their lone loss to Ohio State, who was undefeated at No. 2 served as the blocker for the Cougars.

It seemed Washington State at halftime was going to roll Washington and get to the Rose Bowl and attempt to make their case for the national championship.

Washington had other plans as Husky quarterback Cody Pickett engineered a comeback to force overtime.

During the game, Washington State starting quarterback Jason Gesser had been injured and backup quarterback Matt Kegel entered.

In triple overtime, an apparent Kegel incompletion that many thought Husky defensive Kai Ellis had deflected the pass and wasn’t able to maintain possession. Despite that, the officials ruled Kegel threw a backward pass, Washington recovered, and the game was over.

With the bitterness of 2002 still on the minds of the Cougars, one thought revenge was to be served in 2003.

In the annals of The Apple Cup, Husky quarterback Cody Pickett will forever be known for his ability to be “The Cougar Tamer” as he engineered his second improbable comeback.

In the 2003 edition, Washington State had a 19-14 late into the game and seemed poised to snap Washington’s five-game win streak in the series. Insert Pickett’s fourth quarter magic and Washington scored 13 improbable points behind two Pickett touchdowns.

#1 The Snow Bowl: Washington State 42 Washington 21

I don’t know if many rivalries have a singular image or time that epitomizes a rivalry. For me, when you mention The Apple Cup, the first thing that comes to mind is the images from the 1992 Snow Bowl.

The snow played a legitimate role in the game, and in a lot of ways the snow was the perfect symbolism of the abrupt ending to the end of the Don James era in Washington.

Entering the month of November, Washington was the No. 1 team in the country looking ever so much that they would repeat as national champions.

Washington’s demise began to chip away as reports of quarterback Billy Joe Hobert receiving a $50,000 loan began to get the local media as well as the Pac-10 and NCAA involved. Washington would lose to No. 16 Arizona in Tucson and the season began to spiral on Washington.

The final blow to their national championship aspirations came at Martin Stadium were 30 degree weather, wind chill down to 15 gave the snow enhanced powers as ice on the field crippled Washington running back Napoleon Kaufmann , who only managed 45 yards.

The signature moment came in the third quarterback when Washington State quarterback Drew Bledsoe found wide receiver Philip Bobo for a 44-yard touchdown. The moment is iconic in Washington State lore. The imagery and performance by Bledsoe, who helped engineer the Cougar offense to 476 yards, only enhanced Bledoes who would be an eventual No. 1 overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft for the New England Patriots.