A year ago, Kalen DeBoer watched the Apple Cup from the comfort of his home in Fresno, California, three days before he would become the next University of Washington football coach.
He’ll have to dress warmly this time. On Sunday, the Pac-12 announced that the Huskies and Washington State will kick off at 7:30 p.m. next Saturday in Pullman in a game that will be televised nationally by ESPN.
The annual rivalry game will go a long way to determining bowl destinations for both the UW (9-2 overall, 6-2 Pac-12) and the Cougars (7-4, 4-4).
Also, at stake in this 113th meeting of these schools is state pride, which got yanked away from the Huskies a year ago with a resounding 40-13 loss on their home turf — for the biggest WSU margin of victory. The Huskies still hold a sizable 73-33-6 edge in the series.
DeBoer admittedly had a personal interest in watching the 2021 game with the Huskies seeking a new coach to replace the fired Jimmy Lake and his name being bandied about.
“I knew there was a chance there was interest in me,” he said on Saturday, laughing about the circumstances when asked about the timing of it all.
The topic of this game was an immediate one that DeBoer addressed with the players once he was hired in Montlake and introduced himself and that conversation has persisted throughout the season.
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“We definitely don’t have that trophy in our trophy case right now,” DeBoer said. “I know it means a lot. I know it’s one of two games Husky Nation circles each and every year [with Oregon the other]. We’re really looking forward to a great week.
“I think we’re playing for a lot of stuff, not just that trophy.”
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