A look back at the Huskies’ 7 consecutive Apple Cup wins


    Washington running back Myles Gaskin (9) dives into the end zone as he’s tackled by Washington State’s Marcus Strong in the third quarter. The rush gave Gaskin over 1,000 yards rushing for the fourth year in a row. The Washington Huskies played the Washington State Cougars in the Apple Cup at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash., on Friday, Nov. 23, 2018.

    Washington running back Myles Gaskin (9) dives into the end zone as he’s tackled by Washington State’s Marcus Strong in the third quarter. The rush gave Gaskin over 1,000 yards rushing for the fourth year in a row. The Washington Huskies played the Washington State Cougars in the Apple Cup at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash., on Friday, Nov. 23, 2018.

    joshua.bessex@gateline.com

    The Washington Huskies have won the past seven editions of the Apple Cup.

    Will they make it eight in a row this week?

    For the Huskies (4-7), the season will end with Friday evening’s meeting with Washington State, while the Cougars (6-5) are bowl eligible and still have a chance at a Pac-12 North title.

    Should UW pick up a win in its season finale against WSU, it would tie the longest streak in the history of the series. (UW has won eight consecutive games twice, from 1959-66 and 1974-81.)

    A loss would send the Apple Cup back to Pullman for the first time since the Cougars won it there in 2012.

    To get ready for this year’s matchup, here’s a refresher on the most recent UW winning streak in the annual rivalry game.

    WASHINGTON 27, WASHINGTON STATE 17

    Date: Nov. 29, 2013

    Location: Seattle, Wash.

    Recap: A season after a crushing overtime loss in Pullman — when the Cougars rallied from a three-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter, then won on a game-ending field goal in overtime — the Huskies started this recent streak of dominance over their in-state rivals. UW trailed at the break, but took the lead for good on Bishop Sankey’s 7-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter. Sankey gashed WSU’s defense for 200 yards on his 34 carries, and become UW’s single-season rushing leader in the process. He later finished the season with 1,870 yards, which still tops the program’s record book. Quarterback Keith Price added two touchdowns for the Huskies in the win, including a 2-yard rushing score late in the fourth quarter that put WSU out of reach.

    WASHINGTON 31, WASHINGTON STATE 13

    Date: Nov. 29, 2014

    Location: Pullman, Wash.

    Recap: The Huskies never trailed during this game and left no doubt in securing their first win inside Martin Stadium since 2010. Cyler Miles finished 25-of-39 passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns for the Huskies, while Dwayne Washington added 16 carries for 135 yards and two rushing touchdowns of 51 and 60 yards. His first touchdown, on UW’s first drive, was the first of four touchdowns and a field goal that gave the Huskies a commanding 31-point lead that was never in question. UW’s defense shut out the Cougars the first three quarters, and collected five sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. WSU scored a pair of fourth quarter scores on touchdown passes by Luke Falk, but it was far too late.

    WASHINGTON 45, NO. 20 WASHINGTON STATE 10

    Date: Nov. 27, 2015

    Location: Seattle, Wash.

    Recap: The 45 points the Huskies scored in this game was the most either program had put up since UW’s 51-3 thumping of the Cougars in 2000. This particular rout was driven by the Huskies secondary, which combined for three second half touchdowns against a WSU team that was without Falk. Sidney Jones returned the Huskies’ first interception 69 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. Darren Gardenhire scooped up a fumble for a 28-yard score in the fourth, and Azeem Victor picked off another pass for a 27-yard touchdown just 17 seconds later as the Huskies put a stamp on a convincing victory. WSU took an early lead with a field goal on the game’s first drive, but a 26-yard scoring run by Chico McClatcher later in the first quarter gave UW the final advantage. In his first Apple Cup, Myles Gaskin rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries and became the first true freshman in the program’s history to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing in a season.

    NO. 5 WASHINGTON 45, NO. 23 WASHINGTON STATE 17

    Date: Nov. 26, 2016

    Location: Pullman, Wash.

    Recap: On their way to an appearance in the College Football Playoff, the Huskies routed the Cougars again, matching their 45-point total from the season prior, this time behind an explosive performance by their offense. The Huskies never trailed, the early lead they built behind four consecutive touchdown drives to open the game was never really threatened, and they finished with six trips to the end zone in another dominant win. Jake Browning was 21-of-29 passing for 292 yards and three touchdowns, all of which were in the first quarter. Dante Pettis caught two of them and finished with a team-high 86 receiving yards on three catches, while John Ross added another score and 80 receiving yards on eight catches. Lavon Coleman rushed for a game-high 82 yards on 10 carries and added two touchdowns. Budda Baker, D.J. Beavers and Jordan Miller all added interceptions as the Huskies stymied WSU’s high-flying offense. UW went on to win the Pac-12 Championship Game before losing to Alabama in the Peach Bowl.

    NO. 15 WASHINGTON 41, NO. 14 WASHINGTON STATE 14

    Date: Nov. 25, 2017

    Location: Seattle, Wash.

    Recap: UW’s offense left no doubt in yet another 40-plus-point performance against WSU, all while ending the Cougars’ bid for a Pac-12 North title. Gaskin scored on the first drive of the game to give the Huskies a lead they never lost, and finished with a game-high 192 yards and four touchdowns on 25 carries — the best Apple Cup totals of his career. And the Huskies defense continued to shut down the Air Raid. Falk finished 37-of-55 passing for 369 yards and a touchdown, but Ezekiel Turner, JoJo McIntosh and Ben Burr-Kirven all collected interceptions. UW finished with four total turnovers and five sacks. WSU’s only two touchdowns came in the fourth quarter after the Huskies had already built a 34-point lead.

    NO. 16 WASHINGTON 28, NO. 7 WASHINGTON STATE 15

    Date: Nov. 23, 2018.

    Location: Pullman, Wash.

    Recap: Snow covered Martin Stadium on this chilly night in Pullman, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Huskies, who piled up 487 yards of offense to top the Cougars inside their home stadium for the third consecutive trip. In his final Apple Cup, Gaskin again led the Huskies with 27 carries for 170 yards and three touchdowns, while Browning was 11-of-14 for 207 yards in his final game against the Cougars. Aaron Fuller and Hunter Bryant also connected for a touchdown on a trick play to keep WSU out of reach. Gaskin’s first two touchdowns gave the Huskies a lead they never lost, and he broke loose for an 80-yard scamper through the snow in the fourth quarter to seal the win. UW’s defense again stifled WSU’s passing attack, and Burr-Kirven finished with an interception and fumble recovery, while Byron Murphy also picked off a pass. UW went on to win the Pac-12 Championship Game the following week, but eventually lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

    WASHINGTON 31, WASHINGTON STATE 13

    Date: Nov. 29, 2019

    Location: Seattle, Wash.

    Recap: The most recent Apple Cup — last year’s game was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic — produced another familiar outcome. In the final Apple Cup for both UW coach Chris Petersen and WSU coach Mike Leach, the Huskies scored points, and held down the Air Raid again to push this winning streak to seven games. In his only season at UW, Jacob Eason finished 15-for-22 passing for 244 yards and two total touchdowns. His 16-yard touchdown pass to Terrell Bynum in the second quarter gave the Huskies the decisive lead. Richard Newton added two short touchdown runs as UW pulled away. And the defense forced three turnovers, Trent McDuffie and Elijah Molden each intercepting passes and Myles Bryant coming up with a fumble recovery. After another Apple Cup win wrapped up, center Nick Harris posed for photos wearing a shirt that read, “We don’t lose to Cougs.”

    This story was originally published November 25, 2021 5:00 AM.

    Lauren Smith covers University of Washington athletics for The News Tribune. She previously covered high school sports for TNT and The Olympian, beginning in 2015, before moving to the Seattle Mariners beat ahead of the 2019 season. She is a graduate of UW and Emerald Ridge High School.





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