If you are a newcomer to the region "Coug-It" is a Northwest term for snatching defeat from the almost certain clutches of victory. The term was coined by Washington State Cougar fans who tired of watching there team overcome tremendous obstacles to lose games they had no business losing over the last fourty years.

Since this is Apple Cup week it is time to roll a collection of some of the All-Time Coug It moments!

In the 1975 Apple Cup, WSU led 27-14 with 3 minutes left in the game. WSU attempted a fourth-and-one conversion at the UW 14-yard line rather than a field goal. The resulting pass was intercepted by UW's Al Burleson and returned 93 yards for a touchdown. After a WSU three-and-out,Warren Moon's tipped pass was caught by Spider Gaines for a 78 yard TD reception and a dramatic 28-27 Washington win. WSU Head coach Jim Sweeney resigned a week later, leaving with a 26-59-1 record.

1982 game with Oregon State, when the Beavers attempted a 45 yard field goal which would have tied the game (no overtimes back in those days). OSU misses, but Cougs have 12 men on the field. After a five yard penalty allows the Beavers to re-kick, they make the field goal, resulting in a tie.

During four weeks of the 2000 season, WSU lost three games in overtime.

In the 2001 Apple Cup, competing for a BCS bowl-berth, WSU loses 26-14.

In the 2002 Apple Cup held in Pullman, #3 WSU was leading 20-10 with under 4 minutes left in the game, however theWashington Huskies rallied to force overtime and eventually a controversial 29-26 win in 3 OTs.

In 2003, WSU vs Notre Dame, which was trailing 19-6 entering the fourth quarter, rallied to defeat WSU 29-26 in OT by outscoring WSU 23-7 over the final periods.

In the 2003 Apple Cup, WSU (ranked No. 8) entered the game with a 9-2 record and a shot at the Rose Bowl while the Huskies, at 5-6, were trying to avoid their first losing season since 1976. WSU had a six-point lead until true freshman Corey Williams caught a diving pass in the end zone with 1:10 remaining in the game, which gave UW a 20-19 lead after a successful PAT. On the ensuing drive the Huskies' Marquis Cooper intercepted a pass by WSU quarterback Josh Swogger and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown, which after a successful PAT resulted in a final score of 27-19.

In 2004, WSU gave up 27 fourth-quarter points in Pullman to Oregon in a 41-38 defeat.

In 2005, WSU vs Oregon State, WSU had a halftime lead of 30-16. With 6:50 left in the game WSU was still up 33-30, however Oregon State scored the final 14 points to win the game 44-33.

In 2005, WSU vs California, WSU up 38-35 until 1:50 was left on the clock at which time California scored a touchdown to win 42-38.

In 2005, WSU vs UCLA, WSU was up by 17 points in the fourth quarter at home. UCLA forced overtime and won 44-41.

In 2006 WSU had a 6-3 record entering November, needing only one win to clinch a bowl berth. While favored by 16 1/2, 2 1/2, and 10 1/2 against Arizona, at Arizona State, and Washington respectively, they lost all three games by a combined score of 109-63 and were denied a bowl berth.

University of Washington President Mark Emmert has appointed a search advisory committee to assist in the UW's search for a new head football coach. The committee is chaired by Pat Dobel, a professor of public affairs who also serves as the UW's faculty athletic representative to the Pacific-10 Conference. The committee will report to Emmert and Athletic Director Scott Woodward.

Other members of the committee include Ana Mari Cauce, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Ed Taylor, dean for undergraduate academic affairs; Professor Robert Stacey, representing the Advisory Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics; Professor David Lovell, chair of the Faculty Senate; Randy Hodgins, interim vice president for external affairs; Joanne Bowers, head women's gymnastics coach; Anttimo Bennett, president of the Associated Students of the University of Washington; Jake Locker, student athlete; Andre Riley, representing the Big "W" Club; community members Don Barnard and Bob Flowers from the Tyee Board, and Eddie Pasatiempo, representing the UW Alumni Association.

The search committee is just a formality since Mark Emmert and Scott Woodward will be making the final choice with little input from the committee. The main job of the committee will be to advise and lay out some guidelines during the search process.

As far as the search goes most speculation is still centered around Jim L. Mora who is under contract to coach the Seahawks next season. Mora released a statement earlier this month saying he was not a candidate for the position but that has done little to surpress speculation that UW has put on a full court press in their pursuit of him.

If Mora is indeed the man nothing will happen till Seahawks owner and UW donor Paul Allen gives his blessing. Finding a football coach is important but UW isn't going to do anything to strain it's relationship with Allen who is one of the schools largest contributors.

Nathan Ware has decided to fold the Seattle PI Dawg Blawg after running the column for the past three years. We are all going to miss Nathan because he brought a lot to the game each week.

Nathan's blog was the #1 Blog the Seattle PI had over the past three seasons. That is a fine accomplishment when you consider how many blogs are associated with the paper.

What it came down to was the grind of trying to write something positive in a season that really didn't have much positive in it. That can take a toll especially when your not being paid to do it.

Nathan will participate a little bit over here next season if the writing bug comes back. Best of luck Nathan and thanks for all the fine work!

About a month ago, I started to think about the future. Will we win a game this season? Who will be the new coach? What will the 2009 season bring?

I also started to wonder what I wanted to do. In some ways, I've missed just being a normal Joe. I used to go to games, talk about them with Mrs. Dawgblawg or some of my friends, and that was that. Now, I go to games, look for storylines to right about, consider different strategies that were used in the games, and spend an inordinate amount of hours writing about them. It's been fun.

Washington led by Jon Brockman's 23 points defeated Cleveland State 78-63 last night in Seattle. Brockman also had a team high 13 rebounds. Quincy Pondexter chipped in 15 points rebounding from a goose egg in the opener against Portland on Saturday. Joe Wolfinger contributed 12 points coming off the bench.

Isaiah Thomas had another poor game for the Dawgs shooting only 2-11 from the field. We had hoped he would arrive ready to dominate but it's obvious that he still has a lot to learn when it comes to leading the team on offense. Ball handling on the perimeter is still a problem as the Huskies turned the ball over 18 times. Romar started Venoy Overton over Thomas last night.

The team still misses the presence of Matthew Bryan-Amaning who sidelined after having a hard fall in practice last week and Artem Wallace who is playing limited minutes as he comes back from a serious knee injury from last season.

Norris Cole scored 20 points for Cleveland State (1-1), which missed 18 of its first 21 shots and fell behind by 24 points late in the first half. Cleveland State is the pre season favorite to win the Horizon League. The Vikings pulled withing three in the second half at 56-53 but Jon Brockman's dominating presence inside put an end to that and the Huskies cruised to their first victory of the season.

The annual Apple Cup is one of the greatest sporting events in the state of Washington. The game is typically the final Pac 10 game of the year for the Washington Huskies and Washington State Cougars.

The all time series record between the teams is 63-29 in favor of the Huskies with 6 ties in all. An Apple Cup win earns bragging rights for the next year and also earns the ability to haze your Cougar or Husky friends and co-workers.

To hate like this is to be happy forever is an apt description of the rivarly between the two teams. One thing you can count on is you can't count on anything int he Apple cup. Throw out all the records in this one.

Apple Cup Quotes

Former WSU coach Jim Walden once said, "Nothing in my job, not the Rose Bowls, not the Holiday Bowls, nothing is more important than beating the University of Washington."

WSU Head Coach Mike Price remembers the game as one of the favorite times in his life. "The win over Washington in the 1997 Apple Cup put us in the Rose Bowl," Price said. "It was the most fun I've ever had in Seattle."

WSU coach Jim Walden recites his favorite Husky joke. "You know what you get when you cross a pig and a Husky? You get nothing, because that's something even a pig won't do."

Legendary Husky coach Don James chips in with this classic quote. "Attending Washington State is great preparation for real life. It teaches you not to expect too much."

"WSU is a hard school to go to, man," says a recent Cougar player, "You ain't got nothin' to do but get drunk and smoke weed, and not go to class because you're too tired from doing what you're doing."

Apple Cups to remember

1950: The UW defense let WSU score a late touchdown so the late Don Heinrich could break a national record for completions in a season. He was 17 for 28 for 275 yards and two TDs.

1969: This was the mother of bad Apple Cup's. Think of 2004 and the upcoming game this Saturday for an adequote comparison. This game brought together Jim Owens' winless, dissension-wracked Washington team and Jim Sweeney's second-year Washington State Cougars, who had nosed past Illinois by a point in their opener and were pretty much miserable the rest of the way, losing every other game as they faced the finale. UW Quarterback Gene Willis threw an economical nine passes, completing five for 155 yards, and Washington closed out a 30-21 victory to avoid a winless season.

1974: Dennis Fitzpatrick ran for 249 yards, most ever by a Huskies quarterback.

1975: How many people stuck around for the finish of this one? UW stormed back from a 27-14 deficit in the last two minutes. With uder two minutes left WSU was foolishly trying to run up the score when Al Burleson intercepted a Cougar pass and returned it 95 yards for a TD. Next, the Husky defense held, and forced a punt. Finally, a Warren Moon pass bounced off of two Cougar defendesr and into the hands of swift Spider Gaines, who took it all the way for a TD. Washington wins 28-27. WSU coach Jim Sweeney resigned soon after the game.

1980: In a game UW had to win to get to the Rose Bowl, the Huskies fell behind 14-0 before Tom Flick led a comeback. He completed 20 of 32 passes for 311 yards and three TDs.

1982: Former Huskies coach Don James calls the 1982 loss "the most disappointing of my coaching career of 38 years. "Chuck Nelson, the Huskies kicker whose missed 33-yard field goal prevented the Huskies from taking a 23-21 late-game lead in 1982, recalled that "the atmosphere was significantly different than it had been at the Spokane games."

"That was the first time for any of us in Martin Stadium," said Nelson, whose missed kick stopped his then-NCAA record streak at 30. "There was certainly a lot more energy there than there had been in the games up in Joe Albi."

The loss prevented the Huskies from going to the Rose Bowl for a third straight year. Cougars fans rejoiced.

1984: Washington was down by 10 in the 3rd quarter, and was just got stopped on 3rd down. the Huskies hadn't been able to stop the Cougs all day, but a personal foul by Rico Tipton of the Cougars kept the drive alive. UW scored, and gutted out a 38-29 victory.

1992: The famous "Snow Bowl" game is more famous for the weather and Drew Bledsoe's amazing ability to throw rainbows into the storm clouds. But it was also one of the bigger upsets in the series as UW — which had won 23 of its past 24 games — was a 14-point favorite. The Cougars won, 42-23.

1995: Tied with Washington State at 30-30 and with little time remaining, UW kicked the last second field goal to win the game. More importantly a share of the Pac-10 championship with USC and Pac-10 Champ rings for all the players.

2001: Cody Pickett threw for 371 yards, most in the history of the series, completing 25 of 38 passes and a touchdown, leading UW to an upset win.

2002: The Cougars needed only to beat UW at home to clinch the Pac-10 title. But the Huskies rallied from a 20-10 fourth-quarter deficit to force three overtime's in an eventual 29-26 victory. WSU's final possession was ended by a controversial call of a "backward" pass on a throw by Matt Kegel.

Q: How do you neuter a Cougar?
A: Kick his sister in the jaw!

Q: What do Cougar Football players always get on their final exams?
A: Drool.

Q: What do you call a cougar golfing with an IQ of 120? A: A foursome!

Q: Why are a tornado and a cougar divorce similiar?
A: You know someone is going to lose a house trailer!

Q: What does a Cougar say to a Husky at MacDonald's?
A: "May I take your order, sir?"

Q: What's the biggest lie told in Pullman?
A: "I was just helping that sheep over the fence."

Q: What's the number one pickup line used for picking up WAZZU chicks?
A: "Hey, nice tooth!"

Q: What do Cougar cheerleaders and Cougar quarterbacks have in common?
A: They're always on their backs.

Q: How do you keep cougars out of your yard?
A: Put up goalposts.

Q: What has 20 legs and 3 teeth?
A: The first row of fans at Martin Stadium.

Q: How do you keep a Cougar from drinking too much?
A: Slam the toilet on his head.

A Coug riddle: If two Cougs get married in Pullman and then move to Seattle, are they still brother and sister?

Bubba had been attending WSU for 6 years and still did not have enough credits to graduate. At the commencement ceremony, the entire student body began chanting, "Let Bubba graduate, Let Bubba graduate!" The Pullman president decided that if Budda could answer a one question exam, he would graduate. The president said, "You have one chance, Bubba, what is 9x9"? Budda beamed and blurted out 81. A stunned silence followed. Then the whole crowd yelled, "Give him another chance! Give him another chance!"

Last night there was a fire at the WSU library. They lost 20 books to the flames. The worst part was that 15 of them had'nt been colored in yet!

Quotes

"Attending WAZZU is great preparation for real life. It teaches you not to expect too much."
- Don James.

"Jesus was actually supposed to be born in Pullman, rather than Bethlehem. But they couldn't find three wise men and a virgin."
- Unknown.

You heard of the Cougar who broke his leg raking leaves?
He fell out of a tree....

--Trent Tvrdy, Seattle

Q: Why did the wazzu grad cover her ears?
A: She was trying to hold in a thought!

--Erin Waltner, Seattle

Did you hear about the student who transferred from Washington to Washington State and raised the IQ of both Universities?

-- John Porter, UW class of 64

Q: What do you call a 250 pound Cougar cheerleader?
A: Anorexic.

Q: What does a Cougar grad call a Husky grad?
A: Boss.

--Richard Ross, Seattle

Helpful life long skills checklist presented to each graduating senior at the WSU Commencement Ceremony

1. If you're bidding on a job for UPS, don't send your bid by FedEx.
2. If your computer says, "Printer out of Paper," this problem cannot be resolved by continuously clicking the "OK" button.
3. If you want your refrigerator's ice maker to work, you need to hook it to a water source. Air doesn't make good ice unless it is mixed with water.
4. No matter how much data you add to your laptop, it will not get heavier.
5. A bad place to store your emergency backup diskette is on the underside of your desk drawer, secured by a large magnet.
6. It's okay to use the Polaroid Land Camera on a boat.
7. When the PC says, "Insert diskette #2," don't do it immediately. Remove disk #1 first, even if you're sure you can make them both fit in there.
8. When your PC says "You have mail," don't go to the company mail room and look for a package.
9. The French version of Netscape Navigator doesn't translate English language web pages into French.
10. If you're in the armed services, and it's April 1st, and you get an E-Mail message to call Colonel Sanders for new orders, don't.
11. If you go to the computer store to buy a mouse pad, you don't have to specify whether it's for a Windows or a Macintosh.

-- Skip Records, Seattle.

A WSU student walked into a bar in Seattle and ordered two beers. After he paid for the beers he drank one and poured the other one all over his right hand. The bartender was curious to what he was doing so he asked him, and the WSU student replied "I'm trying to get my date drunk."

-- Nate Dogg and T-Roll, Moses Lake, Washington.

A ventriloquist from Seattle walked into a bar just off the Washington State University campus and asked the manager if he could do a little performance. The manager thought no harm could be done and agreed.
The ventriloquist grabbed a stool, sat down and began telling jokes about the WSU football team. Suddenly, a huge man wearing a Cougar T-shirt walked over and said, "Listen buddy, I don't know who you think you are, telling all these jokes about our football team. I for one will not put up with it!"
The ventriloquist quickly appologized and said he would leave. The large man exclaimed "I'm not talking to you! I'm talking to that little man sitting on your lap!" --Todd Boyer, Seattle.

A Husky fan, a Coug fan, and a Ducks fan were driving to the Rose Bowl together when their car broke down. They walked down the road to a farmhouse and inquired if they could spend the night.
The farmer said, "sure, but one of you will have to sleep in the barn as there is not enough room in the house."
The Husky fan said, "I'll do it."
A little while later there was a knock on the door, it was the Husky fan. He said, "I'm allergic to chickens and there are chickens in the barn." So the Ducks fan left to stay in the barn.
A little while later there was again a knock on the door, it was the Ducks fan. He said, "I'm allergic to pigs and there are pigs in the barn." So the Cougs fan left to stay in the barn.
A little while later there was again a knock on the door, it was the chickens and the pigs!

During an off-day in the Cougs practice preparation for the Rose Bowl, one of their quarterbacks thought he would take advantage of the break in southern California and visit one of America's biggest theme parks.
As he neared the park in his rental car, he noticed a big sign ahead on the highway.
"DISNEYLAND LEFT," it read.
With that, he sighed, turned around and headed back to the hotel.

Did you hear about the Coug that went to the library and checked out a book called "How to Hug?" Got back to the dorm and found out it was volume seven of the encyclopedia.

A man died and was sent to Hell. As he was being led down the path, he noticed a Coug he had known back in the land of the living. The Coug had one of the most beautiful woman the man had ever seen draped all over him.
The man began to complain to the devil about all the bad things he heard were going to happen to him, and questioned why the Coug had such an attractive woman.
To this the devil responded, "How dare you question the way things are? How dare you question that woman's punishment."

--Al Nelson, Westminster, Colorado.

Seems that a Coug was driving West from Pullman at the same time a Husky was driving East from Seattle and they happened to meet head-on in a horrible crash on top of Snoqualmie Pass. Miraculously, both climbed out of the steaming wreckage...their bodies intact. They examined the twisted metal and realized that they were truly lucky to be alive. The Coug said, "This must be a sign from God that we should end the bitter rivalry that we have had since the beginning of time." The Husky agreed...he went to his trunk and pulled out an unbroken bottle of whiskey. "This is truly remarkable," he said, "God must want us to toast our new-found friendship." He twisted the cap off and handed the bottle to the Coug, who took several big swigs, wiped his chin and handed the bottle back. The Husky replaced the cap, and without a word, put the bottle back into his trunk. "Aren't you going to celebrate our luck?" asked the Coug. Nah, I thing I'll just wait for the troopers to get here.

--Al Larson, Seattle.

A pretty blonde woman from the U of W is driving down a country road near Pullman in her new sports car when something goes wrong with the car and it breaks down. Luckily, shehappens to be near a farmhouse. She goes up to the farmhouse and knocks on the door. When the farmer answers, she says to him, "Oh, it's Sunday night and my car broke down! I don't know what to do! Can I stay here for the night until tomorrow when I can get some help?
"Well," drawls the farmer, "you can stay here, but I don't want you messin' with my sons Jed and Luke, they are studying for their finals over at WSU. She looks through the screen door and sees two young men standing behind the farmer. She judges them to be in the early twenties.
"Okay," she says.
After they have gone to bed for the night the woman begins to think about the two Cougs in the room next to her. They are not too bright it seems, but they are so handsome. So she quietly goes into their room and says, "Boys, how would you like for me to teach you the ways of the world?"
They say, "Huh?"
She says, "The only thing is, I don't want to get pregnant, so you have to wear these rubbers." She puts them on the boys, and the three of them go at it all night long.
Four years later Jed and Luke are sitting on the front porch,rocking back and forth. Thinking about their day off from the new McDonald's in Colfax.
Jed says, "Luke?"
Luke says, "Yeah, Jed?"
Jed says, "You remember that blond woman that came by here about four years ago and showed us the ways of the world?"
"Yeah," says Luke, "I remember."
"Well, do you care if she gets pregnant?" asks Jed.
"Nope," says Luke, "I reckon not."
"Me, neither," says Jed, "Let's take these things off."

-- Reggie Nelson, Seattle.

Two men, one Couger and one Husky, are using a public restroom. When the Couger notices that the Husky didn't wash his hands afterward, he says "Hey, at WSU they teach us to wash our hands after using the restroom." "Oh really," the Husky replies. "Well at UW we're smart enough to know not to pee on our hands."

-- Erin McCarty, Bellevue.

Q: What do you get when you cross a Mormon and a Couger?
A: A basement full of stolen groceries...

One day at the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter was greeting new comers. The first man was a brilliant engineer, so he and St. Peter talked about the great structures and buildings of the world. Next was a mathmatician from Harvard, so they talked about the most complex mathmatical problems in the history of civilization. The third guy had an IQ of 78 and a six pack in his right hand and St. Peter says, "How 'bout them Cougs!"

-- Karen Sifferman, Seattle.

Q: How do cougar brain cells die?
A: Alone

Q: Did you hear about the cougar who won an Olympic gold medal?
A: He had it bronzed.

Q: Why did the cougar carry the car door with him when he walked through the desert?
A: So he could roll down the window when he got too hot.

-- Phillip Swayze, Outlook, Washington.

Q: What are the eight words guaranteed to break a WSU cheerleader's heart?
A: "Sorry honey, we just ran out of bacon".

--Eric Brockett, Seattle.

So....A guy walks into the store and the clerk asks if he can help him.
"Sure can," the guy replies. "I want a bright, scarlet red sweatshirt, a pair of gray pants, gray socks, a red Cowboy hat and a pair of scarlet-colored cowboy boots."
"Oh, I take it you're a Cougar fan," the clerk say with a grin.
"How can you tell?" the guy answers. "It's 'cause I'm a askin' fer all scarlet and gray stuff, right?"
"No," the clerk answers. "It's because this is a hardware store."

--Dan Hickman, Seattle.

WASHINGTON STATE ENTRANCE EXAM - FOOTBALL PLAYER VERSION
Time Limit: 3 WEEKS

1. What language is spoken in France?

2. Give a dissertation on the ancient Babylonian Empire with particular reference to architecture, literature, law and social conditions.
-OR- give the first name of Pierre Trudeau.

3. Would you ask William Shakespeare to
(a) build a bridge
(b) sail the ocean
(c) lead an army
(d) write a play

4. What religion is the Pope?(check only ONE)
(a) Jewish
(b) Catholic
(c) Hindu
(d) Polish
(e) Agnostic

5. Metric conversion. How many feet in 0.0 meters?

6. What time is it when the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the 5?

7. How many commandments was Moses given? (approximately)

8. What are people in America's far north called?
(a) Westerners
(b) Southerners
(c) Northerners
(d) Canadians

9. Spell President Clinton's last name.

10. Six kings of England have been called George, the last one being George the Sixth. Name the previous five.

11. Where does rain come from?
(a) Macy's
(b) a 7-11
(c) Canada
(d) the sky

12. Can you explain Einstein's Theory of Relativity?
(a) yes
(b) no

13. What are coat hangers used for?

14. The Star Spangled Banner is the National Anthem for WHAT country?

15. Explain Le Chateliers Principle of Dynamic Equilibrium -OR-
spell your name in BIG BLOCK LETTERS.

16. Where is the basement in a three story building located?

17. Which part of America produces the most oranges?
(a) New York
(b) Florida
(c) Canada
(d) Wisconsin

18. Advanced math. If you have three apples, how many apples do you have?

19. What does NBC (National Broadcasting Corp.) stand for?

20. The Washington State tradition for efficiency began when (approximately)?
(a) B.C.
(b) A.D.
(c) still waiting

--Rob Donaldson, Campbell River BC Canada

Q. What's crimson & gray and goes 100 mph?
A. A cougar in a blender.

What are the three biggest lies in Pullman?
1) That combine over there, its paid for.
2) This belt buckle, I won it in a rodeo.
3) I was just helping that sheep over the fence.

-- Patrick Jenny, Seattle

Rumor has it that Mike Price has dreamed up a sure fire way not to lose next year's Apple Cup. If the Cougs win the coin toss prior to the opening kick off he's instructed his players to elect not to play.

Q: Why wasn't Jesus born in Pullman?
A: God couldn't find three wise men or a virgin.

--Steve Flude, Ritzville.

3 students from Wazzu were in the park and they saw some tracks on the ground. They were guessing what they were from. One guy said that they were bear tracks, another guy said that they were racoon tracks, and the last guy said that they were oppossum tracks. Then a train came and they were all hit.

--Marcia Renda.

The coug was driving in his pickup down the farm road one hot dusty day with the window rolled down and his arm resting on the windowsill. He turned his head to the left,sniffed the air and said, "ooohweee, when ARE they going to invent Left Guard?"
--Howard Wells.

Q: How do you make a WSU graduate leave your house?
A: Pay him for the pizza.

--Dave in Bellingham.

How Do you hurt a cougar while he is drinking?
Slam the toilet seat on him!

--Wes Dickinson, Moses Lake, Washington.

What do you have, when you have 20 Cougs in one room?
A full set of teeth.

--Carl Munson, '94

Bubba, the Cougar linebacker and his new wife Darlene were driving to their honeymoon in Moscow. Bubba reached over and placed his hand on Darlene's knee. Darlene said "Bubba, you can go further if you'd like!" So Bubba drove to Boise.

R Tucker, Wenatchee.

Q: What's black and blue and goes tha-dump, tha-dump, tha-dump?
A: A Cougar in a dryer.

Q: What's 6-13-6?
A: The IQ of the Cougar defensive line.

Q: Did you hear about the Cougar waterpolo team?
A: They had to cancel their season after the horses all drowned in the first game.

Q: Why don't they raise chickens in Pulman?
A: They plant the eggs too deep.

Q: What's the difference between a dead skunk and a dead Cougar on the highway?
A: There are skid marks in front of the skunk.

Q: What do you call a Cougar football player with an IQ of 20?
A: Gifted.

Q: What do you call a good looking girl in Pulman?
A: A Tourist.

Q: Why don't they have ice in the bars in Pulman?
A: They lost the recipe.

Q: Why did the Pulman police department take the 9-1-1 off of their cars?
A: Cougar football players kept stealing them because they thought they were Porsches.

Q: What's crimson & gray, six miles long and has an IQ of 41?
A: The WSU student body.

Q: What's the longest ten years of a Cougar football players life?
A: His freshman year.

Q: How do you confuse a Cougar student farmer?
A: Give him two shovels and tell him to take his pick.

Q: Why do Cougar football players have such small steering wheels in their cars?
A: So they can drive with handcuffs on.

Q: Where do Cougar cheerleaders go in the morning?
A: Home.

--Jon Dalberg, Seattle, Washington

In America they say, "It's 10:00. Do you know where your children?"

In France they say, "It's 10:00. Do you know where your wife is?"

In Italy they say, "It's 10:00. Do you know where your car is?"

In Pullman they say, "It's 10:00. Do you know what time it is?"

--Dan Hickman, Douglas, Wyoming

What is Washington State's idea of Fantasy Football? Winning a game in November and attending a bowl game that is actually worth attending.

--Steve Jantz, Davenport, WA

Classes to take at Washington St.
10. Subtraction 99 (addition's really tricky)
9. Synchronized underwater basket weaving 101
8. Cow Milking 101
7. American Lit. 444: Critical anaysis from Dr. Seuss to Curious George
6. TV 100: What Happened to "Hee Haw"
5. Keg Tapping 1091: Traditional tapping techniques and styles
4. Pysch 201: Intro to animal Sexuality
3. Disability 1210-(If you're enrolled in this class, your IQ is below 20)
2. Careers 101: How to prepare yourself for fast-food restaurants
1. Power Tools 01: How to operate a hammer


Things to do in Pullman (WSU campus)
10. Do your wash on the front porch
9. Get a beer and then get a beer
8. Go to THE grocery store
7. Put gas in your combine
6. Naked Sheep Twister
5. Cow tipping
4. Do it in a bag and light it on fire on your neighbors porch (don't forget to knock)
3. Major in hotel Management
2. Try to get a date with benched QB Chad Davis
1. Play Cougopoly-limited real estate prospects, but plenty of free parking spaces


Favorite Clothes to Wear
10.Overalls
9. Jean jacket with wooly inside
8. Long underwear
7. A straw hat
6. Chew-stained tank tops
5. Genuine pigskin belts
4. Grandmother's 1881 jeans
3. Mom's woven blanket
2. Tight-ass acid-wash jeans
1. Nothing


Best Movies in Pullman
10. John Wayne bobbit Uncut
9. The Beverly Hillbillies
8. Dumb and Dumber
7. Forrest Gump
6. Hee Haw-the Movie
5. Children of the Corn series
4. Deliverance
3. Nell
2. Stone Cold
1. Babe-the X-rated version


What's the real reason WSU QB Chad Davis got benched? ...He couldn't pound a six pack in two minutes or less

How do you keep a Cougar out of your front yard? ...Put up some goalposts

Did you hear OJ wanted to attend WSU? ...he wanted to go where everybody's DNA was the same.

Why can't you hold a Nativity scene in Pullman? ...they couldn't find three wise men and a virgin

How many WSU grads does it take to screw in a light bulb? ...Just the both of them, but it takes them 6 months and they get 6 credits for it.

What is a Cougar joke?
...a redundancy

What's the last sign of intelligent life in Pullman? ...Seattle, 371 miles

Why do Cougars put their diplomas on the dashboard? ...so they can park in the handicapped spots.


--D. Nov, Seattle, Washington.

If two Wazzu grads get a divorce, are they still considered brother & sister?

--Jim Ito, class of 85.

What's the difference between the Cougars and Cheerios?
Cheerios make it into the Bowl.

--John and Leigha Reeves, Kent, Washington.

Q: How is a cougar like a possum?
A: Both play dead at home and usually die on the road.

Q: How many cougers does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Just one, but 20 get credit for it.

Q: What is the difference between a cougar and a computer?
A: You have to punch information into both, but with a computer, you only have to do it once.

--Kevin Feeney, Class of 78, West Hills, California.

You know you're in Pullman when...
the mortuary has a neon sign in the window and the hearse has a trailer hitch.

If you have ever won a moose "mate-calling" contest using an oriface other than your mouth...
then you must be a Cougar.

Submitted by Chuck Morgan, Kennewick, Washington.

Q: What's the difference between a Cougar cheerleader and an elephant?
A: About 10 pounds.

Q: Know how to make it even?
A: Force feed the elephant.

Q: What's the difference between a Cougar cheerleader and the garbage?
A: The garbage gets taken out at least once a week.

Q: What's the different between a quarter at the bottom of a toilet and a Cougar cheerleader at the bottom of the toilet?
A: The quarter is worth reaching in for.

--Submitted by Jeff McCauley, Seattle, Washington.

Q: How do you find Wazzu?
A: Head East until you smell it, then South until you step in it.
-- John Calahan, Seattle, Washington.

Q. What does a COUG yell when they discover a rat in the kitchen?
A. Dinner's ready!

Q. What do people do when a Coug exposes himself?
A. Squint!

-- Emery Hill, Seattle, Washington.

A blind guy walks by the fish market, pauses and says," AH Cougar cheerleaders I didn't think the game was until next week.

What do you get when you cross a Cougar and a big dumb Jackass? Answer: A bigger,dumber, slower big dumb jackass.

--Cristen, Seattle, Washington.

Q: Why do WSU women wear bibs?
A: To keep the chew off their dresses.

Q: Why do WSU graduates put their diploma on the car dashboard?
A: So they can park in the handicap spots.

Q: How many Cougars does it take to get to a bowl game?
A: Yeah, right.

Q: Why did WSU decide to put astroturf in Martin Stadium?
A: To keep the cheerleaders from grazing

Katie Frigon - Redmond

A few years back, there was a popular defensive lineman that played for washington state. When it came to be towards the end of his senior year, the guy (named Butch) found out that he didn't have enough credits to graduate. He went into to the administration building at Wazzu and pleaded with the dean to let him graduate, but to no avail. He had to have the same amount of credits as his fellow students if he wanted a degree of any sort.
Well, it came to be that time of year, and Butch decided he would show up at his graduation ceremony anyway, regardless of whether he was getting a diploma or not. As each student was called up to receive their degree, a chant began growing through the crowd. It grew and grew until it became a stomping and roaring yell of "Let Butch graduate!! Let Butch graduate!!" They came to the end of the students and the dean, fearing a riot if he didn't comply, called Butch up to the podium as the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Butch," he said into the mic, "I'll let you graduate if you can answer me this ONE question. What is four plus two?"
Now Butch stepped back and contemplated for a long period of time. You could practically see those rusty wheels turning as he thought about the possibilities. After a considerable pause, he stepped up to the mic and said, "Uhhh, six?"
A hush fell over the crowd, until the next chant began. "Give him another guess!!! Give him another guess!!"
Katie Frigon - Redmond

Q: What do you get when you breed a WSU Cougar and a groundhog?
A: Six more weeks of bad football.

Submitted by Glenn A. Burden, Gig Harbor, Washington.

Sign seen near Husky Stadium during the last Apple Cup...
WSU Parking:
Tractors please park on the left. Combines please park on the right.

Sign seen when crossing into Washington from Oregon: Warning. Sales Tax ahead.
Sign seen when crossing into Washington from Canada: Cheap beer and smokes ahead, eh?
Sign seen when crossing into Washington from Idaho: Keep driving. It gets better.

-- "Almost Live."

Why do the Wazzu chearleaders hate coming to Husky Stadium?
They can't graze on the artificial turf.

Why do Washington State uniforms have the school's name printed on them?
To make sure none of their players try to defect as the game wears on.

"I've always felt that being a Cougar prepares you for life. You learn not to expect too much."
--UW Coach Don James

Q: What's a Cougar's idea of foreplay?
A: "Hey, sis, roll over!"
Submitted by Robert Gutierrez, Seattle, Washington.

Q: What did the Cougar grad say to the UW grad?
A: "Welcome to McDonalds. May I take your order?"
Submitted by Robert Gutierrez, Seattle, Washington.

Q: What does a WSU woman tell her lover when she's done with sex?
A: "Get off me, Dad, you're crushing my smokes!"
Submitted by Robert Gutierrez, Seattle, Washington

Welcome to Monday morning and the beginning of Apple Cup Week. The Huskies will finally be the favored team when they arrive in Pullman next week to play what some say is the only team worse than the Huskies in the country.

I have a few things planned as usual for this week even though most of us have lost interest in everything but the coaching search which should be picking up a little steam this week as far as speculation goes.

The rumors we are hearing is that they are still putting a full court press on Jim Mora as they take a look at some other candidates such us Chris Petersen, Kyle Whittingham, Mike Leach, and Jeff Tedford to name a few.

The Huskies picked up a couple of verbals this weekend which might have been the biggest surprise of the week. TE/OL Grant Cisneros from Sumner and TE Marlion Barnett from Corona, California did the deed on Saturday with AD Scott Woodward. Both players picked the school over whoever is going to coach in the future.

The move is smart because both save a place in line before the new guy comes in and re-evaluates who he wants to go for on his own. Both players are possibilities at TE but are likely to end up playing elsewhere. Barnett is a little small for the position and could end up at WR or LB. Cisneros is a project who has a lot of work to do on his lower body to get ready for Pac 10 ball.

One of the odder things about last Saturday was the scripted Neuheisel family parade at the end of the football game on Saturday. Greg Johns of the Seattle PI reports on that and the final home game for the seniors.

As Rick Neuheisel paraded out of Husky Stadium on Saturday night with a scripted departure straight out of a bad Hollywood movie -- wife and kids in hand, waving to a crowd that had mostly already departed -- far more sincere exits were taking place away from the cameras.

I thought the Neuheisel exit was pretty strange but then again I haven't been publicly fired and put through the media circus he and his family were either. The judgment handed out against the NCAA and UW was really the only vindication that he needed.

Nathan Ware of the PI Dawg Blawg is searching for words.

The story of the game was Washington's defensive line getting dominated by a horrible UCLA offensive line. Their offensive line didn't look horrible last night but they've looked horrible in every other game this year. We made them look great

Ty Willingham went out with a whimper last night at Husky Stadium at the hands of one of the people who helped put him in this situation... Rick Neuheisel. Truth be told Willingham isn't a very good football coach and it showed this season when the deck was stacked against him from the get go. Don't forget that the deck has been being stacked against the football program ever since the day Mike Lude was given his early retirement.

What was once the mightiest football program in the West. A program that  even surpassed USC for around a decade has fallen into such disrepair it is going to take a miracle to get it back to respectability. Make no mistake that the product you see on the field  is just as bad as the coaches who are responsible for it. Face the facts that whoever takes the job at Washington will have one of the nations biggest rebuilding jobs to perform.

This current Washington football team just may be the worst squad in memorable Pac 10 history. It has been years since a Pac 10 team finished a season winless and the Huskies are a good bet to do exactly that if they don't beat equally terrible WSU on the road next week in Pullman.

Take a quick look at the sorry statistics from yesterday's game. The Huskies were only able to gain 135 total yards against one of the worst teams in the conference. Never once was Washington able to threaten the Bruins on offense. Ronnie Fouch like most players under Ty Willingham isn't getting better as the season goes on. Each week you can see his confidence eroding the point where it is just sad to watch him flail around out there.

You can place a lot of that blame on the inability of Washington to mount a consistent running attack. The Huskies gained 96 yards on the ground yesterday mostly behind the work of Brandon Johnson who had 20 carries for 75 yards. Inexplicably once he had a little rhythm going the Husky coaches sat him down and inserted true frosh Terrance Dailey who fumbled the ball on the next play ending any chance Washington had of mounting a meaningful drive in the second half. That was just one of the five turnovers that UW had on offense on Saturday.

Defensively the Huskies turned in their best day of the season on Saturday led by seniors such as Johnnie Kirton, Trenton Tuiasosopo, and Mesphin Forrester. the husky defense limited the Bruin offense to only 135 passing yards and 157 on the ground. The Huskies also intercepted UCLA QB Kevin Craft three times. Holding an opposing team to under 300 yards in the Pac 10 usually means you have played well enough to earn a victory.  That wasn't the case yesterday as the offense only controlled the ball a little over 23 minutes last night which meant the defense was on the field way too much.

We all witnessed some quitting on the field last night but it wasn't by the players. With ten minutes left in the game the steam had been taken out of the coaching staff as they chose to play conservatively and keep the clock running. Like everyone else in attendance they couldn't wait to get out of the stadium. Willingham exited Husky Stadium night for the last time just the way he entered and that was with a loss.

What he won't have is an excuse for being fired this time. Nobody in their right mind is going to defend Willingham on his way out the door. You can talk all you want about the lack of black coaches in college football but Willingham has done nothing over the last five years to further the cause. Coaches have to win eventually no matter what their skin color is and the black community is still waiting for it's own Knute Rockne.

Willingham had the chance to be a "Rockne" when he accpeted the coaching position at Notre Dame. He got a second chance to do it Washington. If you can't recruit successfully and win big at schools that have such tremendous resources at their disposal then there is something fundamentally wrong with the way you run a football program.

For all of Willingham's faults he isn't the only one to blame for this mess. It is amazing that the work started by William Gerberding took almost twenty years to complete itself. Bill eventually got what he thought the upper campus wanted and that was a subservient athletic program wallowing in mediocrity with no chance to take away the spotlight from the school's academic mission.

They may have gone one step too far and that was by killing the goose that laid the golden egg for almost the entire funding of the University's athletic department. Take a good look at the stands the last two weeks. 25-30,000 in actual attendance in a stadium that seats 72,500? They can point to over 60,000 season tickets being sold but exactly how many of the people who didn't show up the last two weeks are going to renew?

The next coach they pick to lead the program has little margin for error. If attendance keeps falling there will be little argument left for remodeling Husky Stadium. With Qwest Field downtown the Huskies have a potential home field for a future that will only draw 30-40,000 fans per game. Don't forget for a second that regents like Bill Gates Sr. would rather tear the stadium down to make room to expand one of the nations finest teaching hospitals.

You have to wonder if that has been the covert plan all along. Destroy the football program, let the stadium disintegrate, and make way for a new medical center located on the shores of Lake Washington. If that truly happens they should name the place after William Gerberding because he was the guy who had the foresight to get things moving in this direction almost twenty years ago.

Team Stat Comparison
1st Downs	20	10
3rd down efficiency	7-17	4-13
4th down efficiency	0-1	0-1
Total Yards	292	135
Passing	135	39
Comp-Att	13-22	7-24
Yards per pass	6.1	1.6
Rushing	157	96
Rushing Attempts	50	30
Yards per rush	3.1	3.2
Penalties	4-35	6-55
Turnovers	3	5
Fumbles lost	0	2
Interceptions thrown	3	3
Possession	36:52	23:08