Chris Polk toted the ball 29 times for 284 yards to lead Washington to a 35-28 win over Washington State on Saturday night. That is the second highest rushing total for a single game in Washington history. Hugh McElhenny ran for 296 yards against the Cougars in 1950.
Washington was in control almost the entire game but the Cougars made it a bit dicey when they tied the game at 28-28 after the Huskied blew a 28-14 lead. Washington played well most of the night but could never quite put this one away.
Jake Locker who made two critical turnovers during the game hit Jermaine Kearse for a 27 yard TD with 44 seconds left for the game winner. Jake redeemed himself for the second week in a row after two critical turnovers that kept the Cougars in the game. Locker and Polk led the Huskies on a 88 yard drive to win the game. Kearse had two clutch TD passes in the game.
The win was the third straight to end the regular season for UW and leaves the Huskies at 6-6. This is their first non-losing regular season since 2003. Washington will be invited to either the Alamo or Holiday bowl on Sunday afternoon to play a Big 12 foe.
WSU's Jeff Tuel showed that he is a force to be reckoned with in the future. He threw for 298 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to Washington. The close loss may have sealed the doom of WSU coach Paul Wulff whose Cougars finished with a 2-10 record despite showing improvement over the second half of the year.
(Bugs Dodger's final piece in his four part Apple Cup series is delayed because he is away from the computer because his wife cut him off after he started throwing whiskey bottles against the living room fireplace chimney midway in the fourth quarter. He will be back after a brief timeout.)
Notes
DT Semisi Tokolahi broken/dislocated ankle and WR Cody Bruns fractured clavicle are finished for the year according to Sark.
ESPN is reporting that bottles, frozen animal feces, and ice were being thrown at UW players and fans after the game and that there was at least one altercation.
Stay classy WSU!
Dozens of fans brawled in a Rose Bowl parking lot before the Southern California-UCLA football game Saturday, leaving two men stabbed, two police officers with minor injuries and three men arrested, authorities said.
Stay classy UCLA and USC!