Sports

Apple Cup 2018: Who are the Cougars that Husky fans hate the most?

By Andrew Hammond

November 20, 2018 1:24 PM

Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf calls out an audibles against the University of Washington in the 1997 Apple Cup at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. WSU won, 41-35, and went to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 67 years. Duncan Livingston The News Tribune

We previously did the most hated Huskies in Apple Cup history; now it’s the Cougars turn.

Washington fans have been blessed with many victories in this series but there moments in the Apple Cup that still tick a Husky fan off. Here are the most hated Cougars that UW fans wouldn’t mind throwing into Union Bay.

Rueben Mayes

In 1985, the Huskies had a rough season and suffered some strange defeats. First there was the stunning loss to the lowly Oregon State Beavers, then a loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils. Even with all of that, the Huskies still had an outside shot at the Rose Bowl, they just had to defeat a struggling Washington State team.

On a cold and frigid day in Husky Stadium — at 20 degrees it’s one of the coldest Appe Cups — the Huskies got pummeled by Rueben Mayes, who rushed for 162 yards.

Despite that performance, the Huskies still had a chance. On fourth down, UW quarterback Chris Chandler connected with Lonzell Hill for a 50-yard touchdown. The Huskies failed to covert a two-point conversion, giving the Cougars their third Apple Cup win in four seasons and a 21-20 victory.

Drew Bledsoe

An avalanche of snow and second half points caused Huskies fans heartburn in 1992.

As Wazzu-UW went to halftime in a low scoring 7-6 affair, then the second half saw one of the great performances and most defining plays of the Apple Cup rivalry. A Drew Bledsoe to Phillip Bobo pass was the highlight in what turned out to be a 29-point third quarter explosion. Bledsoe threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns.

Eric Johnson and Gary Larsen

In what turned out to be the final game of Sonny Sixkiller’s legendary Washington career, the Cougars treated him to a 1972 Apple Cup that he would like to forget. Sixkiller was intercepted three times, all coming at the hands of Eric Johnson, and sacked three times by the Cougars’ Gary Larsen. One of those sacks would add some fuel to this already fired up rivalry.

Ryan Leaf

Losing to your rival hurts, losing to your rival at home hurts more, and losing to your rival at home and as they clinch a Rose Bowl hurts much, much more. That’s the 1997 Apple Cup for the Huskies.

The Cougars hadn’t reached the Rose Bowl since 1931 and all WSU had to do was beat the hated Huskies for the first time since 1994 and get some help. WSU needed UCLA to beat USC or Arizona to beat Arizona State.

Wazzu jumped out to a 24-7 lead but the Huskies made a run to cut it to three, 24-21, with just under six minutes left in the third quarter. A 50-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Leaf to Chris Jackson would be the play that sealed the win for WSU.

As Washington State was attempting to take a knee, the PA announcer at Husky Stadium announced that UCLA had defeated USC, meaning the Cougs were headed to Pasadena.

Tyrone Willingham

Yes, I know. I hear you all saying “He’s not a Cougar.” Going 1-3 in the Apple Cup isn’t a shock for either school but the in the 2008 season, he committed an unforgivable sin.

You may have heard people say, “We can lose all of our games but we have to beat our rival.” Well, Willingham couldn’t even do that. Well, Willingham said, “Hold my visor” and took his 0-11 Huskies into Martin Stadium to face off with the Cougars who were entering the game at 1-10.

Of all the games to go into OT, this one did and in the end it was Washington State pulling out the “dramatic” 16-13 double OT victory.

This story was originally published November 20, 2018 at 1:24 PM with the headline "Apple Cup 2018: Who are the Cougars that Husky fans hate the most?."

Rueben Mayes

Drew Bledsoe

Eric Johnson and Gary Larsen

Ryan Leaf

Tyrone Willingham

Get unlimited digital access

#ReadLocal