From where I was sitting (section 7, row OO), it looked like the game came down to two things: 1) The Cougars' receivers made plays, and the Huskies' receivers didn't (and also caused two turnovers). 2) The Huskies committed penalties at the worst times (on the early 3rd and 3 inside the Cougar 20, on Russo's punt return, on a key sack of Alex Brink in the 4th quarter.)
Then, despite these two things, when it looked like this 100th Apple Cup would be a tie in regulation, just like the first one, the final painful problem, the one that's bedeviled the Huskies all year long, came into view--their incompetence in the secondary.
Whether it's the schemes or the players, the Dawgs have been terrible against the pass. And Alex Brink made them pay with a career day: 399 yards passing and 5 touchdowns. And, very un-Brink-like, not a single interception.
A very disappointing loss, but--a hell of a fun game.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Washington State 42, Washington 35
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3 comments:
Not to pick the nit, but it was a very Brink like performance as he has NEVER thrown a pick against the Dawgs...Go Cougs!
I like the balanced report. It was a great game, classic cardiac Cougs, neither team seemed to have a clear advantage at any time, and it went down to the end. Good luck to the Huskies against Hawaii. . .
I actually turned to my wife halfway through the fourth quarter and said while I'd obviously like my team to win, it had been a heck of a fun game no matter what. I know it's easy for me to say now, but I really mean it.
On a side note, Husky fans were unusually cordial all day. We had a lot of fun at each other's expense all day, but it was all good natured, which was a refreshing change from past Apple Cups. It even carried over to the game. Maybe it was just the people I was with, maybe it's all the losing washing away the arrogance, but it was truly one of the more enjoyable sporting events I've been to.
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