Washington Huskies: 2021 Apple Cup – Scouting the Washington State Cougars
Last week’s loss at Colorado eliminated the Washington Huskies from playing in a bowl game. This is still the Apple Cup and aside from pride, UW wants to keep their 7 game winning streak over Wazzu going. Here’s what else they’re up against.
It has been a bad season for Washington Huskies football. They enter Friday’s Apple Cup with a 3-5 in the Pac-12 Conference and 4-7 overall. Former Head Coach Jimmy Lake was 3-3 and 4-5 before he and Offensive Coordinator John Donovan got canned in the aftermath and an ugly (in more ways than one) loss to Oregon on November 6. Defensive Coordinator Bob Gregory is 0-2 as the interim coach.
The Cougars, on the other hand, are third in the Pac-12 North Division with a 5-3 record (6-5 overall). Under former Head Coach Nick Rolovich the Cougars went 4-3. Since Jake Dickert took over as interim head coach they are 2-2.
Washington State offense
Under their two previous head coaches, Rolovich and Mike Leach, Washington State was known for a prolific passing attack. Dickert prefers using more of a balanced attack. Since the strength of Washington’s defense is their outstanding secondary, the Cougs offense might not be as wide open as Huskies fans expect.
Dickert will try to establish the run with senior Max Borghi as the prime running back. This season Borghi has 138 carries for 751 yards and 10 touchdowns. His backup Deon McIntosh, another senior, has 483 yards on 95 carries and 2 touchdowns. Both are good at getting out of the backfield to catch short passes.
When Wazzu goes to the air, they are led by sophomore quarterback Jayden de Laura. The native Hawaiian completed 193 of 309 passes for 2506 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions this season. He’s also been sacked 12 times.
de Laura has a talented and deep group of wide receivers to work with. His primary receivers are seniors Calvin Jackson Jr., Travell Harris, and freshman De’Zhaun Stribling. Jackson has the most yardage at 887 and is second on the Cougs with 57 catches and 7 touchdowns. Harris has the most receptions with 68 and touchdown receptions, 9. They are followed by Stribling, who has 35 receptions for 401 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Washington State Defense
On the defensive side, Washington State gives up just over 175 rushing yards per game and 219 through the air. They have also yielded 32 touchdowns, 18 rushing, and 14 passing.
Senior linebacker Jahad Woods leads in tackles by far with 96. Fellow senior linebacker Justus Rogers has 61 tackles. Woods and Rogers each have two forced fumbles and an interception to their credit. Senior safety George Hicks leads a hard-hitting and experienced secondary featuring seniors Daniel Isom, Armani Marsh, and Derrick Langford. On the defensive front, Ron Stone Jr. (5 sacks and Brennan Jackson (4 sacks) can bring pressure.
The Washington Huskies running game hasn’t been good this year, so they will probably pass as much as possible. Whoever plays quarterback for UW on Saturday needs to get rid of the ball quickly because the pass protection has been spotty.
History
The Huskies and Cougars’ first game was in 1900, which ended in a 5-5 tie. Washington commands the series at 71-31-6, including the last 7 Apple Cup games. Last year’s game was canceled due to COVID-19; the most recent Apple Cup was held on November 29, 2019, which the Washington Huskies won 31-13.
Notes
Washington’s seniors have never lost to Washington State; they would love to continue their streak and finish their college career’s on a high note. As a bonus, a UW victory also eliminates Wazzu’s slim chance to win the division.
Check with us after the game for our Washington Huskies takeaways.