Penalties were the story all afternoon for Washington. The Huskies suffered 135 penalty yards on 16 accepted penalties on the day. Yet somehow, Jedd Fisch and Washington found themselves able to take the lead with under two minutes to play in the Apple Cup. The late-game dramatics fell short, and the Apple Cup Trophy heads east to Pullman with Washington State’s 24-19 win over Washington inside Lumen Field.
Late Game Dramatics
It looked like Washington would take over inside the Washington State 40-yard line with under four minutes to play. Ephesians Prysock intercepted a pass from John Mateer and the stadium erupted. However, an official review determined that it was an incomplete pass, and Washington State stayed on the field. But the defense forced a punt, and Washington’s offense went to work beginning at its 31-yard line.
On the first play, Will Rogers threw a great ball to wide receiver Giles Jackson to begin the drive. It was a 45-yard completion that set the Huskies up just outside the red zone. Rogers and Jackson connected eight times on the day for 162 yards. The quarterback-receiver duo had their best game of the year. This time, their connection helped drive the ball to the two-yard line with the game on the line. With under two minutes to play, Washington lined up for a critical 4th down play.
Before this game, Washington State’s run-stuffing percentage was among the worst in college football. It had been forcing runs of one yard or less on just 15% of all rushes defended through two games. But on this critical fourth down, that defensive line stood up. Washington ran an option play to the boundary, and the Cougar defensive front stuffed it on the near sideline. Washington State took over with its backs against its end zone, but the game was all but over.
Penalties Plague Huskies
Penalties were the problem all day for Washington. One of the critical penalties came on Washington State’s first drive of the second half. The Cougars were hit with two offensive penalties, backing them up into a 3rd and 18 situation. Washington sacked the quarterback on the play, creating a 4th and long. But a defensive holding gave the Cougars a fresh set of downs and new life.
It took three plays for Washington State to drive 64 yards on a run and two passes. The drive ended in the end zone, and Washington State took a 24-16 lead midway through the third quarter. Washington had just cut its deficit to one point and was on the verge of a momentum-swinging three-and-out. Instead, the Cougars took a critical eight-point lead.
With just over eight minutes to play in the game, Mateer dropped back to throw a deep ball to the right side of the field. The pass was intended for Kyle Williams, but Thaddeus Dixon reached up and intercepted the 30-yard pass and returned it to the Husky 39-yard line. It was a huge opportunity for Washington to flip momentum in the fourth quarter in the Apple Cup. But an intentional grounding penalty backed the Husky offense up 15 yards. Then a false start on a fourth and five forced Fisch to take his offense off the field and punt with six minutes to play. Each of Washington State’s touchdown scoring drives was aided by at least one Washington penalty.
A Matter of Mateer
Washington State’s offense revolved around its dual-threat quarterback. John Mateer didn’t necessarily turn heads with his statistics throwing the ball. He finished with an even 50% completion percentage. But he found opportunistic throws at the right time that opened up the Cougar offense all afternoon. He completed nine “big play” passes of 15 yards or more, totaling 185 yards. Those nine passes accounted for 75% of his total passing yards on the day. He finished 17 of 34 with 245 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
One of those opportunistic plays came on Mateer’s drive after the critical Washington holding penalty. Washington State had a new life, and he drove the offense 64 yards in three plays. To cap off the drive, Mateer connected on his first touchdown of the day with a 16-yard pass to Josh Meredith. That score put the Cougars up by eight, and Washington could not overcome the deficit.
Big Plays, but Inconsistency
Washington was forced to settle for field goals too often in the Apple Cup. Grady Gross was four for four from the field, with a long of 44 yards. But having to attempt those four field goals was not sustainable. Washington put together drives of 48, 56, 67, and 50 yards, each of which ended with a field goal. To take it one step further, each drive ended inside the Washington State 27-yard line. Drives consistently stalled when the Huskies got close to the red zone. Settling for four field goals had an impact on the final score on Saturday.
Will Rogers Ball Placement
Despite the struggles all afternoon, Rogers displayed some quality passes in the Apple Cup. The Mississippi State transfer finished 23 of 31 for 314 yards and one touchdown. But in addition to the stat line, Rogers made high-quality throws all afternoon. His first touchdown throw of the day was a 31-yard pass that soared high and dropped into the hands of Jackson in the back-middle of the end zone. Jackson had the defense beat, and Rogers placed it in his hands in stride for six.
In the second quarter, he ran a post route in the slot, splitting the two Washington State safeties. Rogers stood tall in the pocket and delivered another well-placed football to Jackson while taking a big hit. The slot receiver caught it over the shoulder in stride for 39 yards. Jackson eclipsed 100 yards in the first half of the Apple Cup on just five catches.
Rogers finished with eight “big play” passes for a total of 206 yards. That stat line consisted of 65% of his total yards. That includes his long throw of the day, the 45-yard completion to Jackson to give the Huskies an opportunity to win it late. Rogers was able to find success through the air in the Apple Cup. But at the end of the day, it is tremendously difficult to win with 16 penalties. The Huskies have some cleaning up to do ahead of conference play next week.
