Huskies Upend Cougars' Applecart in the Snow

Washington co-DC Jimmy Lake coaches the DBs and has a simple recruiting theory.

If he doesn't see a high school kid being NFL material, he passes on him.

That's gotta be one reason why the Huskies do well against Mike Leach's novel passing attack.

Lake's so familiar with it, his pro-stock DBs can run the Air Raid routes as well as Washington State's receivers.

 

Most importantly, dude seems to be the Pac-12's only DC who takes away Leach's patented mid-range inside slant pattern.

The CalBears seem to be learning from it, too, as they're the only other conference foe to contain Wazzu's air game. They just couldn't get past the Cougs' defense.

 

Furthermore, no Pac-12 team has won more conference games than the 33 Leach has rung up in the time span that he's held the reins in Pullman.

And yet, dude's teams are now 1-6 against the Huskies. They were 1-1 until Chris Peterson arrived and 0-5 since.

This season, with so much Wazzu has accomplished, that shortcoming hit them as hard as Washington's defense did in a snowy 28-15 defeat at home:

 

Miles Gaskin romped through the snowflakes and Wazzu defenders for 170 yards on 27 carries. In so doing, dude became the first Pac-12 RB to rush for four 1000-yard seasons.

It didn't hurt that three key players who'd been out with injuries virtually all season -- OT Trey Adams, TE Hunter Bryant, and LB DJ Beavers -- were back for the Apple Cup.

 

Indeed. Washington lost three games this season by a total of 10 points  ...

• Adams is the Huskies' anchor on the line, and he woulda been useful against Auburn; as it was, an offensive pick in the red zone negated the TD that coulda sealed the deal.
• Beavers mighta put distance on the Ducks' offense; as it was, Oregon won when UW's frosh kicker missed a chip-shot FG at game's end and then got the winning FG in OT.
• Gaskin was out with a shoulder injury against California when the Huskies lost by 2; dude woulda definitely been a factor, because he's always a factor.

 

Still, the Huskies haven't been to a Rose Bowl since the 2001 game, when they kicked Iowa patootie. If they can top Utah again -- this time in the Pac-12 title game -- it'll be on to Pasadena.

That's not a bad consolation prize for missing out on the CFP's Anointed Four.

 

As to the Cougars, a New Year's Six bowl may still be on the cards, but it appears they've got more pressing matters at the moment.

Hanging on to Leach.

Either that, or finding someone who can orchestrate a victory over the Huskies in an Apple Cup.