The Apple Cup: A Retrospective

Remember when I said that Wazzu would have success following the 4-7 campaign in '91? Well, here is an example. The next year, in 1992, it was Washington State that became the top team in the state. The Cougars began the 1992 season on a tear, starting 6-0. After beating Oregon State in Corvallis on October 10, Wazzu climbed into the national rankings for the first time since in 1989.

That was Mike Price's first year as head coach. They were ranked 22nd before their matchup with UCLA. In a nationally televised game in front of a packed Martin Stadium crowd, Wazzu won 30-17. Unfortunately, the euphoria of the team's hot start would fade over the next four weeks, as the Cougars dropped three of their four contests in that span.

The cold stretch made Washington State fall out of the national rankings before their Apple Cup meeting with the Huskies. With a 7-3 record, Wazzu took on No.5 Washington on a snowy day in Pullman. The Cougars needed a win here to put themselves in a better position to make a postseason bowl game. On a day when the weather was -1 degrees Celsius, Wazzu trailed 7-6 at the half.

Starting in the second half, the crimson and gray would take over. The third quarter saw Washington State score 29 unanswered points to take a 35-6 lead. It was early in that third period when the game's most memorable play took place. Drew Bledsoe threw a deep ball that was intended for receiver C.J. Davis. It ended up getting snagged by fellow teammate Phillip Bobo in the back of the endzone after the two collided when trying to reach for the ball.

Despite a 16-point fourth-quarter surge from the Huskies, it was too little too late. Wazzu snagged the blowout upset victory over the fifth-ranked team in the nation. The Cougars would finish the regular season 8-3 and would get an invite to the Copper Bowl. They would defeat Utah in Bledsoe's last college game. He would forgo his senior year and was picked first overall by the Patriots in the 1992 NFL Draft.

This loss for Washington would mark the end of a late regular season slide. After being one of the top two teams in the country for most of the year, the Huskies lost two of their final three games to be out of contention for another national title. They would face Michigan in the Rose Bowl once again however they would lose 38-31.