The Apple Cup: A Retrospective

From 1998 to 2003, Washington took the Apple Cup six consecutive times from Washington State. The last three games in this stretch stand out for Huskies fans. From 2001 to 2003, UW knocked off their bitter rivals in ways that prevented Wazzu from reaching great heights. Each time in this trilogy, the Cougars were ranked in the top 10.

In the 2001 game, Washington played the rivalry on their home turf as the 16th-ranked team in the nation. Washington State was ranked ninth. With a BCS bowl berth on the lone for Washington State, the Cougars had plenty of chances to earn just that. However, three critical red zone situations decided the game. Each went against Wazzu.

The first time, quarterback Jason Gesser fumbled the ball and UW recovered at their six-yard line. The second time running back Dave Minnich was stuffed at the goal line on fourth-down. After that play, the Huskies went on an ensuing 99-yard touchdown drive. The third time, he threw a pick at the UW 13-yard line on a halfback option pass. The Huskies won 26-14.

In 2002, Washington State had a chance to get to the Fiesta Bowl and play for the National Championship. With a 9-1 record, the Cougars were ranked third before their Apple Cup match. Meanwhile, the Huskies were unranked and had a mediocre year up to that point, owning a 6-5 record. In the fourth quarter, Jason Gesser exited the game due to an injury.

Backup Matt Kegel came into the game with a three-point lead. It was here when Kegel threw a pass that was picked off by future NBA player Nate Robinson. That allowed the Huskies to send the game into overtime. In the first two overtimes, both squads traded field goals. In the third overtime, UW took a 29-26 lead and the win was sealed moments later when Kegel threw a bubble screen that got picked off.

In the 2003 game, Washington State came out with a higher ranking and better record for the third year in a row. Wazzu came into this contest with a 9-2 record and the No.8 ranking. Washington owned a 5-6 mark. In this game, Washington State committed seven turnovers, which was a recurring theme. In earlier games against UCLA and Oregon State, they pulled off the same feat.

However, they won both of those. Unfortunately, they couldn't get another win against UW. With 1:10 remaining in regulation, Huskies wideout Corey Williams beat Washington State's Eric Coleman. Cody Pickett connected with Wiliams who scored the winning touchdown. After, Maquis Cooper put the final nail in the coffin, picking off WSU's Josh Swogger to secure the 27-16 upset.