Yet another college football rivalry week has passed, and the top rivalry in our state did not disappoint. The 2022 Boeing Apple Cup between the University of Washington Huskies and the Washington State Cougars was one to remember. 

The Huskies regained the Apple Cup in a game that featured seven total lead changes, 55 combined first half points, and became the highest scoring apple cup in history. They beat the Cougars 51-33 in a late-night shootout in Pullman. 

This was the 114th meeting between the two teams, a rivalry dating all the way back to 1900. The game is played on the Saturday following thanksgiving, in the final regular season game of the year. 

Since the beginning, the University of Washington has dominated the matchup. Holding a substantial lead of 75-33-6. Along with multiple win streaks of eight in the 60’s and 70’s. Most recently from 2013-2019 the Huskies comanded the Cougars 7 games in a row. 

Although historically their odds haven’t been great, the Cougs had recent momentum. Last year, in Husky Stadium a strong Washington State team beat the Huskies 40-13, snapping what would have been tied for the longest winning streak in series history. 

That was WSU’s first win since 2012, where they mounted the greatest comeback in Apple cup history. At the start of the fourth quarter, the unranked Cougs trailed the 25th ranked Huskies 28-10. The game was starting to follow expectations of another Husky win, until Washington State completely turned things around. The Cougs scored 21 unanswered 4th quarter points to win the game 31-28.

Gino Simone, a Skyline alum, was a key contributor in the historic comeback. Simone was a senior wide receiver for WSU, and he claims the game is one of his favorite memories with his time on the team. 

“The rivalry game between the schools always meant a lot to the players,” said Simone. “I always loved it because in a lot of cases, you grew up playing with or against a lot of the guys you were playing against in that game. It was bragging rights for the state.” 

This season was the first in a while where both teams have been elite. The Huskies came in 9-2 ranked 13th in the country. They have the 2nd ranked offense in college football, first or second in almost every statistic only behind SEC powerhouse Tennessee. 

Led by their quarterback, captain, Michael Penix. This Huskies potent offense turned out to be a problem for WSU. 

The Cougs didn’t go down without a fight. They came in a respectable 7-4, with big wins against Wisconsin and many Pac-12 opponents under their belt. Washington State’s quarterback, Cameron Ward, threw for over 300 yards and the Cougs offense put up a solid performance, but it wasn’t enough. 

Looking forward, both programs are in great shape. Washington is ranked 9th in the country, looking to get even better in the years to come with a new coaching staff and strong recruiting. 

Washington state, although unranked, has proven that they are not to be taken lightly, and with a growing program can be a serious contender in the pac-12 for years to come.