Washington Loses Apple Cup in Overtime 31-28

I have to say, this one was pretty shocking, and we’ll be dissecting it a lot over the next few weeks, so I’ll be very brief. The Cougars came out very strong on defense. They swarmed and gang tackled Bishop Sankey when he attempted to run, and they made the Washington offensive line look foolish in pass protection. At the end of the half, the Cougars led 10-7. However, Washington seemed to be charged up and ready to take things over early in the 3rd quarter, and by the start of the fourth, they had capitalized on a number of WSU turnovers and led 28-10.

Nov. 23, 2012; Pullman, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars wide receiver Dominique Williams (80) drags Washington Huskies safety Sean Parker (1) during the first half at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-US PRESSWIRE

Then the fourth quarter happened. Penalties, which were already a problem in the first three quarters, reached ridiculous levels, as Washington showed a true lack of discipline in finishing with a single game record trying 18 penalties for 129 yards. That, combined with a suddenly listless Husky offense, led to a WSU resurgence and overtime after Travis Coons missed the game-winning field goal from 35 yards.

Then, on the very first play of overtime, Price threw a bizarre interception to Kalafitoni Pole, a 270+ pound defensive end, who was stopped from returning the pick for a game-ending score by a Cody Bruns tackle. However, a few plays later, Andrew Furney finished the game with an easy field goal, and the Cougars stormed the field in victory.

Blame it on Price, blame it on a lack of discipline, blame it on a charged up WSU defense. No matter what, this was a truly disheartening loss and I fear that overtime interception may prove to be the enduring imagine of Price’s 2012 season.