Thoughts From the Apple Cup

FOURTH QUARTER

Attendance: 68,697.

UW runs and runs: Locker has a 6-yard TD run nullified by holding. The junior QB  has 79 yards on 7 rushes. Polk is up to (by my count) 97 yards on 20 carries. Dawgs can’t finish off the drive and settle for another Folk FG (27 yards): UW 23, WSU 0. 11:03 left.

The Huskies are laying some big licks on the Cougs.

Polk nearly breaks one. He’s now over the 1,000 yard mark for the season.

And this one’s over. Check out our Apple Cup coverage online and in Sunday’s paper. Freelancer Howie Stalwick and Scott Johnson will be filing reports and I’ll have a column.

One last note: Locker just danced into the end zone from 23 yards out. It’s 30-0 with 6:45 left.

THIRD QUARTER

End of the quarter: UW 20, WSU 0. Locker ends quarter with an 18-yard gain on a scramble. Washington’s not got 330 yards of total offense; WSU has 144.

Xavier Hicks picks Locker afrer the Huskies had moved the ball near midfield with a 21-yard pass from Locker to Aguillar. That’s 11 interceptions for Locker, seven in his last five games. He threw just four picks in his first six games.

UW 20, WSU 0: Chris Polk scores from a yard out. Locker’s 10-yard run set it up. Polk now has 53 yards on 15 carries. He needs 58 to hit 1,000. 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:59 time of possession. 6:11 left in the quarter.

Loebestall’s back for the Cougars, but for how long?

THE WAGNER FILE

What a great story it would be if Dan (The Man) Wagner can lead the Cougars to a comeback win. He still hasn’t thrown a college pass. Since nobody knows anything about him,  here’s some info courtesy WSU’s Web site:

WAGNER’S WSU CAREER
RS-FRESHMAN (2008): Saw action in two games on season, one as a punter and one under center…made collegiate debut in season-opener against Oklahoma State, punting eight times for 312 yards (39.0 average)…had a long of 51 and one inside 20…also recorded a tackle in that contest…played the fourth quarter at quarterback at Oregon State following injury to Marshall Lobbestael…did not attempt a pass.
FRESHMAN (2007): Redshirt season.

WAGNER’S HIGH SCHOOL CAREER
A graduate of Jesuit High, where he earned three varsity letters in football and four varsity letters in baseball…led the Crusaders to the football state championship in both junior and senior seasons…also led the squad to three consecutive Metro League championships…earned all-league honors at quarterback as a senior…football team captain as a senior…coached in baseball by Don Lovell and in football by Ken Potter.

PERSONAL
Daniel Rodney Wagner…born in January, 1989 in Portland, Ore….parents Brent and Cindy Wagner…father played football professionally for the Buffalo Bills…one younger brother Pat and one younger sister Amy… undecided on major.

HALFTIME: UW 13, WSU 0

Someone asked how I was doing and I said, “Better than the WSU quarterbacks.”

They’re down to their 4th-stringer, and as far as I know, might be holding open tryouts at halftime.

As for Washington, I’m puzzled. What happened to the Huskies? Take away the 50-yard TD pass from Locker to Kearse and they’re only outgaining WSU 133-116 yards. Washington has 9 first downs, WSU 8. Washington has 43 rushing yards, WSU 43.

SECOND QUARTER

Halftime: UW 13, WSU 0.

Now Lopina’s down. Washingotn’s Cameron Elisara landed on him after he released a pass that was nearly picked off by the UW’s Foster. WSU’s Dan Wagner, a sophomore from Portland, is now warming up. Wagner hasn’t taken a snap all seaosn. He’s the fourth-stringer. Lopina is helped off the field and doesn’t look like he’ll be back. Loebestall’s status is unkown (although he’s calling plays from the sideline) and freshman Jeff Tuel, who has taken most of the snaps this season for WSU, isn’t available because of a knee injury. Maybe Walden will suit up for the second half?

Locker to Kearse. Locker to Aguilar for 20. But Dawgs bog down and Folk kicks 46 yard FG: 13-0, 2:39 left in the half.

WSU’s Marshall Loebestall just scrambled for 11 yards, but he was knocked a little loopy after trying to run over the UW’s Jason Wells. He staggered off the field. Maybe Jim Walden will QB the rest of the game? Nah, Lopina’s back. It’s 4th and 4 at the 33. He was sacked for a 7-yard loss by Darion Jones.

UW 10, WSU 0: Locker just hit Kease with a 50-yard TD pass. That was a 3-play, 85-yard drive. Locker run, Locker pass to Kearse, Locker pass to Kearse. 12:41 left. That didn’t take long.

There’s been a delay as they haul a member of the chain-gang crew off in an ambulance. He was down in front of the UW bench, near the 50 yard line. Not sure what happened.

UW: first and 10 at the 25 when play resumes.

FIRST QUARTER

End of quarter: UW 3, WSU 0. WSU has a first down at the 40. It was about the kind of quarter you’d expect from 3-7 and 1-9 teams.

Marshall Loebestall, sophomore from Oak Harbor, in at QB for WSU. First and 10 at the 25. Cougs take a timeout. Only 10 men on the field.

UW settles for a 24 FG (good by Folk) after the turnover: 3-0, 1;38.

Turnover: Mason Foster interception and 26-yard return gives Huskies the ball at the WSU 13. 2:54 left. WSU QB Kevion Lopina shaken up on the play.

WSU takes over on its own 25: 3:50 left in the quarter.

UW holds, starts second possession at its own 5. 7:11 left in quarter. Huskies punt it back to WSU.

WSU trickery After moving for a couple of first downs, WSU tries a throwback to the QB, who heaves it to a wide-open Gino Simone. Simone stopped his route for some reason and the ball sailed over his out-stretched arms at the goalline. Shoulda been a TD.

First big penalty: UW called for interfering on a punt, not giving Gino Simone room to catch it. Simone fumbled it nd WSU would have started inside its own 10, but the penalty moves the ball out to the 42. Big break for Cougs.

First big hit: WSU linebacker Mike Ledgerwood rocks Jermain Kearse, stops him for a 6-yard gain.

Washington”s on the field, waiting for the kickoff and WSU’s still huddling. The Cougars were late arriving, at least it seemed that way. The Huskies even beat them out of the tunnel, and I don’t remember that ever happening. He we go …. UW starts its first drive a the 26.

TWO MINUTES BEFORE HALFTIME

This might be the emptiest I’ve ever seen the press box at Husky Stadium. There’s more open seats than I can ever remember.

Lots of empty seats in the stands, too.

It’s 50 degress and overcast with winds 15 mph from the south. It feels much colder than that.

PRE-GAME

It’s one of those days where it takes a few minutes to thaw out once you hit the press box. Baby, it’s c-c-c-old outside. My eyes teared up on my way from the parking gargage, and it wasn’t because of the magnitude of the game I’m about to cover.

Anyway, it’s about 50 minutes to kickoff.

Any predictions out there?

If you read this blog, you know I went with Washington, BIG: 59-15.

I think most people are predicting a big UW win. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times’ pick was 45-16.

I was listening to the Husky Honks on KJR radio on the drive around and Dick Baird, who writes a blog for us, thinks the Cougs might have held some players out of last week’s loss against Oregon State to make sure they were healthy for today’s game.

There seems to be a lack of noticeable pre-game excitement, but I guess that happens when a 3-7 team (UW) takes on a 1-10 (WSU) team and follows a year in which WSU won two games and the UW was oh-fer.

A couple things worth noting:

* UW redshirt freshman running back Chris Polk needs 111 yards to become the first freshman in Husky history to rush for 1,000 yards.

* WSU has never won three straight against Washington or suffered through a winless Pac-10 season.

We’ll sneak in an Eastern Washington update: Stephen F. Austin leads the Eagles 23-12 at halftime of their playoff game.