#16 Washington dislodged not just the football, but the #8 Cougars' chances of making the playoff

Washington Upsets Washington State -

Pac 12 Title Game Set

The # 16 Washington Huskies went into Pullman yesterday and upset in-state rivals # 8 Washington State in the Apple Cup. While it was a big victory for the Huskies, and helps to ease what had been a disappointing season for a team that started out ranked in the top 10 that had playoff aspirations, it was also a blow to the conference as a whole. The Cougars came-in as the Pac 12's only chance of landing a team in the playoff, but with the loss, the conference is now guaranteed to have a 3-loss Champion at best.

HB Myles Gaskin broke loose for an 80-yard touchdown run early in the 4th quarter to help lead the Huskies to the upset

As a steady, wet snow fell on Martin Stadium throughout, the Huskies were able to turn halfback Myles Gaskin loose for 170 yards and 3 scores as the preseason All-American ran wild for much of the day. Quarterback Jake Browning was intercepted once, but otherwise turned in a very efficient game, completing 11 of 14 passes for just over 200 yards.

The real story of the game was the Huskies' ability to limit the Cougars high-powered offense that absolutely shredded Arizona the week before for 69 points and a mountain of offensive yardage, to just 152 passing yards. WSU QB Gardner Minshew most likely saw his Heisman chances go out the window with the loss, as he competed 26/35 but for just 152 yards with no TDs and 2 INTs. The inclimate weather certainly had something to do with the Cougars' struggles offensively, but give the Washington defense credit.

Washington HB Myles Gaskin was the difference as he finished with 170 yards and 3 scores on the ground

It was Gaskin who made the difference in this one, as his 80-yard touchdown run early in the 4th quarter put the Huskies up two scores and snagged the momentum away from the home-team and their comeback bid. The Huskies finish the regular season 9-3 and advance to the Pac 12 Title Game next weekend at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA to take on the 8-3 Utes of Utah who already clinched their spot in the Championship game last weekend.

For the Cougars, their playoff chances came to a thudding halt as they finish the regular season 10-2 and will wait and see what Bowl bid they receive. They most likely cost themselves a shot at a New Year's Six Bowl game as well, as they will most likely drop behind several 2 and 3-loss teams in the next set of rankings. None-the-less it has been a very successful season for the Cougars who started out the season unranked, and no where on the playoff radar. Expectations in Pullman were exceeded as WSU was hoping to finish 7-5 or 8-4 and go Bowling once again.

All Washington State can do now is await a Bowl invitation after they finishes the regular season 10-2