Washington State @ Washington preview
Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium
Last Meeting ( Nov 23, 2012 ) Washington 28, Washington State 31
For the first time in seven seasons, Washington State can look forward to earning a bowl instead of a cup when it visits cross-state rival Washington on Friday. The Cougars, who became bowl eligible for the first time since 2006 by beating Utah last week, look to solidify their postseason credentials when they face the Huskies in the 106th Apple Cup. Washington became bowl eligible three weeks ago and is riding the momentum of a 69-27 demolition of Oregon State.
The Cougars trail the all-time series, 67-32, with six ties, but feature a red-hot Connor Halliday, who was 39-of-62 for 488 yards and four touchdowns against the Utes. With Keith Price's injured shoulder leaving him uncertain to face Washington State, redshirt freshman quarterback Cyler Miles may get a second straight start. Miles stepped in for Price last week and was 13-of-24 for 162 yards and a touchdown as the Huskies scored their most points in a game since 1944.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Fox. LINE: Washington -14.5
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (6-5, 4-4 Pac-12): Halliday is coming off his third-biggest passing performance of the season, and his first without an interception, to rank third in the nation in both passing average (355 yards per game) and total yards passing (3,905). While Halliday is only 63 yards shy of Ryan Leaf's school record of 3,968 career passing yards, his favorite receiver, Gabe Marks, has 65 catches for 724 yards and six TDs, tying him with Dom Williams for the team lead in scoring catches. The Cougars' weakness has been their running game, which is last in the Pac-12, averaging 60 yards a game.
ABOUT WASHINGTON (7-4, 4-4): The Huskies have traveled down the opposite road, boasting a running game that raked the Beavers for 530 yards and ranks third in the conference, averaging 244.8 yards. Pac-12 rushing leader Bishop Sankey has carried the load with 1,575 yards rushing to rank third in the nation while collecting 17 touchdowns. Miles did his job last week, but Washington is hoping Price will be ready in what is expected to be a game-time decision, as Price is the Huskies' all-time career completion percentage leader at 63.5, including a 64.8 completion rate this season for 2,662 yards and 18 TDs.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Halliday moved ahead of Drew Bledsoe and into fifth place last week among Washington State's all-time passing touchdown leaders with 50.
3. Sankey needs 121 yards to break Corey Dillon's 1996 Washington single-season rushing record of 1,695 yards.
2. The Pac-12 has nine teams eligible for bowls, but only seven are guaranteed invites to the postseason.
PREDICTION: Washington 45, Washington State 41