Washington @ Washington State preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 29, 2013 ) Washington State 17, Washington 27

Washington’s Chris Petersen will coach in his first Apple Cup on Saturday when the Huskies visit Washington State, which is looking to finish the season on a high note after losing five of its last six. The Cougars trail the all-time series against Washington 67-32-6 but have split the last two meetings. The Huskies became bowl eligible for a fifth straight season last Saturday, when they bounced back from a demoralizing loss at Arizona with a 37-13 win over Oregon State.

Huskies quarterback Cyler Miles is coming off his best performance of the season after passing for 253 yards and two touchdowns without an interception against the Beavers. Temperatures are expected to be in the upper 20s and low 30s on Saturday night, but that shouldn’t slow down a Washington State team that ranks first in the Pac-12 in passing offense at 491 yards per game. Freshman quarterback Luke Falk has thrown for 1,418 yards and 10 touchdowns over the last three games in place of the injured Connor Halliday.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: Washington -3

ABOUT WASHINGTON (7-5, 3-5 Pac-12): The Huskies lead the nation with 31 fumbles and continue to struggle in the red zone, where they’ve converted just seven of their 22 red-zone trips into touchdowns during league play. Dwayne Washington has rushed for a total of 248 yards and three scores over the last two games for the Huskies, who are averaging 195.9 yards on the ground. Linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha, one of five finalists for the Butkus Award, is tied for the national lead in sacks with 17.5 and leads the nation in tackles for loss with 23.5.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (3-8, 2-6): Falk has shown great promise while completing 66.5 percent of his passes, but he took a step back last week when he committed five turnovers (four interceptions and a fumble) against Arizona State. The freshman established an immediate connection with senior wide receiver Vince Mayle, who had 15 catches for 252 yards against the Sun Devils. Freshman cornerback Marcellus Pippins made his first start last week and likely earned another with his impressive performance.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Washington leads the nation with seven defensive touchdowns.

2. Falk will become the first freshman quarterback to start an Apple Cup for Washington State since Alex Brink in 2004.

3. The Huskies have outscored their opponents 103-68 in the first quarter this season.

PREDICTION: Washington 44, Washington State 38