Nov. 26—SEATTLE — Behind the leg of a walk-on kicker, No. 4 Washington kept its undefeated season and national title hopes alive in its last regular-season game as a Pac-12 team after spending more than a century in the league.
For Washington State, that 42-yard field goal by UW kicker Grady Gross as time expired ended its season and its improbable upset hopes that came oh so close —
Washington 24, Washington State 21
The final edition of the Apple Cup as conference foes couldn’t have been more thrilling and heartbreaking for those involved.
“Our guys put it all out there,” said a teary and choked-up WSU coach Jake Dickert. “They came in here ready to attack, ready to win a game; they had a vision, they had a plan and for the most part lived out that plan.
“Give credit to (Washington). They’ve done it all season, that’s why they’re the No. 4 team in the country. They won that one moment that we didn’t.”
A gutsy finish
Few would have predicted that two-touchdown underdog WSU (5-7, 2-7 Pac-12) would give Washington (12-0, 7-0) perhaps the biggest scare in its undefeated season.
It was the Cougars who outgained the nation’s best passing team 381 total yards to 306 and 317 passing yards to 204. It was the WSU defense that made Heisman-contending quarterback Michael Penix Jr. uncomfortable all game long. And it was the Cougars who stuck within one score or a tie of their favored foes until the final whistle.
But it was the Huskies who found a way to make the plays at the end when it mattered most.
After WSU wideout Lincoln Victor broke a tackle and ran in an 8-yard touchdown, the game was tied at 21-21 with less than six minutes left and it seemed like whoever got the ball last might have the best chance at victory.
The Huskies, apparently, felt the same way.
UW faced a fourth-and-1 at its own 29 with 1:14 left in the game and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/washington-state-falls-no-4-131600627.html
Author : Lewiston Tribune, Idaho
Publish date : 2023-11-26 13:16:00
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