When I was asked to write a preview of the upcoming Apple Cup featuring which team I thought would win, I wasn’t reluctant at all. Sure, I may be a senior at the UW, majoring in journalism with an emphasis in sports. And sure, that may qualify as a conflict of interest to some. Yet I am capable of writing a completely unbiased, purely factual article with a reasonable prediction: Saturday at Century Link Field the Huskies will be all teeth, in what will be a good old-fashioned Cougar cookout.
Teeth, of course, is the nickname of the Huskies’ optimistic quarterback Keith Price. Price earned the nickname because he always seems to be smiling, and for good reason. So far this season, Price has thrown for 2,334 yards, 26 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions for a quarterback rating of 104.5. Although he has struggled lately, Price’s impact was evident Saturday vs. Oregon St. Battling injuries and momentum, Price brought the Huskies to within 10 points of the Beavers in the 4th quarter, after a quick scoring drive capped off by a 20-yard touchdown pass to Devin Aguilar. He did throw a crucial interception on the next drive, but the offense was clearly more potent with Price under center.
The Cougars, on the other hand, will be without their freshman sensation Connor Halliday at quarterback. Halliday suffered a lacerated liver—one of the most painful sounding injuries I’ve ever heard of—Saturday against Utah. Instead, Marshall Lobbestael will get the start. Lobbestael may be a backup, but his numbers from earlier in the season when he replaced Jeff Tuel are impressive.
If Price is healthy and ready to go, I believe UW has the edge in quarterback play. Now comes the hard part; addressing the elephant in the room. The Huskies’ defense this year—particularly their passing defense— has been dreadful, allowing 34.5 points per game (105th in the nation). They are allowing 278.3 passing yards per game, on pace for the worst in the school’s history.
So why, then, am I so confident in a UW victory, even when elephants predict otherwise? The forecast calls for rain and wind, which could slow down the passing games (more importantly, WSU’s passing game). If it turns into a rushing game, there’s no one I’d rather have on my side then Husky halfback Chris Polk. Also, if UW’s defensive coordinator Nick Holt has any chance left of keeping his job, it depends on the Apple Cup. This, along with Keith Price, is why I think the UW will win. It’s definitely not because of some UW bias or anything.
