Washington defense brings the heat, and brings the Apple Cup back to Montlake

By Brice Hamack
Sports Editor

I’ll never forget that moment a year ago, standing on the sidelines in Martin Stadium in the middle of the wasteland that is Pullman, WA.  The Washington Huskies had just blown a lead and let Washington State force overtime.  What followed pretty much summed up the entire Tyrone Willingham era; Washington State converted its overtime field goals, Washington did not, and fell to the Cougars in a heartbreaker 13 to 16.  The temperature in Husky Stadium Saturday night was almost as cold as that Pullman afternoon a year ago, but a strong fall wind blowing off the lake brought with it more than just a hint of change.

Leading up to the game head coach Steve Sarkisian promised he would analyze every second of game tape from the Huskies previous outing against Oregon State, which ended with Washington taking the long bus ride home with their tails between their legs.  The Huskies came into the game against the Cougars as 26 point favorites, and when asked if Wahsington might overlook them, seeing them as an easy win, Coach was quick to squash any such ideas, “I just tell them [the team] that they [Washington State] are probably looking at us and saying the same thing.”

One player that wanted to make sure the Cougars wouldn’t even sniff a victory was quarterback Jake Locker.  Locker showed what Husky fans have been waiting to see all year by passing for nearly 200 yards, and rushing for a yard short of 100.

“He’s keeping his vision working through the pocket, and the ability to run the ball and make some plays, and he did that well again tonight,” commented Coach Sarkisian on Locker’s performance.

Running back Chris Polk decided Locker wouldn’t be the only player to enjoy the ineptitude of the Washington State run defense, going for 132 yards on 25 carries.  Polk also cemented his name in Washington Football history by becoming the first freshman to ever rush for 1,000 yards on a season.

“When things aren’t always blocked great, he fights through it.  He continues to fight. He doesn’t lose hope. He gets back in the huddle and he continues to battle,” commented Coach Sarkisian on Polk’s 1,000 yard achievement.  “He hasn’t had a bunch of runs where it’s just big gaping holes and he’s running for yards.  He’s earning his yards.  I think the next step for him is his ability to play at the second level in the open field once he clears the line of scrimmage and his creativity with his running style.”

Not to be outshone by the offensive fireworks of Locker and Polk, the defense brought the heat against the Cougars and provided Husky fans with their first shutout in over a decade.  The usual defensive leaders such as Mason Foster and Donald Butler did their part combining for 14 tackles, a sack, and an interception; however the big story of the night defensively was the play of senior Darrion Jones, and up and coming linebacker Cort Dennison.

Jones wreaked havoc all night playing somewhat of a defensive end/linebacker hybrid position.  He racked up three tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss, and had an interception slip through his finger tips.  What you won’t find on the stat sheet though was his ability to constantly lay hits on the quarterback even after the ball was released, creating fear and hesitation in the Washington State offense.

Cort Dennison had his biggest game so far in his short career, and showed Husky Nation why they should be excited about what he will bring to the table in the coming years with even more maturity and experience under his belt.  He had 8 tackles to go along with his sack, and was laying brutal hits on every offensive player that came within his sights.

“He’s going to be a really good football player and he showed you tonight what he can do and I’m glad he’s coming back for a couple more years,” commented Coach Nick Holt about Cort Dennison.  “He’s smart, he’s tough, and he’s just one of those guys that gets around the football.”

After the final siren had sounded Washington players hoisted the Apple Cup above their heads in front of a scoreboard that read Washington 30, Washington State 0.  And safety Nate Williams seemed to sum up the thoughts of Husky Fans everywhere during that moment, “It feels really good that we didn’t let them score the whole game… It feels great to finally have that trophy back here where I think it belongs.”