A one-sided rivalry turned out to be one-sided once again:
The first quarter of the 2016 Apple Cup rivalry game was completely dominated 28-3 by the #5 Washington Huskies (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12). They would ultimately cruise to a 45-17 victory over their arch-rival #23 Washington State Cougars (8-4, 7-2). Three touchdown passes from quarterback Jake Browning and three touchdown runs by running backs, Myles Gaskin & Lavon Coleman was all that was needed. The onslaught by the Huskies gives Washington their seventh win in the last eight contests against their crosstown rival.
All three of Browning’s touchdown passes came in the first quarter as he connected with receiver Dante Pettis on scores of 18 and 61 yards. The third touchdown was to receiver John Ross from six yards out to give the Huskies a commanding 28-3 lead at the end of the first.
Once the game reached halftime, the Huskies were up 35-10 with 386 yards of total offense and clearly in the driver’s seat.
Washington State quarterback Luke Falk finished the game with three interceptions, his first multi-interception game of the  season. Coming into this contest, Falk only tossed seven interceptions on the entire season. A big game for the productive quarterback was expected after not playing in the rivalry in 2015 due to injury.
A Huskies defense that has been very good all season executed a swarming attack on the Cougars, holding Washington State to just 334 total yards, forcing four turnovers, and stonewalling Washington State on two huge fourth down stops at the goal line to prevent the Cougars from scoring much-needed touchdowns.
Washington State receiver Gabe Marks finished with 11 catches for 112 yards and one touchdown and provided a spark in the second half as the Cougars inched closer to a 35-17 deficit after Falk connected with Marks for a 9-yard touchdown in the middle of the third quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, Browning and the offense embarked on a 98-yard drive that concluded with a 15-yard touchdown run by Coleman to put the Huskies up 42-17 and slam the door on any hopes of a comeback by the Cougars. The win by Washington gives the Huskies a Pac-12 North division championship and places them in the Pac-12 title game against either Colorado or USC.
