In the 106th edition of a long standing intrastate rivalry, the Washington State Cougars will battle the Washington Huskies for the Apple Cup at Husky Stadium on Friday afternoon. The game has a start time of 3:30 pm (Eastern) and be will televised on FOX. Current odds have Washington listed as 16 point favorites, while the total sits at 66.
Analysis: The Cougars, who became bowl eligible for the first time since 2006 by beating Utah last week, look to solidify their postseason credentials with a win over their instate rivals in this one. The Cougars feature a red-hot Connor Halliday, who was 39-of-62 for 488 yards and four touchdowns against the Utes last week. Connor has thrown for 3,905 yards and 26 touchdowns, while completing 63.7 percent of his pass attempts, in leading the Cougars to the 5th ranked passing offense in the nation, averaging 372 ypg. Gabe Marks (65 receptions, 724 yards, six TDs) and Dominique Williams (36 receptions, 615 yards, six Tds) lead a solid WR corp, while Marcus Mason leads a little used ground game with 370 yards rushing. Mason has also been effective as a receiver out of the backfield, with 43 receptions for 363 yards and two scores. On the defensive side of the ball, the Cougars are third to last in the Pac-12 in total defense (450.4 ypg), while allowing 31.6 ppg on the year.
Washington became bowl eligible three weeks ago and is riding the momentum of a 69-27 demolition of Oregon State last week. While the Cougars are a passing team, the Huskies have lit up the scoreboard this year behind a ground game that ranks third in the conference, averaging 244.8 ypg. Pac-12 rushing leader Bishop Sankey has carried the load with 1,575 yards rushing to rank third in the nation while collecting 17 touchdowns. Sankey ran for 172 of the 530 yards that the Huskies ran for against the beavers last week. The reliance on the running game against Oregon State was needed, as starting quarterback Keith Price was sidelined with a shoulder injury. Price is listed as probable for Friday's battle. Getting back Price and his 2,662 yards and 19 scores would be a big boost for the Huskies this week. On the defensive side of the ball, the Huskies are fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (24 ppg) and yards allowed (387 ypg). Washington is also one of five teams in the league with at least 30 sacks this year.
Pick: I will go with the Cougars here. The Cougars have not played all that bad on the road this year, beating Cal, Arizona and USC away from home. The Huskies have played well at home this year, going 5-1, but they are a bit banged up on offense and I don't think their defense will slow down this high powered passing attack of the Cougars, enough to run away with this one. This one should be tight throughout.
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College Football Free Picks: Washington State at Washington
What college football bettors need to know about betting Washington State Cougars at Washington Huskies on Saturday (11/30/13) -- a free pick from Pregame.com's Brady Kannon with host Steve Fezzik.