Apple Cup | Sweet or sour? Time to find out

PULLMAN — You'll notice it first wherever people cluster this morning. At the grocery store or along the sidelines of kids' soccer games, from Kettle Falls to Kirkland.

More people are wearing purple or crimson today. They will show their colors, then disappear in front of their television sets this afternoon for a once-a-year occasion, the Apple Cup.

Washington (4-7 overall, 2-6 Pac-10) and Washington State (6-5, 4-4) meet for the 99th time at 3:45 p.m., with a sellout crowd of 35,000 expected at Martin Stadium.

In most years since the rivalry began in 1900 with a 5-5 tie, the spoiler role has belonged to the Cougars.

Not this year.

WSU's Alex Brink, the only Cougars starting quarterback to beat Washington two years in a row, said, "There are a lot of story lines out there."

Spoiler is one of them.

"Absolutely," was the response of Washington coach Tyrone Willingham this week when asked if he would enjoy ruining the day for the Cougars and their fans.

Among the other story lines:

• A Cougars win is almost sure to put WSU into a bowl game, and a WSU victory coupled with an Oregon victory over Arizona in Eugene today guarantees it.

• A win would mark the first time in the history of the rivalry that WSU has won three consecutive games. The Cougars have won two in a row six previous times.

"It gives us a chance to do something that no one else has ever done," said WSU coach Bill Doba. "But I'm sure they're telling their players the same thing. You don't want to be the one that gives up the third win."

• It would give the Cougars the so-called "Northwest championship," something invented in 2002 by former UW coach Rick Neuheisel .

Since this "Neuheisel Cup" was invented, the Cougars never have been the top Northwest team.

• A Cougars win guarantees WSU its first winning season since 2003.

• The return to Pullman of Huskies quarterback Carl Bonnell. Cougars fans don't have a warm spot for Bonnell, the Kentwood High School product who went to WSU in 2002 then left for UW when Neuheisel called with a scholarship offer. Bonnell was recruitable because he was "gray-shirting," delaying enrollment until January 2003. Bonnell's scholarship went to Brink.

• Huskies quarterback survival. The Cougars have more injuries but the Huskies have a banged-up starter at the most important position on the field — quarterback — and they also are without one of their backup QBs. Bonnell has an injured thigh, sprained non-throwing shoulder and has recovered from a mild concussion. Backup Johnny DuRocher is out with a concussion, and the No. 3 quarterback is walk-on senior Felix Sweetman, who never has taken a meaningful snap.

The Cougars' goal is obvious — knock Bonnell out of the game and take advantage of Sweetman's inexperience.

However, Apple Cup lore includes subs who became heroes. In 1968, the Cougars started third-string Hank Grenda and he scored every point, including kicks, in a 24-0 upset.

Doba, whose team will be without receiver Jason Hill, said he expects "a defensive ballgame, a low-scoring thing."

Both teams are entering the game on losing streaks — six for the Huskies and two for the Cougars.

The Huskies have had the added duress of controversy because Willingham notified four fourth-year juniors last week that this is their final season. The group includes kicker Michael Braunstein and free safety Chris Hemphill.

No rain or snow is expected, and temperatures should be in the low 40s.

The Apple Cup means so much to seniors that Cougars linebacker Scott Davis, who grew up in Kennewick, will play with a broken wrist in a cast.

"It's the biggest game of the year," said co-captain Davis, who refused to consider not playing. "It's going to be the biggest Apple Cup I've played in."

Craig Smith: 206-464-8279 or csmith@seattletimes.com