The Sports Xchange
Nov 25, 2016
PULLMAN, Wash. -- Washington quarterback Jake Browning passed for 292 yards and three touchdowns and halfback Lavon Coleman rushed for two scores to lead the No. 5 Huskies into the Pac-12 championship game with a 45-17 victory over Washington State in the 109th Apple Cup on Friday afternoon at Martin Stadium.
Wide receiver Dante Pettis caught two touchdown passes and John Ross had another to help the Huskies (11-1, 8-1) built a 28-3 first-quarter lead. They were never threatened thereafter, solidifying their case for one of four berths in the College Football Playoff.
Freshman Coleman rushed for 82 yards, and his second touchdown capped a 10-play, 98-yard drive for a 42-17 lead with 10:56 remaining.
The Huskies will play No. 9 Colorado or No. 12 USC in the Pac-12 championship game Dec. 2 in Santa Clara, Calif. Colorado will win the Pac-12 South if it beats No. 22 Utah in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday. USC wins a tiebreaker with Colorado if the Buffaloes lose.
Quarterback Luke Falk passed for 269 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions for the 23rd-ranked Cougars (8-4, 7-2), who suffered their second straight loss after having an eight-game winning streak broken at Colorado last Saturday.
Cougars wide receiver Gabe Marks caught 11 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown.
Pettis caught three passes for 86 yards and Ross caught eight passes for 80 yards. Pettis also threw a 50-yard option pass
Washington took a 35-10 lead at halftime on a 22-yard run by Coleman with 2:41 remaining in the second quarter.
Falk's 9-yard touchdown pass to Marks made it 35-17 in the third quarter. The Huskies stopped halfback Gerard Wicks on fourth down from the Washington 1-yard line to end the Cougars' 81-yard drive with 37 seconds left in the period.
NOTES: Washington State QB Luke Falk entered the game as the FBS active career leader with 357.2 passing yards per game. ... The series dates to 1900, when the teams played to a 5-5 tie in Seattle.
