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Friday, November 25 will mark the 116th matchup between historic Pac-12 rivals, the University of Washington vs. Washington State. Our in-house sports fans offer their perspective on this year’s quest for the cup.

GO DAWGS 

Statistically, rooting for the Dawgs is a smart call. The Huskies have won 70 to WSU’s 32 Apple Cups (including last year’s 45-10 clean up). And the Huskies are owning college football this season, ranked at number 5 nationally with a predicted 57 percent chance of winning the Apple Cup. Sophomore quarterback Jake Browning finished his first season with the fifth most yards in university history and continues to make his mark in the Husky Football books as he looks to veteran tight-end and possible NFL prospect Darrell Daniels. He’s already broken Keith Price’s previously held record of 33 touchdown passes in UW’s single-season, is projected to break the Pac-12 record for TD passes (43) and is on his way to surpassing Russell Wilson’s five-year-old NCAA record of a 191.78 efficiency rating. This game decides Pac-12 domination so grab your “W” Stridelines and the biggest Husky flag you own and show those Cougs what it means to bleed purple and gold. JAKE LAYCOCK, UW Class of 2015 and EVA SEELYE, UW Class of 2017

GO COUGS
Seattle, a city with a frequent underdog status in the sports world, should be all-in behind the Cougs at this year’s Apple Cup. The Cougs have a lot to prove after failing to show up last year when then-sophomore quarterback Luke Falk was out with a concussion. This year’s strong Air Raid offense, including red-shirt senior wide receiver Gabe Marks, has fans excited about the best season of Cougar football in more than a decade. And boy, the Cougs have been bringing it. For the first time in years, WSU is neck and neck with UW for the title as leader of the Pac-12 North. And with both ranked teams in the top 25, this year’s Apple Cup is one of the most anticipated games of the weekend. Fans are hoping for a repeat of 2012—the last time the game fell on Black Friday in Pullman, when the Cougs had a massive comeback and won in OT 31-28. Crack open a can of Pullman water (that’s Busch Light, in student speak) and root for the guys in crimson and gray. SARAH MURPHY, WSU Class of 2016