What looked like a defensive struggle to open the 2011 Apple Cup quickly turned on special teams, with Washington coming up big on a punt block. The Huskies and Cougars went three and out, with a toss sweep ending in a loss on the Huskies end and penalties doing in Washington State on the other end. And in the end, it was a special teams gaffe that cost Washington State dearly.
After a false start penalty and a fumbled snap leading to intentional ground, Washington State struggled to dig itself out of a hole. After getting back to the line of scrimmage, the Cougars lined up for what seemed like a harmless punt. But not so!
The left side of the Cougars' line collapsed, and Dan Wagner's punt attempt never stood a chance. The deflected punt popped straight up into the air, then fell right into Jesse Callier's hands. He waltzed into the end zone, and the Huskies took a 7-0 lead.
Stay tuned to our Apple Cup StoryStream for more on the game. To discuss the Apple Cup with UW fans, head over to UW Dawg Pound. To talk about the game with WSU fans, check out CougCenter.