Clarence D. Martin Stadium – Pullman, WA
Kickoff: Friday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Line: Washington -6.0

In perhaps the biggest Apple Cup in the history of the rivalry, #23 Washington State hosts #6 Washington on Friday.

#6 Washington has had a remarkable season, but the team is going to need to win this game on Friday. The Huskies still have a chance of making it to the College Football Playoff, but they’d need to beat Washington State and then win the Pac-12 Championship in order to have a case. It’s not going to be easy for Washington to do those things, and Friday represents a serious challenge. The Cougars have their best team in recent memory and they’ll be looking to snap their three-game losing streak against the Huskies on Friday. The crowd is going to be wild in this one, and Washington State can steal a spot in the Pac-12 Championship by winning this game. Still, the last time the Cougars beat the Huskies was in 2012. That is certainly going to have Washington entering the building full of confidence. It also helps that the Huskies are 6-0 ATS on the road versus teams that allow 5.9 yards per play or more over the past three seasons. Washington State, however, is 6-0 ATS when facing teams that are scoring 37 or more points per game over the past two seasons. Only one of those records will stay perfect on Friday, and this is shaping up to be one of the more exciting games of the college football season.

If Washington is going to find a way to win on Friday then the team will need QB Jake Browning (2,870 yards, 37 TD, 7 INT) to get back on track. Browning has really struggled over the past two games, throwing for three touchdowns with a lousy four interceptions. If he is that careless with the ball on Friday then the Huskies are going to lose this game. Washington State is far too talented offensively, and Washington can’t afford to gift-wrap possessions to the Cougars. One thing that would help Browning be effective would be throwing to WR John Ross (64 rec, 991 yards, 15 TD) on some quicker routes. Ross is one of the most explosive players in the nation, so getting him the ball in open space should be a priority for Browning. He is a big play waiting to happen and it’d be surprising if he doesn’t find the endzone at least once in this game. Washington would also be wise to get RB Myles Gaskin (1,130 yards, 9 TD) some touches in this one. Gaskin rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown on just 16 carries against Arizona State last week. He should be able to find some holes in this Washington State defense on Friday. Defensively, the Huskies are one of the best teams in the nation. They’ll do whatever they can to make Falk uncomfortable in this one, but they’d also be wise to do their best to take out the running game. If they can remove the threat of the fake handoff then the Cougars will struggle to move the ball.

It might not have seemed like the case earlier in the season, but Washington State just might have the best quarterback on the field in this game. QB Luke Falk (3,935 yards, 36 TD, 7 INT) has been absolutely outstanding for the Cougars this season, and he has now thrown for 20 touchdowns with only two picks over the past five games. He should be able to put up some big numbers on Friday, but this is the best defense he has faced this year and he’ll need to be a bit more careful with the ball than he has needed to be in other games this season. When Falk looks to go to the air, WR Gabe Marks (74 rec, 755 yards, 12 TD) is his favorite target. Marks is a smooth route-runner with decent size, and he’ll definitely find a way to shake free a few times in this game. He’ll also be eager to find the endzone in this one, as he was held scoreless in last week’s loss at Colorado. Defensively, the main priority for this Washington State team will be to slow down Washington’s running game. The Huskies rushed for 240 yards and three touchdowns when these teams met last year, and that type of performance is not going to give Washington State a chance to win on Friday if replicated.