SEATTLE — University of Washington football is perfect in the current season standing at 11-0 going into the 115th annual Apple Cup against Washington State University.
The classic rivalry kicks off at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Husky Stadium in Seattle.
The Dawgs won last year's Apple Cup but it's the loss two years ago at home that's sticking with players.
"Ill taste in your mouth no matter what," said Zion Tupuola-Fetui, senior UW linebacker. "No matter how many years I get away from that loss, it’s definitely the worst loss of my career."
A win for the Cougars would mean bowl eligibility and also a major upset to the storybook season UW has written so far.
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WSU fans stormed the field after beating the Huskies 40-13 in the Apple Cup.
The Cougars have gone to a fair share of bowl games in the past 10 seasons with appearances in the New Mexico Bowl, Sun Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Alamo Bowl, Cheez-It Bowl, and most recently the LA Bowl. The last time the Cougars beat a top-five team on the road was in 1988 when they knocked off No. 1 UCLA.
While players for both teams focus on the game at hand, fans are also looking ahead to the continued rivalry.
UW's exit from the Pac-12 and move to Big Ten starting next season did spark temporary concerns about the future of the Apple Cup.
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An announcement at the beginning of the week put those concerns to rest for at least the next five years.
"It's really special. So many games coming around having family members that are Cougs and Huskies and the trash talk," said Malik Weldeab, a UW senior. "A classic rivalry. To have that possibly disappear was concerning but to know it's going to keep going is really exciting."
One WSU student we spoke to said the annual matchup is bigger to them than any Seahawks or NFL game.
UW is ranked No. 4 in the latest AP Top 25 standings - making them a College Football Playoff contender going into the final week of the regular season. The Dawgs will play in the PAC 12 Championship on Dec. 1 in Las Vegas.