PLAYERS TO WATCH
–LB Peyton Pelluer set a school record by appearing in his 52nd career game when the Cougars hosted Arizona last week. Pelluer made five tackles, increasing his career total to 330, sixth most in school history. He also had half of a tackle for loss. His career total is 32, which is the eighth most in school history.
–QB Gardner Minshew II, a graduate transfer from East Carolina who has developed into a Heisman Trophy candidate, threw for a season-high 473 yards against Arizona, increasing his season total to 4,325, fourth most in school history. Minshew set a school record with seven touchdown passes, upping his season total to 36, second-most in school history.
–RB James Williams scored two touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving) to increase his season total to 14, which is fourth-most in school history. Williams has 25 career total touchdowns, tied for sixth most in school history.
–LB Jahad Woods made a career-high 11 tackles against Arizona, his first career double-digit tackle game. He also forced a fumble and recovered another.
SERIES HISTORY: Washington State has a 32-72-6 record against archrival Washington in the Apple Cup. The Cougars are 1-5 against the Huskies under Mike Leach, including losses in the last five games. They have lost eight of the last nine games.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “(Playing for the Pac-12 North title is) a good deal and I think it’s great for the school, and really a credit to our guys and our locker room as far as really pulling together and playing together and doing all those things as a team where everybody does something that helps the team and kind of elevates the whole group.” — Washington State coach Mike Leach, after the Cougars routed Arizona 69-28 last week in advance of Saturday’s Apple Cup showdown with Washington for the division crown.
