Adam Jude
The Seattle Times
Early in the fourth quarter Friday night, Washington State had a second-and-8 play from its 48-yard line. Washington didn’t bother disguising what it was about to do with its defensive front.
The Huskies, as they have most often done in the last five Apple Cups, were going to rush just three defenders at Gardner Minshew.
In this case, outside linebacker Tevis Bartlett lined up on the right side of the defensive line in a three-point stance. Nose tackle Greg Gaines was in the middle, and redshirt freshman outside linebacker Joe Tryon was crouched on the left side, is right hand touching the snow.
At the snap, Gaines ate up a double team from WSU’s offensive line. Bartlett stunted inside and worked his way back to the right, diving head-first at Minshew’s feet.
Tryon, meanwhile, managed to sneak around right tackle Abraham Lucas and, as Minshew struggled to find an open receiver, leveled a blind from behind on the QB. The result: a five-yard loss and the first sack of Tryon’s career.
“That,” Tryon said later, “was real special.”
The Cougars’ next play, on third-and-13, gained just three yards on a James Williams reception. And with about 9 minutes left, WSU had to punt the ball back to the Huskies.
The Cougars would never get the ball back again as UW ran out the final 8:47 off the clock with a 14-play drive.
Two days later, Chris Petersen said the Huskies’ ability to frustrate Minshew while rushing just three defenders was one of the biggest factors in UW’s 28-15 victory.
“Minshew can move around and buy time. That’s part of his game, a little bit of scrambling,” Petersen said Sunday. “So for our guys to get him off the spot and sack him a couple times, that was as important as anything. They rushed hard. That’s what it was.”
Tryon and Gaines each had a sack of Minshew, and UW’s Ryan Bowman and Levi Onwuzurike each were credited with QB hits. The Cougars had allowed just nine sacks in their first 11 games.
“I just had to keep coming at it,” said Tryon, a one-time WSU recruiting commit out of Renton’s Hazen High School. “The coaches trust in us and the game plan going in was to rush three and get after him. We ended up doing it and getting him off his mark, getting interceptions and a lot of pressures. It was real fun.
Tryon, 6-feet-5 and 267 pounds, made his his first career start against Oregon State and had two tackles for losses against Washington State on Friday.
“It feels awesome,” he said outside the visitors’ locker room Friday in Pullman. “I don’t know how to explain it, especially in the type of weather it was. It’s something I’ve never experienced before. I’m going to remember this game for the rest of my life and I can’t wait to go play for a Pac-12 championship.”
Tryon has been one of the pleasant surprises of the second half of the season for UW’s defense.
“He has so much potential,” UW co-defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake said. “So big, so athletic. I think he’s the most athletic guy we have up front. He’s just young. But I think the future is very, very bright for that young man, and hopefully this will give him even more confidence to break out of his shell and continue to play big-time football.”
Hilbers questionable
Petersen said Sunday that starting left tackle Jared Hilbers will be reevaluated Monday after rolling his ankle in the first quarter of the Apple Cup. Hilbers did not return to the game and his status for Fridays’ Pac-12 championship game against Utah is uncertain.
“It’s nothing long-term,” Petersen said. “They looked at him yesterday. We’ll know a little bit more tomorrow.”
Preseason All-American Trey Adams, in his second game back from back surgery, replaced Hilbers and played the rest of the game at left tackle.
“Each week he’s getting better, getting himself back into shape,” Petersen said. “Jared had been so reliable, so healthy all year. And then he got rolled up on that one (play), so it was good Trey had been getting some work for sure.”
Washington’s Myles Gaskin (9) celebrates his 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter against Washington State on Friday, Nov. 23, 2018, at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Wash. Washington won, 28-15. (Dean Rutz/Seattle Times/TNS)
