Washington State has been turning heads with its offense for years and this season the defense has been doing the same.
The Cougars (No. 13 in College Football Playoff rankings) are hoping that improved stopping power will help them flip the script in the Apple Cup, where Washington State is playing for a spot in the Pac-12 championship game while No. 17 Washington is merely hoping to play spoiler.
Archrival Washington has used a superior defense to win the past four Apple Cups. The Huskies outscored Washington State by an average of 39-14 in those four games.
This year might be different with the Cougars (9-2, 6-2 Pac-12) boasting a much better defense than in years past, including a line that coach Mike Leach said is the most improved unit on the team.
"We're older for one," Leach said. "Our pad level is lower. We transition quicker. We are better with our hands."
The Cougars rank 11th in the nation in total defense, allowing 303 yards per game, and lead the nation with 94 tackles for loss.
They're anchored by Hercules Mata'afa, Daniel Ekuale and Nnamdi Oguayo.
Mata'afa has been a revelation this season. He leads the Pac-12 with 21.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.
The junior from Lahaina, Hawaii, was named Pac-12 defensive player of the week for his performance at Utah, where he recorded five tackles for loss, including three sacks, plus one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
KING 5's Travis Pittman contributed to this report.
