Washington State kicker Nico Grasu splits the uprights in double overtime to give the Cougars yet another Apple Cup win. Second-year UW safety Nate Williams crumbles to the ground, paralyzed by his emotions.

As the fans pour out of the aisles and onto the turf at Martin Stadium, dashing toward midfield to help their Cougars hoist Grasu into the air, Huskies’ offensive guard Jordan White-Frisbee limps away into a dimly lit tunnel a hundred feet away.

Leaning on defensive end De’Shon Matthews and tackle Cody Habben just to stay upright, tears flow from White-Frisbee’s eyes.

Tears flowed from a lot of eyes that night.

“About two, three minutes ago, I started to get a little choked up just because I thought we had it,” fifth-year senior tight end Michael Gottlieb said. “Just everything we’ve been through after how tough the season was, just feeling like we were finally going to get one, it really kind of got to me in that way. To have that robbed, to have that feeling robbed of me at the end there, I can’t explain it, but it hurts.”

This was a game the Huskies needed. It was a game they should have had. It was a game they controlled until the 1:04 mark of the fourth quarter, leading 10-7.

Faced with a fourth-and-three on the WSU 34-yard-line, offensive coordinator Tim Lappano wanted to take a chance with the run — something that had worked all day long.

The Huskies had run for 199 yards collectively, averaging 3.9 yards per carry before the call.

“I really thought I could get it,” said freshman tailback Terrance Dailey of the three yards needed for a first down.

Instead, coach Tyrone Willingham elected to punt.

“I don’t know. I might’ve been able to get [the yardage], so I don’t know. I’m just going to leave it at that,” Dailey said.

It was a call sophomore wide receiver D’Andre Goodwin said surprised him. Quarterback Ronnie Fouch said Lappano thought they could get the yards. But both players said they ultimately trusted Willingham’s decision.

Willingham justified his decision after the game.

“They had not had that much success all day driving the football,” he said. “We had been in control most of the game, so you figure that you give yourself the best chance to win by forcing them to go as far as possible to make a play.”

In possession of the ball and with just less than a minute to go in the fourth quarter, seldom-used WSU receiver Jared Karstetter got behind Washington’s defense for a 48-yard gain. It was Karstetter’s third catch of the year, and it came against a Husky defense that held WSU quarterback Kevin Lopina in check for most the afternoon.

“That’s the frustrating part about it,” senior safety Mesphin Forrester said. “I feel that we had their passing game down the whole game. That last play, the two minute drill, stuff we practice every week … for that to happen like that, it’s just really frustrating.”

The catch would set up a Grasu field goal that sent the game into overtime where the teams exchanged field goals. After a Ryan Perkins miss from 37 yards in double overtime, Grasu sent another kick through the uprights from 28 yards to give the Cougars their fourth Apple Cup win in five years.

Junior linebacker Donald Butler said the kick left him speechless. Fouch said he didn’t believe it.

But the reality of losing for the eleventh straight time this season and of the Cougars claiming their fourth Apple Cup trophy in five years would soon set in.

“The Apple Cup game: we were supposed to win,” Dailey said. “I’m sure everybody in the locker room, from what I’ve seen, is pretty down about it. A lot of tears.”

“This is definitely the hardest it’s been,” Gottlieb said. “Ever. Just flat-out [disappointing].”

Reach reporter Maks Goldenshteyn at sports@dailyuw.com.