 WSU Head Coach Jim Sweeney resigned a week later, leaving with a 26–59–1 record.When 14th-ranked Washington State and 17th-ranked Washington met in the 1981 Apple Cup, it was billed as the biggest meeting in the series since the 1936 game when the winner was invited to the Rose Bowl.Washington's defense was the best in the conference, while the Cougars ranked high in offensive categories.