The 2026 opener didn’t end how Washington State wanted. However, the game itself gave signs of encouragement for the rest of the season.
The Cougars opened with the 118th edition of the Apple Cup at Husky Stadium and lost to archrival Washington, 24-10.
Despite some early offensive woes, WSU (0-1) found themselves in a one-possession game in the fourth quarter. But, both times the WSU offense broke through to make it a one-possession game in the final frame, the Huskies immediately answered with touchdowns
that negated WSU’s momentum.
Losing to Washington is never fun. As the Cougars move forward from this game, they are able to take a lot of positives out of it.
Defensively, the Cougars looked sharp. The defensive line was able to wreak havoc all day, forcing a lot of pressure on Demond Williams that ultimately kept them in the game. It wasn’t just the pass rush getting it done either; the run stuff held the Washington running backs to 3.3 yards per carry. Now, Washington’s offense isn’t returning the elite production they had last season, so it’ll remain to be seen how great the Washington offense will be in 2026. Even then, they still have outstanding talent all around, and the Cougar defense never once looked like they didn’t belong.
The offense is a bit of a different story. The reports from camp looked to be true. An offense that has a lot of kinks to work out. The run game did look creative in some different run schemes, but it didn’t amount to a whole lot, as WSU’s backs ran for just 39 yards on 17 carries. Pinnick made things happen with his legs, rushing for 61 yards on 14 attempts. The Husky defense did make things hard for him through the air, with a solid pass rush and good coverage downfield, but he also didn’t help himself at times, running into a few sacks. In the second half he did start to show some great flashes with his arm, delivering a handful of brilliant passes that ultimately got WSU back in the game late. They also finished 0 for 11 on third downs. There will be a lot of things to smooth out, but thankfully, there are 11 more games to do that. They will also have to wait and see the status of the uber-talented Tony Freeman who left the game early on with an injury.
In front of an announced crowd of 71056, Washington State opened the game with the football, and Caden Pinnick immediately introduced himself with a 25-yard run off an option play. He followed it with his first pass attempt, a great ball to Daniel Blood for 11 yards. But the offense wouldn’t get much further. A pair of runs by Maxwell Woods went for seven yards, setting up a 52-yard attempt from Jack Stevens. Stevens’ kick fell well short, landing in the end zone to hold WSU’s first offensive drive scoreless.
In last years Apple Cup, the Huskies scored on every single possession. That would not be the case this year. In Washington’s opening drive, the Cougar defensive line made their presence felt. They created a great push on the Huskies’ offensive line, putting pressure on Williams. For the first time since the goal line stand in 2024, the Cougar defense got off the field without any points allowed.
After a quick three-and-out from the Cougar offense, yellow flags littered the field against both teams on the next Husky drive. Six penalties were called during Washington’s 11-play drive that lasted 5:08 in gametime but nearly 20 minutes in real time. Tyler Robles would score the first points of the game on a 48-yard field goal to put Washington up 3-0.
On their third drive, the Cougar offense again got out to a good start with an 18-yard completion to Darrius Clemons but stalled out three plays later. Luckily, the Cougar defense continued to put constant pressure on Williams and flew around from sideline to sideline to keep the Husky offense at bay.
On a 3rd and 7 from their own 15-yard line, Pinnick tried to fit a pass in between a pair of Huskies but had it tipped at the line to send it floating into the waiting arms of Jeron Jones for an interception. Five plays later, from the WSU five-yard line, Williams rolled to the left, got the edge, and dove across the pylon for the game’s first touchdown.
In desperate need of some rhythm offensively, the Cougars sputtered and coughed up the football again. After a false start, Kirby Vorhees took a handoff for a short gain but had the ball ripped out right before he fell to the turf. Isaiah Ward came streaking out of the pile with the football. A Washington challenge overruled the original call of Vorhees holding onto the ball, yet again setting Washington’s offense up in prime field position at the WSU 24. Williams opened the drive up with a deep pass to Baron Naone, who made a great catch, getting his toe down for a 19-yard completion to the WSU five-yard line. The defense forced an incompletion on the first down, and a fumble by Trey Cooley backed the Huskies up six yards. One more incompletion on third down towards the back of the end zone forced Washington to send the field goal unit out. Robles pushed his second try of the day from 29 yards out too far to the left, and no good. A huge break for the Cougars.
Yet again, the Cougar offense showed flashes but stalled out, punting the ball back to Washington. With 3:07 remaining, the Huskies played the drive exactly how they wanted. From their own six-yard line, the Huskies slowly bled the Cougar defense with gains of 13, 8, 4, 6 and the right hook in the form of a 29-yard strike to a wide-open Rashid Williams. On the next play, from the WSU 34-yard line, Williams took a shot from Matyus McLain as he released the pass, falling incomplete and nearly picked off. The referees deemed it was roughing the passer, giving Washington 15 yards and a first down. The Huskies continued to slowly creep closer to the end zone and nearly got in on 3rd and goal as Williams tried to run it into the opposite corner of his first touchdown but got stuffed a yard short. Neither team would call a timeout, allowing the playclock to wind down to three seconds before Jedd Fisch called a timeout. On the final play of the half, Fisch kept his offense on the field. Williams took the snap and handed it off to his running back, Jayden Limar. Limar went straight up the middle and into a wall of crimson and white. Over the top to keep Limar out came a streaking Keith Brown, to deliver the push that kept Limar out and a monumental stop to keep it a two-score game at halftime.
Out of the half, the Cougar defense continued to shine by forcing a three-and-out. Husky punter Hunter Green, however, boomed a 64-yard punt that sent Jaylen Thomas backpedaling to his own 12-yard line, returning it to the 17. Halftime didn’t seem to help the Cougar offense, despite opening with an 11-yard run by Pinnick. On 3rd and 11, Pinnick scrambled out of the pocket and was forced out-of-bounds near the line of scrimmage. But after Pinnick took a few steps out, Ramzak Fruean couldn’t slow himself down, running right into Pinnick, sending him to the turf and drawing a flag for a late hit. The Cougars again got bailed out by undisciplinary action from the Huskies defense on their next third down as Jacob Manu stood over and seemingly taunted Kirby Vorhees. Another 15-yard personal foul that kept the Cougar drive alive. Immediately they made the Huskies pay with their longest play of the day. Pinnick rolled to his right and fired a strike to an open Blood for a 32-yard gain to the Washington 15. The offense would only get four yards closer, forcing the Cougars to settle for a 25-yard field goal attempt. That became a 30-yard attempt after a delay of game was called. Stevens, naturally, nailed the 25-yard that didn’t count and missed the 30-yarder wide to the right, keeping WSU at 0.
After trading three-and-outs, the Huskies looked eager to finally break the game open. An up-tempo, no-huddle approach led the Huskies into Cougar territory. On 3rd and 8 from the WSU 45, Williams found an open running lane and bolted ahead, getting close to the marker but contained and forced to slide a yard short. The Husky offense would stay out there for 4th and 1 and drew up a bootleg to the left for Williams. Luckily, WSU and Trent Bray dialed up a perfect blitz that contained Williams rolling and brought the pressure that forced Willaims to throw up a prayer that was nearly picked off. Regardless, it was a turnover on downs and another opportunity for the Cougar offense heading into the final quarter.
The biggest play so far for the Cougar offense on the day came on a 4th and 3 from the Washington 43. Pinnick took the shotgun snap and darted to his right, just getting around the Washington defenders and falling across the marker for a first down. Pinnick then began to heat up with his arm. A nice little sidearm throw to Beau Baker for 11 yards, then two players later a perfect pass in traffic to Blood set the Cougars up at the 11-yard line. Now it was Pinnick’s time to finish what he started. A perfectly drawn-up QB keeper helped part the seas in the middle for Pinnick to scamper and cross the goalline for a Cougar touchdown. All of a sudden, it was a three-point game with just over 10 minutes to go. For WSU, a three-possession underdog, this is all you could hope for.
The Cougar defense, now holding all the momentum, nearly came up with a huge play to start the pivotal Washington possession. Williams rolled out of the pocket to his right and was nearly brought down for a sack but got the ball away to a wide-open Chris Lawson for a 29-yard gain to the WSU 46. The next play was another backbreaker; a flea flicker ran to near perfection as Demond Williams found an open Rashid Williams, who nearly ran it in for a touchdown but was pushed out a yard short. Two plays later, it was Williams to Williams again to put Washington up 17-7.
Now the offense really had to get going with under eight minutes to go and needing two scores again. Pinnick and company slowly marched their way down the field, getting to their own 47 in four plays. On 2nd and 2 from their own 47, Pinnick escaped pressure, got the edge, and crossed the marker for a first down. Aggressively, Pinnick cut back inside past a defender, rather than going out of bounds. He could only get about another yard before Rylon Dillard-Allen came flying in and went helmet-to-helmet with Pinnick. The ball came flying out of Pinnick’s hands and was scooped up by a Husky. A yellow flag would come flying in for targeting, ejecting Dillard-Allen from the game and keeping the ball with the Cougs at the UW 30. The Cougs would get six yards closer before trotting out Stevens for his third attempt of the day, this time from 42 yards out. Stevens would bury it right through the uprights, making it a one-possession game with 4:30 to go and sending out WSU’s best unit to give themselves one more chance.
On 3rd and 10 with an opportunity to get off the field, the Cougar defense couldn’t contain Williams, who escaped pressure, then juked and slipped past three Cougar defenders, scampering for a brutal 21 yards and a Husky first down. The Huskies delivered the dagger on the very next play as Williams lofted a deep ball to Lawson, who made an incredible catch to the WSU nine-yard line. On the next play, Limar hurdled his way past Cougar defenders and into the end zone to drive the nail in the Apple Cup coffin.
The game all but officially ended when Pinnick’s pass intended for Vorhees bounced off of Vorhees’ hands and into the hands of Alex McLaughlin for the game-sealing interception.
WSU will head back to Pullman and then prepare to fly out to Kansas State to meet up with the Wildcats on Saturday.
