Jedd Fisch has already lived both sides of the Apple Cup, and now he gets a chance to tip the scale.
When Washington and Washington State meet Sunday at 1 p.m. PT at Husky Stadium in Seattle, it will be Fisch’s third crack at the rivalry as Huskies head coach.
He’s split the first two. In 2024, Washington State escaped with a 24-19 win at Lumen Field after Washington was stuffed on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
Last year, the Huskies answered in a big way, rolling to a 59-24 victory at Gesa Field in Pullman, Wash.
That leaves Fisch sitting at 1-1 in the Apple Cup, with a chance to finish above .500 against the Cougars. If Washington gets it done, he would become the 10th head coach in Huskies football history to post a winning record in the rivalry.
This year’s matchup brings a different feel on the Washington State side. The Cougars are under first-year head coach Kirby Moore and enter the game with an almost entirely overhauled roster. Moore arrives after several seasons as offensive coordinator at Missouri in the SEC.
Still, Fisch made it clear Wednesday that last year’s lopsided win doesn’t change the temperature for him going into this one.
"(Last year's) game was fun," Fisch said in a weekly news conference Wednesday. "It was fun.
But it wasn't fun until about eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. There was a pit in my stomach those other 52 minutes and that's how I feel right now.
I don't feel any different than I did going into the game. ... We have all of our trophies in our whole building upstairs.
We have an entire trophy case upstairs, except for one. The one trophy that we leave in front of the locker room is the Apple Cup.
And that's cause that's the players' trophy. That's the one that, for the rest of your life as a player, you're gonna remember if you won or didn't win the Apple Cup.
We make sure our team understands that the only trophy that isn't upstairs by the coaches, is the one that they're going to be talking about for the rest of their lives."
For Fisch, the record is there to be chased. The mindset, though, is staying exactly where it’s been since he arrived.
In Other News...
Washington Has More Than The Apple Cup Riding On This Opener
The Apple Cup is always a measuring-stick game, but Washingtons season opener at Husky Stadium carries an extra layer of importance this year. As the Huskies get ready to face Washington State, the game will double as a showcase for the program, with several top football recruits set to be on hand to take in the atmosphere and evaluate what Washington has to offer.
Among the visitors is Antijuan Wilkes Jr., one of the most highly regarded prospects in the country, along with Mylan Griggs, a four-star receiver from Cass Technical in Michigan. Their presence gives Washington a chance to make a strong first impression on talent from different regions, and it adds another reason for the Huskies to want their opener to feel like more than just an early-season rivalry game. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Receivers Could Create An Apple Cup Problem Right Away
The first Apple Cup of the regular season already carries enough edge, but Washingtons receiver room may add another layer of pressure for Washington State to sort out. Jedd Fisch and wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings have spent the offseason pushing versatility, and the Huskies enter the opener with a group built to move around the formation rather than settle into one fixed role.
Christian Moss, Dezmen Roebuck and Chris Lawson are all capable of working at all three receiver spots, which gives Washington the kind of flexibility that can stress a defense before the snap and after it. Kevin Cummings also pointed to Demond Williams Jr. as a key reason the group has gotten comfortable with what the offense wants on each play, a sign that the Huskies may already be ahead of schedule on timing and communication heading into a rivalry game that tends to expose any hesitation. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Gets An Early Apple Cup Test Fans Will Be Watching Closely
Week 1 brings a familiar rivalry matchup into an unusual spot on the calendar, and the early Apple Cup carries the kind of intrigue that tends to follow Washington State into a new season. The Cougars are starting over on offense under Kirby Moore, with Caden Pinnick expected to be the face of that side of the ball, which gives this opener a very different feel than the one Huskies fans have grown used to seeing in recent years.
Washington still gets the benefit of a roster that looks deeper in the places that matter most for a game like this, even with the cross-state meeting landing before either team has had much chance to settle in. Washington States rebuild under Jimmy Rogers has leaned heavily on defense, which leaves the Huskies looking at a thinner opponent on the other side of the ball and makes this one of the Week 1 games in the state worth following closely from the opening whistle. [Read more 🡒]