Jedd Fisch didn’t hide his frustration after Washington’s first-half finish against Washington State in the Apple Cup on Sunday afternoon.
The Huskies were in control on the scoreboard, up 10-0, and had a chance to stretch the lead to three possessions heading into halftime. But Washington State stood tall at the goal line, stopping Huskies running back Jayden Limar short of the end zone and denying Washington a chance to put the game further out of reach. Fisch’s reaction said plenty: he slammed his headset into the turf.
Before heading to the locker room, Fisch spoke with NBC Sports and gave a blunt assessment of what he’d just watched.
“I’m not very happy about it,” Fisch said. “We have a half yard to gain and we can’t get a half a yard, we don’t deserve to get in the end zone… We gotta run the ball a lot better than we’re running the ball, we’ve gotta hit passes we’re not hitting.
We gotta continue to play great defense, but we gotta score some points. It’s embarrassing right now.”
Washington’s ground game has produced 78 rushing yards as a team, with quarterback Demond Williams Jr. accounting for the Huskies’ rushing touchdown. But the numbers behind the backs tell a different story. Limar and Quaid Carr have combined for just 54 yards on 12 carries.
Even with the rough finish, the Apple Cup has delivered plenty of energy through the first half. Washington still held the lead as the teams headed into the break, with Washington State trying to mount a response in the second half.
In Other News...
Apple Cup Could Reveal A Lot About Washington Right Away
The 118th Apple Cup arrives early enough to feel like a measuring stick for both sides, but especially for Washington as Jedd Fisch enters his third year in charge. The Huskies have enough continuity to want a sharper read on where they stand, while Washington State brings a fresh start under first-year coach Kirby Moore, which adds another layer to a rivalry already loaded with history and edge.
For Washington, the opener is less about the pageantry than what it can reveal about the offense and how quickly the pieces fit together in a game that rarely gives either side much room to breathe. There are also reasons to watch the Huskies' defense closely, since the matchup should offer an early test of how disruptive that unit can be against a new-look Cougars attack. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Is Making Montlake A Real Battleground For Elite Recruits
The Huskies have turned Montlake into a busy stop for some of the countrys most coveted high school football prospects, with a wave of unofficial visits tied to their 2028 recruiting push. Washington is drawing talent from far beyond the Pacific Northwest, and the list of states involved says plenty about the scope of the effort: Arizona, Hawaii, Michigan, Georgia, Washington, Oregon and Idaho are all in play as the staff works to build early relationships with elite prospects.
Among the visitors are five-star edge rusher Jalanie George of Arizona, four-star quarterback Hunter Fujikawa of Hawaii and five-star offensive tackle Antijuan Wilkes of Michigan, giving the Huskies a chance to make an impression on premium players at premium positions. Just as important, Washington is trying to stay firmly in the mix with top in-state targets while also navigating a broader regional battle that figures to stretch well beyond one campus trip. [Read more 🡒]
