Washington opened the season with a familiar result in the Apple Cup, leaning on defense and just enough offense to beat Washington State 24-10 and improve to 1-0.
The Huskies didn’t need a track meet to control this one. Demond Williams Jr. carried the offensive load for Washington, finishing with 268 passing yards, 61 rushing yards, one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown. His first score came on a 5-yard QB keeper, giving Washington an early spark in a game where clean, consistent offense was hard to find for either side.
Washington was up 10-0 at halftime even after a goal-line stand left the Huskies with zero points as the clock hit zero in the first half. That kind of sequence summed up a game that never really got loose on offense, but still tilted sharply toward the home team.
The biggest separation came on defense. Washington State couldn’t get much of anything going until the fourth quarter, and the Cougars spent most of the day fighting uphill against a Huskies unit that kept collapsing plays before they could breathe. Wazzu went 0-for-9 on third down and finished with only 228 total yards while Washington forced three turnovers - one fumble and two interceptions.
There were rough edges for Washington too, even in victory. The run game never fully found its rhythm, with the Huskies’ three running backs combining for 76 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries, good for 3.6 yards per attempt.
Still, the Apple Cup belonged to Washington again. The No. 17 Huskies will return to action Saturday against Utah State at Husky Stadium in Seattle.
In Other News...
Lincoln Kienholz Just Gave Louisville Fans A Real QB Debate
The Sunday college football tripleheader gave plenty of reasons to keep an eye on the broader national picture, but for Washington fans, the most relevant takeaway came closer to home with the Apple Cup result. The Huskies handled Washington State 24-10 in a game that was far cleaner on the scoreboard than it was on the field, with Washington piling up 130 penalty yards but still finding enough composure to keep control.
Even with that result in the rearview, the rest of the day offered a reminder that the Huskies are still part of a shifting conversation about what the race around them might look like. Ole Miss got a major performance from Trinidad Chambliss, Notre Dame kept Wisconsins offense in check, and Louisvilles Lincoln Kienholz was strong enough to spark a real quarterback debate in his own building. For Washington, the interest now is less about the outcome of one rivalry game and more about how these kinds of performances shape the path ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Huskies Escape Apple Cup With A Problem Fans Can't Ignore
Washington escaped the 118th Apple Cup with a win, but the 24-10 finish came with enough sloppiness to keep the postgame conversation from feeling particularly celebratory. The Huskies offense was stuck for much of the night before finally finding some rhythm in the fourth quarter, and the teams penalty total - 130 yards worth - made an already uneven performance look even rougher.
Kalen DeBoer had little interest in dressing it up during the game, especially when Washington kept leaving yards on the field near the goal line. For a team that still found a way to beat Washington State, the issue now is not whether the Huskies can point to the final score, but whether they can clean up the kind of mistakes that tend to matter a lot more once the margin gets tighter. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Suddenly Has A Running Back Problem It Cant Ignore
Washingtons backfield took a significant hit in the Apple Cup, when Quaid Carr and Jayden Limar both went down with injuries against Washington State. The timing is rough for a Huskies offense that had been trying to settle into a rhythm, and now the running back room suddenly looks a lot thinner than it did just a week ago.
The immediate challenge is depth, and Washington will have to lean on Trey Cooley, Brian Bonner and a few other backs to keep the position moving forward. Carr is headed for surgery, while both players are expected to miss an extended period, leaving the Huskies to piece together a rotation without knowing exactly when either runner might be available again. [Read more 🡒]