Washington State is rolling into Sunday’s Apple Cup with a familiar look - the same uniform combination it wore the last time it beat Washington in 2024, and the same one it had on in the narrow loss to heavily favored Ole Miss last season.
For the 1 p.m. matchup on NBC, the Cougars will be in crimson helmets with the white Cougar logo, white jerseys and crimson pants. It’s the first uniform reveal of the Kirby Moore era, and WSU clearly isn’t shy about going back to a setup that’s already been tied to one win over UW.
The numbers behind the gear tell an interesting story, too. Last season, Washington State went 1-4 in crimson helmets, with losses to Washington, Ole Miss, Virginia and Oregon State, and a win over Oregon State.
In white jerseys, the Cougars were 1-5, falling to North Texas, Ole Miss, Virginia, Oregon State and James Madison while beating Utah State. With crimson pants, Wazzu finished 2-3, picking up wins over San Diego State and Oregon State and losing to UW, Ole Miss and James Madison.
Kirby Vorhees was the face of the reveal this week, a notable shift from last year, when he wasn’t used at all. He’s one of only four uniform models returning from last season’s group, along with running backs Maxwell Woods and Leo Pulalasi, linebacker Isaiah Hung and safety Kyle Peterson.
Vorhees, a 5-11, 215-pound fourth-year from Lutz, Fla., was Washington State’s top back this season. He ran 138 times for 576 yards, averaged 4.2 per carry and scored five touchdowns, while also catching 19 passes for 125 hashes. By the middle of the season, he had fully taken over the lead role in the backfield.
That makes him a logical choice to front the first look of the year, especially with Vorhees projected to be one of the Cougars’ top players in 2026. He’s expected to be WSU’s starting running back on Sunday, though Woods and Pulalasi are also expected to be part of the mix.
This year’s rollout was a little cleaner and simpler, with Vorhees posing in several spots against a green screen. That was a change from last season’s darker lighting and the 2024 reveals, which mostly took place out in the wheat fields.
The reveal also came with music in the background: “IGOR’S THEME” by Tyler, The Creator.
In Other News...
Washington State Fans Are About To See A Very Different Pac-12
Washington State fans heading into the new college football season are going to see a Pac-12 that looks and feels a lot different on television. The conference announced a slate of changes designed to make game coverage more open and more accessible, from the launch of Pac-12 Field Pass with micd-up content during games to broader access to the replay-review process, complete with on-air explanations.
The league also unveiled a new officiating communications policy aimed at increasing transparency, along with media partnerships that will put all home games on national linear television. Bowl affiliations were laid out too, and player availability reports will now be released publicly before games, adding another layer of information for fans trying to follow every detail of a week in the league. [Read more 🡒]
Washington States Upset Hopes Ride On One Early Apple Cup Test
Kirby Moores first game as Washington States head coach comes with little runway and plenty of noise, because the Cougars open with the Apple Cup against Washington on Sunday in a primetime NBC spotlight. It is a rare kind of debut: a rivalry game, on a national stage, with Washington State trying to sort through a new coach, new coordinators, a new quarterback and a roster full of fresh starters all at once.
For the Cougars to have any real upset chance, the formula is clear even if the task is steep. They need to get pressure on the quarterback, take care of the football and keep the Huskies from landing the kind of big plays that can turn a rivalry game fast. Washington also brings an established offense into the matchup, which only raises the urgency for Washington State to settle in quickly if it wants Moores opener to become more than just a measuring-stick night. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Faces Its First Real Road Test With Oregon Looming
Washington States womens volleyball team is about to find out a lot more about itself as the 2026 season shifts out of the comfort of home. After opening 3-0 and leaning on a roster that mixes six returners from last year with 10 transfers and a freshman, the Cougars are heading into their first road trip with a neutral-site stop first before the schedule turns to a familiar Pac-12-type measuring stick in Oregon.
The weekend opens against LIU in a matchup that gives Washington State a different kind of challenge, one it has never seen before. Then comes the more anticipated test against Oregon, a game that should draw a wider audience and give the Cougars an early read on where they stand when the competition starts looking more like the kind they will be chasing all fall. [Read more 🡒]