The cleanest path for Washington State in Sunday’s Apple Cup starts where games like this often tilt: up front.
If the Cougars are going to hang around with No. 17 Washington, they need Matyus McLain and Linus Zunk to make life miserable for Husky quarterback Demond Williams Jr.
That’s the matchup worth circling. McLain, an Idaho transfer, and Zunk, who came over from Vanderbilt, emerged during spring ball and fall camp as two of the most disruptive pieces on the WSU defense, using length and athleticism to create steady pressure.
But Sunday is a different test entirely. They’ll be working against UW tackles Kodi Greene, a five-star true freshman, and Drew Azzopardi, a fifth-year senior in his 33rd college game.
If McLain and Zunk can get to Williams and force him off his spot, Washington State’s defense has a real chance to produce the kind of disruption that changes a game - maybe even a turnover or two. If they can’t, the Huskies’ offense could make it a long afternoon for the Cougars.
The other part of the formula is less flashy but just as important: WSU has to run the ball. A productive ground game would do two things at once.
It would chew clock and limit the time Washington’s offense has the ball, while also easing the burden on Cougar quarterback Caden Pinnick. That matters because Pinnick is walking into a tough setting for his first Apple Cup start.
Last season, at Husky Stadium with UC Davis, he opened with an 8-for-16 passing line for 50 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Pinnick may have more talent around him now, but this is still a demanding assignment for a redshirt sophomore facing a UW defense that should be ready for him. If running backs Kirby Vorhees and Maxwell Woods can give WSU some real production - and if the offensive line can create movement - Pinnick won’t have to force the issue early.
Washington, though, has plenty of ways to control this game. The most obvious one runs through its defense, which gets a shot to make Pinnick’s Cougar debut a rough one. WSU’s offense had its share of uneven moments during fall camp, and even if those get cleaned up before kickoff, it’s not an ideal setup against a Huskies defense that brings back 11 players who started games last fall.
In Ryan Walters’ 4-2-5 scheme, Washington’s linebacker group could be a major problem for the Cougars. Jacob Manu, Xe’ree Alexander and Zaydrius Rainey-Sale give UW a chance to field one of the nation’s better linebacker units, with former Cougar Buddah Al-Uqdah also in the mix. Pinnick will also need to keep track of safety Alex McLaughlin, who intercepted two passes in last year’s Apple Cup.
One number tells part of Pinnick’s challenge: 87.1. That was his Pro Football Focus passing grade against the blitz last season at UC Davis.
On Sunday, he’s likely to see real heat in the pocket again. The question is whether he can handle that pressure as well against Washington as he did a year ago.
And for Washington State, the biggest swing factor may be the simplest one: can the defense create a turnover or two? As about 24.5-point underdogs, the Cougars need things to break their way. If McLain and Zunk can force Williams into mistakes, that might be the quickest route to making this one interesting.
WSU defensive tackle Kaden Beatty said it best: “I’m a Coug now, through and through. It’s in my blood.
I bleed crimson and gray. So now, just having this rivalry is just something that I’m thrilled to be a part of.
And now, I’m gonna be immersed in history with some of the other greats that have went through this building, these walls, and so I couldn’t be more excited and more fired up.”
In Other News...
Washington State Just Got A Rare College GameDay Honor
College GameDay marked its 500th on-the-road episode during the 2026 season opener with a familiar piece of Washington State history front and center. Host Rece Davis used the milestone broadcast to unveil the College GameDay Hall of Fan, and the first induction went to Ol' Crimson, the Cougars flag that has become one of the show's most recognizable traditions.
For Washington State fans, it was the kind of nod that carries real meaning because Ol' Crimson's run has stretched across more than two decades and well over 300 episodes. The flag has turned up in all sorts of places over the years, and its long journey eventually included a 2018 stop on the Washington State campus, making this latest honor feel like a full-circle moment for a program that has long claimed the flag as its own. [Read more 🡒]
Apple Cup Tradition Just Took A Hit WSU Fans Will Notice
The Apple Cup carried a different feel this year, and Washington State fans noticed it before the second half even got underway. The Cougars band did not take part in the halftime show, breaking a long-standing tradition that has been part of the rivalrys rhythm for years. Washington State officials said the change came down to logistical and experiential concerns, while both schools have been dealing with the practical realities of moving a full band to a road game in an increasingly expensive college sports landscape.
Washington pointed to Big Ten conference rules and cost considerations as part of the explanation, underscoring how much even a classic rivalry has to bend to modern travel and budget constraints. Both schools have acknowledged the financial and operational strain around band travel and placement at games, but the absence of Washington States band was still a noticeable shift for a matchup built on pageantry as much as points. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Faces One Apple Cup Test That Could Change Everything
Washington State heads into the upcoming Apple Cup with a different look on both sides of the ball, but one of the more notable changes is up front on defense. Kaden Beatty is now a starter for the Cougars after working as a backup in last years rivalry game, giving WSU a more established presence in the middle as it tries to handle a Washington offense led again by quarterback Demond Williams Jr. The Huskies are bringing back Williams Jr. to guide a revamped attack, which puts extra weight on how well the Cougars can control the line of scrimmage.
Caden Pinnick will also be stepping into a new role for Washington State, making his first start for the Cougars in a game that already carries plenty of attention. Pinnick has been in a big-game setting before, though not in this uniform, and WSU will need him to settle in quickly if it wants to keep pace in a matchup where both teams are adjusting to new pieces. For the Cougars, the stakes are obvious: a rivalry game, a new quarterback, and a defense expected to answer a familiar challenge in a different way. [Read more 🡒]