Kirby Moore steps into his first game as Washington State’s head coach with no soft landing. The Cougars open against No. 17 Washington in the 118th Apple Cup, and the setting adds even more bite: primetime coverage on NBC on Sunday afternoon, plus a chance for WSU to beat the Huskies in Seattle for the second straight time.
It’s also the earliest Apple Cup ever played, and that timing gives Washington State one real edge. Washington has almost no film to study on a WSU team with a new head coach, new coordinators, a new quarterback, and fresh starters scattered across both sides of the ball. But being hard to scout doesn’t automatically make an opener easier, especially when that opener comes against a rival that is already trying to find its own rhythm.
If the Cougars are going to pull this off, the first order of business is simple: make life miserable for Demond Williams. The UW quarterback was excellent last season, finishing nearly 70% of his throws with 25 touchdown passes and eight interceptions. He also added 611 rushing yards and six scores, so WSU can’t just sit back and hope he stays contained.
Washington State’s best answer may be the group up front on the EDGE. Vanderbilt transfer Linus Zunk and Idaho transfer Matyus McLain have both developed into real pass-rushing threats for Tren Bray’s defensive front, and that pressure could be the key.
Williams was a different quarterback in UW’s wins last year, throwing 22 touchdowns and only two interceptions in nine victories. In the four losses, though, he managed just three touchdown passes and six picks.
If the Cougars can force him out of rhythm and generate turnovers, they give themselves a shot to quiet the crowd and tilt the game.
The other big priority is far less glamorous but just as important: protecting the football. Moore said that directly after Friday’s scrimmage, when he pointed to the offense’s ball security as the top concern.
"We've got to take care of the football on offense,” Moore said after Friday's scrimmage. “I think that's number one. We have to make sure we do a really good job of that, keeping possession."
That’s not just coach-speak in a rivalry game. Washington State’s offense is new enough that the Cougars are still trying to get it all to click.
Caden Pinnick won the starting quarterback job during camp, and he’s joined by newcomers Darrius Clemons at wide receiver from Oregon State, Tank Hawkins at wide receiver from Florida, and Jack Pederson at tight end from UCLA. With a strong Washington front and secondary waiting, WSU can’t afford the kind of mistakes that put an offense behind the chains and turn an upset bid into a scramble.
And then there’s the danger every underdog knows too well: the one play that blows the whole night open. A pick-six.
A long return on a kickoff or punt. A blocked kick.
A deep ball that flips the sideline and the stadium all at once. Those are the moments that can send a home crowd roaring and make everything feel out of control in a hurry.
Washington State does not need perfection to stay in this game. But the Cougars do need discipline.
Keep Williams uncomfortable, keep the ball away from Washington, and avoid handing the Huskies a momentum-swinging play on special teams. If Pinnick can manage the offense and WSU can stay clean in the hidden parts of the game, Sunday afternoon could get a lot tighter than the home crowd expects.
In Other News...
Washington State Is Bringing Back An Apple Cup Look Fans Trust
Washington State is leaning into a look that already carries a little built-in good feeling. For its upcoming game, the Cougars will wear the same combination they had on in their last Apple Cup victory in 2024, with crimson helmets featuring the white Cougar logo, white jerseys and crimson pants. This years reveal was stripped down compared with previous seasons, but it still had enough style to catch attention, with leading running back Kirby Vorhees serving as the model and music from Tyler, The Creator setting the tone.
For a program that understands how much the Apple Cup means to its fan base, bringing back a familiar uniform combo is more than a cosmetic choice. It taps into a recent memory supporters already trust, while giving the team a clean, no-frills presentation heading into another big stage. Sometimes the message is as simple as showing up in the same colors that worked last time and letting the rest take care of itself. [Read more 🡒]
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 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 🡒]