SEATTLE - Washington State had its chances Sunday in the Apple Cup, and for long stretches the Cougars made No. 17 Washington work for everything.
But every time WSU nudged the game toward a real threat, Demond Williams Jr. and the Huskies had an answer. That was the difference in Washington’s 24-10 win at Husky Stadium.
The decisive blow came late. On a third-and-9, Williams slipped inside as Jeremiah Bernard and D.J.
Warner closed in, turned a collapsing play into a 21-yard scramble, and kept Washington moving. Two snaps later, Jayden Limar finished the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run, pushing the Huskies ahead 24-10 with 2:18 left.
WSU had just trimmed the margin to 17-10 when Jack Stevens hit a 42-yard field goal with 4:30 remaining.
For a defense with no returning starters and a lineup pieced together with transfers and next-man-up players, the Cougars were better than the scoreboard might suggest for most of the afternoon. Washington had the ball deep in WSU territory twice to end the first half and came away empty both times, including a missed 28-yard field goal and a goal-line stop at the horn. On the final play of the half, Limar was stuffed at the doorstep by linebacker Keith Brown.
The Cougars kept finding ways to slow the Huskies down again in the third quarter. WSU forced two quick UW possessions and then got a fourth-and-1 stop when pressure forced Williams into an incompletion at the Cougars’ 38.
The offensive side took longer to get going, and first-time starter Zevi Eckhaus had a rough opening half that included a tipped interception. But he settled in after the break and gave WSU its only touchdown drive of the game.
That series covered 62 yards and ended with Eckhaus scoring on an 11-yard run off a fake pitch, bursting through the middle with 10:15 to play. The drive was set up by his best throw of the day, a 13-yard strike to Daniel Blood between two defenders.
WSU’s best sustained march before that came right after its defense forced a three-and-out. Eckhaus connected with Blood again, this time for 32 yards to the Washington 12, and the Cougars eventually got inside the 10 before the drive stalled.
Stevens lined up for a 27-yard field goal and drilled it, but a delay-of-game penalty wiped out the kick and sent the unit back out. On the second try, the 32-yard attempt went wide right, leaving Washington’s 10-0 lead in place with 6:59 left in the third quarter.
In Other News...
Washington State May Be Without Its Most Dangerous Weapon At Kansas State
Washington State may have to head into its game at Kansas State without one of its most explosive playmakers after wide receiver Tony Freeman suffered a knee injury in the Apple Cup. Coach Kirby Moore said Freeman is trending on being out while the Cougars wait on MRI results, a development that would leave them trying to replace a receiver who has been one of the biggest threats in the passing game and on special teams.
Kirby Moores update at least brought some clarity elsewhere on the roster, with cornerback Jalil Tucker and defensive end Ben Beatty expected to be available. But Freemans status is the one that matters most for an offense that will need other receivers and return men to absorb his workload if he cannot go, and the final medical word will shape how Washington State approaches a difficult road matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Washington State Faces A Huge Receiver Problem Ahead Of Kansas State
Washington State is heading into its matchup with Kansas State with a concern that could reshape the offense for a week. Wide receiver Tony Freeman is likely to miss the game because of a knee injury, according to head coach Kirby Moore, and his exit from the previous game came early enough to raise immediate questions about the Cougars depth at the position.
Freeman was seen on crutches afterward, which adds to the uncertainty around how quickly Washington State can get back to full strength on offense. There is some better news on the injury front, with cornerback Jalil Tucker and defensive end Ben Beatty expected to be available, but the receiver situation leaves the Cougars with a key issue to sort out before they face Kansas State. [Read more 🡒]
WSU Has Two Costly Problems To Fix Before Kansas State
Washington States 24-10 loss to Washington in the Apple Cup left the Cougars with a familiar kind of frustration: too many stalled drives, too many wasted chances and too little margin for error. Coach Moore and quarterback Caden Pinnick both pointed to the same broad issues afterward, with turnovers and special teams adding to the damage in a game that never really gave WSU a chance to settle in.
The most glaring concern is the offenses inability to stay on the field, a problem that showed up against the Huskies and will loom even larger with Kansas State next on the schedule. Add in the kicking-game hiccups, and the Cougars enter the new week knowing the fix is not about one area alone but about cleaning up several parts of the operation before the competition level rises again. [Read more 🡒]