Washington State left the Apple Cup with a 24-10 loss to No. 17 Washington, but the opener still offered a useful first look at what first-year head coach Kirby Moore has on his hands. The Cougars didn’t get the result they wanted, yet there were clear signs of promise on defense and a few glaring issues that need to be fixed fast before Kansas State arrives next.
The most encouraging part of the day was the defense. Against a Washington offense that came in with plenty of hype, WSU looked sturdy and disruptive. The Huskies went just 4-for-12 on third down and failed on both fourth-down tries, including a big fourth-and-1 stop at the goal line that helped keep the game within 10 points at halftime.
That unit also handled the run well and repeatedly pushed Washington into third-and-long. That stood out even more because of the size of Washington’s offensive line, which is among the biggest the Cougars will see all season. If WSU can keep squeezing teams into bad down-and-distance spots and keep the run game in check, this defense could end up being one of the better groups in the Pac-12.
Offensively, though, the third-down work was a mess. Washington State went 0-for-9, with four runs, one interception and four dropbacks among those chances. Two of the dropbacks ended in sacks, and the play calling was split pretty evenly between five passes and four runs on those snaps.
Kirby Moore pointed to early downs after the game, and the numbers back that up. The average third-down distance was 6.9 yards, and not a single one of the nine attempts came from closer than 3 yards.
Eight of them came with 4 yards or more needed, which put the offense behind the chains over and over again. WSU has to do a better job creating manageable situations on first and second down if it wants those third-down numbers to change.
Special teams also came in with a reputation to protect and didn’t quite live up to it. The Cougars missed two field goals, one from 52 yards and another from 32.
The first appeared to be affected by a high snap, which threw off the kick. The second miss came after Jack Stevens had already drilled a 27-yarder that was wiped out by a delay of game penalty.
Those kinds of mistakes can’t keep piling up.
The return game had issues, too. Tony Freeman, WSU’s star punt returner, was injured in the first quarter before he could make an impact. Without him, the Cougars had two punt returns and one kickoff return dropped, and the whole return unit finished with just 8 yards.
That uncertainty around Freeman’s status makes special teams a major area to monitor moving forward.
Even beyond the X’s and O’s, the Apple Cup itself still felt like something bigger. The tailgating scene before kickoff, with Cougars and Huskies mixed together, was a reminder of how much this game matters around the state of Washington. The rivalry still has real pull, and the fact that it was chosen as a standalone game on NBC only reinforced that point.
With the future of the matchup still unclear, losing the Apple Cup entirely would be a real shame. College football keeps changing, but games like this are part of what gives the sport its edge. However things shake out, there should be a way for Washington and Washington State to keep meeting every year.
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 🡒]