Background information from Wikepedia—The first Apple Cup was played 124 years ago and started out as the final game of the season and scheduled on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Once the season was expanded to 12 games the Apple Cup was rescheduled and held most of the time on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Since 1946 the location of the game has alternated between Alaska Airlines Husky Stadium in Seattle on odd years and Joe Albi Stadium in Pullman on even years. From 1934 through 1939 the winner of the game was awarded the Governor’s Trophy, a bronze shield donated and awarded by Governor Clarence D. Martin who was a graduate of the University of Washington and also the namesake of Pullman’s Martin Stadium. In 1963 the Big Apple Trophy—presented to the winner by Washington’s governor at the end of the game—was donated for the competition by the Washington Apple Commission, emblematic of the state’s national reputation as a major producer of apples. Since then the game has been referred to as the Apple Cup. Like all long-time in-state rivalry games, it’s a big deal with the fans and with Washington moving into the Big Ten fortunately an agreement was reached between the two schools to hold this year’s Apple Cup at a neutral site—Seattle Seahawk’s Lumen Field—and then at Husky Stadium in 2026 and 2028 while out in the Palouse in 2025 and 2027.
It’s half-time as I type this and the game has been terrific with the Cougars leading 17-13. It’s clear that Washington State Sophomore QB John Mateer has decided that he will not let his team lose this one—connecting with three receivers multiple times for 182 yards as well as rushing 7 times for 44 yards and 2 TD’s before the break including a 25 yard run into the end zone sitting 3rd and 20 with just 21 seconds left before the break and the Huskies up 13-10. Washington would close within one on a field goal by their Junior Place Kicker Grady Gross to start the 3rd Qtr to make it 17-16. Six plays and 77 yards later Mateer would connect with John Meredith on a 16 yard TD pass to put the Cougars up 24-to-16. Washington would close to 24-19 on their next possession with another Grady Gross field goal, this one from 43 yards out with time running out in the 3rd Qtr. But that’s as close as they would get as neither would score another point the rest of the way.
For the Cougars, Mateer connected on 17-of-34 for 245 yards, 1 TD to Junior WR Josh Meredith, and 1 interception while also rushing 16 times for 62 yards and both of their TD’s on the ground. In the meantime the Washington State defense did their best to upset the Huskies on offense while picking up 2 sacks and 5 tackles for loss. For Washington, Senior QB Will Rogers connected on 23-of-31 for 314 yards, 1 TD, and no interceptions. On the ground Junior RB Jonah Coleman led the way rushing 14 times for 75 of Washington’s 126 yards on the ground. The Huskies had three opportunities in the fourth quarter to take the lead but each time shot themselves in the foot with penalties all game long—seven in the critical 4th Qtr that either kept Cougar drives alive or shut down their own.
As the AP wrote for ESPN in The Takeaway for the game; “After being fairly clean with penalties the first two games, Washington’s discipline was awful. The Huskies were called for 16 penalties for 135 yards. Several were critical calls that kept drives alive for the Cougars.” Head coach Jedd Fisch had this to say afterwards: “We had 10 more penalties than they did. You usually aren’t going to win when you have that many penalties in a game. I’m very disappointed in the 15-yard penalties we had. We need to be far better there. Again, I take responsibility for that. We’ll be better there. That’s not who we are. That’s not how we play.” Well, it may not be who you are but it is how you played in this one. Both teams start conference play at home this next weekend. Washington State on a short week against Mountain West’s San Jose State on Friday while the Huskies will take on Northwestern.