Washington · Big TenDemond Williams leads Washington to another Apple Cup win
No. 17 Washington beat Washington State 24–10 after 12 penalties kept the opener close into the fourth quarter.
SEP 7, 2026
The Pate State · Editorial IllustrationPenalties committed by Washington
Washington State third-down conversions
Washington’s total-yardage edge
01 · The NewsDemond Williams leads Washington to another Apple Cup win
No. 17 Washington opened its season 1–0 Sunday, Sept. 6, by beating Washington State 24–10 in the Apple Cup, surviving a fourth-quarter scare and retaining the rivalry trophy.
Demond Williams Jr. supplied 329 total yards and two touchdowns. After Caden Pinnick’s 11-yard run cut Washington’s lead to 10–7 with 10:15 left, Williams directed two quick touchdown drives to put the game away.
Washington led 10–0 entering the fourth quarter, then answered the Cougars’ surge with a 75-yard drive. Williams escaped pressure for a 29-yard gain to Chris Lawson, and Washington followed with a 44-yard flea-flicker to Rashid Williams that reached the 1-yard line. Rashid Williams scored on the next play.
After Washington State answered with a field goal, Washington covered 68 yards in just over two minutes. Jayden Limar’s 11-yard touchdown run secured the win.
Williams completed 24 of 35 passes for 268 yards and a touchdown without an interception. He added 61 rushing yards and a 5-yard touchdown run, giving Washington the answer it needed when the offense stopped finishing drives.
The defense created that margin. Washington forced three turnovers, recorded three sacks and held Washington State to 0-for-11 on third down. The Huskies also outgained the Cougars 402–242, despite a scoreless third quarter and the 12-penalty afternoon.
Washington State missed two field goals, and Pinnick threw two interceptions in his first start. Washington hosts Utah State on Saturday, Sept. 12, with the Apple Cup safely back in Seattle but the penalties still demanding Jedd Fisch’s attention.
02 · The StakesWhy It Matters
The Huskies must eliminate the mistakes before Big Ten play begins against Minnesota on Sept. 26. Washington committed 12 penalties for 130 yards and converted only four of 12 third downs, the kind of slippage stronger opponents can punish.
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
The hidden shift is how much less margin Washington created than in the same matchup last season. The Huskies moved from a 59–24 win in 2025 to a three-point game in the fourth quarter on Sept. 6, even while winning total yardage 402–242 and forcing three turnovers. Twelve penalties for 130 yards consumed advantages that should have produced separation.
Washington gets Utah State on Sept. 12 and Eastern Washington on Sept. 19 before Minnesota opens Big Ten play Sept. 26. Then comes a four-game, 21-day stretch through Purdue on Oct. 16.
04 · The Open QuestionsQuestions to Be Answered
Can Washington fix the penalties before Minnesota?
Utah State on Sept. 12 and Eastern Washington on Sept. 19 are the two tests before Minnesota on Sept. 26, followed by USC, Iowa and Purdue. The penalty count in those first two games is the clearest tell: another total near 12 would keep the burden on Williams and a defense that needed three takeaways to control the opener.
05 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Can Washington clean up its penalties?
The Huskies committed 12 penalties for 130 yards, and the penalties were still demanding Jedd Fisch’s attention after the win.
Will the defense keep creating short fields?
Washington forced three turnovers, recorded three sacks and held Washington State to 0-for-11 on third down.