By The Seattle Medium
The Washington State Cougars reclaimed the Apple Cup trophy on Saturday, defeating the University of Washington Huskies 24-19 behind quarterback John Mateer’s three total touchdowns and a game-saving goal-line stand by their defense in the final moments of the game. This victory marks the Cougars’ third Apple Cup win since 2008.
Mateer led the way for Washington State (3-0) with two rushing touchdowns and a 16-yard scoring pass to Josh Meredith. His efforts, coupled with a critical defensive stop on a fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line with just 1:07 remaining, secured the hard-fought win over the Huskies (2-1).
Washington quarterback Will Rogers had a strong outing, throwing for 314 yards and a touchdown, while Washington receiver Giles Jackson caught eight passes for 162 yards, including a 31-yard TD in the first quarter. Jackson’s performance gave him his second career 100-yard game, with 101 yards coming in the first half alone. Despite their offensive output, the Huskies were forced to settle for field goals on three trips inside the Cougars’ 25-yard line, a factor that proved decisive.
“It’s never fun losing, especially to a rival, and just kind of feeling the pressure of the success some of my other teammates have had,” said Rogers after the game. “I want to win, that’s all I really care about.”
The turning point of the game came at the end of the first half. Mateer broke free for a 25-yard touchdown run on third-and-20, capping a 91-yard drive and giving Washington State a 17-13 lead. That momentum carried into the second half, where Mateer’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Meredith extended the lead to 24-16 in the third quarter. Mateer finished the day with 245 passing yards and 62 rushing yards.
“We let up seven points on third-and-20 and we didn’t score on fourth-and-1 at the 1,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said. “That’s the story.”
The Huskies had one last chance to snatch victory late in the fourth quarter. After Rogers connected with Jackson for a 45-yard gain, Washington reached the Cougars’ 10-yard line. On third-and-goal, Denzel Boston was pushed out at the 1, setting up a pivotal fourth-and-goal. Washington called an option play to the short side of the field, but Cougars defensive lineman Andrew Edson and his teammates were ready.
“They’re not really a speed option team, for them to run that I was kind of surprised,” Edson said. “But, you know, we stopped it.”
Jonah Coleman, who had 75 yards on 14 carries, was stopped for a 2-yard loss on the play. Washington State took over on downs, clinching the victory and reclaiming the Apple Cup.
Washington kicker Grady Gross converted all four of his field goal attempts, setting career highs with makes from 44, 42, 24, and 43 yards. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome Washington State’s resilience. The Huskies’ loss also ended their streak of 20 consecutive regular-season wins, which tied the longest such streak in school history.
After being fairly clean with penalties the first two games, Washington’s discipline was awful. The Huskies were called for 16 penalties — third-most in school history — for 135 yards. Several were critical calls that kept drives alive for the Cougars.
The Huskies open Big Ten play hosting Northwestern next Saturday at 4 p.m., while the Cougars will host San Jose State on Friday.
