One win does not undo months, years or even generations of heartbreak. But for Washington State in its 24-19 Apple Cup victory over rival Washington, there is significance that transcends a single result.
Cougars head coach Jake Dickert described the preparation for Saturday’s 116th installment as beginning nine months ago—a reference to the 115th Apple Cup. In that game, Washington State crossed into Huskies territory late in the fourth quarter of a 21-21 tie.
A Cougars win would have likely denied Washington a place in the College Football Playoff. Washington State also needed the upset victory to achieve bowl eligibility. However, a holding penalty stalled the Cougars’ drive, and an injured Michael Penix Jr. led a gutsy, game-winning drive for Washington.
Penix strengthened his case to be a Heisman Trophy finalist; the Huskies defeated Oregon in what was then believed to be the final Pac-12 Championship Game and the Cougars fell short of bowl eligibility.
The 2023 Apple Cup was quintessential “Cougin’ It.”
For those unfamiliar with the concept of Cougin’ It, it’s a simple way of describing the gut-wrenching ways in which Washington State teams have lost in big moments over the years.
Officials denying Ryan Leaf and Co. their last-second snap in the 1998 Rose Bowl? A snowstorm grounding Gardner Minshew in the 2018 Apple Cup, denying Washington State a shot at the Pac-12 title and potential playoff contention? Penix’s heroics in 2023?
Different seasons, unique eras and three examples of Cougin’ It.
And while various game results suggest the Washington State program has been snakebitten, that pales in comparison to the Cougars being left without a real home following last year’s exodus of former Pac-12 counterparts to various conferences.
Washington State joined Oregon State in football purgatory, members of the world’s first two-team conference. Dickert made light of the situation in his postgame statements on Saturday, joking that Washington State might “retire this (Apple Cup) trophy.”
“I think it’s the Pac-12 trophy,” he quipped. “I think it might stay in our place for a long time. We’ll bring a new one next year.”
Conditions were ripe for another entry into the unfortunate history of Cougin’ It on Saturday. John Mateer’s touchdown run before halftime gave Washington State a 17-13 lead that it never relinquished but could not extend to more than eight points in the second half.
A scoreless stalemate in the fourth quarter with the Cougars leading by five points set the stage perfectly: Washington taking possession with 3:40 left. Will Rogers connected with Giles Jackson for a 45-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage.
A methodical Huskies push into the red zone and toward the goal line chewed up yards and clock simultaneously. The underdog story was fun while it lasted, but this is Big Ten football.
Instead, Washington State’s defense stood strong at the goal line. Andrew Edson’s hit on Rogers forced an option pitch to Jonah Coleman, with Coleman having nowhere to go but into another Cougars senior, Kyle Thornton.
The Pac-12 outmuscled the Big Ten. How about that?
“Being from Washington, I can’t tell you how much this win means to me,” said Edson, a senior and native of Snoqualmie. “Growing up, I always wanted to play in this game. You’re always thinking it might be your time. The play came to me, and it was amazing.”
The winning play coming from a veteran who was with Washington State when it last won the Apple Cup — 2021, the Cougars’ first win over the Huskies in nine years — underscores Dickert’s message about the game’s significance.
“We’re at such a critical time for Washington State football,” he said. “If you can’t get behind this team in this moment, at this time, I just don’t know what else we can do. These guys stayed here for this, for this moment.”
The 2024 Apple Cup does not erase the heartache Washington State football endured before it. The win does, however, begin a new chapter on a positive note.
Some of the uncertainty looming over Washington State since the summer of 2023 broke earlier in the week with current Mountain West Conference members Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State announcing they will join the Cougars and Oregon State in 2026.
The road to a full rebuild is long, but these are important steps. Every win Washington State can secure over opponents from the power leagues in the meantime adds credibility to the century-old, fledgling conference’s argument for inclusion as automatic playoff qualifiers.
And while the playoff fates of both Washington State and the Pac-12 are very much unclear, the Cougars can take solace in staking claim to at least one trophy they may never have to give back.
