It’s finally here! After an offseason of twists and turns, trials and tribulations, the Huskies will finally hit somebody else for a change! The Apple Cup is first up, and the Huskies will square off against a WSU squad led by Kirby Moore in his first game at the helm! Our staff has their picks below
Andrew Berg (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)Opening the season with the Apple Cup is a strange feeling, but so is facing a Washington State roster that looks less like a P4 team every year. New HC Kirby Moore should help get the passing attack back on track after a dip in that area during the Jimmy Rogers era. QB Caden Pinnick, a transfer from Cal-Davis, has upside. While Rogers took many players with him to Iowa State, the offensive line maintained enough continuity that it should not be a glaring problem area. Overall, the offense looks “functional,” but short on receiving talent and prone to turnovers. The Dawgs’ defense looks exciting and promising. I think Kirby Moore can scheme a few good drives, but I also think the Dawgs can create negative plays and force punts on most drives.
And that’s the better side of the WSU team. Most of what Rogers took away is on the defensive side. Trent Bray, a former Oregon St HC, will run the defense. The Dawgs know that a failed HC can excel by going back to the DC role, so I wouldn’t write off Bray. The defense looks specially prone to opponent run offenses. UW has question marks in the RB stable, but the rotation of backs behind a good offensive line, plus the threat of Demond Williams on the ground should keep drives going. I’m torn on whether UW will cover a spread this big, but I have little doubt about the winner.
Washington 38 – Washington St 17
Raymond Lucas Jr. (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)Opening the season with the Apple Cup is a unique challenge as the Huskies jump right into hate week rather than building up to it. Honestly? I’m a fan of it. Washington has no choice but to come out focused because Washington State will be looking to embarrass the Dawgs and take the coveted trophy back to Pullman. Once this game kicks off, the offseason drama centered around Demond Williams will be in the rear-view mirror. But it still happened, and I’m eager to see if he plays with poise because temptation will be in the air in the shape of big plays downfield as he looks to earn the fanbase back. Playing overly aggressively could lead to turnovers and groans from the stands, so Williams must play it smart. Winning heals all wounds, so just go out there and win. Overall, Washington is the better team by a comfortable margin, and I think the Dawgs will roll to a blowout victory over their bitter rivals. The big positives will be the composure of Williams, the defense’s stellar play, and the arrival of running back Quaid Carr.
Washington-41 Washington State-13
Coach B (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)I’m predicting a big win. Vegas is predicting something like a 38-14 UW victory, and I think we’ll beat that. The staff has been on quoted enough times this week stating their concerns about WSU’s staff and roster turnover being a wildcard in game prep that I’m not expecting a hot start. It was also a 1-score game well into the second half of last year’s game.
However, I’m confident that our talent, experience, and stability will win out in a big way. We’re a bigger, faster, and stronger team than last year and I’m not hearing a lot of optimism from WSU fans on their team.
Even if we suffer a slow start, I’m expecting our advantages to shine through quite a bit earlier this year, and if we ended up with a 35-point win with closer talent on the road last year, it could be a be a rough Sunday for the Cougs.
Washington-52Washington State–13
Mark Schafer (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)The illustrious Apple Cup is first on the agenda for the first time. This Sunday will be important in a lot of ways for the Dawgs. It’ll show whether the offseason flirtation with the transfer portal by Demond Williams will haunt him into the season. It will provide opportunities for Quaid Carr to prove that he’s true RB1 material. It will serve as a test for Ryan Walters’ defense to see if they can carry the momentum from a stout LA Bowl performance last year. It will offer the first glimpse of the unique way Fisch has set up his offensive staff (choosing to eschew an OC entirely, while hiring NFL vet Matt Cavanaugh to be an analyst). And it will offer us fans a chance to see the highly touted first year players (like Kodi Greene and Jeron Jones) up close and in game action for the first time.
I think this will be an easy win, due in part to home field advantage and the talent disparity on display. Both the offensive line and defense as a whole have more experience than their counterparts on the Cougar side, and I believe in Demond Williams’ ability to lead the team and to make the needed plays down the stretch. It will be interesting to see how the pecking order establishes itself among the skill guys, and this game will go a long way in determining that. Though I think it will be an easy win, a slow start won’t surprise me, but expect the talent disparity to show itself in the second half. I don’t see the Dawgs covering, but I would love to be wrong!
Washington-41, Washington State-21
Straight up: Washington-4, Washington State-0
Against The Spread: Washington-2, Washington State-2
Average Score: Washington-43, Washington State-16
Let us know your predictions in the comments! Go Dawgs!