The Washington Huskies haven’t had trouble moving the ball in their first year under coach Jedd Fisch, averaging 435.9 yards per game, good for No. 32 in the nation. However, they’ve had a significant amount of struggles on third down, moving the chains at a meager 36.96 percent, which ranks No. 99 out of 134 FBS teams.
That could be due to a variety of issues, including offensive line struggles, players running routes, and play-calling. With the USC Trojans coming to town, who have been one of the country’s best third-down defenses, allowing a 30.48 percent conversion rate, Fisch and quarterback Will Rogers have to find a way to make some fixes to the offense quickly after managing just 4 conversions on 14 attempts across third and fourth down against Indiana.
Knowing how shorthanded USC is on defense, Washington has to be able to avoid three-and-outs, keeping the Trojan defense on the field for a lot of snaps. It’s not just a matter of scoring seven points instead of three, though that is the most important aspect of third-down conversions. Being able to control the ball and dominate time of possession will likely enable one team to win this game. USC can’t allow Washington to win the third-down battle.
This is indeed a likely indicator of Saturday’s winner, especially if turnovers are even.
Get Huskies Wire’s scouting report on USC before the Trojans take on Washington in Seattle on Saturday afternoon.
USC football goes to Seattle to face the Washington Huskies. UW Huskies Wire has a scouting report on the Trojans. Here’s a little taste:
Despite this season’s rushing success, USC wants to throw the ball. Quarterback Miller Moss has thrown 314 passes this season, completing 66 percent of them for 2,285 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. The Trojans run many of the Air Raid staples Riley became known for at Oklahoma, designing plays to get their dynamic receivers in space as often as possible.
Defensive coordinator Steve Belichick said as much on Tuesday, telling the media “I think they attack space really well. They have really good athletes, really good skill players. It always starts up front with the line. But once they get the ball in space, which I think their scheme does a really good job of that, whether it’s short, intermediate, or deep, by the sidelines or in the middle of the field, however they find space, which they usually do. Once they get the ball into the hands of their athletes, they usually get yards. Tough offense to defend.”
There’s a lot more meat on the bone in this article, which offers a very helpful in-depth preview of USC-Washington. Follow us and UW Huskies Wire for coverage over the weekend.
Once again, USC and Washington are not good heading into a game between the two schools. These powers can’t seem to create epic matchups on a regular basis.
USC football and Washington football are two robust brand names in the world of West Coast football. Both fan bases are united in really hating Oregon. Both schools are also unique in that they have the two highest Rose Bowl appearance counts of any West Coast schools. USC has played in 34 Rose Bowls. Washington is second among West Coast schools — fourth overall (behind Michigan and Ohio State) — with 15 Rose Bowl appearances. These are two storied programs. Yet, their Week 10 meeting in Seattle has zero buzz. Both teams are 4-4 and going nowhere. The unsexy nature of this Saturday’s game underscores a basic point we noted earlier this year:
The USC-Washington Pac-12 football rivalry has a point of commonality with the USC-Oregon football matchup. Very simply, Trojans-Huskies has rarely featured both programs at the height of their powers at the same time. Usually, both schools took turns being great. When one school was elite, the other fell off the pace.
When Washington won the national title in the early 1990s, USC wasn’t very good. When Pete Carroll built USC into a dynasty in the 2000s, Washington wasn’t good. When Washington had a run of success under Rick Neuheisel just before the Carroll era, USC was struggling. There haven’t been many long periods of time in which both schools were good. They were both good in 2016 and 2017, but that was just a two-year run.
We would love it if Washington and USC were both great at the same time. Why? It would be bad for Oregon.
If USC does not beat Washington this coming Saturday in Seattle, the Trojans will be vulnerable to negative recruiting in a powerful way. This game matters.
The USC football team technically does play a road game later in the month of November at UCLA. However, we all know that playing UCLA is not really a road game. Plenty of USC fans will go to Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Stadium to cheer on the Trojans in the Battle of Los Angeles. The crowd will be split between Trojan fans and Bruin fans. There is only one “true” road game left for USC in 2024, and that’s on Saturday against Washington in Seattle.
The stakes are not high in the sense that USC is not playing for a big bowl bid or a Big Ten title. However, there is something very important on the line for USC. The Trojans are trying to save face and avoid supreme humiliation and embarrassment.
How so? It’s actually very simple. USC beat LSU on a neutral field and has scored wins at home against Utah State, Wisconsin, and Rutgers. Notice something? USC doesn’t yet have a true road win. Given that the UCLA “road” game is essentially a neutral-site game, for which USC does not have to travel more than a very short bus ride across town, Washington is the last chance for USC to leave the state of California, play a football game, and win in an opposing team’s stadium. USC’s bowl game will be a neutral-site clash.
This game at Washington is a final opportunity to win a road game and avoid a scenario which will be used against Lincoln Riley in recruiting.
“See those soft clowns at USC? They couldn’t win a single road game in 2024! You don’t want to play for them! Come here and win a national championship with us!”
This is what USC football is playing to avoid on Saturday in Husky Stadium. It’s time to win a road game. It’s time to show some backbone.
UCLA’s game against Oregon just got a lot more interesting with a recruit coming to the Rose Bowl.
The 2024 UCLA Bruins are trying to keep pace in the Big Ten and improve this season. After a troubling loss to Indiana to open conference play, the Bruins are set to host a three-star recruit later this month at the Rose Bowl.
Kenneth Moore III is a three-star wide receiver from St. Mary’s High School in Stockton, California. Moore III, who will visit Stanford, San Diego State, Oregon State, and Washington this fall, has received offers from SEC, Big Ten, and ACC programs.
According to Brandon Huffman of 247Sports (subscription required), Moore III will visit the Bruins at home against Big Ten foe Oregon on September 28th. As if the Bruins were not already feeling the pressure this season, their game against #9 Oregon has added implications in recruiting.
If the Bruins fall flat in their performance at home, Moore III’s view of the program could plummet. That said, with a strong performance against a top-tier team in their conference, head coach DeShaun Foster and the Bruins could do a lot of good in their recruiting battle.
So in Week 3, Oregon is playing Oregon State, Utah is playing Utah State, Pitt and West Virginia are facing off in the Backyard Brawl and, of course, Washington is taking on Washington State.
The latest chapter of the Apple Cup rivalry will be played in Seattle at Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks. But with the Huskies now in the Big Ten — Washington State and Oregon State make up what’s left of the Pac-12 for now — the future of the Apple Cup may be in jeopardy. But not for a few years.
So ahead of Washington versus Washington State in the 2024 Apple Cup, let’s break down where we’re at and how we got here.
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What’s the history of the Apple Cup rivalry between Washington and Washington State?
Nov. 23, 2012; Pullman, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars defensive tackle Steven Hoffart (94) holds up the Apple Cup after a game against Washington Huskies at Martin Stadium. The Cougars would go onto beat the Huskies by a final score of 31-28 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-US PRESSWIRE
Saturday’s Week 3 game will mark the 116th Apple Cup matchup between Washington and Washington State.
The series first kicked off in 1900, and the first game ended in a thrilling 5-5 tie. However, the two didn’t play for the Apple Cup trophy until 1963; they initially played for the Governor’s Trophy from 1931 through 1962, per the Huskies’ website.
Who’s winning the Apple Cup series?
Nov 29, 2019; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Jacob Eason (10) carries the Apple Cup trophy after a win against the Washington State Cougars at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
That wasn’t the only tie. Washington and Washington State have tied six times over the years, but overall, the Huskies have dominated the series and lead it with a 76-33-6 record.
Washington is on a two-game winning streak in this rivalry after winning 24-21 last season. The Huskies’ longest Apple Cup winning streak was 10 games from 2009 to 2019, while the Cougars’ longest was three games from 1917 to 1921 (games weren’t played in 1918 and 1920).
When is the 2024 Apple Cup and why is it in September?
Nov 23, 2018; Pullman, WA, USA; IWashington State Cougars quarterback Gardner Minshew (16) is introduced before a football game against the Washington Huskies at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
The 2024 Apple Cup matchup between Washington and Washington State is Saturday, September 14 at 3:30 p.m. ET on Peacock.
The mid-September Apple Cup date is the earliest on the schedule of all 116 games with the majority being in November. According to the Huskies, the Apple Cup became the standard regular-season finale in 1949 with a small handful of exceptions in relatively recent years.
And, of course, it’s in September partly as the result of conference realignment. With Washington now in its first Big Ten season, the Apple Cup is a nonconference matchup for the teams, so it’s earlier in the season while most conference games are scheduled later.
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How many more years will the Apple Cup continue?
Nov 25, 2016; Pullman, WA, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Chris Petersen hands off the the Apple Cup Trophy after a game against the Washington State Cougars after a game at Martin Stadium. The Huskies won 45-17. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Fear not: the Apple Cup will be back at least for a few more years. With Washington’s departure for the Big Ten, there was a lot of uncertainty about whether or not this rivalry — and several others outside the Evergreen State — would continue.
But last November, the Huskies and Cougars agreed to a five-year extension of the Apple Cup to ensure the in-state rivalry carries on through at least the 2028 college football season.
While this year’s game is at Lumen Field, it will return to campuses in 2025 and 2027 in Pullman and 2026 and 2028 at Husky Stadium in Seattle.
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Kalen DeBoer has coached at plenty of schools prior to Alabama. Where are they?
Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer will make his very first appearance with the Crimson Tide on Saturday as the team opens its season against Western Kentucky at home.
Coming over from a two-year stint at Washington where he took that team to a national championship this past winter, it’s worth looking at DeBoer’s journey to one of the biggest coaching jobs in college football at Alabama
Before coaching Washington, DeBoer worked as the head coach at Fresno State from 2020-21 after working at the school as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2017-18.
He spent a season at Indiana as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2019 before returning to Fresno State to take over the program.
He played college football at Sioux Falls as a wide receiver and coached that position group for the school in 1997. After a couple of years in high school football in South Dakota, he returned to Sioux Falls as its offensive coordinator from 2000-04 before becoming its head coach from 2005-09.
He spent 2010-13 as Southern Illinois’ offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach then coached at Eastern Michigan as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2014-16.
After taking over at Washington as its head coach in 2022, he had the Huskies ready to compete for a national title game last season. He is 104-11 as a head coach.
Now, he’ll replace Nick Saban and try to bring another title to Alabama’s hallowed hall of accomplishments.
Three-star Oregon defensive lineman Dominic Macon committed to the Huskies Tuesday morning, their seventh commit of the week.
Washington needs to bottle whatever was in the water during last weekend’s official visits.
The Huskies earned a seventh commitment from the group of 16 recruits that spent the weekend on campus on Tuesday morning when three-star defensive lineman Dominic Macon pledged to Washington on X (formerly Twitter).
Rated as the No. 8 best player in Oregon by 247Sports despite not being ranked on the 247Sports Composite rankings, Macon stands at 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds. He picked up an offer from Washington after a strong showing at their Top Dawg camp two weeks ago, turning that into a visit and a commitment in what ended up being a whirlwind recruitment. His other FBS offers were from Washington State, Oregon State, and Boise State.
“Initially, I was going to wait until after my season to make a decision and announce my commitment,” Macon told 247Sports’ Brandon Huffman. “My visit was a phenomenal experience. There’s not a single thing I didn’t like or enjoy when I was visiting. One thing that stood out was the genuine character of all the coaches and their conviction to achieve and instill greatness into all of the players. I loved that.”
Washington is now up to 14 commitments for the 2025 class, six of whom are on the defensive side. All six of those players have committed this month.
Four-star edge rusher CJ May included Washington in his final four schools on Monday as his recruitment approaches a close.
Four-star edge rusher CJ May announced his top four schools on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, including Washington in the group of programs still in the running for his commitment.
May is the no. 24 edge recruit in the country according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He was previously committed to Notre Dame, but decommitted in February. His final four this time around are Louisville, Syracuse, Auburn, and Washington.
Mississippi, which received a 247Sports crystal ball to land May, was not included.
A commitment from May would extend Washington’s recent recruiting momentum to the defensive side of the ball. The Huskies earned three commitments over the weekend with wide receiver Dezmen Roebuck, linebacker Donovan Robinson, and edge rusher Victor Sanchez Hernandez who all committed on Sunday.
Four-star tight end Baron Naone added a commitment on Monday morning.
With Sanchez Hernandez and Devin Hyde committed, Washington has two edge rushers in the 2025 class. But they still have plenty of space to take a third, especially if it’s a player of May’s caliber.
The Huskies do not have a pass rusher in the 2024 class – Noah Carter decommitted to follow Kalen DeBoer to Alabama and Ratumana Bulabalavu went to USC. The two 2023 rushers, Jacob Lane and Miami transfer Jayden Wayne, burned their redshirts as true freshmen last year.
May is currently set to announce his commitment on July 13.
Washington extended an offer to 2026 quarterback Jonas Williams, a rising prospect who also holds offers from Oregon and Alabama.
Washington is the latest school to get in on the recruitment of Jonas Williams. The 2026 quarterback is the No. 8 ranked passer in the 247Sports Composite and the No. 1 player in all of Illinois. Williams also holds offers from Ohio State, Oregon, LSU, Oklahoma, and Alabama, among others.
He spent his first two seasons at Bolingbrook High School in Illinois, throwing for 2,737 yards and 37 touchdowns as a freshman and 3,196 yards and 33 touchdowns as a sophomore. Following the season, he transferred to Lincoln-Way East, who have 2025 three-star recruits committed to MAC programs at running back and tight end.
At 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Williams is a bit of a deviation from Jedd Fisch’s usual type at quarterback. Fisch has relied primarily on smaller, more mobile passers at Arizona with Jayden de Laura and Noah Fifita. He also brought Demond Williams, a previous Arizona commit listed at 5-foot-11, 187-pounds, with him to Montlake as the heir apparent at quarterback.
But Fisch has shown a willingness to offer big-time recruits at quarterback in his short time with the Huskies, even with Demond in the fold. Washington has now offered five of the top ten quarterbacks in the 2026 class, per 247Sports’ composite rankings.
Only one of those players, No. 4 quarterback Dia Bell of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is committed to a school, after recently his pledge to coach Steve Sarkisian and Texas.
The Huskies have also offered Ryder Lyons of Jake Browning’s alma mater Folsom High School, four-star Brady Smigiel of Newbury Park, California, and Narbonne quarterback Jaden O’Neal in addition to Williams.
