The first nonconference Apple Cup in 60 years went to Washington State football on Saturday.
A late goal-line stand gave the Cougars a 24-19 victory over in-state rival Washington to claim the 116th meeting between the two programs. Quarterback John Mateer led Washington State with a three-touchdown performance as both teams went scoreless in the fourth quarter.
After the game, Washington State coach Jake Dickert was emotional as he lauded his team’s performance and grit.
‘Grit, toughness. I love this team,’ Dickert said as he teared up in his postgame interview. ‘They stayed here for this. Sorry, I am emotional, but I love these guys. They love each other. We said we were going to win this game, not because we hated them, but because we love each other. And that’s what you saw there for four quarters.’
Mateer finished 17 of 34 passing for 245 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He also added 16 rushes for 62 yards and two more scores. It was Mateer’s first start in the Apple Cup. Dickert had this to say of Mateer’s performance:
‘Well, when you win this game as a quarterback, you turn into an immediate legend,’ Dickert said of Mateer. ‘He’s now in the Apple Cup lore. He just does whatever it takes to win, and what I love is that, through every mistake, he never wavered. He just kept bringing it and that’s the gutsy performance we needed.’
Ultimately, it was the Cougars defense that secured the victory. With 1:07 remaining in the game, the Washington State defense was able to stuff Washington running back Jonah Coleman for a 2-yard loss from the WSU 1-yard line to finish off a goal-line stand with the Huskies driving to potentially take the late lead.
‘In that huddle, they never flinched,’ Dickert said. ‘They really didn’t. There was no panic. We said sudden change, we’ve been here before. They leaned on us a little bit, but at the end of the day, it just takes heart and that’s what our guys have.’
Washington now leads the all-time series 76-34-6. The Huskies won the last Pac-12 Conference matchup between the two teams on a field goal to deny the Cougars bowl eligibility. The Huskies finished the season 14-1, losing to Michigan in the College Football Playoff national championship game.
The Cougars picked up their first win over the Huskies since 2021. Dickert was serving as the interim coach for Washington State at the time, helping him finish 3-0 to earn the full-time job for the Cougars.
‘This is going to be 1B to that 1A,’ Dickert said of comparing the games as his favorite football memory. ‘When you see the hard work these kids put in, I am so damn proud of them. This was a gutsy performance against a really good football team.’