Husky Football Halftime Observations From Washington’s Home Game Against Washington State, September 6th, 2026
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Much like the noise surrounding the game, from the controversy around the WSU band not attending to whether or not the rivalry will continue in the years ahead, the first half of the 118th Apple Cup between the Washington State Cougars and 17th-ranked Washington Huskies has been incredibly sloppy. Neither offense has looked in sync, and both teams have made mistakes in nearly every facet of the game. Mix in some first-game-of-the-season gaffes around the stadium (Long lines leading up to kickoff of the game, public address announcer and referee microphones talking over each other), and you have a headache of an Apple Cup to start the 2026 season.
Pictures of the Washington Huskies defense through the first half of the Apple Cup against the Washington State Cougars on Sunday, September 6th, 2026, at Husky Stadium. (Photos by Eddie Barcenas for Circling Seattle Sports)
Husky D gets gashed to begin first drive, settles in
The first drive of the game went to Washington State’s offense, and they were able to rip off a few chunks to get to the other side of the field in a quick order. The Cougar offense made it to the 34-yard line before the Husky defense locked things down, and an awkward-looking field goal attempt didn’t get anywhere near the goalposts, resulting in an empty drive for Washington State.
Outside of that rough first drive that certainly should’ve resulted in points for the Cougars, the Washington defense has looked pretty strong in the first half, as was expected throughout fall camp. The Huskies forced three punts and two turnovers (One interception and a forced fumble) out of the Cougar offensive unit, and it’s not like the Washington State offense has played well but hasn’t caught a break, which is similar to Washington, and we’ll talk about that shortly.
One last note on the defense for the Huskies: first-year defensive back Jeron Jones recorded the interception previously mentioned, which is fun to see considering how strong of a fall camp he had.
Washington Husky cornerback Jeron Jones celebrates his interception in front of the student section during the first half of the Apple Cup against the Washington State Cougars on Sunday, September 6th, 2026, at Husky Stadium. (Photos by Eddie Barcenas for Circling Seattle Sports)
Washington offense looks clunky early
The first quarter of this contest was incredibly ugly for both offenses, but the Husky offense, in particular, looked disjointed on its first few drives. Penalties, missed connections in the passing game, and little room to run on the ground have left this game up to improvisation and field goal attempts, including one miss from Tyler Robles in the middle of the second quarter. Undisciplined penalties held back one of the Huskies' better drives later in the first quarter, adding to the mess.
The passing game has been out of sync, with Demond Williams Jr. failing to connect with his receivers on a few deep balls and not much getting open regardless when Washington looks through the air. On the ground, there hasn’t been much space for any of the Husky running backs to hit, and it appears that Quaid Carr may be out after heading to the locker room early. There’s been a good amount of talk about this Washington offensive line, but so far we’re not seeing much production to begin the year.
Pictures of the Washington Huskies offense through the first half of the Apple Cup against the Washington State Cougars on Sunday, September 6th, 2026, at Husky Stadium. (Photos by Eddie Barcenas for Circling Seattle Sports)
What to look for in the second half
Better looks on the ground for the Huskies: Like the rest of the offense for Washington, the running game has struggled and hasn’t had many clean plays in the first half of this game. Quaid Carr and Jayden Limar have been able to rip off a fun gain once every few drives, but that’s been it. The Husky offensive line hasn’t been able to push around the Cougars front seven, and it’s created problems for Jedd Fisch’s hopes to get anything going on the ground. Washington will need something to get rolling running the rock in the second half to be able to secure victory on their home turf.
Note: The NBC broadcast reported that running back Quaid Carr was taken back to the locker room right before the half. Here’s hoping it was just precautionary before halftime and not anything serious.
Additionally, in the injury department, wide receiver Christian Moss was seen on the elliptical bike after the first drive of the game for the purple and gold. Here’s hoping he isn’t dealing with something in the first week of the season.
More trouble for Caden Pinnick: Pinnick really hasn’t looked comfortable for the Cougars in the first two quarters and hasn’t exactly been able to settle into the game whatsoever, as the Husky defense has brought pressure and been able to hit him a few times. While this first half has been a mess, the Washington defense largely has not, so I’d expect to see Pinnick in a panic on multiple occasions in the third and fourth quarters.
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Follow our accounts dedicated strictly to University of Washington athletics! Instagram: @CSS_UWHuskies Twitter: @CSS_College 〰️
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Cover photo by Eddie Barcenas. This is Eddie’s first game with Circling Seattle Sports; check out his portfolio by clicking here!
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