The Washington Huskies secured their first win of the 2026 Football Season by taking down the Washington State Cougars in the 118th Apple Cup. While the Dawgs added a tally to the win column, they struggled to find an offensive rhythm, requiring a late fourth-quarter touchdown to extend their lead to multiple scores before Alex McLaughlin eventually sealed the deal with an interception in the closing minutes.

Lifelong interns Jack McCauley and Luke Mounger got together this week to share their grades for the opening game of Washington's third season under Jedd Fisch.

Jack and Luke then set their sights to this weekend's tilt against Utah State. The Aggies are coming off a 12-point loss at home to Idaho State last week and will have a tall task getting back on track against a Husky defense that allowed just 242 yards of offense and 10 total points last week against WSU.

Dawgman's podcast duo share a couple of storylines each that they're looking forward to seeing unfold on Saturday. A couple of topics from this week include how Washington will manage their offensive backfield - now down three key contributors at running back - as well as Washington's discipline woes after notching 130 penalty yards last weekend.

Next, Jack and Luke move onto their Bets to Bark, calling their shot as Washington looks to garner some momentum after a hard-fought Apple Cup win.

Both interns started their years 1-2 on Betting B1G and will look to bounce back this week. They will keep tallies on their Betting B1G success throughout the year and are looking to get back on track in Week 2.

Finally, Jack and Luke share their confidence interval that Washington will improve to 2-0 on the season. 

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - got together after Washington defeated Washington State 24-10 in the 118th Apple Cup to hash everything out; the good, the bad, and ultimately the delicious. And there was plenty to talk about. But the irony there is that most of the time was spent on the things the guys didn't expect to see.

They didn't expect to see 12 penalties on UW. How much of it was on them, how much of it was on the way the referees called the game? 

Then they talked a lot about Demond Williams Jr., his up-and-down day, and how he ultimately was able to make a few key plays when it really mattered to put the win on ice down the stretch.

There were also a lot of attaboys to hand out to the defense, as well as punter Hunter Green. And then there was that muff-turned-touchback that you don't see that often...

And how much of what happened Sunday is something the guys think they'll see next Saturday when the Huskies host Utah State? 

Scott also added a quick recruiting update on a day where prospects from coast to coast came to the Greatest Setting in College Football to check everything out.

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - got together for our annual Apple Cup pregame show, but for how much longer will the Apple Cup be around?

That's one of the main questions the guys start with as the 118th matchup between Washington State and Washington is about to kick off in a few hours. From a financial point of view, does it make sense for either team anymore?

Then the guys get into the guts of the matchup, starting with Washington State's offense against Ryan Walters and the UW D. What should the Huskies expect from a new lineup, new coaches and new schemes? Can UW turn the Cougars one-dimensional on that side of the ball, and will we see a defense that is more aggressive this season, especially at the line of scrimmage?

After a quick break the tables are turned and the guys talk about Demond Williams Jr and the Washington offense against a completely-new WSU offense led by former Oregon State Defensive Coordinator Trent Bray. How long will it take for the Cougars to gel on defense? And how big a move in his development has Williams taken from last year to this year? And who is going to help him move the ball at running back, receiver, and tight end? And can the Cougars get after first-year left tackle Kodi Greene and make his college debut one to forget?

The guys then talked about a revamped UW specialist corps and how they could impact today's Apple Cup.

To finish, Scott gives a brief update on what is expected to be a massive day for UW recruiting as top prospects from a number of states east of the Mississippi will be on hand, and then they give their final thoughts on what Washington needs to do in order to take care of business at their home, the Greatest Setting in College Football.

As the Washington Huskies set their sights on hosting the Washington State Cougars for the 118th Apple Cup, you should tune your ears to Dawgman's lifelong interns, Jack McCauley and Luke Mounger.

In this episode, Jack and Luke breakdown their Mount Rushmore of tailgating items as the two envision their reunion in the E12 Parking Lot on Sunday. Any clear omissions from the list? Let us know in the comments below.

Then, Jack and Luke share the storylines they're most excited to watch unfold in this season-opening duel between in-state foes. Talking points vary from Washington breaking in a new center against an improved WSU defensive front, UW's depth on the defensive side of the ball, playmakers to emerge at offensive skill positions, and more.

Next, the interns go back to the "Bets to Bark" segment. Let us know your Bets to Bark in the comments.

Betting B1G treated Luke nicely last year. Jack... not so much. Nevertheless, the podcasting partners share their three favorite plays for Big Ten teams for Week 1 of the College Football season. Jack even throws in a bonus Big 12 play.

Dawgman.com's Kim Grinolds spoke this week with Cougfan.com's main beat writer covering Washington State football, Jamey Vinnick. Vinnick was gracious with his time talking about what he's seen in person from very much a new-look WSU football program from the top down.

First, how has new head coach Kirby Moore settled in to the job at WSU? What makes him ideally suited for success on the Palouse? What is their style of offense? How much will Moore take from the coaches he's been connected with, like former UW Head Coaches Chris Petersen and Kalen DeBoer?

Vinnick also broke down the quarterback battle and what Caden Pinnick did to win it, as well as talking about the players Pinnick will rely on to help move the ball and the linemen up front the Huskies will face.

Moving to the defense, what has Vinnick seen from new DC Trent Bray and what style of defense will the Huskies square up against? Who are the key players the Cougars will be counting on to try and limit Demond Williams and the Huskies' offense?

And lastly, Vinnick breaks down WSU's special teams and how confident would they be with their specialists when it came time to win the Apple Cup late? And what are a couple of keys for him from the Crimson and Gray perspective to determine the outcome of the game?

It's just one guy from Dawgman.com today - Chris Fetters - and he was on hand to watch Washington's final practice of fall camp. It was roughly two hours long and covered a lot of the same ground the last few practices have.

He gave a quick practice recap on some of the things he saw of note, and then went into a segment inspired by the Mac and Mounger show.

Jack McCauley and Luke Mounger put out their position rankings from 11-1 during their Friday morning preseason podcast, and Chris decided to follow suit. And with no one else there to argue with him, they have to be taken as the gospel.

But listen to what Jack and Luke said, and then compare them to Chris's position-by-position rankings and see who you line up with.

For the final part of Fall Camp, Jack McCauley and Luke Mounger get together to drop a Mac and Mounger podcast. The former interns share their positional power rankings for the Washington Husky football team that is slated to take the field for the 2026 season on Sunday, September 6th against the Washington State Cougars.

After each shares their list and defends their stance, the duo moves onto Betting B1G, making three win-total bet plays for Big Ten Conference teams before they begin their 2026 season.

Finally, reprising the Confidence Interval segment, Jack and Luke share how likely they believe it is for Washington to exceed their Vegas-projected win total of 7.5 games.

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds and Chris Fetters - watched Thursday's practice and then had a chance to offer up their thoughts on what they saw and how the Washington Huskies are shaping up heading into game week.

We're 10 days away from the Huskies taking on cross-state rivals Washington State in the Apple Cup, and right now the guys got to see a team that is in the final phases of getting the foundation laid before game week hits. And that means detail to game situations, substitutions, specific special teams moments, etc... that are all the final pieces to the overall puzzle the Huskies are trying to solve.

Depth charts are emerging on both sides of the ball, the team has stayed pretty healthy all things considered, and now it's getting very close to playing some football against someone else. Kim and Chris talked about those depth charts, who has solidified spots in their minds, and who could surprise ahead of UW's unveiling of their own official two-deeps early next week.

They also talk about the benefits of playing the game on Sunday, how they'll have a national audience all to themselves and will also be able to showcase the best of UW Football and the University of Washington to a ton of regional recruits on what is expected to be a beautiful Seattle Sunday.

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds and Chris Fetters - spoke after a two-hour Wednesday workout inside Husky Stadium that saw the Washington Huskies go through a number of team periods at thud tempo, as well as a few periods where the first team offense and defense were getting scout team looks, much like they would during a normal game week.

Kim feels like starting quarterback Demond Williams is head and shoulders better than a year ago, while Chris is looking forward to seeing how Demond processes things and executes once he's playing a defense that doesn't wear Purple and Gold.

On defense, there were a couple of linebackers limited or out, so we got to see a big dose of both MIKs, Taariq Al-Uqdah and Jacob Manu. Is that a combination we could see more of during the season, depending on down and distance and game situation? And one EDGE Chris was asked about this week stepped up with a big Wednesday practice... could it mean the beginning of Logan George and his ascent up the EDGE depth chart? 

And before they give their final thoughts - which includes some talk on the celebrations for the 2016 team planned during Apple Cup week, as well as the seven captains named ahead of the 2026 season (Williams, John Mills, Landen Hatchett, Drew Azzopardi, Elinneus Davis, Manu, and Alex McLaughlin) - Kim and Chris have differing opinions on which right guard will end up with the most snaps in 2026; Geirean Hatchett or Champ Taulealea?

The Huskies took the field in the Dempsey Indoor facility on Tuesday as they continued preparations for the 118th Apple Cup vs. Washington State as they will host their cross-state rivals on Sunday, September 6th, the day before Labor Day. It was a spirited two-and-a-half-hour practice that saw a handful of team periods and several players who were either out or limited previously participating in practice.

Dawgman's Scott Eklund and Kim Grinolds were on hand and shared there thoughts starting with which players were back and participating fully, including cornebacker Dylan Robinson, linebacker Jacob Manu and defensive lineman Kai McClendon.

They also discussed some of the big plays that took place, from Taariq Al-Uqdah's diving interception to some big plays that were turned in by the wideouts and tailbacks.

Eklund and Grinolds also discussed the recent announcement by pretty much every major FBS conference, including the Big Ten and SEC, that they will not accept players who were on pro teams and in training camps who wish to re-enroll and play college football.