Dawgman Radio: A Washington Huskies athletics podcast

Jack McCauley and Luke Mounger are back with their third podcast of the regular season as the Washington Huskies gear up to take on the Eastern Washington Eagles. While Jedd Fisch's Dawgs are undefeated at 2-0, a 16-14 win over the Utah State Aggies last weekend has fans concerned about a lackluster offensive performance through two games. Considering the flat start offensively, the two lifelong interns decided to change up their approach for this week's episode.

Rather than looking forward to Saturday's in-state tilt with a Big Sky foe, Jack and Luke reflect on the first couple games of the season for Washington. Topics discussed include Washington's difficulty running the football, injuries to key skill position players, and young players being asked to step into new roles with little lead time between now and the start of conference play. Additionally, the duo discuss what they would like to see on Saturday from the Huskies to feel confident that Washington is making a step in the right direction offensively. 

This week, Jack and Luke pick just one "Bet to Bark", putting all of their eggs in one basket in calling their shot for a top performer on Saturday. Still, each picks three betting plays for Big Ten teams this upcoming weekend to keep their Betting B1G segment rolling.

You can listen to the latest episode of Mac and Mounger using the audio link below.

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - got together after Washington defeated Utah State 16-14 and had their own vent session instead.

As well as the defense played - and they limited Utah State to 75 rush yards and 271 total yards - it was pretty much all talk about Washington's offense and what they couldn't do right.

From an overall dearth of execution, to lack of blocking in the run game, to drops in the passing game, to a below average day running the offense for quarterback Demond Williams, and questions about Jedd Fisch's playcalling, there was all sorts of things to hash out.

To what lengths is Fisch going to have to go to in order to generate a semblance of a running game from the backs? And where has the confidence gone with the offense as a whole? 

The guys from Dawgman.com - Kim Grinolds, Chris Fetters, and Scott Eklund - woke up at the crack of dawn and turned their microphones on as the page has officially turned past the Apple Cup and now on to Washington's next opponent, the Utah State Aggies.

But before that game preview took place, the guys wanted one last crack at some final thoughts on UW's 24-10 win over Washington State.

Moving on, there's plenty of things to look forward to today at Husky Stadium, and most of it has to do with Washington's offense. They finally came alive in the fourth quarter of the Apple Cup, scoring two touchdowns to salt that victory away, but what has to take place today in order for the offense to take the necessary steps to prove game one was simply shaking off the rust?

Starting with the offensive line, the guys move through each offensive position group, with a special focus on the Washington running backs, and analyze what needs to be done in order to not just cover the 27.5-point spread, but do it in a way that allows the Huskies to bring in depth pieces in the fourth quarter.

After a quick break the chat then moves to the overall Apple Cup game day experience for the fans, and how 'cluster' is pretty much the only way to describe it. From long lines and slow security to get in to long lines and vendors running out of food in the concession stands, there's a LOT that needs to improve from game one to game two. Can UW get the job done?

Before the final game thoughts, Scott offers up a lengthy recruiting update because there were so many top-rated recruits from both coasts on hand for the Apple Cup, and he breaks down what he's learned talking to them after their trip to Seattle.

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.