Jedd Fisch emphasizes the importance to 'own the state of Washington' ahead of Apple Cup

They might not share the Pac-12 anymore but the animosity between Washington and Washington State still exists. Another edition of the Apple Cup takes place Saturday, returning to Pullman. Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch lost his first game of the rivalry in 2024, now seeking revenge.

Playing a game of this magnitude is not normal in the month of September. Fisch laid out the importance of the game, saying it’s the lone trophy Washington is guaranteed to play for this season. The goal for him is to “own” the state of Washington, possibly by taking down the Cougars.

“Every game is a championship opportunity,” Fisch said. “Every game is important to go 1-0. That’s always a mentaility coaches take. But we have a goal here. One of our goals is to own the state of Washington and one of our other goals is to win championships. Really, there’s three trophies you can get nowadays. You can get the Apple Cup trophy, you can get a Big Ten Championship trophy, and you get your postseason trophy — whether that be the national championship or the bowl game.

“So, this is the only one that’s guaranteed to us, this game. We have to earn the opportunities to play in the Big Ten Championship, earn the opportunity to play in the postseason. But this one, we’re guaranteed. So, this is a championship game. That being the case, our full focus is on winning a championship and that’s what our conversations have been about the last four days.”

History tells us Washington does own the state. The Huskies have nearly double the amount of wins in the series as Washington State, currently sitting at 76-34-6. Long winning streaks pop up when looking at results throughout the years — most recently a seven-gamer, beginning in 2013 and lasting until the game was not played in 2020 due to COVID-19.

But for the time being, the Apple Cup resides inside Washington State buildings. Not how Fisch imagined starting his tenure in Seattle, losing in front of the home fans.

Lifting the trophy in Martin Stadium would propel Washington to 4-0, while Washington State sinks to a miserable 0-4. Power within the rivalry would instantly shift back to the Huskies. From there, Fisch can push his team to compete for another trophy or two during the season. However, for now, all attention on Saturday afternoon and the Apple Cup.