COUGARS HOST BOEING APPLE CUP SATURDAY ON CBS
Washington State hosts Washington for the Boeing Apple Cup at Gesa Field Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on CBS.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State opened the season with home wins over Idaho (13-10) and San Diego State (36-13) before dropping a road matchup at North Texas last Saturday under first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers who coached South Dakota State the previous two seasons highlighted by an FCS National Championship in 2023. The Cougars went 8-5 last season, the most wins since 2018, and earned a trip to the Holiday Bowl for the program's eighth bowl game in the last nine full seasons. The 2025 roster features just three returning starters on offense and 75 newcomers. 

COUGAR QUICK GAME
TEAM
• Jimmy Rogers was the first Cougar head coach to win his first two games at WSU since Mike Price in 1989
• WSU has won 4 straight season-openers and is 2-0 for the 4th straight season
• WSU went 8-5 last season, the most wins since 2018, went 8th bowl in last 9 full seasons, 19 bowls all time
• WSU's roster features 28 players from the state of Washington 
• WSU assistant DL coach Everrett Thompson played DL at UW (2008-11 ), 47 GP, played 3 seasons in NFL (Arizona)

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT (Player Notes Pages 8-11)
• Trey Leckner's 2 TD catches against San Diego State was the 5th 2-TD game by Cougar TE in program history
• C Brock Dieu was named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List (Top Collegiate Center)
• WR Jeremiah Noga and OL AJ Vaipulu were named to the 2025 Polynesian Player of the Year Watch List
• Jack Stevens go-ahead 32-yard FG with three seconds remaining was the 1st last-minute victory since 2019 
   (54-53, Max Borghi TD run with two seconds remaining, Oregon State)
• WR Leon Neal Jr.'s dad, Leon Sr. played RB at UW (1991-96) and for Colts (1997)

SERIES HISTORY
WSU and Washington have split the last four meetings while the Huskies lead the all-time series 76-34-6. The Cougars claimed the 2021 meeting at Husky Stadium and last year's Apple Cup at Lumen Field in Seattle. UW won the 2022 matchup in Pullman and 2023 meeting at Husky Stadium. Washington has won the last four meetings at Gesa Field with WSU's last home win coming in 2012, 31-28 in overtime.

COLLEGE GAMEDAY RECORD
Dating back to the 2003 season, ESPN College GameDay has had the WSU flag appear throughout the show. The streak reached 323 last week in Tennessee. The first appearance came in Austin, Texas (10/4/03) and the streak began two weeks later in Madison, Wisc. (10/18/03). Two flags – Ol' Crimson and Gray – have been flown in the background of the GameDay set. The Gray flag was added in 2014 after Whitey was retired in honor of Steve Gleason's "No White Flags." Appearance No. 217 was its first in Pullman (10/20/18), a 34-20 win over Oregon. 

WALK-AROUND ALCOHOL PILOT PROGRAM AT GESA FIELD
Washington State University announced a new pilot program that will allow walk-around beer and wine sales at Gesa Field. This initiative is designed to enhance the fan experience while maintaining a strong commitment to safety and responsible consumption. Beginning with Apple Cup, fans aged 21 and over with valid, government-issued identification (ID) will be able to purchase beer and wine from general concession stands throughout the stadium, eliminating the need for a designated beer garden. The program follows a successful model already implemented within the state that has gone through a thorough review by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board's enforcement team. The Liquor Board provided final approval at its Sept. 10 meeting. 
 
Key elements of the pilot program per the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board include: 
- No stadium re-entry once a ticket has been scanned. 
- Walk-around beer and wine sales are available through the end of the third quarter. 
- Student section remains alcohol-free with a strict zero-tolerance policy. 
- Limit of two alcoholic drinks per person, per transaction and ID checks for all alcohol purchases. 
- Rogers Field/Cougville becomes part of the ticketed footprint of Gesa Field and will require a game ticket to enter. Fans entering Rogers Field/Cougville will not be allowed to re-enter the stadium once they leave.
 
WSU and Aramark will continue to emphasize responsible drinking through staff training, signage, and enforcement protocols. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
16,578 - WSU will travel 16,578 miles to and from its 6 road games in 2025
75 - WSU's 2025 roster features 75 new players
41 - 41 players have made their WSU debuts in the first 3 weeks, 19 have made their collegiate debut 
21 - WSU returned 21 players who earned a varsity letter in 2024
10 - WSU's 2025 schedule features teams from 10 different conferences 
7 - 7 Cougs were named to the East-West Shrine Bowl Watch List
    (C Brock Dieu, S Matthew Durrance, LB Caleb Francl, CB Colby Humphrey, RB Angel Johnson,       
         S Tucker Large, OL AJ Vaipulu)
7 - 7 seniors have spent their entire careers at WSU; C Brock Dieu, RT Christian Hilborn, WR Joshua Meredith, WR Leon Neal Jr., RB Dylan Paine (6th), WR Leyton Smithson, DE Raam Stevenson
3 - WSU returned 3 starters, all on offense; C Brock Dieu, RT Christian Hilborn, WR Josh Meredith

JIMMY ROGERS NAMED HEAD COACH
WSU Director of Athletics Anne McCoy announced December 28 that Jimmy Rogers had been named the Cougars' Head Football Coach. Rogers agreed in principle to a five-year contract in becoming the 35th head football coach in program history. Rogers arrived at WSU having spent the last 12 years at South Dakota State University, the past two as head coach. In those two years, he guided SDSU to a 27-3 record, led the Jackrabbits to the 2023 FCS Championship and reached the FCS semifinals last season.

COUGAR DEFENSE IMPRESSIVE START
The Washington State defense opened 2025 with a pair of soild performances under new defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit
• WK1 | Idaho; 10 pts, 33 rush yards, 5 TFL, 2 takeaways (2 fumbles) 
• WK2 | San Diego State; 13 pts, 7 TFL, 3 sacks, 2-of-13 on 3rd downs, safety, 215 yds of total offense
• WK3 | at North Texas; 3 TFL, 1 sack

POSTGAME NOTES - at NORTH TEXAS
• Maxwell Woods set career-highs with five catches for 42 yards • Landon Wright recorded his first career catch, a 34-yard grab in the second quarter • Hudson Cedarland recorded his first career catch, a four-yard grab in the fourth quarter • Caleb Francl recorded his second career sack • Cale Reeder made his WSU debut, finished three tackles • Jack Ellison made his 1st career, made five tackles • Jack Stevens connected on his only field goal attempt (26 yards), is 5-for-5 this season

POSTGAME NOTES - SAN DIEGO STATE WIN
• WSU improved to 2-0 for the fourth straight season • Jimmy Rogers is the first Cougar head coach to win his first two games at WSU since Mike Price in 1989 • WSU recorded its first safety since 2021 (blocked punt out of end zone, fog game against Arizona in Pullman) • Jaxon Potter threw for 257 yards and three touchdowns, his first career 3-TD game • Kirby Vorhees set a career-high with 13 carries, finished with 67 yards • Trey Leckner caught a career-high six passes, his first and second touchdowns of the season, second and third of his career • Leckner recorded the fifth 2-TD game by Cougar tight end in program history • Leon Neal Jr. caught his first career touchdown, 18-yard catch in third quarter, finished with two catches for 19 yards • Josh Meredith set a career-high with eight catches for 88 yards • Isaac Terrell recorded his first career sack, a safety in the second quarter, finished 1.5 sacks

JAXON POTTER DELIVERS WIN IN FIRST CAREER START
Redshirt-sophomore quarterback Jaxon Potter notched a couple firsts in his first career start, the season-opening 13-10 win over Idaho. Potter went 23-of-30 for 208 yards including his first career touchdown pass, a six-yard scored to wideout Joshua Meredith in the second quarter. Potter capped his night going 6-for-6 on his first career game-winning drive, guiding WSU to a nine-play, 59-yard drive before Jack Stevens kicked the go-ahead 32-yard field goal with three seconds remaining.

POSTGAME NOTES - IDAHO WIN
• WSU won its fourth straight season-opener, won its 11th straight game in the series against Idaho • Jack Stevens go-ahead 32-yard field goal with three seconds remaining was WSU's first last-minute victory since 2019 (54-53, Max Borghi TD run with two seconds remaining, Oregon State) • LT Ashton Tripp and LG Jonny Lester each made their first career starts • Tony Freeman started, set career highs with seven catches for 64 yards • Kirby Vorhees set career highs with five catches for 18 yards • Caleb Francl (11), Matthew Durrance (9) Anthony Palano (9) each made set career-highs in tackles in their Cougar debuts • Jack Stevens made his first career field goal (30 yards, 3rd quarter) and his second career field goal was the go-ahead 32-yarder with three seconds remaining

SIX NAMED TEAM CAPTAINS
Washington State announced its team captains for 2025 as voted by the players; OL Brock Dieu, S Tucker Large, WR Josh Meredith, DT Max Baloun, DE Raam Stevenson, LB Caleb Francl.

13 COUGS HAVE EARNED DEGREES
Four players with college degrees
DL Max Baloun (Physical Education), LB Keith Brown (Social Sciences), LS Colson Brunner (Social Sciences), TE Hudson Cedarland (Management), CB Jamorri Colson (Humanities), DL Darrion Dalton (Business), QB Zevi Eckhaus (Social Sciences), OL Christian Hilborn (Humanities), LB Parker McKenna (Social Sciences), WR Leon Neal Jr. (Marketing), WR Jeremiah Noga (Public Health), RB Dylan Paine (Marketing), DT Mike Sandjo (Human Rights). 

COUGAR FOOTBALL PLUS ONES
Four Washington State players took the plunge this past offseason.
    - C Brock Dieu married his wife Chloe this past summer
    - LG Jonny Lester married his wife Chloe this summer
    - DE Isaac Terrell married his wife Madison this summer
    - DE Malaki Ta'ase married his wife McKinley this past January

MISSION COUGS
A pair of Cougs recently completed their missions; LB Gage Jones spent two years (2022-2023) on a mission in Chile and DE Malaki Ta'ase spent two years (2022-23) on a mission in Ghana.

APPLE CUP DATES SET, WSU ADDS HOME AND HOME SERIES WITH ARIZONA
The 2026 Apple Cup will be contested Sept. 5 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, while the 2027 game will be held Sept. 18 at Gesa Field in Pullman. The 2028 contest, the fifth in the five-game agreement signed in 2023, will be played at Husky Stadium though no date has been announced. WSU signed a home-and-home agreement with the University of Arizona, beginning in 2026. The 2026 contest will be played Sept. 26, in Pullman, while the return game is set for Sept. 25, 2027, in Tucson.

FAN EXPERIENCE ENHANCEMENTS FOR COUGAR FOOTBALL GAMES
Kickoff At The CUB
New this year is the Kickoff At The CUB tailgate, located in the CUB Senior Ballroom. Beginning three hours prior to kickoff, all fans are welcome to enjoy the pregame atmosphere with featured food and drinks – including beer, wine, soda, and cocktails - available for purchase. The CUB Senior Ballroom is located on the second floor of the Compton Union Building.
 
Hollingbery Fieldhouse
New this year, Hollingbery Fieldhouse will not be open to the public. The venue  will be used to host private events for corporate partners of Cougar Athletics.
 
Cougville
Cougville, located on Rogers Field, remains one of the premier pregame tailgate spots on campus. Cougville provides fans with entertainment options for the entire family, including a beer garden for adults and a kids zone with inflatable bounce houses for young Cougar fans to enjoy. Cougville will open two hours prior to kickoff, close once the game begins, then re-open for halftime. Fans must show their game tickets to enter Cougville pregame.
 
Cougar Prowl
Don't miss this gameday tradition as fans gather to cheer on the Cougars as they make their way into Gesa Field. New for the 2025 season, the Cougar Prowl will begin two hours and 40 minutes prior to kickoff and will now start at the Taylor Sports Complex.