Caple’s UW Huskies Notebook: Apple Cup ahead, injury update

After a 30-9 victory over Eastern Michigan on Saturday, the UW Huskies carry a 2-0 record into this week’s Apple Cup — yes, in September — against the WSU Cougars at Lumen Field.

Instant observations from UW Huskies’ win over Eastern Michigan

UW coach Jedd Fisch held his weekly press conference on Monday to look back at EMU, and ahead to his first Apple Cup game.

More Mohammed?

UW’s starting tailback, Jonah Coleman, has 27 carries for 231 yards in two games this season, including an 11-carry, 104-yard effort against Eastern Michigan. Sixth-year senior Cam Davis, a captain, has taken 11 carries for 64 yards. That’s a talented, experienced duo atop the depth chart.

How, then, can UW find ways to get freshman tailback Adam Mohammed more involved? Coaches and teammates raved about him throughout his first spring and training camp, and his first five carries have netted 65 yards, including gains of 32 and 14. He carried three times for 26 yards on Saturday.

Fisch pointed out that UW played only 57 offensive snaps against EMU, and ran the ball 28 times. The Huskies also had 16 plays that gained 13 or more yards.

“There’s not a lot of football plays to be able to choose from,” Fisch said. “I want to see him run more, too. I think Adam Mohammed’s going to be special. I’m excited to see where he goes with his career, and how good he can get here. I think he can be one of the special running backs that have played here.

“For us, we have to let him grow, let him mature, let it happen naturally, organically, and see if there are opportunities to hand the ball off to him a little bit more. In the end, I don’t know where those carries are coming from. … The best way to get more carries is (for the team) to convert.”

Fisch donates to UW Huskies athletic department

Fisch and his wife, Amber, gave $1 million as part of the kickoff for a new fundraising campaign announced Monday by UW’s athletic department. The school hopes to raise $300 million over the next five years — it says it already has raised more than $50 million, including Fisch’s donation — to ensure the department “remains competitive financially amid an evolving intercollegiate athletics landscape” and to support “the increased budgetary demands of competing against (UW’s) new cohort of conference schools, and (UW’s) own standards as a top-10 global public research institution.”

As he has before, Fisch focused on his desire for updated facilities, among other needs. Washington’s messaging also emphasizes the school’s half-share of Big Ten media-rights money for the duration of the league’s current contracts.

“The Big Ten is an arms race in itself, both NIL and facilities, and operating budgets and travel budgets, and making sure that you’re top of the line in all areas,” Fisch said. “We are going against the best of the best … I think it is so critical that there is an investment made from the inside-out, from the top-down … that our community realizes the commitment that we’re making is one which we ask others to make as well.”

An early Apple Cup

Once a Thanksgiving weekend tradition, the Apple Cup fell victim to Washington’s move to the Big Ten, and now occupies a nonconference slot on the schedule. Adding to the weirdness: this year’s game will be held at Lumen Field, and will air exclusively on Peacock.

Fisch said he expects Washington’s best week of practice so far this season, because the rivalry increases energy.

“It’s an awesome opportunity to have it in Week 3, because it will enable us to really lock in early in the season,” he said.

From a motivational standpoint, he plans to incorporate similar tactics as past UW coaches.

“We’ll have certain speakers, we’ll bring in certain traditions. We’ll continue to make sure our guys understand the importance of the game, without making the game so much so that you lose the discipline and you lose your preparation.”

The Apple Cup will return to the schools’ respective campuses with a game in Pullman next season, and the rivals have agreed to play every year through 2028. Fisch said he couldn’t guess whether the series might continue after that.

“But I know we have it for the next five years,” he said. “So it’s going to be really important over these next five years that we continue to make this game as important as it is.”

Moore doubtful

Quentin Moore, Washington’s starting tight end, missed the EMU game due to a leg injury sustained during UW’s opener against Weber State. Fisch said he would know more about Moore’s status on Tuesday, but that right now, “I would say he’s probably in the doubtful category.”

Moore’s injury occurred on a play on which the Big Ten acknowledged an illegal substitution penalty should have been called against the Weber State player who came off the sideline to tackle Moore.

This column from UW Huskies football insider Christian Caple is exclusive to Seattle Sports. Subscribe to OnMontlake.com for full access to Caple’s in-depth Husky coverage.

More on UW Huskies

• Top 25 Watch: UW Huskies rise in Coaches Poll, still snubbed by AP
• Recap: Will Rogers throws 4 TDs, Huskies beat Eastern Michigan 30-9
• Dawg Talk: Brock Huard’s weekly look at the UW Huskies
• Big Ten says penalty missed on play that injured UW TE Moore
• What Brock Huard saw in UW Huskies’ first win under coach Fisch

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