Washington State, Oregon, Utah roll in early rivalry games

Some of college football's fiercest rivalries took place very early this season. It's only Week 3 and in-state foes, particularly on the West Coast, faced off Saturday.

Traditionally such series like the Apple Cup, Civil War and the Battle of the Brothers take place the week of Thanksgiving in the U.S.

But because of recent conference realignment, those classic games became part of the non-conference slate in the first part of the season.

Washington State tops Washington in Apple Cup for first time since 2021

In what was only the second win in the annual rivalry game for Washington State in the last 12 years, the Cougars conquered big brother Washington in Seattle for the first time since 2021.

The Cougars only trailed twice on Saturday (both times by three points) before ultimately taking the Huskies by the scruff of the neck and tossing them in Elliot Bay. The 24-19 win was an emotional one for Washington State head coach Jake Dickert.

"We said we were going to win this game not because we hate them but because we love each other," Dickert told ESPN after the game. The Washington State program was 31-71-6 in the Apple Cup series prior to his promotion in 2021.

No. 9 Oregon shows it's worthy of Top 10 with rout over Oregon State

The Ducks squashed their rival Beavers from Corvallis 49-14. It was the first back-to-back wins for Oregon in the rivalry since the Ducks won three in a row from 2017-19.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel displayed why he was one of the preseason favorites for the Heisman with 291 yards and two touchdowns through the air while rushing for 61 yards and another score on the ground.

The Ducks had struggled to put away inferior opponents over the last two weeks, winning by 10 and three points against Idaho and Boise State, respectively.

Saturday the Ducks buried Oregon State by 35 points, their largest win since the Fiesta Bowl in January when they silenced Liberty 45-6.

No. 12 Utah fends off Utah State's upset bid without QB Cameron Rising

The Utes did well without starting quarterback Cameron Rising, who is still carrying an injury to a finger on his throwing hand. Instead, they opted for freshman Isaac Wilson — little brother to Denver Broncos passer Zach Wilson — and came away with a 38-21 win over the Aggies.

The final score does not reflect how close this game was at times, with Utah State leading for most of the first half.

Utah took off in the fourth quarter, though, on its way to winning its third straight edition of this rivalry. This was the first time this game has been played since 2015.