No. 17 Washington struggles on offense but pulls out 24-10 Apple Cup win over Washington State

SEATTLE (AP) — Demond Williams Jr. threw for 268 yards and a touchdown, and No. 17 Washington survived offensive struggles for a 24-10 victory over Washington State in a season-opening Apple Cup on Sunday.

Williams also scored on a 5-yard keeper in the 118th meeting of the two teams, who were once both part of the Pac-12. Washington won last year's meeting 59-24 in Pullman.

Transfer Caden Pinnick made his debut as quarterback for the Cougars, throwing for 142 yards and scoring on an 11-yard keeper in the fourth quarter.

“(I) thought Washington State had a really good plan, played really hard, did a nice job,” Washington third-year coach Jedd Fisch said. “Very challenging Week 1 to really make sure that we kind of knew what we wanted to get done. We felt like we didn’t play the at the level we would like to play at, but we also are very happy with the victory.”

Washington State was one of the remaining members of the Pac-12 left after realignment broke apart the conference ahead of the 2024 season. The Cougars and Oregon State helped re-build the conference, which now includes Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State, along with non-football member Gonzaga.

The Huskies, meanwhile, bolted the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. Washington went 9-4 last season with a 38-10 win over Boise State in the LA Bowl.

Washington State was embarking on it's first season under coach Kirby Moore after going 7-6 last season. He brought in Pinnick, who played at UC Davis last season and threw for 3,206 yards and 32 touchdowns as a freshman.

Washington State's defense was largely effective in thwarting the Huskies throughout the game, but the Cougars missed a pair of field goals that could have narrowed the gap and were 0-11 in converting on third down.

“I've got to get better with the preparation and getting the guys ready for third downs. You're not going to win a lot of games going 0-11, and ultimately taking care of the ball, that falls on me,” Pinnick said.

Tyler Robles’ 48-yard field goal gave the Huskies the early lead. In the second quarter, Jeron Jones intercepted Pinnick and ran it back 8 yards to the Washington State 21. After breaking free on a 16-yard run to keep the drive alive, Williams scored on a 5-yard keeper to make it 10-0

The Cougars stopped the Huskies on fourth-and-1 at the goal line to end the half.

The Cougars had a chance to get on the board midway through the third quarter but Jack Stevens' 32-yard field goal attempt went wide right. Stevens also missed a 52-yard attempt on Washington State's first series of the game.

After the Cougars stopped another Washington attempt to convert on fourth down at the end of the third quarter, Washington State drove down the field and scored on Pinnick's 11-yard run to narrow the gap to 10-7.

Washington answered with Rashid Williams' 1-yard touchdown reception.

The Huskies' Rylon Dillard-Allen was ejected for targeting on Pinnick midway through the fourth quarter before Stevens' 42-yard field goal made it 17-10.

Jayden Limar capped scoring for the Huskies with an 11-yard touchdown run with 2:18 left.

“It felt really good, definitely, especially you know the way we won. Very gritty, you know, being able to hold the lead right there at the end when they were battling back and showing signs of life,” Demond Williams said.

The Cougars were hurt in the first half when receiver Tony Freeman was injured and did not return.

Traditionally in the days of the old Pac-12, the Apple Cup was played over Thanksgiving weekend as the final game of the season for both teams. This year’s rivalry was unusual as the season opener.

Another break with tradition? No Washington State band.

When Washington moved to the Big Ten for the 2024 season, it moved visiting bands from the lower bowl to the seats in an upper corner of the stadium. Washington State decided it was a hardship for the band to navigate getting down to the field and back for performances.

Washington State visits Kansas State, while Washington hosts Utah State on Sept. 12.

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Washington safety Alex McLaughlin (7) celebrates making an interception against Washington State during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Washington defensive lineman Derek Colman-Brusa reacts after a field goal attempt by Washington State place-kicker Jack Stevens was no good during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Washington runs out to the field before facing Washington State in an NCAA college football game, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. looks to throw against Washington State during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Washington linebacker Xe'ree Alexander tackles Washington State quarterback Caden Pinnick during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Washington State head coach Kirby Moore claps before an NCAA college football game against Washington, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. celebrates scoring a touchdown against Washington State during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

MIAMI (AP) — An Amazon cargo plane barreled off a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, killing at least five people and injuring five others as it struck vehicles and was engulfed in flames, authorities said.

The aircraft overran the runway around 2 p.m. after arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and plowed across a road used by warehouse workers and other businesses that surround the airport. Five people were killed, three critically injured and two others hospitalized with less severe injuries, Miami-Dade County officials told a news conference.

Miami officials said Sunday afternoon that it was too soon to say whether the people who died were on board the plane or in the vehicles the plane hit.

The crash, which sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky, trapped the pilot and copilot in the cockpit and some occupants in cars, said Miami-Dade Rescue Fire Chief Ray Jadallah. The agency said crews also had to extricate a person who was trapped under a vehicle.

The crash halted flights at the busy travel hub for much of the afternoon. Some 200 emergency personnel responded, finding the plane with heavy flames and smoke from a complex engine compartment fire, the department said. Firefighters used foam from specialized airport firefighting units to extinguish the fire, and crews were still dealing with a fuel leak on the plane hours later.

The Prime Air plane came to rest beside a roadway near two semi-trucks, images showed. The aircraft appeared to be resting on its belly and was largely intact despite the fire.

The cause had yet to be determined, and it was not clear if weather had played a role. Thunderstorms and wind gusts up to 30 mph (48 kph) were recorded in the area at the time, according to the National Weather Service.

The flight had been operated by 21 Air, a cargo carrier based in North Carolina. The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was originally built to carry passengers and flew for several airlines for more than two decades before being converted to a cargo plane in 2015, according to flight-tracking site Flightradar24.

More than 160 flights were canceled and nearly 325 delayed by late Sunday, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions. Officials from Orlando International Airport, more than 200 miles (320 km) north of Miami, said some flights were diverted there.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to Miami led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to investigate.

Amazon said in a statement that it would cooperate with any investigation.

“We’re heartbroken to learn that five people lost their lives in today’s incident at Miami International Airport," the company said. “Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this devastating loss.”

Last year, a UPS plane crashed after losing its engine while accelerating down the runway at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport. The crash killed all three pilots and 12 people on the ground. Twenty-three more were injured.

Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo said that a 767 cargo aircraft would typically be staffed only by a pilot and copilot on domestic flights. A third pilot would be added for an international flight, and a long-haul international flight would require a fourth pilot.

Arroyo, a retired longtime United Airlines pilot, said he wants to know whether the Amazon plane landed in the touchdown zone of the runway, and if it was beyond that area why it didn’t simply abort that landing and go around to line up for another attempt. Typically, the landing zone is within the first 3,000 feet (914 meters) of a runway.

“Did the aircraft land within the required touchdown zone?" he asked. “If it did, what happened?”

Mary Schiavo, who is a pilot and former inspector general of the Transportation Department, said that video posted online of the landing shows the Amazon plane floating above the runway for an extended period without flaring the nose upward to force the main landing gear onto the ground.

“It didn’t touch down right away, and so it lost a lot of critical real estate by just continuing to float over the runway. It was literally still flying,” Schiavo said.

She noted the Miami airport is not equipped with arresting systems that the FAA says have been installed at more than 120 airports nationwide to safely stop planes that do go past the end of a runway. Those beds of lightweight, crushable material at the end of a runway have been credited by the FAA with helping save at least 497 lives aboard planes that overran runways.

Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press writers Tim Reynolds in Miami, Rio Yamat in Las Vegas and Wufei Yu in Phoenix contributed.

An Amazon cargo plane sits at the Miami International Airport (MIA) after it overshot the runway, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

An Amazon cargo plane sits at the Miami International Airport (MIA) after it overshot the runway, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

An Amazon cargo plane sits at the Miami International Airport (MIA) after it overshot the runway, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

An Amazon cargo plane sits at the Miami International Airport (MIA) after it overshot the runway, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

An Amazon cargo plane sits at the Miami International Airport (MIA) after it overshot the runway, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

An Amazon cargo plane sits at the Miami International Airport (MIA) after it overshot the runway, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/David Fischer)

An Amazon cargo plane sits at the Miami International Airport (MIA) after it overshot the runway, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/David Fischer)

An Amazon cargo plane sits at the Miami International Airport (MIA) after it overshot the runway, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)