Washington Football Embracing the Opportunity of a Sunday Kickoff

The Washington Huskies are taking advantage of the unique opportunity of playing their first game on Sunday, September 6, 2020, for the Apple Cup. While most college programs kick off their season on Saturday, September 5, the Huskies will have the day off to prepare for their Sunday matchup against the Washington State Cougars.

The NFL season starts on Wednesday, September 9, and Week One of college football runs through Monday, September 7. The Apple Cup is the first of three nationally televised games on Sunday, along with Wisconsin-Notre Dame and Louisville-Ole Miss.

Washington's head coach, Jedd Fisch, is thrilled about the schedule, stating "I thought it was awesome" and emphasizing that it's an opportunity for the team to make a strong first impression to a national audience. Fisch expressed his enthusiasm about being the only game at 1:00 p.m. on NBC on Sunday, saying "we re on NBC. It s an opportunity; everybody that turns on the TV on Sunday in the fall is looking for football.

So, it just happens to be, surprise, it s college. And it s us, and that s our hope that they all benefit from that."

Fisch also mentioned that the Huskies will be playing five teams ranked in the preseason top 25, giving them numerous chances to impress viewers on national television. However, Washington faces a number of highly competitive matchups this weekend, as some teams ranked higher than them are playing in tough games. Nevertheless, Washington has a chance to climb into the top 15 if they can secure a home win against the Cougars.

The Cougars, under first-year head coach Kirby Moore and transfer quarterback Caden Pinnick, are in contention for a conference championship after producing back-to-back winning seasons.