The first game was played in November 1894 and resulted in a win for Washington State. The Vandals' first-ever forward pass was attempted against the Cougars in 1907: it was completed for a touchdown from a drop-kick formation in the fourth quarter and led to a 5–4 victory. Washington State has dominated the local rivalry, holding a 71–16–3 () lead. The record since 1926 is even more dominant, with a 56–5–2 () advantage for the Cougars. The longest winning streak for Idaho was three games (1923–25), and has only five victories since that three-peat (1954, 1964, 1965, 1999, & 2000) and two ties (1927, 1950) to offset the 56 losses.